Harrison Barnes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Barnes, Nowitzki, Parsons

December 21st, 2016 at 9:49am CST by ChrisCrouse

Harrison Barnes admits that it’s been an adjustment going from the Warriors to the Mavericks, but he’s embracing the culture in Dallas, Sean Deveney of Sporting News writes.

“We play a different style of basketball here, but they won a championship in 2011 playing this way, so I don’t think you can argue that it can’t work,” said Barnes, the Mavericks’ top offseason signee. “It’s been good for me to learn the differences in change of pace, to value the basketball. When you play at a fast pace, you can afford a lot of turnovers, you can make a lot of errors in your play just because there’s so many more possessions in a game. When you slow it down like we do in Dallas, every turnover is that much more crucial, every missed shot is that much more influential. It is a different approach.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

After blowing a 17-point lead en route to an overtime loss on Tuesday night, The Grizzlies received some harsh criticism from head coach David Fizdale, who suggested that “nobody wants to step up and lead this group now during this tough time.” Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from the rookie head coach.
Dirk Nowitzki could return to the lineup tonight, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays. The big man has missed the Mavericks‘ last 21 games.
Chandler Parsons could see action for the Grizzlies tonight, Michael Wallace of NBA.com tweets. Parsons hasn’t played in over a month because of bone bruise on his left knee.
Eric Gordon said “chemistry” is a major reason why the Rockets are succeeding this season, as he tells Michael Lee of The Vertical. “Everybody gets along. Everybody is on one task. We’re all here to win. Nobody cares what anybody else says on the outside. Everybody is locked in on one goal and that’s trying to win games and win a championship.”

Southwest Notes: D’Antoni, Beverley, Frazier, Mavs

December 16th, 2016 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets‘ Mike D’Antoni is the early favorite to be named Coach of the Year, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. D’Antoni’s up-tempo attack has turned James Harden into an MVP candidate and has made Houston a contender in the West. The Rockets are off to a 19-7 start after a disappointing 41-41 season under Kevin McHale and J.B. Bickerstaff. Stein says a close runner-up to D’Antoni is new Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, whose team is 18-9 despite an injury-filled start to the season.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets are 13-2 since Patrick Beverley‘s return from injury and he may be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Houston has improved to 17th in defensive efficiency since it got Beverley back in the lineup, and he has a shot at becoming the first guard to win the award in 20 years. “I feel like I am the best defensive player in the league right now,” Beverley said. “I hope the whole world sees it. If we win games, more and more people see it. But the last guard to get the Defensive Player of the Year award was Gary Payton. Why not me? I have the same type of killer mindset that he had, the lateral quickness and quick hands. The swagger also. That’s one of my goals, my biggest goal. If I can get a goal like that, I will put my team in a position to win a lot of games.”
Pelicans point guard Tim Frazier will be sidelined with a contusion on a bone in his wrist, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Frazier estimates his recovery time at a week to 10 days.
Harrison Barnes has been a pleasant surprise in a dreadful season for the Mavericks, states Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News. After joining the team on a max contract this summer, Barnes has responded by averaging 20.4 points per game. In his weekly chat, Cowlishaw also addresses possible trades involving Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut, as well as the potential consequences of shutting down Dirk Nowitzki for the rest of the season.

Mavericks Notes: Barnes, Tanking, Fultz

December 8th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavs will need several offseasons to address their lack of talent, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com writes. MacMahon cites the team’s failures in the draft as well as the decision to include Jae Crowder in the ill-fated Rajon Rondo deal as reasons to why the team won’t be competing for a title anytime soon.

There’s more from Dallas:

Harrison Barnes has been a bright spot during the Mavs’ horrendous season, MacMahon adds in the same piece. Barnes, who signed a four-year max contract with the team this offseason, is averaging career highs in points (20.4) and rebounds (5.7) per game.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News doesn’t believe the Mavs should start dealing away productive players in order to tank. The scribe cautions that teams bottoming out tend to stay near the bottom of the standings for several years.
The Mavs were impressed with Washington’s Markelle Fultz during a recent scouting trip, Sefko adds in the same piece. Fultz is currently the top-ranked point guard and the second-ranked player overall, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Dwight Powell, who signed a four-year, $37MM deal with the Mavs over the summer, will see increased playing time as a result of Andrew Bogut‘s injury and the team believes he can handle the additional workload, MacMahon relays (ESPN Now link). “He’s progressing game to game, no question about it,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s gaining experience, recognition of situation, teammates being on the same wavelength with him. Many, many positives.”

Mavericks Notes: Nowitzki, Bogut, Rondo, Barnes

December 4th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Shortly after being ruled out indefinitely with a lingering Achilles problem, Dirk Nowitzki told reporters he is “all in” for the rest of the Mavericks’ season, relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Soreness in his right Achilles tendon has limited Nowitzki to five games this season. The problem began after he played 38 minutes on opening night. The veteran forward, who re-signed this summer for $50MM over two years, said he remains committed to this season despite the pain and Dallas’ 4-15 start. “This is obviously not a career-ending injury that I’ve got,” he said. “It’s something that just keeps lingering unfortunately. I can hopefully get over it. There’s still a lot of season left. December just started. We know that there’s a lot of games coming, so hopefully sometime soon I’ll be out there and then stay out there. I don’t want to jump in and out of the lineup with soreness or fight this whole year. I’d love to be healthy and stay out there once I go.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Center Andrew Bogut says the Mavericks have to turn things around quickly to have any hope for the playoffs, tweets Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star Telegram. “We probably honestly genuinely got about a month left to try and salvage this season,” Bogut said before Saturday’s win over the Bulls. The Mavericks’ performance over the next few weeks may determine if Bogut remains with the team all season. He will be a free agent next summer and could be traded before the February 23rd deadline if Dallas isn’t in contention.
Coach Rick Carlisle remains a supporter of Rajon Rondo even though they had a rocky relationship during the point guard’s time in Dallas, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Carlisle gave a glowing report about Rondo to the Bulls’ coaching staff when the team was considering making an offer to him in free agency. “I’ve recommended Rondo to a couple teams who have called me about him the last couple years,” Carlisle said. “As a competitor, you’re not going to find a guy better or more resourceful. It didn’t work out here for various reasons. It just was not a good fit. We did everything we could to make it work.”
Harrison Barnes is still adjusting to being a primary scorer after starting his career as a complementary piece in Golden State, writes Pat James of The Charlotte Observer. The Mavericks gave Barnes a four-year, $94MM contract this summer and promised him a larger role in the offense. “You just have to go and be aggressive,” he said. “That’s just the mentality coach has been trying to get me to be in this entire season. When he [Carlisle] draws up that play, it can’t be that I’m indecisive or thinking, ‘What play should I do?’ It’s just got be, ‘Make a read, and make or miss you live with the result.’ ”

Mavericks Notes: Felton, Nowitzki, Matthews, Harris

November 23rd, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers point guard Raymond Felton returned to Dallas tonight, and the shorthanded Mavericks may be wishing they had kept him, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The team is playing without Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris, who have all been sidelined by injuries. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called it a “franchise decision” to let Felton go, but he clearly misses having the veteran guard. “Felton played great for us, and I wish we would have brought him back,” Carlisle said. “He was a big difference-maker for us last year and probably one of the big reasons we got to the playoffs. You look at the whole year and everything that happened start to finish, Ray was filling in and starting. And we were winning a lot of those games because of what he was giving us. He’s a winner and was an ultimate pro here for two years. And the Clippers are very lucky to have him.” Felton, who got a one-year, minimum-salary deal from L.A., said the Mavericks were always his first choice. “I made it clear where I wanted to be,” he said. “Sometimes, things just don’t work out.”

The Mavericks welcomed Dirk Nowitzki back tonight in a move that should take the burden off some of the other starters, Sefko writes in a separate story. Harrison Barnes is second in the NBA in minutes played at 38.1 per game, and teammate Wesley Matthews is fourth at 36.9. The Mavs are always concerned about Matthews after the torn Achilles he suffered in 2015. “It’s not the injury history, it’s the length of the season,” Carlisle said. “There’s a cumulative effect of guys being out there too much. But there’s no substitute for a warrior like him who is the best perimeter defender we’ve got and hits big shots. His value to our team is unmistakable. I just got to find a little more rest for him, that’s all.”
Sefko suggested the Bucks’ Khris Middleton as a potential trade target if the Mavericks are able to make a playoff push. In a question-and-answer session, the writer said Middleton would be the kind of building block Dallas needs, but added that he had no inside information to suggest that such a deal had been discussed.
The team is hoping Harris will be back in a week to 10 days, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Harris hasn’t played yet this season because of a sprained right big toe and he will wear a carbon plate in his shoe for protection.

Mavericks Notes: Acy, Gibson, Nowitzki, Barnes

November 20th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks’ release of Quincy Acy may not be permanent, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas waived the well-traveled forward on Friday after injuries left the team with a depleted backcourt. A roster spot was needed to bring back guard Jonathan Gibson, and Acy, who had appeared in just six games and was averaging 8.0 minutes per night, was let go. “We tried to get a medical exception, but we didn’t have enough guys injured,” said owner Mark Cuban. “He [Acy] is the best. I told him I’ve paid guys twice and three times in a season before, so be ready. I was heartbroken. We needed point guards. It was just a numbers game.”

There’s more this morning out of Dallas:

Gibson’s 26-point performance Saturday night was the most by an undrafted player in his first or second NBA game in 24 years, posts Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. Gibson, 29, had been playing overseas since being going undrafted in 2010.
Cuban believesHarrison Barnes is poised to take over as the face of the franchise once Dirk Nowitzki retires, writes Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Nowitzki, 38, has been limited by Achilles soreness and has gotten into just three games this season. He signed a new deal over the summer paying him $50MM for two years. Barnes, who received more than $94MM over four seasons, has become the team’s leading scorer in his absence. “That happens to every franchise,” Cuban said. “Father Time is undefeated and we’ll have to deal with it. I think Harrison [Barnes] is showing a lot of signs that he can be that person. Not to try to put too much pressure on him, but it’s a job he wants and he’s willing to work for it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add other pieces that are on the same plain.”
The team has no plans to shut down Nowitzki for an extended period because of the injury, Sefko writes in a separate piece. “We’re just playing it safe with Dirk,” Cuban said. “With so many guys out, there’s no reason to rush him back. The old, ‘If this was a playoff game, he’d be playing.’ But when you’re missing three of your other top six or seven, that puts too much pressure on him.”
With the Mavericks looking like a lottery team after a league-worst 2-10 start, Adam Grosbard of The Dallas Morning News examines some of the players expected to go early in the 2017 draft.

Southwest Rumors: Carter, Barnes, Rockets

November 16th, 2016 at 9:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

Vince Carter is turning back the clock with his recent performances, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com writes. Carter, 39, the oldest player in the league, has averaged 17 points over the Grizzlies’ last four games and is shooting 47.4% from the field this season. The former perennial All-Star is in the final year of a three-year contract. His $4.264MM salary this season becomes fully guaranteed if Memphis retains him through New Year’s Day. Carter undergoes extensive treatment on his right ankle to stay on the court, MacMahon details, but he might have some options next summer if he continues to perform at this level. “The way he’s still playing, retire for what?” Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph told MacMahon. “Give him a two- or three-year deal! That’s what I’d do.”

In other news around the Southwest Division:

Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes is still adjusting to being a go-to guy, The Vertical’s Michael Lee reports. Barnes is averaging 22.3 points and shooting 49.1% in his first nine games with Dallas after signing a four-year max contract this summer. He never averaged more than 11.7 points in his four seasons with the Warriors. “Coming into this situation, in my four years of being in the NBA, I’ve never been a focal point. So, it’s going to take some time,” Barnes told Lee. “I have to embrace that process.”
No progress has been made between the Rockets and power forward Donatas Motiejunas, the only unsigned restricted free agent in the league, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Houston reportedly offered Motiejunas is a multiyear contract that started at a fully guaranteed $7MM in year one. Motiejunas’ $4.4MM qualifying offer expired last month. He was traded to the Pistons in February, but Detroit rescinded the deal because of long-range concerns over his surgically-repaired back.
Dirk Nowitzki must be fully recovered from his right Achilles tendon injury before he returns to action, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki has missed four games with soreness in his Achilles. “He wants to get back, that’s for sure,” Carlisle told Sefko. “But he understands and we understand that he’s got to be right before he comes back. We don’t want him coming back for a game or two, then sitting another week. We’ve got to be vigilant about making sure he’s fully recovered before coming back, even if it takes awhile.”

Mavs Notes: Barnes, Nowitzki, Powell, Anderson

November 10th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Of all the maximum salary contracts signed in free agency this summer, few – if any – were greeted with more skepticism than the Mavericks’ four-year, $94MM+ pact with Harrison Barnes, who had never averaged more than 11.7 PPG in a season. However, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, Barnes is showing so far that he’s capable of being worth every penny of that deal.

As the Mavs’ No. 1 option – or perhaps No. 2 behind Dirk Nowitzki – Barnes has seen his shot attempts skyrocket (from 9.6 per game to 17.8), but is still shooting a career-best 49.3% from the field so far, good for an average of 22.6 PPG. As Bontemps writes, Barnes certainly has plenty of work to do to live up to his massive contract, but he’s off to a great start.

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

For his part, Barnes sounds like he’s preparing to eventually take on the responsibility of being the franchise player in Dallas if that’s what asked of him. “It’s no secret that Dirk is going to be leaving this team and the Mavs are going to be entering a post-Nowitzki era,” Barnes said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. “We have to be prepared for that. That’s why I’m working every single day, working with the coaches, so I can do my part and make sure I’m ready. Whether that time is now or that time is whenever, I need to be able to step into that [role] and have it be a seamless transition.”
Andrew Bogut admits that the bar is set much lower for the Mavericks than it was when he was chasing the wins record and a second title with the Warriors last season — Dallas’ goal is to make the playoffs. As Bogut explains, according to MacMahon, the mix of Mavericks’ veterans and younger players means the team is “half rebuilding” this season. “We’re an older team in the starting lineup, but our bench is younger, so it provides a different challenge,” Bogut said.
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at two of those key young players for Dallas, exploring the roles Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson will play for the team this season.

Western Notes: Deng, Mozgov, Cauley-Stein, Barnes

November 9th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers spent $136MM to bring Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov to Los Angeles, but neither is being used to finish games, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Both offseason signees are in the starting lineup, but coach Luke Walton has been closing out games with younger players. “I think they understand that while we’re trying to win right now … that we’re also trying to develop young players,” Walton said. “I haven’t sat down and talked to them about that but I’m pretty sure, the professionals that they are, they understand that.” Deng signed with the Lakers for $72MM over four years, while Mozgov received $64MM over four seasons.

There’s more tonight from the Western Conference:

Effort is the main thing the Kings are expecting from second-year big man Willie Cauley-Stein, relays Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee. Cauley-Stein has seen his minutes cut from 21.4 per game to 14.9, but new coach Dave Joerger just wants to see him play hard while he’s on the court. “The energy that he brought is the biggest deal,” Joerger said after Cauley-Stein scored nine points in 12 minutes Tuesday. “When he … gets to the rim, [it] seems like it gets all those guys going a little bit. But he’s up there fullcourt, shadowing the other team’s point guard. He’s fronting a guy, comes over and gets a blocked shot. He’s running the floor.”
Harrison Barnes looks like a “big-time upgrade” at small forward for the Mavericks, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. The 24-year-old, who signed as a free agent over the summer, is averaging 22.3 points and 5.9 rebounds through Dallas’ first seven games. The player he replaced, Chandler Parsons, has been dealing with knee problems and recently made his season debut in Memphis.
After trying to be a veteran leader with the Bulls, Pau Gasol has entered a much more relaxed atmosphere with the Spurs, according to Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Gasol signed a two-year, $30MM deal this summer and came to a franchise filled with veteran leaders. “You don’t need to be too loud in this locker room, because it’s not like a group of young guys that need more leadership or direction,” Gasol said. “There’s not much need for me to be loud and say much.”

Western Notes: Dieng, Bryant, Gobert

November 1st, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Wolves center Gorgui Dieng, who agreed to a four-year, $64MM extension on Monday, likely could have landed a larger deal on the open market but wanted to remain in Minnesota, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. “I wanted to be here,” Dieng said. “I rather take the money now or just wait and get a different offer. If I go to another team, am I go to be happy? I don’t know. To me, after over $10 million [a season], you can do whatever you want. The money wasn’t an issue. I just wanted to be happy and make sure I’m comfortable where I am…At the end of the day, it’s not all about the money.”

Coach/executive Tom Thibodeau is thrilled the team and Dieng got a deal done prior to the deadline, Zgoda adds. “I think it’s important for the organization,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, we feel very good about him signing. That’s important for us to move forward. He embodies all the things we’re looking for. He has had a very good start to his career. He continues to improve. He gets better and better, but it’s also who he is: His character, his intelligence, his drive. I think those things are important.”

Here’s more from out West:

Former Lakers great Kobe Bryant says he’s comfortable in retirement and has no itch to rethink his decision to hang up his sneakers, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com relays. When asked if he regrets his decision, Bryant said, “Not even a little bit. It’s strange to think a couple years ago, to be in this emotional space would be unfathomable. But I mean not even a smidge, which I’m very thankful for, because it’s made my transition seamless and I can really just watch and just enjoy the games.“
Rudy Gobert, who agreed to a four-year, $102MM contract extension with the Jazz on Monday, weighed in on why he eschewed the chance to test his value on the open market, Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News relays. “It’s great,” said Gobert, who indicated that he knew a few days earlier that the deal was coming. “It was important for me and especially for the team, so we can get a plan and know who we want to be. I love the organization, I love the coach, I like to live in Utah and I like the way the team is building. My goal in my career is to get a championship and I think we’re going in the right direction and I want to be part of that.”
In response to a reader question, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opined that the Mavericks‘ deal with Harrison Barnes is likely to play out differently than most big money pacts. In Sefko’s estimation, Dallas will receive better production from the forward in the later years of the arrangement rather than an immediate value.