Hassan Whiteside Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kennedy On Davis, Martin, Whiteside, Oden

November 2nd, 2012 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy has taken to Twitter this morning to share a few updates about a number of NBA free agents, including one that hasn't played in the league since the 2009/10 season. Let's dive right in….

Kennedy hears that Ricky Davis, who last played for the Clippers in '09/10, is hoping to make a comeback. I don't expect any NBA team to sign Davis outright, but maybe he could end up in the D-League.
Kenyon Martin is drawing interest from multiple teams, but remains unwilling to sign for the minimum. As we heard earlier this week, Martin is seeking a mini mid-level deal.
Hassan Whiteside has been working out in Houston and Kennedy believes he's a good bet to land on an NBA roster this season.
Maurice Evans continues to weigh his NBA options, though he's still seeking a guaranteed contract, a commitment teams seem unwilling to make.
Don't be surprised if a team takes a flier on Greg Oden later this season, assuming he's healthy enough to return.

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Nets, Daniels

September 27th, 2012 at 10:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There's a chance that Minnesota could bring Hassan Whiteside into training camp, but Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 believes that it would have to be a non-guaranteed contract. Wolfson also covers a few more miscellaneous notes surrounding the Timberwolves, including the status of Nikola Pekovic, other players under consideration along with Louis Amundson, and that Chicago businessman Richard Chaifetz has been "kicking the tires" on the prospect of owning the team. Here's what else we've heard from around the league tonight:

In a Q&A with Mike Wells of IndyStar.com, Danny Granger said that he will try to take things slow through training camp after experiencing irritation in his knee this summer. He also mentioned that he would play if the Pacers were currently in the regular season, adding that the team is just being cautionary right now.
Paul Flannery of WEEI.com provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Celtics' moves this offseason, complete with some input from coach Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge.
Tyson Chandler told Tim Bontemps that his workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon have been going very well, says Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
After recently signing an extension in Boston, Keyon Dooling talked about his abrupt decision to retire from the NBA (Jessica Camerato of CSNNE reports).
The Kamenetzky Brothers of 710 ESPN in Los Angeles took to their radio show to discuss Steve Blake's injury and the possible opportunities for Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, Kobe Bryant's ESPN ranking at number six, and Jason Terry's recent comments about the Heat and Lakers.

Free Agent Notes: D.J. White, Whiteside, Yi

September 21st, 2012 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

As teams continue to fill out their training camp rosters with free agent signings, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld takes a look at which clubs still have cap space or various cap exceptions. Pincus' piece is worth checking out for an update on where your favorite teams stands, financially, and it also provides one important reminder: When the season begins, sign-and-trade deals are no longer permitted. Given the rule changes coming next summer, these next few weeks will be the last opportunity taxpaying teams will have to conduct sign-and-trade deals under the current CBA.

Here's the latest on a few free agents still looking for work:

ESPN.com's Marc Stein passes along "word from China" suggesting that the Shanghai Sharks are strongly pursuing unrestricted free agent D.J. White (Twitter link). We heard earlier this week that White was drawing interest from Israel.
GM David Kahn and the Timberwolves have been doing extensive due diligence on Hassan Whiteside, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, who believes the big man is a good bet to join the T-Wolves (Twitter links).
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside looks at whether Yi Jianlian's NBA window could be closing, and wonders if the former lottery pick would give the D-League a shot if it provided the best path back to the NBA.
Matt Dickey, who went undrafted out of UNC Asheville, is hoping to join the D-League for the coming season, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Thibodeau, Heat, Miles

September 20th, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates from around the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks are looking to sign a veteran two guard with NBA experience as insurance while Ronnie Brewer gets healthy, tweets Tommy Dee of The Knicks Blog. One candidate that pops to mind is Tracy McGrady, who worked out for the Knicks last week.
Appearing on the Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN Radio, Charles Barkley spoke highly of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, saying he doesn't understand why the Bulls haven't extended him yet (link via ESPNChicago.com).
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discusses new Heat big man Josh Harrellson, and addresses the reasons why Miami didn't sign Hassan Whiteside.
Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com spoke to new Cavalier C.J. Miles about adjusting to Cleveland and his motivation for signing with the Cavs.
Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is the latest to argue that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire aren't a good fit on the floor together in New York, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.

Odds & Ends: Heat, T-Wolves, Hudson, Grizzlies

September 18th, 2012 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

After weeks of consideration, the Heat appeared to conclude their hunt for a big man yesterday, inking Josh Harrellson to a non-guaranteed deal. Another team that has long been eyeing free agent bigs, the Timberwolves, continued their search today. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter), Wolves GM David Kahn is still talking to agents, with Hassan Whiteside, Sean Williams, and others believed to be in the mix. That's one of a handful of today's odds and ends that we've yet to cover, so let's round up the rest….

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel fielded questions in his mailbag about how the signing of Harrellson would affect the Heat's roster and rotation.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio follows up his tweet on Lester Hudson from earlier today with a full story on Hudson's agency letting him go when he failed to attend a workout with the Bobcats. "The Bobcats ended up eating a ticket for $750," said agent Tyler Glass. "I worked so hard to get him a workout, and he didn’t show. The Bobcats were annoyed and they should have been. They’re a professional organization. You don’t skip out on workouts…. He really can play in the league. But what happened with the Bobcats… Word gets around."
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld makes his picks for the offseason's most underrated acquisitions.
The sale of the Grizzlies to Robert Pera continued to move in the right direction today, as Memphis City Council approved transfer of the city's agreement with ownership. Amos Maki of the Memphis Commercial Appeal has the details.
With Dwight Howard no longer a distraction, the Magic are excited about their new direction, writes John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com.

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Harrellson, Pittman, Miller

September 17th, 2012 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have concluded an audition of Hassan Whiteside that lasted several days, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Now, the team will decide whether to sign him, Josh Harrellson, or neither player. Whether or not cost is an issue, Miami appears to be focused on youth in its search for a big man, having passed on auditioning veterans like Chris Andersen or Mehmet Okur. Here are a few other Monday morning notes out of Miami:

Within Jackson's piece, the Herald scribe writes that a Heat official says the team was disappointed with Dexter Pittman's summer league play. Pittman is on a guaranteed contract and seems likely to remain on the roster, but nothing is assured yet. "This is a crucial training camp for him," said the team official. "But the slate is clear."
Pittman will need to improve his rebounding and cut back on his fouls to stick with the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Asked whether the Heat can count on Mike Miller this season, Winderman notes that the club won't necessarily have to count on him for major production with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis on board. Anything Miller provides will be a bonus, says Winderman.

Hassan Whiteside Working Out For Heat

September 11th, 2012 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Hassan Whiteside, who worked out for the Timberwolves last week, is in Miami today to audition for the Heat, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. Whiteside's agent tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune that the Miami workout may not be his client's last, as there are a handful of other teams interested in having the former King work out for them (Twitter link).

The Timberwolves and Heat are among the teams still looking to add at least one more big man to their respective rosters. The T-Wolves are said to have interest in Mehmet Okur, but Okur is seeking more than a minimum-salary deal, which is all Minnesota can offer. The Wolves are still "very much in the mix" for Whiteside, according to his agent (Twitter link via Zgoda).

The Heat, meanwhile, have been frequently linked to former Knick Josh Harrellson, but he remains unsigned. Over the weekend, we heard that the Heat are considering bringing Harrellson on board, but Whiteside's workout suggests the team is still exploring its options.

In two seasons with the Kings, Whiteside recorded only 111 total minutes, but his height (7'0") and age (23) make him a potentially intriguing prospect for teams looking to add another frontcourt player.

Free Agent Notes: Whiteside, Anderson, Foote

September 7th, 2012 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2012/13 basketball season fast approaching both in North America and overseas, players still on the free agent market are looking to find jobs within the next few weeks. Here's the latest on a handful of players still in search of employment:

The Timberwolves were "encouraged" by Hassan Whiteside's workout yesterday, but haven't decided whether to offer him a contract, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500.
Kevin Anderson, who played his college ball at the University of Richmond, worked out with the Cavaliers this week, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. After going undrafted in 2011, Anderson played in France last season.
Jeff Foote had a brief NBA stint last season when the Hornets signed him to a 10-day contract, but he'll be heading overseas for the coming season. Lithiuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas announced today that they've signed the big man out of Cornell (translation via Sportando).
In a piece for Ridiculous Upside, Gino Pilato says Allen Iverson, who still wants to return to the NBA, should consider playing in the D-League.

Odds & Ends: Rockets, Magic, Whiteside

September 5th, 2012 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops offered his reflections on the biggest stories of the NBA offseason, including the Lakers' fleecing of the Magic in the Dwight Howard trade. New General Manager Rob Hennigan obviously wasn't working from a position of strength when he made the deal and wound up getting players taken at at 15, 16, 25, 27, 30 and 37 in their respective drafts in exchange for the league's best center. Here's more from around the Association..

Rockets coach Kevin McHale told Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that he plans on playing an inside-out game with the team as currently constructed. We looked at part one of Friedman's interview with McHale yesterday.
In an interview with HoopsWorld, Hassan Whiteside disclosed that he has a workout set with the Timberwolves for this week. Minnesota is on the lookout for free agent bigs and reportedly watched the 7-footer in Houston as a part of John Lucas' camp last month.
While the Clippers' hire of Gary Sacks as General Manager may seem like an uninspired choice from the outside, it was actually a smart one given his support throughout the organization, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Sacks picked up major endorsements from players this offseason, including star forward Blake Griffin.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) doesn't believe that Tracy McGrady could help the Bobcats as he is more of a distraction than a savvy veteran that can help young players. The Bobcats are reportedly looking at McGrady and may work him out sometime soon.

Timberwolves Still Considering Free Agent Bigs

August 27th, 2012 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With 13 players on guaranteed contracts, the Timberwolves have room to add another player or two if they so choose, and it sounds as if team president David Kahn is considering the possibility. According to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Kahn and the Wolves are mulling adding another big man, and have "several candidates in mind."

After signing Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, and Greg Stiemsma, the Timberwolves are not only out of cap space, but have no cap exceptions available outside of the minimum salary exception. Even so, it appears a free agent addition is more likely than an acquisition via trade.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio wrote two weeks ago that the T-Wolves had asked around about trading for a big, but that talks never got far; and in his piece today, Walters specifically says Minnesota is eyeing the free agent market. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld adds (via Twitter) that the Wolves are watching unrestricted free agent Hassan Whiteside work out today in Houston.

The T-Wolves have also been mentioned as possible suitors for players like Anthony Tolliver or Mehmet Okur, but both free agents are expected to command more than the veteran's minimum, making them unlikely fits for Minnesota. This morning, I took a look at the top rebounders still on the market — if the Wolves are bargain-hunting, they could do worse than some of the options on that list.