Iman Shumpert Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Kobe, Bulls, Heat, Wizards

November 26th, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant says he gave no thought to leaving the Lakers in free agency, and defended himself against criticism that his extension will hurt the team, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt observes. Most Hoops Rumors readers agree, believing the Lakers will sign another max free agent in either 2014 or 2015. Here’s more from the Association:

The Bulls seem likely to get a disabled player exception after Derrick Rose‘s injury, but that doesn’t mean they’ll use it, as Salary Cap FAQ author Larry Coon explains (Twitter links).
There’s no sign of any rift between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and as the Cavs and others lurk in free agency, LeBron seems as much a part of the Heat as ever, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld says he has no plans to make a roster move in the next two weeks while Bradley Beal recovers from a stress injury in his right leg, observes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Beal will miss at least that amount of time.
Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report hears from a source that new Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger is getting “considerable direction” from the team’s ownership and front office. “They’re suggesting lineups,” said the source. “Aggressively.”
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman makes the case for why Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart could receive some consideration as the first overall pick next June.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports catches up with Josh Howard, who is playing with the D-League’s Austin Toros as he attempts to make his way back to the NBA.
FIBA approved moving the 2018 basketball World Cup to 2019, as Lefteris Moutis of Eurohoops.net writes. Qualification will take place while most pro leagues are in session, a move that probably isn’t popular with the NBA.
Mike Woodson made it clear to reporters today that the perception he doesn’t like Iman Shumpert is off base, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: George, Wade, Shumpert, LBJ

November 26th, 2013 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will look to snap a five-game losing streak tonight when they take on the Atlantic Division leaders in Toronto. As we look forward to that game and the three others on Tuesday’s slate, let’s check in on a few items from around the Eastern Conference….

Grantland’s Zach Lowe provides a couple interesting details on Paul George‘s extension with the Pacers. Because he signed a max deal, George would be eligible for up to 30% (rather than 25%) of the salary cap if he earns All-NBA honors this season, thanks to the Derrick Rose rule. However, if he does meet the Rose criteria, George’s salary will be just 27% of the cap, according to Lowe. In exchange for that concession, the Pacers forward received a player option on the fifth year of his new deal.
Seeing Kobe Bryant sign an extension that will likely assure he finishes his career as a Laker has strengthened Dwyane Wade‘s own desire to spend the rest of his career with the Heat, as he tells Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Wade will be eligible to opt out of his deal next summer, but isn’t expected to go anywhere.
Iman Shumpert didn’t record a single point, rebound, or assist in more than 23 minutes of action last night, but insisted trade rumors weren’t the reason for his poor outing, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News spoke to league executives about the possibility of LeBron James returning to the Cavs, and the consensus was that it may happen eventually, but likely not as soon as next summer.
Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies six potential trade targets for the Bulls as they look to fill their hole at point guard.

Zwerling On Amar’e, Wallace, Humphries

November 19th, 2013 at 9:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report recaps many of the rumors we’ve heard about the Knicks and Celtics in recent days, and adds plenty more in his latest piece. Let’s dive in.

Zwerling presents a somewhat different version of an earlier trade rumor, which suggested that the Celtics would take on Amar’e Stoudemire if the Knicks would take back Gerald Wallace and Courtney Lee. Zwerling reports that the teams had talks about such a swap over the summer, and that Iman Shumpert was also part of the package. In the latest version of the proposal, Kris Humphries replaces Lee, while Shumpert is not involved.
The Celtics like the idea of Avery Bradley as their shooting guard going forward, and envision the soon-to-be restricted free agent as a $6MM-a-year player. Bradley’s development is why Shumpert is no longer a part of their talks with the Knicks. The Celtics don’t plan to be competitive in 2014/15, fueling their willingness to take on Stoudemire.
The Celtics are “desperate” to trade Wallace, Zwerling hears.
The Knicks continue to have interest in Humphries after having eyed him in the summer. They would have signed him if the Celtics had bought him out, but Boston wasn’t sure how rookie Vitor Faverani would perform and wanted to keep Humphries as insurance. Humphries maintains his interest in the Knicks as well, and he’s also keen on the Rockets as an option.
Miles Plumlee of the Suns is another young center the Knicks might like, but not if it means parting with Shumpert, Zwerling writes.
Zwerling points to a clause in Kenyon Martin‘s contract with the Knicks, revealed earlier this month by Mark Deeks of ShamSports, that nullifies his guarantee if he misses 15 games because of arthritis, repair to his patellar tendon, or progressive loss of articular cartilage.
The Knicks‘ medical staff has OK’d Stoudemire for up to 20 minutes per game, about twice as many as he’s seeing.
The Knicks are concerned about a lack of vocal leadership that can serve as a check on Carmelo Anthony‘s power among his teammates.

Poll: Should Knicks Trade Iman Shumpert?

November 18th, 2013 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Outside of perhaps Omer Asik, no player has been involved in more trade rumors in the first month of the season than Iman Shumpert. Shumpert has been linked to the Nuggets and Celtics, among other teams, and is reportedly drawing leaguewide interest, though nothing is imminent.

There are a number of reasons why Shumpert finds himself at the center of so many trade rumors early in the 2013/14 season. The 23-year-old is viewed as potentially expendable because the Knicks already have players like Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Metta World Peace at the two and three. More importantly, with the Knicks off to a slow start, they have holes that need filling, and Shumpert represents their best trade chip. New York has traded away most of its draft picks and doesn’t have another player with Shumpert’s combination of youth, upside, and affordability.

Still, Shumpert’s youth, upside, and affordability are also prime reasons for the Knicks to hang on to him. For a team overloaded with aging players on expensive multiyear contracts, Shumpert is perhaps the only Knick who has yet to reach his ceiling. The club isn’t so overloaded on the wing that there’s no room for the third-year swingman, particularly if Carmelo plays power forward more frequently. Depending on what sort of value they can get back in a deal, rushing to deal Shumpert may backfire on the Knicks in both the short-term and the long-term.

The Nuggets reportedly wanted a first-round pick in addition to Shumpert for Kenneth Faried, while the Celtics quickly shot down the idea that a Shumpert-centric package could land Rajon Rondo. In other words, it’s unlikely that the Knicks could acquire an impact player for Shumpert alone. Taking that into account, is it worth it for New York to trade him, or would the club be better off keeping him and hoping he starts to deliver on some of the potential he’s shown?

Knicks Rumors: Shumpert, Thompson, Faried

November 18th, 2013 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Since word broke last week that the Nuggets and Knicks discussed a potential deal centered around Kenneth Faried and Iman Shumpert, several subsequent reports have added more details related to Shumpert’s availability. There’s reportedly leaguewide interest in Shumpert, who appears more and more likely to be moved at some point, since he represents the Knicks’ best trade asset.

Yesterday, we learned that the Knicks made a run at Rajon Rondo, but were rebuffed by the Celtics, who would be open to taking on Amar’e Stoudemire‘s contract if it meant moving Gerald Wallace and Courtney Lee. Meanwhile, reports also indicated Shumpert underwent a previously unreported surgical procedure, which could have negatively affected his trade value.

After an eventful weekend of rumors and rumblings surrounding Shumpert and the Knicks, let’s round up a few Monday morning leftovers….

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News noted in yesterday’s piece that reports have linked the Knicks to the Kings, adding that Jason Thompson is represented by the same agency as many Knicks players. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks have indeed inquired with the Kings on Thompson.
The Knicks’ proposal to the Celtics for Rondo would have included both Shumpert and Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPN New York. However, such a deal probably wouldn’t work for either side — Boston isn’t eager to move Rondo, while New York would prefer not to take back contracts like Wallace’s and Lee’s, since that would affect the Knicks’ ability to create significant cap room in the summer of 2015.
According to Begley, the Knicks believed they had a trade completed with the Nuggets for Faried last Tuesday morning, but the deal fell through when Denver requested at least one draft pick from New York.
Isola’s latest column for the Daily News focuses on Mike Woodson, whose “hands are tied” when it comes to some basketball decisions, according to one Knicks player. Minutes restrictions for Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are being dictated by James Dolan and Knicks medical director Lisa Callahan rather than Woodson, says Isola, who adds that the coach isn’t in “imminent danger” of losing his job.
While the Knicks are highly motivated to make a trade in the short term, most NBA teams aren’t interested in dealing until at least December 15th, when offseason signees become trade-eligible, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.

Knicks Notes: Shumpert, Rondo, Celtics, Asik

November 17th, 2013 at 8:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert received a second offseason knee surgery that was kept under wraps from fans and others in basketball. The Knicks have chatted with the Nuggets about a possible deal involving Kenneth Faried and, as Isola reported, called the Celtics about Rajon Rondo, but today’s developments don’t bode well for his trade value. Here’s more on Shump and the Knicks..

Right now, the Celtics have every intention of keeping Rondo and seeing if they can build around him, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s not surprising to hear as that has been the C’s public position ever since the club traded away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
If the Knicks want to try their luck with the Rockets and center Omer Asik, they might not get far. The club’s lack of draft picks (they can’t trade a first rounder or an unencumbered second-round pick before 2018) will be too much of an obstacle in a potential deal, tweets Chris Mannix of NBC Sports. “When dealing with Boston and Houston, it’s all about picks,” a rival exec told Mannix.
While the C’s aren’t moving Rondo, they would take back Amar’e Stoudemire in a deal where they could unload the longer deals of Gerald Wallace and/or Courtney Lee, tweets Broussard.
Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link) hears that Shumpert’s surgery went down in mid-to-late August and was so minor that the guard didn’t even need to use crutches.
The timing of Shumpert’s left knee surgery annoyed some people in the Knicks organization, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Adam Zagoria of SNY (Twitter link) notes that the offseason surgeries of Shumpert and Stoudemire were kept quiet by the Knicks and first reported by Isola, with whom the club is famously hostile.

Knicks Tried To Trade For Rajon Rondo

November 17th, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Knicks guard Iman Shumpert has been in trade rumors for the last few weeks and it doesn’t sound like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. New York has desperately been trying to package Shumpert in a number of deals, including one pitch to the Celtics for star guard Rajon Rondo, writes Frank Isola of the Daily News. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks were rebuffed by Danny Ainge.

Isola also reports that Shumpert had a second knee surgery over the summer that was previously kept under the rug. It’s unclear if that development has had any impact on the 23-year-old’s trade value.

As for the Rondo offer, the Celtics are highly unlikely to part with one of the top point guards in the league and even less likely to move him to a divisional rival. The Knicks also pitched the Nuggets on a swap involving Kenneth Faried and got turned down, but the Kings are also said to have interest. Isola notes that Kings forward Jason Thompson is represented by Leon Rose, the agent for Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Chris Smith.

Over two seasons-and-change in New York, Shumpert owns career averages of 8.3 PPG with 3.3 RPG in 26.3 minutes per contest.

Odds & Ends: Jennings, Rondo, Shumpert

November 15th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings admits basketball wasn’t his primary focus during the first four years of his career, but the free agent process this summer jolted him out of complacency, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

“I just wanted a new start,” Jennings said. “Seeing a bunch of my teammates leave, Monta (Ellis), J.J. (Redick), Mike Dunleavy, everybody, the coaching staff I’d been around for four years, everything was different. I felt like they were going in a different direction and I felt like I had do the same.”

Jennings considered signing his one-year qualifying offer from the Bucks to get to unrestricted free agency in 2014, but Milwaukee’s hiring of an unfamiliar coach in Larry Drew dissuaded him from that idea, Jennings says. Still, at least one beat writer doesn’t see him as Detroit’s point guard of the future, as we detail in our league-wide roundup:

MLive’s David Mayo answers reader questions and expresses confidence that the Celtics will continue to make Rajon Rondo available, and that Pistons president of basketball ops Joe Dumars will keep trying to trade for the All-Star point guard.
Iman Shumpert didn’t answer a question Thursday about whether he wants to stay in New York, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com notes. Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests some possible landing spots for the Knicks swingman.
Wherever Shumpert lands, it probably won’t be in Minnesota, since the Wolves aren’t in on any of the trade talks involving him, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
Andre Iguodala started thinking about joining the Warriors even as he and his Nuggets teammates were facing Golden State in the playoffs last season, HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy writes. Iguodala fits the needs of the W’s even more than Dwight Howard would have, posits Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
Nets GM Billy King is optimistic about his team and coach Jason Kidd in spite of Brooklyn’s slow start, as he reveals in a Q&A with USA Today’s Sam Amick.

Latest On Iman Shumpert

November 15th, 2013 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Sources close to the Knicks say that no deal involving Iman Shumpert is imminent, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be staying put in New York, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. More and more people around the league see some sort of Shumpert deal materializing sooner rather than later, given that he’s New York’s only real trade asset at this time.

Talks with the Nuggets didn’t get far because of the Knicks’ insistence on getting Kenneth Faried in the swap, but Denver does have interest in Shumpert. Prying Faried away from Denver would have required the Knicks to include more than one draft pick and the Knicks can’t part with a first-rounder earlier than 2018. Stein also hears that the Kings are gauging how Shumpert might fit in with their squad.

The Knicks are increasingly confident that they can afford to lose Shumpert with J.R. Smith back in the lineup and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. looking solid early.

Atlantic Notes: Woodson, 76ers, Wallace

November 14th, 2013 at 6:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Iman Shumpert met with Knicks head coach Mike Woodson before last night’s win in Atlanta to address the recent flurry of trade rumors involving him and was told he should be flattered that other teams are interested, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman later adds that Shumpert hasn’t necessarily been on Woodson’s good side since the Las Vegas Summer League, specifically when the third-year guard left the team after one game to go to China for a tour with Adidas.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

When asked if there was an ideal type of point guard for Carmelo Anthony to play alongside, Woodson bluntly responded with, “Raymond Felton” (Chris Herring of the Wall-Street Journal via Twitter).
After observing the 76ers strong start, Philly.com’s Michael Kaskey-Blomain wonders if now would be an opportune time to trade Evan Turner.
With former Daryl Morey-protégé Sam Hinkie running the Sixers’ front office, Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead compares Philadelphia’s rebuilding project with the Rockets’ three-year journey from being part of the “NBA middle” to becoming an expected title contender. With prospects such as Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, and what could potentially be two lottery picks in a loaded 2014 draft (Philadelphia is currently owed a top-five protected pick from the Pelicans), McIntyre suggests that Hinkie has plenty of assets available to possibly enter trade discussions for a big name down the line.
Celtics forward Gerald Wallace told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that he may not be as durable as he once was: “I understand my situation…don’t think I could play 35-40 minutes a night for 82 games anymore” (Twitter link).
Jared Sullinger adamantly downplayed the idea of tanking this season in Boston: “(The media was) talking about the lottery. We didn’t even think about that,…We don’t care about that. We want to win, we want to make the playoffs, and we want to make a run. At the end of the day, that was something that you talked about, not us…we definitely wanted to shut (them) up. Definitely” (Jimmy Golen of Boston.com)
NBA.com’s Marc D’Amico discusses the Celtics’ struggles with consistency so far.