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Northwest Notes: Hood, I. Thomas, OKC, Jazz

February 14th, 2019 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Rodney Hood had the ability to veto a trade this season, but was entirely on board with the deal that sent him from Cleveland to Portland, as he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. While Hood didn’t go so far as to say he got to “pick” his new team, he admitted that the veto ability gave him the power to maneuver his way to a club he wanted to join — like the Trail Blazers.

“When I heard Portland, I looked at the situation and the opportunity to play minutes in an offense and system that, I think, really fits my style of play,” Hood said of his move to the Trail Blazers. “I also think with their community and their fan base, my personality will really fit in as well. I think it was a no-brainer to me to come out here and be part of what they have going on.”

Here’s more from out of the Northwest:

Isaiah Thomas made his Nuggets debut, appearing in an NBA game for the first time since last March. Christopher Dempsey of Nuggets.com has a Q&A with Thomas about his long road back from hip surgery, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic relays the point guard’s impressions of his return, and Harrison Wind of BSNDenver.com examines how Thomas impacted the team even when he wasn’t playing.
The Thunder, who dipped to 12 players this month, are back up to 14 after signing Scotty Hopson and Richard Solomon to 10-day contracts, but they may just be short-term options. Erik Horne of The Oklahoman explores other ways in which the Thunder could use their open roster spots down the stretch.
Prior to the trade deadline, when the Jazz were said to have interest in Mike Conley, one report indicated that the veteran point guard wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of heading to Utah. Conley denied the rumor, and Jazz owner Gayle Miller later suggested that she’s unconcerned about the idea that players might not want to come to Salt Lake City. “I think Utah is a great place to live,” Miller said, per Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. “It’s beautiful and I wish more people had a better perception of it, but I don’t feel it’s my mission to change that. I think we do that some with our basketball team by having great players, players of good character who conduct themselves well and I think they all like it here.”

Isaiah Thomas Set To Make Nuggets Debut

February 13th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

FEBRUARY 13: Thomas will return to the court and make his Nuggets debut on Wednesday, Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 12: Isaiah Thomas could make his debut for the Nuggets as soon as Wednesday against Kings, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas, who signed a one-year deal with Denver during the offseason, underwent a hip procedure last year and was only able to suit up for a total of 17 games last season.

The point guard participated in five-on-five drills today and a decision on his status for the Kings’ game is expected to be determined early on Wednesday.

Denver sits just 2.5 games behind the Warriors for the lead in the Western Conference. It’s unclear what kind of role Thomas is expected to play for the remainder of the season, but the club has enough depth in the backcourt to bring him along slowly.

Latest On Isaiah Thomas

February 8th, 2019 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

11:05am: Thomas won’t actually spend any time in the G League, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Nuggets are in Philadelphia and had intended to get Thomas some practice time with the Delaware Blue Coats, but he’ll remain with the NBA club for now due to a “lack of healthy bodies,” tweets T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports.

10:23am: Nuggets point guard Isaiah Thomas appears to be moving closer to getting back on the court, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Denver has sent Thomas to the G League for a rehab assignment.

The Nuggets don’t have a G League club of their own, so they’ll have to assign Thomas to another NBA team’s affiliate. Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link) hears that Thomas has joined the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League squad. In fact, the 30-year-old has already been assigned and recalled, tweets Johnson.

Thomas, who signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nuggets last summer, has spent the season recovering from hip surgery. A recent report suggested that Denver was optimistic the veteran guard would return before the All-Star break, though head coach Michael Malone stressed that there was no set timeline for Thomas’ return.

A brief rehab assignment in the G League, where teams practice more frequently, has become common for veterans recovering from injuries. The Nets, for instance, assigned Caris LeVert to their NBAGL affiliate earlier this week in advance of his impending return. In Thomas’ case, given his eight years of NBA experience, he would have had to approve the assignment.

While Thomas’ return appears close, it will be interesting to see how he slots into Denver’s rotation. Monte Morris and Malik Beasley have enjoyed breakout years for the Nuggets, which may limit the minutes available to Thomas in a backcourt that also features Jamal Murray and Gary Harris.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Nuggets, IT, Rubio

January 23rd, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

It’s possible that the Timberwolves will stand pat at the trade deadline as they look to push for a playoff spot in the West, but doing so would mean forgoing an opportunity to “leverage existing assets for future gains,” writes Britt Robson of The Athletic. As Robson points out, unless the Wolves have a plan for how to re-sign and incorporate veterans like Derrick Rose, Anthony Tolliver, and Taj Gibson, who are on expiring contracts, it might make sense to explore the trade market for possible deals.

Elsewhere in the Northwest, the Nuggets are another team whose trade deadline outlook remains cloudy, as Nick Kosmider of The Athletic details. The odds of Denver making a major move appear slim, but the club has a number of trade exceptions at its disposal that could be used to acquire a rotation player – perhaps a Wayne Ellington type – without going into the tax. Of course, with Isaiah Thomas potentially on track to return down the stretch, the Nuggets may simply view IT as their de facto deadline acquisition, Kosmider notes.

Here are a few more notes from around the Northwest:

Speaking of Isaiah Thomas, after a weekend report suggested that the Nuggets were optimistic the point guard would make his debut with the team before the All-Star break, head coach Mike Malone pushed back on the idea that there’s a set timeline, per Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “Don’t believe everything you read,” Malone said. “I don’t know where these leaks come from, but (with) Isaiah, there’s no timeline. There’s nothing (that has) been set about February, this, that or the other thing. You’ll see him when he’s ready to play.”
Plagued by injuries at the point guard spot so far in 2019, the Jazz got a boost when Ricky Rubio returned to the rotation on Monday, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Dante Exum and Raul Neto remain sidelined, likely until at least next week, but Utah has made a nice run while short-handed, winning eight of 10 games to move into playoff position in the West.
Derrick Rose played a big part in helping Karl-Anthony Towns get through the Jimmy Butler “mess” earlier in the season, according to Kentucky’s John Calipari, who coached Towns for one season in 2014/15. According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Timberwolves team members say that Towns’ locker room presence receded as Butler became more frustrated and unhappy during his final days in Minnesota. “There was a dogfight, and Karl’s not one to get into that. So, he stepped back,” Calipari said. “Things happen. There are power struggles all the time in [the NBA]. If a guy can bully you, he will bully you. And that’s what Jimmy did to Karl. C’mon, that’s the league.”

Nuggets Optimistic Isaiah Thomas Will Return In Mid-February

January 19th, 2019 at 9:21am CST by marksuleymanov

The Nuggets are optimistic that oft-injured point guard Isaiah Thomas will debut with the team ahead of the mid-February All-Star break, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Thomas, 29, signed a one-year pact with the Nuggets in July as he recovered from hip surgery in March. It was the same hip injury that cut short his stint in the 2017 NBA Playoffs and delayed the start to his 2017/18 campaign.

Thomas’ final step in recovery is progressing to 5-on-5 scrimmages. If that goes well, Denver expects the former All-Star to possibly return by the Feb. 11-13 homestand and no later than the team’s first game after the All-Star break on Feb. 22, Wojnarowski reports.

It was just over two seasons ago that Thomas was third in the NBA with an average of 28.9 PPG. Thomas seemed destined for a lucrative deal worth north of $100MM but his troublesome hip prevented that. He split last season between the Cavaliers and Lakers, averaging 15.2 PPG in 32 games before undergoing hip surgery.

If Thomas successfully returns, he will battle with guards Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Malik Beasley, Will Barton and Monte Morris for playing time.

Northwest Notes: Thomas, Plumlee, Rose, Wolves

December 2nd, 2018 at 12:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Thomas hasn’t played since signing with the Nuggets over the summer, but he is having a huge impact on the team, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Thomas has become a mentor to younger players and a vocal leader on an otherwise quiet team.

“To have his voice in our locker room, to help some of these younger guys out, it takes a lot of load off myself,” said Paul Millsap, the only other player on Denver’s roster older than 30.

Thomas expects to return soon from a lingering hip injury and hopes to re-establish himself after a nightmarish 2017/18 season that began with a trade out of Boston, where had become a fan favorite and an MVP candidate. He missed his first two months in Cleveland, then took the blame for the team’s defensive and chemistry problems when he did start playing. The Cavaliers shipped him to the Lakers, who elected not to re-sign him when the season ended.

“For my wife and my family, it’s definitely been difficult,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve been three places in less than one year, so it’s like, I’m tired of moving.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Mason Plumlee‘s teammate’s consider him the NBA’s “most underrated player,” Singer relays in a separate story. Although his stats aren’t impressive, Plumlee leads the Nuggets in field goal percentage, takes the toughest assignments on defense and is an important part of a bench unit that is tied for the second-highest plus-minus rating in the league. Coach Michael Malone believes Plumlee should be considered as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, even though the award usually goes to big scorers.
Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose also wants to be considered for the Sixth Man award, according to Chris Pine of The Star Tribune. The former MVP has settled into a reserve role since coming to Minnesota and is averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting a career high .494 from 3-point territory. “I would like winning Sixth Man of the Year,” Rose said. “I don’t think that’s anything bad to say or a bad goal with me coming off the bench. I want to be the best bench player.”
Adding Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the Jimmy Butler trade has turned the Timberwolves into a much better rebounding team, Pine notes in the same story. Since the deal, Minnesota has upped its defensive rebounding percentage from 67% to 73%.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Northwest Division

November 23rd, 2018 at 8:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Northwest Division:

Isaiah Thomas, Nuggets, 29, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2018
Thomas hoped to revive his career as a high-scoring sixth man for one of the league’s up-and-coming teams. Instead, Thomas has yet to make his Denver debut. Thomas continues to struggle with hip issues and there’s no timetable for his return. Just a couple of years removed from being a candidate for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, Thomas has a cloudy future. It’s more likely he’ll be forced into early retirement than ever approaching his former level of excellence and that would be a shame.

Derrick Rose, Timberwolves, 30, PG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2.39MM deal in 2018
Seriously, did anyone think Rose would have another 25-point outing in his career, let alone twice as many points? Rose’s 50-point explosion against Utah on Halloween was a shocker and he’s remained a steady offensive threat since that blast from the past. He’s averaging 22.0 PPG and 4.0 APG over his last eight games. Once thought to be on the verge of retirement, Rose clearly still has a lot left in the tank. He’ll be getting a substantial raise in the open market if he keeps this up.

Abdel Nader, Thunder, 25, SF (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $4.16MM deal in 2017
The Celtics were about to cut Nader loose this summer until the Thunder came calling with a trade offer. The 2016 second-round pick has a non-guaranteed contract and he hasn’t done anything to convince Oklahoma City to keep him around after this season. Nader hasn’t been able to break into the wing rotation, playing a total of just 15 minutes. Nader will probably be looking for another fresh start in July.

Seth Curry, Trail Blazers, 28, PG (Down) — Signed to a one-year, $2.795MM deal in 2018
Curry left Dallas with the hope of reestablishing his value after missing all of last season with stress fracture in his lower left leg. It hasn’t started off the way Curry envisioned. He wasn’t effective in a backup role (6.09 PER) before missing the last four games with a knee injury. There’s still hope for Curry to turn things around and fill the role that Shabazz Napier played last season. The way it’s going now, he’ll be scrounging for another one-year deal next summer.

Ricky Rubio, Jazz, 28, PG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $55MM deal in 2015
The Jazz have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams during the first quarter of the season. The team’s starting point guard is partly to blame. Rubio, who is making nearly $15MM in his walk year, is shooting 37.3% from the field and over the last six games he’s averaging four assists while making 2.5 turnovers per game. Rubio needed to adjust his game when the team drafted dynamic creator Donovan Mitchell and right now, their backcourt pairing still seems a bit awkward. It’ll interesting to see if the Jazz look to move Rubio before the trade deadline to shake things up.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets Sign Donald Sloan

September 27th, 2018 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: The Nuggets have officially signed Sloan, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 19: The Nuggets appear set to fill the final spot on their 20-man offseason roster by signing veteran guard Donald Sloan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Denver has 18 players officially under contract, but has reportedly reached a contract agreement with free agent guard Xavier Silas as well.

Sloan, 30, has played more than 200 regular season games over the course of his career, but hasn’t appeared in an NBA contest since 2015/16, when he saw action in 61 games for the Nets. Last season, he averaged 18.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.2 RPG in 24 games (34.6 MPG) for the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate, before heading to China for a third stint with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

As Wojnarowski notes, the Nuggets’ deal with Sloan comes in the heels of reports questioning Isaiah Thomas‘ availability this fall following March hip surgery.

As Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports relayed on Tuesday (via Twitter), team president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was evasive when asked about the point guard’s status, suggesting that the Nuggets “want Isaiah to be right” before he returns to the court. Sam Amick of USA Today added (via Twitter) that Thomas is unlikely to be ready for training camp and his timeline remains unclear. “It might be a while,” Amick notes.

Of course, even if Thomas isn’t healthy for the start of the regular season, there may not be room on the 15-man roster for Sloan. The Nuggets are currently carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries, and would have to trade or release one of those players to retain Sloan. Instead, second-year point guard Monte Morris could have the opportunity to earn a regular role for Denver to open the season.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Roberson, Nuggets, Towns

September 25th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers didn’t make any major roster moves this offseason, but tweaked their roster slightly by adding players like Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas, and Anfernee Simons. Head of basketball operations Neil Olshey said on Monday that he’s “happy with what we did” over the summer, though he acknowledged that Portland was outbid for six veteran free agents (Twitter link via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian).

In other Trail Blazers news, starting small forward Maurice Harkless continues to recover from arthroscopic left knee surgery, and his availability during training camp is limited (link via Freeman). Harkless said he’ll be involved in practices, but he hasn’t been cleared to play in 5-on-5 games and doesn’t think he’ll be 100% in practices.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Andre Roberson, who ruptured his left patellar tendon last season, provided an update on his recovery timetable on Monday, indicating that he expects to be cleared for contact soon and back to full speed “around December.” Cliff Brunt of The Associated Press has the details, along with the full quotes from the Thunder‘s top defender.
The Nuggets aren’t providing any timelines for Isaiah Thomas or Michael Porter Jr. to make their respective debuts with the club, as Matt L. Stephens of The Denver Post writes. The team sounds ready to take a cautious approach with both players. “I do not have a date right now, I’m going to take my sweet time, because I’ve rushed it before and that did not work out for me,” Thomas said of his own status. “We’re not worried about right now. We’re worried about April, worried about the playoffs and me being as healthy as I can going into that stretch. However long it takes, I’m only going to go out on the court when I can produce at a high level.”
After officially signing his new maximum-salary extension with the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about the deal, which he admits took “a lot longer than I expected” to get done.

Nuggets Notes: Season Outlook, Barton, Lyles, Beasley

September 14th, 2018 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Offensive prowess and chemistry could carry the Nuggets to the playoffs, Jordan Hicks of Basketball Insiders declares in his detailed season preview. They finished sixth last season in points per game and fifth in assists and that should only improve with the free agent addition of Isaiah Thomas, Hicks continues. They also have a handful of core players who have been together for at least one season and their 0n-court chemistry is a major plus, Hicks adds.

We have more on the Nuggets:

Swingman Will Barton should move into the lineup at small forward, the first time he’s had a full-time starting spot, according to Nuggets insider Chris Dempsey. Barton re-signed with the club this summer on four-year, $53MM contract and that spot opened up when Denver traded away Wilson Chandler to the Sixers. Barton will essentially give the Nuggets a three-guard lineup, a look that was highly effective for them a season ago, Dempsey notes.
Forward Trey Lyles could be the team’s breakout player this season, Dempsey writes in another profile. Lyles could average 25 or more minutes per game and will be counted on, along with Thomas, to provide scoring punch off the bench, Dempsey continues. Lyles excelled in nearly every offensive action last season, Dempsey notes, providing the best combination of 3-point shooting and post-ups other than Nikola Jokic.
Shooting guard Malik Beasley is poised to see an uptick in minutes, Dempsey predicts in still another player profile. Beasley showed defensive tenacity during summer league games and he’s worked diligently on his jump shooting and ball-handling, Dempsey adds. Beasley appeared in 62 games last season but averaged just 9.5 MPG.