Jared Dudley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Collison, Chriss, Suns, Williams

November 6th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With his eight-game suspension about to end, Darren Collison is ready to take over as the Kings‘ starting point guard, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. The suspension, which concludes with tonight’s game, was imposed after Collison pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battery.Ty Lawson has struggled to run the team in his absence, and Sacramento needs Collison as a stabilizing force after a 2-5 start. “Basketball is an escape,” he said. “I’ve been able to practice and be around the team, and that has helped a lot. Being around the guys has been great. But this is definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns are thrilled by what they’ve seen from rookie power forward Marquese Chriss, who was acquired in a draft-day trade with the Kings, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Phoenix is bringing Chriss along slowly, giving him 15 minutes per night in his first six games, and he has responded with averages of 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds. Although he is only 19, Chriss believes he is mature enough for the NBA. “Off the court I’ve never had any problems, I never get in conflicts or things like that,” he said. “I’m real mellow, kind of just handle my business and put my head down. I’m just adjusting like everybody else is, getting up every morning, coming to the gym with the mentality that I want to get better and every day has a purpose.”
Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry thinks the team made wise moves in reacquiring two of his former players this offseason, relays Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Gentry had high praise for Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa, who both returned to Phoenix as free agents. “When I was there, they were great,” Gentry said. “They’re great locker room guys. There’s a maturity about them that they understand where they are in their careers and they’re going to do everything they can to help the young guys. You can put them on the court and they can be productive. That’s a win-win-win all the way around.”
The Lakers‘ young players are getting attention, but veteran Lou Williams is helping to close out games, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. The 30-year-old guard had 10 points in the fourth quarter Friday night as L.A. blew out the Warriors. “The game turns up down the stretch,” said coach Luke Walton. “It’s harder to run offenses, defenses and they’re flying at you. They’re trapping and switching. So it’s nice to have a vet out there among those young guys. When we call a play and the play is off, Lou can adjust.”

Atlantic Notes: Dudley, Nets, LeVert, Poeltl

September 25th, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Jared Dudley was interested in joining the Celtics in free agency this summer, but the team didn’t reach out to him, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Dudley, who averaged 7.9 points per game and shot 42% from 3-point range last season with the Wizards, has ties to the area as a Boston College alumnus. Instead, he accepted a three-year, $30MM offer from Phoenix. “Boston never contacted me, but I made it known I was interested in them,” Dudley said. He added that the Celtics may not have believed they had a role for him because they want to give playing time to first-round pick Jaylen Brown.

There’s more news this morning from the Atlantic Division:

Power forward shapes up as the Nets‘ best position battle heading into training camp, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Free agent additions Trevor Booker and Luis Scola will compete for time at the position, along with second-year player Chris McCullough. “A good thing about our situation, I think we have versatile bigs,” said new coach Kenny Atkinson. “I don’t think [of] Scola simply as a four. I’m thinking of Luis Scola as a four and five. I’d even say that with Trevor Booker. Trevor Booker, why can’t he take another step as a player with more responsibility and the talent he has? We look at these guys, we’re looking upside.”
The Nets plan to be very patient with the health of rookie Caris LeVert, Lewis adds in the same piece. The first-round pick out of Michigan has broken his left foot multiple times and is still recovering from a Jones fracture. LeVert wasn’t able to use a treadmill until July and is limited to strengthening exercises as camp opens. “We’ll be progressing him slowly and building him in,’’ said GM Sean Marks. “He hasn’t played in six months, so it’s been intermittent for the last couple years with him. … He has a long, long road ahead of him.”
Jakob Poeltl should be part of the Raptors‘ rotation at the start of the season, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview for Toronto, Hamilton calls Poeltl the team’s best offseason acquisition, citing his footwork, rebounding instincts and international experience.

Pacific Notes: Gay, Pierce, Calathes, Kings, Suns

July 27th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

After Rudy Gay made some interesting comments that conveyed his dissatisfaction with his situation in Sacramento, Kings general manager Vlade Divac was asked about the disgruntled forward. As James Ham of CSN California details, Divac downplayed Gay’s comments about a lack of communication between him and the Kings as trade rumors swirl.

“He has my number,” the Kings GM said. “If I do something, I will call him. Obviously, if I didn’t call him, we didn’t do anything. … I was a player, 16-17 years in the league, nobody called me everyday and tell me what management is doing. Management was doing their job. If something big happened, they called and told me. Obviously, nothing big happened (so) I’m not going to call anybody.”

Let’s check in on a few other items from out of the Pacific division…

Paul Pierce has yet to formally announce a decision one way or the other about his future, and a source tells Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links) that the veteran forward will take a few more weeks to weigh his options and make a final call. However, another source suggests to Turner that Pierce is planning to return to the Clippers for one more season.
As we heard earlier this week, the Kings made an effort to land Nick Calathes, but the former Grizzlies guard is “bound to return” to Panathinakos in Greece, according to international journalist David Pick.
The Suns have officially announced Earl Watson‘s coaching staff, confirming in a press release that Tyrone Corbin and Nate Bjorkgren will be assistants, with former Raptors coach Jay Triano serving as the club’s associate head coach.
After signing a three-year deal with the Suns, Jared Dudley has penned a piece for The Players’ Tribune about returning “home” and aiming to get the Suns back to their “2010 vibe.”

Pacific Notes: Sanders, Kings, Joerger, Smith

July 10th, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite losing two centers this summer, the Warriors haven’t reached out to Larry Sanders, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea. The former Bucks big man was an elite rim protector before he walked away from the game in December of 2014, citing anxiety and depression. Sanders is considering a comeback and sparked speculation on Saturday when he sent out two messages on Twitter: an image of a cavalier and a scene from a 1979 movie titled “The Warriors.” Golden State needs to find replacements for Andrew Bogut, who was traded to Dallas to create cap room for Kevin Durant, and Festus Ezeli, who signed with the Trail Blazers as a free agent.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

The Kings are getting plenty of calls from teams interested in Rudy Gay, Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore, tweets James Ham of CSNCalifornia. So far, they haven’t heard an offer they like.
New Kings coach Dave Joerger doesn’t plan to coach any more summer league games, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Joerger said he started out in that role to set the tone for the rest of the staff.
The Kings and Clippers are among the teams that worked out J.R. Smith‘s brother this weekend in Las Vegas, tweets Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. Chris Smith‘s only NBA experience came in two games with the Knicks in 2013.
Ryan McDonough’s first plan for a quick turnaround in Phoenix didn’t work, so now he’s rebuilding through the draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With two picks in the top eight, the Suns grabbed highly regarded power forward prospects Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. Their only free agent pickup so far this summer is veteran shooting guard Jared Dudley for $30MM over three years, a modest sum in this year’s market. “That’s certainly the most sustainable way to do it,” McDonough said about his draft strategy. “If you can draft those guys and have them under control for four years on the rookie scale and then have a bunch of advantages in terms of contract extensions and full Bird rights, that really helps.”

Suns Sign Jared Dudley

July 8th, 2016 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 8th, 5:01pm: The Suns announced that the signing is official.

JULY 1st, 9:14pm: After spending four years in Phoenix earlier in his NBA career, Jared Dudley is returning to the Suns. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the Suns and Dudley have reached an agreement on a three-year, $30MM deal. The pact will be fully guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of The Associated Press.

Dudley, who will turn 31 later this month, was one of the more talented outside shooters available in free agency this summer. For his career, Dudley has made more than 700 three-pointers, shooting at a 39.9% clip. He made 42.0% of his shots from downtown this past season for the Wizards, averaging at least one three-pointer per game for the seventh straight year.

While Washington reportedly had interest in re-signing Dudley, Phoenix’s primary competitors for the veteran’s services appeared to be the Nets and the Jazz. Brooklyn reportedly made a two-year, $18MM offer to Dudley, while Utah spoke to him multiple times.

For the Suns, Dudley will provide a young team with veteran leadership, and will help make up for some of the outside shooting that was lost when Mirza Teletovic reached an agreement with the Bucks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Anderson, Mahinmi

July 1st, 2016 at 8:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant‘s meeting with the Clippers has concluded, and Durant was “blown away” by the team’s presentation, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It’s hard to know yet exactly what that means, since Durant was also reportedly impressed with the Warriors‘ pitch earlier in the day — it would probably be more newsworthy if Durant had been unimpressed by one of the teams’ presentations. In any case, the former MVP has sit-downs with the Spurs and Celtics on tap for tomorrow, then is expected to meet with the Heat on Sunday – and possibly the Thunder again after that – before making his decision.

Let’s check in on a few more free agent updates from across the NBA…

The Raptors had a meeting today in Los Angeles with free agent forward Ryan Anderson, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Times. Toronto inquired on Anderson at the trade deadline as well, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, but the team would have to clear salary from its cap – and possible let Bismack Biyombo go – in order to have any shot at signing him.
Ian Mahinmi won’t return to Indiana, with the Pacers set to add Al Jefferson, but Mahinmi has no shortage of suitors, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). Aldridge identifies the Spurs, Wizards, Timberwolves, Hornets, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Magic as clubs in the mix for the free agent center.
The Nets have put a two-year, $18MM offer on the table for Jared Dudley, who is still receiving interest from the Jazz and Suns, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
The Spurs, Nets, and Bulls have expressed interest in free agent big man Jordan Hill, a source tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves have been very active, reaching out to many free agents during the first day of July. Jamal Crawford and Randy Foye were among the players to receive a call from the Wolves today, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune, respectively (Twitter links).
Veteran big man Kris Humphries is a strong candidate to return to the Nets, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). Brooklyn was one of six teams mentioned as a potential Humphries suitor earlier today.

Western Rumors: Anderson, Rockets, Bazemore

July 1st, 2016 at 6:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are scheduled to meet with Ryan Anderson on Saturday morning, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The Kings are also still in the mix for Anderson, writes James Ham of CSN California — Sam Amick of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that Sacramento reached out to the veteran forward right when free agency opened last night. According to Amick (via Twitter), Anderson still has at least four serious suitors, including Houston and Sacramento.

Here are several more free agent rumors and updates from across the Western Conference:

The Timberwolves have expressed “strong interest” in Kent Bazemore, according to Michael Scotto of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Minnesota is in the market for a veteran wing, having reached out to Luol Deng as well. Of course, the Wolves also made an effort to trade for Jimmy Butler during last week’s draft.
The Jazz are scheduled to have a second meeting today with free agent sharpshooter Jared Dudley, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links). Jones cautions that both sides still have multiple options in play, with Dudley generating “real interest” from the Suns too.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets that he keeps hearing the Kings don’t intend to sign Rajon Rondo.
With his free agency underway, Trail Blazers RFA Allen Crabbe has changed his representation, hiring Aaron Mintz and Ty Sullivan of CAA Sports, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).
The Spurs have expressed some interest in free agent big man Willie Reed, sources inform Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Dewayne Dedmon, a Magic restricted free agent, has drawn interest from the Warriors, a source tells Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

FA Rumors: DeRozan, Crawford, Clippers, Dudley

July 1st, 2016 at 12:47am CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News has updates on a pair of free agent shooting guards, reporting (via Twitter) that the Sixers and Lakers have inquired tonight on DeMar DeRozan, who is meeting with the Raptors in Los Angeles. Toronto remains the strong favorite to re-sign DeRozan. Wolfson also tweets that Jamal Crawford has received calls tonight from the Sixers, Knicks, Clippers, Magic, and Heat.

Here’s more from across the NBA:

In addition to reaching out to Crawford tonight, the Clippers also met with Austin Rivers in Orlando and Jeff Green in Miami, doing due diligence on their pending free agents, tweets Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. After meeting with the Clips, Rivers is expected to talk to the Knicks and possibly the Trail Blazers on Friday, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).
The Nets, Jazz, and Suns are among the teams in pursuit of Jared Dudley, with the Wizards also in the hunt to bring back the veteran sharpshooter, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Utah had a meeting with Dudley tonight, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
League sources continue to tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) that the Kings may be preparing a “significant” offer for restricted free agent Dion Waiters. The Thunder would have the opportunity to match an offer sheet, but may not be aggressive in trying to retain Waiters now that they have Victor Oladipo.
The Thunder were indeed among the teams to reach out to Al Horford tonight, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. A Thursday report indicated that Oklahoma City has its eye on Horford as part of its pitch to keep Kevin Durant.
Speaking of Durant, during The Vertical’s free agency show tonight, Wojnarowski said that Jay-Z and Roc Nation tried to push Durant to take a free agent meeting with the Nets, but KD dismissed that idea (Twitter link via Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily).

Free Agent Notes: Crawford, Howard, Dudley

June 29th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With free agency set to begin on Friday, here’s the latest news, notes and updates from around the league:

Unrestricted free agent Jamal Crawford has meetings set with the Clippers, Knicks, Magic, Mavericks and Heat for when the free agent signing period kicks off, Brad Turner of The Los Angels Times reports (via Twitter).
The Trail Blazers are potentially interested in signing unrestricted free agent center Dwight Howard to a short-term deal, Sam Amick of USA Today relays.
The Wizards want to re-sign unrestricted free agent Jared Dudley, but the Jazz are expected to make a run at the forward this summer as well, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
Unrestricted free agent forward Solomon Hill has four meetings scheduled for when the free agent signing period commences, though his former squad, the Pacers, are not among the franchises on the agenda, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star tweets.
The Blazers are expected to be very active in free agency this offseason, but one player who isn’t on the team’s radar is power forward Ryan Anderson, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com relays (on Twitter). Anderson is expected to be in high-demand around the league this summer.
On team that is indeed interested in Anderson are the Jazz, who plan to be aggressive this offseason in recruiting free agents, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. However, Utah is unlikely to land the stretch-four, Jones adds, classifying Luol Deng and Hill as more realistic targets.
The Clippers are interested in re-signing unrestricted free agent center Cole Aldrich, but will face competition from the Suns and Magic for the big man’s services, Turner tweets.
Restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas is open to returning to Houston and noted that the Rockets would be the first team he will meet with once the free agent period opens this Friday, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). The big man earned $2,288,205 for his work this past season.

Northwest Notes: Allen, Crabbe, Dudley

May 12th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen regaled his team with an emotional speech regarding how proud it made him by overachieving this season, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com relays. “What he said came from the heart,’’ point guard Damian Lillard said. “You could hear it in his voice. He really meant what he was saying. He saw that we left it out there, and he saw how bad we wanted it. And he felt it, he felt what we did.’’ The players noted that the owner’s faith in them never wavered, even when the team struggled early in the campaign, Quick adds. “All owners aren’t connected to their teams like that,” swingman Gerald Henderson noted. “To a lot, their teams are just an investment. But he is committed and invested into the team, not just with his money. He is a clear basketball fanatic, a Blazers fanatic. I think he loves his players, and that’s pretty cool.’’

It remains to be seen just how impressed Allen was by Portland’s 2015/16 campaign, as the team is reportedly set to open extension talks with coach Terry Stotts this summer. Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Allen Crabbe is excited about his upcoming restricted free agency this summer but had all positives to say about the Trail Blazers, his incumbent team, in exit interviews today, notes Erik Gunderson of The Columbian (Twitter link). Henderson, who’s hitting unrestricted free agency, was a reserve this season for the Blazers but said he places less of a priority on starting than he used to, instead favoring a chance to win and play a role that fits, Gunderson tweets.
The Jazz want to arrange interviews and workouts with University of Utah center Jakob Poeltl and Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy, as Walt Perrin, the team’s vice president of player personnel, told Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
In response to a fan’s question on Twitter, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jared Dudley noted that the Timberwolves‘ young roster reminded him of the Bucks’ and that he could envision himself playing in Minnesota next season if the team is interested in his services.
The Wolves interviewed former North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson today, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (via Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.