Jared Sullinger Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jared Sullinger Will Make Raptors Debut Tonight

January 18th, 2017 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent addition Jared Sullinger will play his first game for the Raptors tonight in Philadelphia, according to Raptors Media Relations (Twitter link). His minutes will be limited as he works his way back from foot surgery.

After four seasons in Boston, Sullinger signed a one-year, $5.628MM deal with Toronto in July. He was expected to be the team’s starting power forward, but had to undergo surgery on his left foot in October after it was stepped on in the Raptors’ first preseason game.

The 21st pick in the 2012 draft, Sullinger worked his way up to starter status with the Celtics. He averaged 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in 81 games last season.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Simmons, Thomas

January 15th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks suffered a disappointing loss in Toronto on Sunday, at one point down 38 points. It was a fitting end to a chaotic week. To the chagrin of those looking for a drastic roster moves in the Big Apple, New York Daily News writer Frank Isola confirmed that Carmelo Anthony has not considered waiving his no-trade clause.

Anthony spoke to the media following the game. Per Isola: “If [the Knicks] feel like my time in New York is over, I guess that’s a conversation we should have.”

Earlier this weekend, Isola wrote about a reported tirade that Anthony is said to have gone on following a Wednesday night loss to the Sixers. At the time Isola reported that it wasn’t expected that Anthony would waive the clause either.

With three years left on his contract, Anthony could technically remain with the Knicks until he’s 35 years old. Whether recent events could change things, remains to be seen. If one thing is known, it’s that Anthony won’t be hastily moved without his permission.

There’s plenty more out of the Atlantic Division today:

Injured rookie Ben Simmons has been traveling with the Sixers, writes Brian Seltzer of the Sixers’ official website, and Brett Brown is a firm believer in the impact that can have on a young player. “It’s feeling the gyms, it’s feeling the preparation, it’s being a part of a scout tape as you go through game preparation, it’s being on a bench, and seeing referees, and seeing players, and watching how the different flow of the game is real.”
After suffering a foot injury in October, Jared Sullinger has recently returned to practice for the Raptors. The forward is well aware of the long road ahead of him before he’s in game shape. “It feels great, but horrible at the same time,” Sullinger tells Ryan Wolstat of the National Post of his first week of on-court action, “I have no lungs.”
The Sixers are starting to win basketball games and play with confidence, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “This is the first time that we’ve had, no disrespect to other teams, but we have an actual team,” said big man Nerlens Noel, the most tenured player on the roster.
After leaving New York’s Sunday matchup, Knicks forward Lance Thomas is said to have suffered a “fracture to a bone in his cheek,” says ESPN’s Ian Begley over Twitter.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Sullinger, Sixers

January 14th, 2017 at 9:54am CST by Austin Kent

It may have taken a while to work into a good routine with the Knicks but Joakim Noah is playing his best basketball of the season, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Over the course of the last 11 contests, the 31-year-old is averaging 8.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Helping to light a fire under Noah, it seems, have been match ups with his former team. The Knicks center has posted averages of 14.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per in two games against the Bulls, most recently on Thursday night.

Though Noah continues to nurse a sore shoulder, his ability to contribute will play a factor in whether the Knicks decide to be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

That’s not it out of the Atlantic Division:

It was easy for Raptors fans to get excited about the news that Jared Sullinger has been cleared to practice, but general manager Masai Ujiri has reiterated that he has plenty of work to do yet. Sullinger will have a tough time working back into game shape this time of year, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN, and could even spend some time in the D-League working on his conditioning.
After a bumpy return to the lineup, 22-year-old Nerlens Noel is “definitely satisfied” with his role in Brett Brown‘s Sixers‘ rotation, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course Noel’s minutes didn’t come from thin air, earlier this week we wrote about Jahlil Okafor‘s demotion and the DNP-CDs that have come with it. Worth noting, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that Philly has managed to hit its stride defensively. “If this program is going to go anywhere close to where we want it, it’s going to have to start with the defense,” Brown told Cooney. “There is no way around that.“
The Celtics made it their mission to get Al Horford a win in his first game against the Hawks team with which he played nine seasons, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. While the C’s would ultimately accomplish their goal thanks to an Isaiah Thomas buzzer beater, the veteran Horford was surprised to hear so many boos in his return to Philips Arena.

Atlantic Notes: Sullinger, Wright, Horford, Hollis-Jefferson

January 13th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Power forward Jared Sullinger and point guard Delon Wright have both been cleared to practice, according to a tweet from the Raptors. Sullinger, who signed with Toronto over the summer, was hurt in the team’s first preseason game when his left foot was stepped on. He had surgery in October and was given a two- to three-month timetable to return. Wright has been out of action since August, when he had surgery to fix a labral tear in his right shoulder. The 20th pick in the 2015 draft, Wright spent much of his rookie season in the D-League and appeared in just 27 games for the Raptors.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Raptors president Masai Ujiri told SportsNet the team got “tons of calls” last week in the wake of the Kyle Korver deal between the Cavaliers and Hawks. Ujiri said teams were expecting a flood of trades after that one broke, but he plans to be cautious about making any moves. “There is a window with Kyle Lowry, DeMar [DeRozan] and DeMarre [Carroll] with those kind of guys in their prime and we will take advantage,” Ujiri said. “But we’re not making bad deals. It doesn’t help business, it doesn’t help your future. Trust me, if a deal is not made just know there was nothing on the table for us that would really enhance our team.”
Raptors center Lucas Nogueira credits lifestyle changes for his breakthrough third season, writes Gregory Strong of The National Post. Nogueira has become a regular part of Toronto’s rotation after playing just 35 games combined in his first two NBA seasons. Motivated by the birth of a baby daughter, Nogueira is spending more time in the gym, going to bed earlier and giving up alcohol. “The sky is the limit for the kid because he’s got a lot of God-given talent,” said coach Dwane Casey. “He just needs to make sure he continues to work at it, to seriously approach his job in that way because he’s a great kid.”
Al Horford‘s Celtics teammates are focused on giving the longtime Hawk a victory in his return to Atlanta tonight, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Horford spent nine years with the Hawks before signing with Boston in July. “He’s level-headed no matter what,” said Isaiah Thomas. “He’s the calm one in this room. But at the same time you know those games are big. You think about it, you want to play well, you want to beat your former team. But that’s our job. We have to take care of business for him, make sure he plays well. And most important, get the win.”
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has improved under coach Kenny Atkinson’s system, but the Nets will still listen to offers for him, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The second-year small forward is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a part-time starter, but Brooklyn is concerned about his shot as he is hitting just 38% from the field.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Noel, Simmons

January 11th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Raptors have the assets to pull off a substantial trade, but Nick Faris of the National Post wonders if GM Masai Ujiri is willing to sacrifice the long-term view in order to go all-in this season. The team has two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and it has tremendous depth, which could allow it to give up multiple pieces in exchange for a high-quality player. Faris believes Paul Millsap, who was told by the Hawks that he wasn’t going to be traded, would be an excellent addition should Atlanta change its stance.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

During free agency. the Raptors promised Jared Sullinger their starting power forward spot and once the big man is healthy enough to play, he’ll take that role, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Sullinger had more lucrative offers on the table but decided to join Toronto because of that promise, Lewenberg notes. There is still no timetable for his return to the court.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) hears that Nerlens Noel would still like to change teams in the offseason, barring a maximum salary offer from the Sixers. Noel will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
There remains no official timeline for Ben Simmons to return to the Sixers‘ lineup, but he continues to make progress, as Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports relays. Simmons played point guard during practice in five-one-zero drills and coach Brett Brown has previously said that he intends to play the rookie at that position.

Jared Sullinger To Undergo Surgery

October 24th, 2016 at 12:11pm CST by Will Joseph

OCTOBER 24, 12:11pm: While Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is confident Sullinger will return this season, the big man’s recovery timeline is a little unclear at this point. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets, Ujiri suggested today that Sullinger could miss two or three months, though that’s a rough estimate.

OCTOBER 23, 3:13pm: Raptors power forward Jared Sullinger will undergo foot surgery on Monday and is expected to miss an extended amount of time, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It is unclear how long Sullinger will be out, but it will be a minimum of several weeks, Wojnarowski writes in a full story.

Sullinger hurt his left foot when it was stepped in the Raptors’ preseason opener against the Warriors on October 4th, and has been out since. Sullinger was projected to be the Raptors’ starting power forward. Without him, the expectation would be for the Raptors to lean on Patrick Patterson. First-round pick Pascal Siakam may also see an increased role early on in the rotation.

The Raptors signed Sullinger to a one-year deal worth $6MM in July. Sullinger, 24, spent four years in Boston after the Celtics made him the No. 21 overall pick on the 2012 NBA Draft. He appeared in 81 games last season, including 73 starts, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.6 minutes per game.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Olynyk, Sloan, Nets

July 31st, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have focused on keeping as much of their own talent as possible in free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Over the years, Toronto has been a place that star players have left, with the list including Marcus Camby, Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. This summer, the Raptors didn’t have the cap room to keep backup center Bismack Biyombo, but they held onto DeMar DeRozan as part of a core that is largely tied up with long-term contracts. “The improvement of our team is going to come from inside,” said GM Masai Ujiri. “Kyle [Lowry], DeMar, and Jonas [Valanciunas] and Patrick [Patterson] and Terrence [Ross]. They will probably take it to another level.” The Raptors’ major addition in free agency was former Boston power forward Jared Sullinger.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics will probably wait until next offseason to make a long-term decision on Kelly Olynyk, Washburn writes in the same piece. Olynyk can sign an extension up to the October 30th deadline, but Boston wants to see the 25-year-old big man for one more season before making a commitment. Olynyk has missed 43 games in his first three seasons, and Washburn writes that the Celtics want him to display more “toughness and consistency.”
Donald Sloan, who played 61 games for the Nets last season, has reached an agreement to play in China with the Guangdong Tigers, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. His teammates will include former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer and one-time lottery pick Yi Jianlian. The 28-year-old Sloan averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 assists with Brooklyn in 2015/16.
The $100K guarantees the Nets gave to Yogi Ferrell and Egidijus Mockevicius are the largest the organization has ever handed out to an undrafted college player, according to NetsDaily. Brooklyn signed both players to partially guaranteed training camp contracts this week, along with Beau Beech, who got $45K in guaranteed money. Brooklyn now has 18 players under contract, and the website projects veteran big man Henry Sims and summer league standout Marcus Georges-Hunt as possibilities if GM Sean Marks decides to go with the league maximum of 20.

Celtics Notes: Sullinger, Bentil, Nader, Jackson

July 24th, 2016 at 12:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Celtics power forward Jared Sullinger had a pretty good idea that he would be changing teams when the season ended, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Sullinger signed a one-year, $5.6MM deal with the Raptors last week after Boston rescinded its qualifying offer. The 24-year-old sensed a change was coming after spending four years with the Celtics. “It’s definitely a hard part when you walk into this locker room and you see the same people every day,” he said after Boston was knocked out of the playoffs. “These guys are great. This is one of the best teams I’ve been a part of as far as just the community of the guys. We do a lot of things together. I really can’t speak on the future, but if I leave, it’s going to be tough walking away from great guys like we have in this locker room.”

There’s more news today out of Boston:

Second-round pick Ben Bentil may have left college too early after slipping to the 51st pick in the draft, Bulpett writes in the same story. The 6’8″ power forward was a star at Providence, averaging 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore, but many observers believed he could have used another year in school. “I think it was a difficult call because he had such a great year,” said Friars coach Ed Cooley. “He had a really good year, and I thought he had an opportunity, but somebody had to like him, you know what I mean? And I’m appreciative of the Celtics giving him an opportunity to show what he can do. Getting a roster spot there is going to be very difficult, but I think, given the opportunity, he’s tough, he can score and he’s really physical. And hopefully some physicality and some scoring from a frontcourt person is something that Danny [Ainge] and Coach [Brad] Stevens can use. He’s all of 6’8 1/2″ flat-foot. He’s got a good wingspan and a great motor — a really, really good motor. I think he can add something to a team, and as he learns what the NBA game is about, I think he can improve.”
The Celtics may be adding second-round pick Abdel Nader to an already overcrowded roster, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Iowa State forward was taken 58th overall and impressed Celtics officials with his play in summer league. A source tells Himmelsbach that the Celtics are exploring several options, including designating Nader as a D-League player for next season and having him spend it with their affiliate in Maine.
Boston hopes to finalize deals this week with Bentil and Demetrius Jackson, Himmelsbach writes in the same piece. That would give the team 18 players under contract heading into training camp.

Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Jackson, Sullinger, Bennett

July 15th, 2016 at 10:18am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Knicks point guard Jose Calderon believes he would have been better off as a backup in New York, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Calderon, who will turn 35 in September, was shipped to the Bulls last month in the trade that brought back Derrick Rose. Calderon says team president Phil Jackson made the right move in acquiring Rose and thinks he would have performed better with fewer minutes. “Like I said, I was ready for a different role and I was ready for a different role the last couple of years,” Calderon said. “Maybe there wasn’t the player to put ahead of me. I always said I wasn’t the one putting me in the starting role or playing me 35 minutes. It could’ve been a guy like a Derrick Rose and I would’ve been the backup point guard. It’s a tough position to play. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been in the league 12 years and I know what I do best or not do as well. It’s nothing personal. It’s what the team needed. Hopefully it will work better.’’

Calderon, who was later traded from the Bulls to the Lakers, will get his wish to be a reserve in L.A., where he will back up second-year point guard D’Angelo Russell. Currently training for the Olympics with the Spanish National Team, Calderon has one year left on his contract at $7.6MM, and said he hopes to play three more seasons in the NBA.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Jackson issued a challenge to his rebuilt team Thursday on social media, Berman writes in a separate piece. In a pair of tweets, Jackson wrote, “Here’s what: We have brought change to the Knicks team. The real dimension of change is how much the players what to unite in this change” and “It’s not about bonding and being friends, it’s about joining in the effort of playing HARD on every effort. #respect“ (Twitter links). Nine of the 14 players the Knicks currently have under contract weren’t with the team last season.
The chance to win an NBA title meant more than money to Jared Sullinger when he chose the Raptors, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Sullinger, who became an unrestricted free agent this week when the Celtics pulled their qualifying offer, signed a one-year, $6MM deal with Toronto on Thursday. “Money is great but when it comes to certain situations, money can’t buy you happiness,” Sullinger said. “I think winning keeps you happy when you’re playing an 82-game season. I’ve been through a season where we lost a lot and it’s not a lot of fun.” The Raptors won 56 games this year and reached the Eastern Conference finals.
The Nets will try to get more out of Anthony Bennett than he produced in his first three NBA stops, writes Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com. Shaw contends that former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant’s decision to take Bennett, who reached an agreement Thursday on a deal with Brooklyn, first overall in 2013 was the biggest mistake in the Cavs’ draft history.

Raptors Sign Jared Sullinger

July 14th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 14, 10:13am: The Raptors have officially confirmed their deal with Sullinger (Twitter link).

JULY 11, 1:52pm: It appears Jared Sullinger will remain in the Atlantic Division, with the big man tweeting out that he intends to join the Raptors. It will be a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports (via Twitter). The arrangement is worth approximately $6MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

The Celtics renounced their $4,433,683 qualifying offer to Sullinger on Sunday, making him an unrestricted free agent. Boston had limited playing time to offer the 6’9″ power forward after signing Al Horford in free agency and allowing Amir Johnson‘s $12MM deal to become guaranteed for next season. Sullinger met with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri on Sunday, Wojnarowski notes, which apparently went well, given the two sides struck a deal today.

Sullinger, 24, spent four years in Boston after the Celtics made him the No. 21 overall pick on the 2012 NBA Draft. He appeared in 81 games this past season, including 73 tip-offs as a starter, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.6 minutes per outing. The forward had a shooting line of .435/.282/.640.