Jeff Teague Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bucks, Pacers, Lopez, James

March 25th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Bucks are going to be without John Henson for the next few games, as Chris Haynes of ESPN reported Henson would be sidelined for a week with a left thumb sprain (article link). According to Haynes, Henson sustained the injury at some point during Milwaukee’s match-up against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

While Milwaukee will be short-handed for at least the next two games, Michael Beasley appears close to returning. Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Beasley could come back by next week, if not by the end of the season (Twitter link). Beasley has been out since February 27 with a hyperextended left knee.

Other goings-on around the Central…

Robin Lopez knew he was going to receive a suspension when he threw a punch at Serge Ibaka, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago writes. Fortunately for the Bulls, Lopez received a light one-game suspension following a “pretty straight-forward” deliberation process from the league. “I mean, that’s what the league gave. I’m going to stick with it,” Lopez said, adding, “I didn’t change my story.” In his return from the suspension, Lopez went 0-for-6 from the field over 18 minutes.
The Pacers snapped their bizarre streak of 15 games alternating wins and defeats last night, taking a 125-117 loss to the Nuggets. Several players and coach Nate McMillan voiced frustration following the game, sensing a lack of urgency. “We’ve got to play like our life is on the line like it is,” Jeff Teague told Nate Taylor of Indy Star. “We’ve got to be aggressive and leave it all out there. Every game from now on is a must win for us. We’ve got to play like it. This was a bad loss at home and we didn’t come out to play. We just didn’t have the effort.” Despite falling to .500, the Pacers maintained their spot as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed.
LeBron James suffered a corneal abrasion of his right eye during Friday’s match-up with Charlotte, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports (article link). James, who is questionable to play tonight against the Wizards, told reporters his vision was blurry following the injury. “Just took a hard foul — a hard fall, I’m sorry. And I just got up and made my free throws, I think I made them,” said James. “I was just trying to put pressure on the rim, so, if coach decides to give me a game off, it’s not because I’m resting. It’s because I’m banged up.”

Free Agent Rumors: Teague, Rose, Olynyk, Waiters

March 23rd, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Much has been made of Paul George‘s approaching free agency, but the Pacers star won’t be eligible to hit the open market until 2018. Another key Indiana player – Jeff Teague – will see his contract expire this summer, and if Teague leaves the Pacers as a free agent, that probably increases the likelihood of a George departure as well, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

One league source who spoke to Deveney predicted that Teague will seek a contract close to the max, pointing to Mike Conley‘s five-year, $150MM+ deal with the Grizzlies as one that Teague’s camp will probably bring up in contract negotiations. However, Deveney notes that Teague grew up in Indianapolis and would like to stay with the Pacers, which means a hometown discount isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Here are a few more notes from around the NBA related to current free agents or players whose contracts will be up this summer:

In a video for The Vertical, Bobby Marks and Chris Mannix identify Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk as two free agents whose value is very hard to pin down. Mannix suggests he wouldn’t commit to Rose for more than one or two years, while the duo agrees that Olynyk will likely command an annual salary worth at least $10MM, a substantial price to pay for a player whose production has been inconsistent.
It has been a tale of two seasons for Dion Waiters, who is enjoying perhaps his best year as a pro in Miami, but has also been slowed by various injuries, including the ankle sprain that currently sidelines him. Still, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn’t expect those injuries to give the Heat much additional leverage in contract talks this summer with Waiters, since they’re not serious, long-term ailments.
Former NBA players Solomon Jones and Jarnell Stokes are currently NBA free agents, but both players have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter links). Stokes’ D-League rights are held by Sioux Falls, so last year’s NBADL will return to the Skyforce. The club waived former NBA center Johan Petro in a corresponding move.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Rose, Draft Targets

March 21st, 2017 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The triangle offense continues to be a source of tension in New York, with sources suggesting to Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks’ return to the triangle is one reason some veteran players have started to lose faith in head coach Jeff Hornacek recently. Despite Hornacek’s recent insistence that the triangle could hold some appeal to free agents, there’s concern in some corners of the organization that it could do the opposite, driving free agents away from the Knicks, Begley reports.

As Begley outlines, some Knicks players feel that the triangle is too easy for opposing teams to defend, with opposing players suggesting that they can predict where players will be on the court. Pacers point guard Jeff Teague alluded to this recently, telling Marc Berman of The New York Post that a player like Derrick Rose is easier to contain when he’s playing in the triangle.

According to Begley, there’s also some concern that if Knicks president Phil Jackson leaves the team in two or three years, there would be no guarantee that the team’s new president would insist on the same system. That could complicate the development of young players like Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez, who would then have to learn a new offense after getting accustomed to the triangle.

Begley has several more Knicks-related items of interest to pass along, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

After shopping Carmelo Anthony a little earlier this year, the Knicks “remain committed” to moving him this summer, per Begley. Anthony will still control his future, so he’d have to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal. However, sources tell Begley that some members of the Clippers organization expressed confidence last month that they could acquire Carmelo in the offseason.
Although the Knicks appeared at the trade deadline to be souring on the idea of keeping Derrick Rose long-term, the club hasn’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing him, says Begley. Some members of the organization view Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague as potential free agent targets as well, as New York searches for an answer at point guard.
The Knicks will almost certainly have a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, and according to Begley, they’ve been eyeing players such as French guard Frank Ntilikina and Kentucky sharpshooter Malik Monk.
Team owner James Dolan publicly stated earlier in the year that he intends to exercise the Knicks’ half of the mutual option on Phil Jackson‘s contract this summer. Still, sources tell Begley that some people around Dolan have been urging him to consider making a change.

Jeff Teague Likes New York, But Not The Triangle

March 15th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The triangle may discourage Pacers point guard Jeff Teague from considering the Knicks when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Teague is considered among the possible replacements for Derrick Rose, who may not be re-signed when his contract expires at the end of the season. Teague said he hoped to be traded to New York in 2014, but that was before Phil Jackson arrived as team president with his triangle offense.

Teague, who will be 29 in June, believes the approach isn’t a good one for a penetrating point guard like himself or Rose, saying, “I think a player like Rose, it gives you a better chance of containing him.”

An Indiana native, Teague may decide to stay with the Pacers, who own his Bird rights and can offer more money and more years than other other team. However, this will be his first experience as an unrestricted free agent, and the Knicks should be among the interested organizations if he decides to listen to offers. New York could have nearly $25MM in cap space if Rose is not re-signed.

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is defending the triangle and claims it could be a selling point for free agents.

“There might be players out there who think that way,” he said in response to Teague’s comments, “but there are also probably players out there who say, ‘Oh, man, I’d like to run something like that.’ Guys might not necessarily want to run around in the staggers. It’s still an offense guys who are knowledgeable in the game should like. It’s a strategy almost every time down the court as a player. In a way, looking at it that way, it’s fun to run.’’

This is Teague’s first season with the Pacers after seven years in Atlanta. He is making $8.8MM and averages 15.1 points and 7.9 assists per game.

Knicks Notes: Point Guard Search, Rose, Thomas

March 3rd, 2017 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will have a hard time finding their next point guard either through the draft or free agency, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. With Derrick Rose unlikely to return next season, getting a replacement will be an offseason priority. However, Kerber notes that New York’s draft pick won’t be high enough to snag one of the elite point guards available, and the top free agents are likely to stay where they are.

The Knicks are currently in a three-way tie for eighth in our latest Reverse Standings, giving them just a remote shot at a top two pick that will probably be necessary to draft Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. That leaves lower-tier options such as De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky or international standout Frank Ntilikina.

The problem is similar in free agency, where the Knicks will have about $25MM to spend, but the best available players — Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and George Hill — are all expected to remain with their current teams. Kerber says the Knicks might target Jrue Holiday or Jeff Teague, but the Pelicans and Pacers with both have Bird rights and the advantages of being able to offer more money and more years.

There’s more this morning from New York:

Rose is optimistic about reaching the playoffs despite the Knicks’ 25-36 record, and says he plans to unleash his 3-point shot in the postseason, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m trying to put pieces of my game together,” Rose said. “I’m not shooting 3s yet. Hopefully I’ll start shooting them in the playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and dedication to get there. I’m just adding pieces to my game throughout the season.”
One positive for Rose this season has been his health, Berman notes in the same piece. Rose has appeared in 52 of the team’s 61 games, and if he plays 15 more it will be the most in a season since his ACL tear in 2012. “Two times, three times a day, the entire summer,” Rose said of his offseason workout schedule. “I worked on my game and body. That’s one of the reasons my body is holding up.”
The Knicks’ defense has improved significantly since Lance Thomas returned six games ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Thomas missed about a month after taking an elbow to the face in a January game and breaking the orbital bone. The time off also allowed Thomas to overcome plantar fasciitis that had been affecting him since training camp.

Larry Bird on George, CBA, McMillan, Robinson, Teague

January 21st, 2017 at 6:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers are prepared to give Paul George a maximum contract when he becomes a free agent in 2018, team president Larry Bird tells Nate Taylor of USA Today. Bird touches on several subjects in a wide-ranging interview, including the team’s plan to keep its three-time All-Star.

Here are some highlights:

On the future of Paul George in Indiana:

“Before the year started, I told Paul and I said, ‘Look, if you want to sign a long-term deal, we’re willing to do that max [contract] and if you want to wait, I understand.’ But this year, we’re not going to worry about it, we’re not going to talk about it and he’s going to make the decision that’s best for Paul when it comes down to it.”

On whether the new collective bargaining agreement will help the Pacers:

“Well, if you want to keep your free agents, you’re going to have an opportunity to, at least, I think, have a better chance of keeping them. If a player don’t want to be here, and he wants to go somewhere else, that’s just a part of free agency. That’s what’s in the collective bargaining for. But at least you have an opportunity to pay them a little bit more and give them an extra year and be able to keep them and sign them up earlier. I think that’s a plus.”

On the offseason coaching change that replaced Frank Vogel with Nate McMillan:

“I like Nate. I liked him when I hired him. But anything I say positive about Nate, you’re going to take it as a negative to Frank, and that’s not what it’s about. I like Frank. Frank did a hell of a job here. We wish him all the best. We made a lot of changes over the last two or three years, even when Frank was here. We changed a lot of guys on the roster. With Nate came in, we changed coach and a lot of guys on the roster. We’d like to get away from that and have guys longer term and have a team that he can build with and grow with as we go forward.”

On Glenn Robinson III replacing Monta Ellis in the starting lineup:

“Glenn hasn’t been as consistent as I think as he or we would like, but the numbers don’t lie. When he plays, we do better. Monta, I’m not going to say he’ll ever accept the role of coming off the bench because that’s his mentality. But the thing is he’s going to do whatever it takes for us to win basketball games and he’ll continue to get better. I think when [Rodney] Stuckey gets back, I think that’s going to help. … But as far as Monta, I think Monta is going to do whatever he thinks will help us win basketball games. Monta knows I have respect for him and I have respect for all veterans. We’re going to do what’s right by him and we want him to be a big part of this, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.”

On Jeff Teague, who was acquired over the summer in exchange for George Hill:

“I hear he always wanted to play here. We gave up a hell of a player to get him. He’s two years younger than George and he’s a real point guard and he gets to the line. I think he’s going to continue to get better. I couldn’t be happier.”

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Olynyk, Teague, Arenas

October 30th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t rule out the possibility of extensions for the Pistons‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock before Monday’s deadline, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said today that he doesn’t expect the deals to get done, but GM Jeff Bower remains in contact with the agents for both players in hopes of getting something in place under the wire.

There’s more tonight out of the Eastern Conference:

Kelly Olynyk is hoping to be cleared for practice without restrictions this week in his return from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The Celtics‘ fourth-year center plans to be ready for game action within two weeks.
New Pacers point guard Jeff Teague is trying to figure out the cause of his disappointing start, relays Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana was counting on a spark from Teague when it unloaded George Hill to get him from Atlanta in a three-way trade. But Teague has shot just 20% from the floor in his first three games and has allowed opposing point guards Deron Williams, Jeremy Lin and Rajon Rondo to combine for 52 points and 29 assists. “It’s way different than any team I’ve played on in the past,” Teague said. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but it’s just different. It just is. Everything is different, the concepts; everything is totally different. I’m just trying to get used to it.”
The Magic will make their final payment on Monday to former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The high-scoring guard was waived by Orlando in 2011, but the franchise has continued to pay on his $111MM contract. Arenas no longer counts against the Magic’s salary cap.

Eastern Notes: Teague, Hunter, McRae, Scott

October 28th, 2016 at 5:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pacers point guard Jeff Teague, who was acquired this summer from Atlanta, is a big fan of the Pacers’ new up-tempo attack, Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star relays. “We were just trying to set the tempo,” said Teague, who notched 20 points and helped guide Indiana to a season-opening 130-121 overtime victory against the Mavs. “Trying to get the crowd into the game a little bit. That’s how we have to come out. We have to come out ready to play, and we did. We’re going to be able to get up and down. We’ve got a lot of talented players, so we can get to the basket, penetrate and kick anytime.”

Teague shot just 5-15 from the field, but was dealing with a cut finger he sustained in the first half, Ayello notes. “I thought he [Teague] did some good things,” coach Nate McMillan said after the game. “He established that tempo for us early, pushing the ball. Something happened with his finger and I think that was a distraction and he started to miss a few shots. Overall I thought he did a nice job.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

R.J. Hunter, who signed with the Bulls after being waived by the Celtics, said it took him a day to get over being cut and that a number of GMs around the league told him that he needs to improve his strength if he wants to be successful in the league, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays (on Twitter). The shooting guard also noted that he was thankful for Chicago’s interest, calling the team’s support “surreal,” Johnson adds.
Despite a strong preseason, Jordan McRae didn’t see any action in the Cavs‘ season opening rout of the Knicks. With the team reportedly looking for a taker for the shooting guard and having other roster needs to address, this will make it difficult for Cleveland to land more than a future second round pick for the player, as he is still an unknown quantity in the NBA, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net writes.
Hawks forward Mike Scott will be unavailable for Saturday’s contest against the Sixers due to a sore right knee, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Scott has been limited in training camp due to the knee issue and also missed Thursday’s season opener against the Wizards, the scribe notes. It’s unclear when the veteran will be able to return to the court for Atlanta.

Central Notes: Middleton, Mirotic, Dunleavy, Pacers

September 29th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks‘ Khris Middleton had successful surgery Wednesday on his ruptured left hamstring, the team announced on its website. Middleton is expected to be out of action for six months following the procedure, which was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The fifth-year swingman, who signed a five-year, $70MM deal last summer, had his best season in 2015/16, averaging a career-high 18.2 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals in 79 games.

There’s more tonight from the Central Division:

Nikola Mirotic seems to have the edge over Taj Gibson to be the Bulls‘ starting power forward, writes Mark Schanowski of CSNChicago. With the rest of the starting lineup seemingly set, power forward is Chicago’s most interesting position battle of the preseason. Schanowski believes Mirotic’s ability to stretch the floor in an otherwise shaky shooting lineup gives him the edge. Bobby Portis may be squeezed out of minutes unless he can earn time as a backup center.
After being traded from the Bulls to the Cavaliers over the summer, Mike Dunleavy says his new Cleveland teammates have a work ethic far beyond what he saw in Chicago, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Dunleavy admired the humility the Cavs showed despite their success of the past two seasons and noted that the stars are willing to put in extra practice time. “I’ve been on a lot of teams where guys come and go, show up five minutes before practice and leave right after,” he said. “We have our best players here an hour and a half early and stay an hour and a half late. Quite honestly, that’s kind of new to me.”
New Pacers coach Nate McMillan‘s nine-man rotation is virtually set, which leaves a lot of young players battling for very few minutes, according to Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner will start, with Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles and Al Jefferson as regular members of the rotation off the bench. McMillan said he will use 10 players per game if someone else shows they deserve to play, which may give hope to Glenn Robinson III, Joseph Young, Georges Niang, Kevin Seraphin, Lavoy Allen, Rakeem Christmas and Jeremy Evans.

Pacers To Offer Max Extension To Paul George

September 21st, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA players on veteran contracts can become eligible for an extension three years after signing their deals, and that date is right around the corner for Pacers forward Paul George. The three-time All-Star signed his current contract on September 25, 2013, meaning he’ll be extension-eligible as of this Sunday, and Pacers president Larry Bird won’t hesitate to offer his star a max deal, as he tells Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star.

“I know he don’t want to talk about it all year and I don’t either,” Bird said. “We want Paul here and we know what it’s going to cost and what it’s going to take. If Paul wants to get a deal done, we will. It’s a max deal. There’s no others, so there’s no use talking about it. If he wants it, he’s got it.”

While an extension on its own might not appeal to George, the Pacers should have the cap room necessary to renegotiate his deal in addition to extending it, as Bird notes. That means Indiana could increase George’s salaries to the maximum for the next three years, and then tack another max-salary year on for the 2019/20 league year. It would be an agreement similar to the one James Harden reached with the Rockets earlier this offseason.

On the other hand, signing an extension this year would prevent George from potentially exploring the free agent market in 2018, when he can opt out of his current contract. It would also lock him into a max salary for players with six years of NBA experience or less — if he waits one more year, he would get the max for players with seven to nine years of experience, which is worth 30% of the salary cap instead of 25%.

George’s new teammate, Jeff Teague, is also eligible for an extension as he enters the final year of his current contract, and Bird tells Taylor that he hopes to re-sign his new point guard beyond 2017 as well. For now though, his priority is George.

“We do whatever he wants to do,” Bird said of George. “He’s proven that he’s a max player. He’s our best player. If he wants a new contract, whenever he wants it, we’ll give it to him.”

We’ll take a more in-depth look on Thursday on George’s situation, and whether or not it makes sense for him to sign an extension this year.