John Henson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

O’Connor’s Latest: Bucks, D. Jordan, M. Gasol

December 4th, 2017 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes a deep dive into the new-look Bucks, with a specific focus on their defense. As O’Connor outlines, Milwaukee has been one of the NBA’s best defensive teams in the 11 games since they acquired Eric Bledsoe, after ranking 29th to open the season.

Still, the Bucks’ recent schedule has been somewhat soft, and the club’s defensive rating takes a major hit when Bledsoe isn’t on the court. Adding another defensive stopper may help stabilize the lineup on that side of the ball and ensure that the club’s defensive improvements stick, O’Connor writes. Here’s more from the Ringer scribe on the Bucks and some of their possible targets:

The Bucks are on the lookout for a big man, multiple NBA executives tell O’Connor. The team is also trying to create some cap flexibility by moving some of their pricier multiyear contracts, such as the ones signed by Mirza Teletovic, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova.
One notable trade candidate who has been linked to the Bucks is DeAndre Jordan, and league executives expect the Clippers to listen to inquiries on the veteran center, per O’Connor.
One complicating factor on Jordan is the fact that he doesn’t currently have an agent, but multiple execs and agents who spoke to O’Connor believe the Clippers center will end up signing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. If that happens before the trade deadline, Paul could get involved on any Jordan trade talks and influence where he lands. It’s worth noting that both the Bucks (Bledsoe) and Cavaliers (LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith), who have been cited as potential suitors for Jordan, have Klutch clients. (Update: Jordan has reportedly hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management for representation.)
Marc Gasol is another player who would make sense as a trade target for the Bucks, but three execs who talked to O’Connor don’t expect the Grizzlies to deal him. One of those execs suggested that even if Gasol were to request a trade, Memphis may wait until the offseason to make a move.

Bucks Make Concerted Push For DeAndre Jordan

December 1st, 2017 at 8:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bucks are making a concerted push to acquire DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers, Gery Woelfel of the Woelfel’s Press Box writes.

According to the scribe’s sources, the Clips seek a partial or even full complement of John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton in return.

While there hasn’t been any direct indication that the Clippers are shopping Jordan, he’s eligible for free agency this summer, making him the most logical trade chip if the team does decide to become a seller ahead of the trade deadline.

Considering that trading Jordan would at least appear to be the opening salvo in a rebuild, it makes sense that the squad would pursue the reigning Rookie of the Year and, if possible, shed salary while they were at it.

While the Bucks had long sought to organically develop their young talent, they’re eager to more aggressively compete for a title now, as evidenced by their acquisition of Eric Bledsoe from the Suns earlier in the season.

Slotting Jordan into the starting lineup ahead of (or in place of) Henson would give the team an imposing starting five as they continue on their quest to usurp the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to the Bucks, Woelfel writes, the Raptors, Wizards and Timberwolves are said to have shown the most interest in Jordan.

Mirza Teletovic Expected To Miss Four Weeks

November 21st, 2017 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Mirza Teletovic has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the Bucks announced today in a press release. The procedure, which repaired cartilage in Teletovic’s troublesome knee, is expected to sideline him for the next four weeks.

Teletovic has been out due to knee soreness for two weeks already, having last appeared in a game for the Bucks on November 7 in Cleveland. If the 32-year-old is able to get back on the court four weeks from today, he’d be in line for another game with the Cavaliers on December 19. However, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go at that time.

Even before his injury, Teletovic wasn’t playing a major rotation role this season in Milwaukee. In 10 games, he had averaged just 15.9 minutes per contest, the lowest mark since his rookie season in 2012/13. Still, while his averages of 7.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG are modest, Teletovic has been reliable from beyond the arc, with most of his field goal attempts coming from three-point range. He has converted 2.1 threes per game at a 46.7% clip.

With Teletovic injured and Greg Monroe no longer in Milwaukee, the Bucks have relied on smaller lineups and leaned on Thon Maker and John Henson for increased frontcourt roles. Barring a roster move, those trends figure to continue as Teletovic recovers from his knee procedure, though Henson will miss Milwaukee’s next game after undergoing an eye procedure, according to the team.

Central Notes: Henson, Monroe, Green

November 16th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The longest-tenured player on the Bucks is 26-year-old John Henson. As Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, the six-year veteran has more seniority with the organization than either Giannis Antetokounmpo or head coach Jason Kidd.

More meaningful than the novel fun fact, however, is that Henson has been with the Bucks long enough to have seen the organization’s revolution first-hand. Everything from the team’s branding to its medical technology has been brought up to date.

The center, who started his tenure with the team as a power forward, came into the league under Bucks head coach Scott Skiles and as a teammate of Joel Przybilla.

“I just feel old,” said Henson, who has most recently stepped up as a defensive anchor and coveted frontcourt presence after the Greg Monroe trade. “I was here when Skiles was here. That seems like so long ago for Bucks fans. Which it was — six years is a long time.”

There’s more news from around the Central Division:

The Pistons haven’t utilized Jon Leuer as they originally intended to when they signed him in the summer of 2016. Though he’s missed time with a sprained ankle this season, Leuer had been seeing time as the club’s backup center, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. With Eric Moreland now developing in that role, Leuer could become expendable.
So long as Greg Monroe remains with the Suns, there will be speculation about what teams may be interested in his services. One team to consider, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes, is the Pistons. Monroe played for Detroit from 2010-2015 and has the respect of head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Forward Jeff Green has changed agents, signing with Roger Montgomery of Roc Nation Sports, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets. Green signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Cavaliers last summer and has performed well for Cleveland.

Latest On Eric Bledsoe

October 26th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Eric Bledsoe continues to sit out games for the Suns and, after a disastrous start to the season, the club has actually looked better with a new starting point guard — and a new head coach. Since Jay Triano replaced Earl Watson on the bench and Mike James replaced Bledsoe in the starting lineup, the Suns have won consecutive games at home, beating the Kings and Jazz.

As the Suns look to build on their recent success, here’s the latest on Bledsoe, from Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times:

NBA sources tell Woelfel that if the Bucks and Suns were to make a deal involving Bledsoe, Phoenix would likely ask for Malcolm Brogdon, plus either John Henson or Mirza Teletovic. Milwaukee has had interest in Bledsoe over the last few years, but is reluctant to part with Brogdon, the reigning Rookie of the Year, per Woelfel.
According to Woelfel, the Bucks are – for now – dangling Matthew Dellavedova, but he’s not of much interest to the Suns — Phoenix remains focused on Brogdon.
The Suns are eyeing young guards, and are also intrigued by Denver’s Emmanuel Mudiay. According to two NBA officials, the Nuggets and Bucks are viewed as “the leaders in the Bledsoe sweepstakes,” writes Woelfel.
Those same two sources tell Woelfel that a number of other teams have internally discussed the idea of making a play for Bledsoe, including the Clippers, Celtics, and Heat.

Mutual Interest Between Bucks, Richard Jefferson

October 14th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks are a “serious suitor” for veteran forward Richard Jefferson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Cavaliers traded the 37-year-old to Atlanta earlier today along with Kay Felder in a move designed to save as much as $12.8MM in luxury tax. The Hawks immediately waived Jefferson and Felder, making them both unrestricted free agents if they clear waivers, which should happen Monday.

Milwaukee could claim Jefferson off waivers, but taking on his salary would push the team $5K over the luxury tax, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Jefferson will make $2.5MM this season and a non-guaranteed $2,612,500 in 2018/19.

Several other teams have also expressed interest in Jefferson, sources tell Wojnarowski, but the Bucks seem to be the most prominent. Milwaukee waived another veteran forward, Gerald Green, earlier today to open a roster spot.

Jefferson was a teammate of Bucks coach Jason Kidd for seven years with the Nets, including two trips to the NBA Finals. Their relationship could give Milwaukee an edge once Jefferson hits the open market.

Wojnarowski adds that the Bucks have been working on several deals to trim cap space involving guard Rashad Vaughn and center John Henson. The team has offered a second-round pick to anybody willing to take Vaughn, who is owed nearly $1.9MM this season and has a team option worth $2.9MM+ in 2018/19. Henson has three seasons and more than $31.7MM left on his contract.

Lowe’s Latest: Wolves, Suns, Parker, Bucks

October 9th, 2017 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

In another one of his in-depth NBA preview features, ESPN’s Zach Lowe has grouped the NBA’s 30 teams into tiers, with the Warriors in the top tier on their own, followed by the Cavaliers, Thunder, Rockets, and Spurs in tier two. Lowe’s piece examines each club, with a handful of Eastern Conference teams – the Nets, Hawks, Knicks, Pacers, and Bulls – bringing up the rear.

Along the way, Lowe drops a few noteworthy tidbits of information about roster moves and trade possibilities, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

The Timberwolves have dangled Cole Aldrich‘s contract and a second-round pick in search of veteran help, sources tell Lowe. We heard reports of Aldrich’s availability back in July, and nothing came of it, but the Wolves still project to have an open roster spot or two, so it’s possible the team will revisit this scenario at some point.
The Suns have explored trading Jared Dudley and/or Tyson Chandler, but they likely feel no urgency to move either player at this point, says Lowe. The ESPN scribe adds that Phoenix “will surely listen” if the team receives inquiries on Eric Bledsoe.
Bucks forward Jabari Parker is unlikely to return before February, at the earliest, according to Lowe. The former No. 2 overall pick continues to recover from a torn ACL as his October 16 contract extension deadline nears.
The Bucks – who got out of the tax this year – would risk going back over the tax threshold for 2018/19 with an extension for Parker. Sources tell Lowe that Milwaukee has discussed dumping John Henson and/or Mirza Teletovic, but teams are “squeezing hard.” Henson and Teletovic are on the books for about $10.5MM each in 2018/19.

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

September 5th, 2017 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

For much of the summer, after 2017’s top free agents came off the board, we waited for resolution on two notable trade candidates, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony. The Irving saga finally came to an end last week when the Celtics and Cavaliers finalized their blockbuster deal involving the All-Star guard. However, Anthony remains on the Knicks‘ roster, with no recent updates on where things stand with those trade talks.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com has a piece up today rounding up all the latest notes on the Anthony situation, so let’s dive in and pass along the highlights…

As of last week, the Knicks were “not close” on an Anthony deal. According to Begley, the Knicks have been telling people around the league that the Rockets – Anthony’s trade partner of choice – just don’t have pieces that appeal to them.
The Bucks emerged at one point as a potential third team to help accommodate a Rockets/Knicks swap, says Begley. However, Milwaukee has been trying to shed salary, so the prospect of taking on Ryan Anderson and the $60MM left on his contract likely isn’t much more appealing to the Bucks than it is to the Knicks.
In those “very preliminary” talks, Jabari Parker‘s name came up, though it’s not clear if the Bucks or Knicks introduced that idea, Begley writes. In that proposed scenario, Parker would have been part of a larger package that included at least one player on a big contract, such as John Henson or Greg Monroe.
Begley notes that the Knicks want to land a combination of a young player, a draft pick, and/or an expiring contract in an Anthony trade, so the idea of landing Parker and Monroe probably appealed more to New York than Milwaukee.
Although a trade seems unlikely to happen before the start of training camp, there has been little contact lately between Carmelo and members of the Knicks‘ organization, sources tell Begley. As the ESPN scribe notes, neither side appears to have much interest in having Anthony on the roster to start the season, but the Knicks’ front office remains unwilling to consider a buyout, so it will be interesting to see how the next several weeks play out.

Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Cavs, Rose, Pistons

July 26th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks should still have at least a couple years before they have to start worrying about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s long-term future in Milwaukee, considering the young star hasn’t even played one game on his new four-year contract with the franchise. Still, recent comments made by Antetokounmpo may stir up a little premature anxiety among Bucks fans.

As Michael D. Sykes of SBNation details, Antetokounmpo was asked recently by a fan about Kevin Durant‘s departure from Oklahoma City, and whether the Bucks star would avoid a similar situation a few years from now.

“A lot of people say they’re going to stay on a team and decide to move to a different team,” the Bucks forward said. “But you guys got to remember: A guy might want to stay on a team, but if the team doesn’t do the right things and the right moves for the player to become great. Because, KD, the reason he wanted to stay in OKC was to win, right? So, they didn’t win the championship. That’s why he decided to leave. So do not hate only the player. Because sometimes it’s not up to the player.”

Antetokounmpo’s statement was probably more of a defense of Durant than a hint at his own future, so there’s little reason to read much into it at this point. But the Bucks’ front office will certainly take note. The club figures to do all it can over the next several years to convince its star player that he can win a title in Milwaukee, and surround him with players capable of helping him do so.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

The Bucks continue to explore possible trades involving Greg Monroe and/or John Henson, sources tell Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. Previous reports indicated that both highly-paid big men were on the block. Within the same piece, Woelfel adds that Milwaukee is expected to name an assistant general manager by the end of the week. That assistant GM will work closely with new GM Jon Horst in the team’s front office.
The Cavaliers had interest in Derrick Rose regardless of Kyrie Irving‘s status, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. However, as Wojnarowski writes, the Cavs are starting to engage in trade discussions involving Irving, and the possibility of Rose gaining a more significant role in Cleveland “grows every day.”
The Pistons have a new jersey ad sponsor, reaching a deal with Flagstar Bank, per Darren Rovell of ESPN (Twitter link). One third of the league’s teams have now announced jersey sponsorship deals, as our ongoing list shows.

Bucks, John Henson Have Mutual Interest In Trade

July 14th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

John Henson and the Bucks have “mutual interest and motivation” in finding a trade involving the center, league sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.

The Bucks currently project to be a little over the luxury tax line, and Henson’s contract, which will pay him about $31.73MM over the next three years, is the most noteworthy albatross on the club’s books. Moving Henson without taking back much salary would give Milwaukee more flexibility to use the rest of its mid-level exception, perhaps on a point guard like Derrick Rose.

Meanwhile, a trade could give Henson an opportunity to take on a larger role with another team. The 26-year-old started 39 games for the Bucks last season, but barely played down the stretch or in the postseason. With bigs like Greg Monroe and Spencer Hawes exercising player options to return, and Thon Maker poised for a larger role, Henson may be expendable.

Of course, a trade won’t be easy. The Bucks would likely have to attach a first-round pick to convince another club to take on Henson’s contract, which has a cap hit of $11.4MM this season. For comparison’s sake, the Raptors had to attach a first- and second-round pick to clear $11.8MM in salary in their DeMarre Carroll trade with the Nets — Toronto was in an over-the-tax position similar to Milwaukee’s.

There also aren’t many teams left with the cap flexibility to take on a contract as large as Henson’s. Brooklyn would be one possibility, and Philadelphia and Phoenix could be other options. However, the length of Henson’s contract, which runs through 2019/20, makes it more unappealing, even if his salary declines to $9.7MM by the final year of the deal.