Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Jackson, Monroe, Miles

October 22nd, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

When the Pistons inked Reggie Jackson to five-year, $80MM deal back in 2015, quite a few heads around the league turned, believing that Detroit overpaid for the guard. But with the spike in the salary cap, Jackson’s deal is viewed far more favorably, resulting in quite a few trade inquiries for the guard, Keith Langlois of NBA.com notes. “It seems like a lot of people – I don’t mean teams – but a lot of people who do the analysis of all these moves are a year behind in terms of their vision and the way they analyze moves,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “We got killed for signing Reggie for too much money and then we were hit with virtually every team in the league wanting to trade for him because he’s locked in at what now is a very, very good salary.”

“He’s a guy with a great, great contract and those guys are all looking,” Van Gundy continued. “And then people think you’ll panic a little bit when a guy has an injury. He’s a very good player on a good contract and when we signed it there were a whole lot of people criticizing it. It’s people who look at things differently and in the moment and hadn’t adjusted to what’s going on. There’s been interest in him and there’s always interest in good players. There’s interest in Andre Drummond, obviously, and interest in Reggie. People are always just seeing what you’re thinking and seeing if you’ll move on any of those guys and what it would take. And Reggie’s a guy that drew really, really good interest.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bucks are preparing for the possibility that Greg Monroe is going to exercise his player option for the 2017/18 campaign, league sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The big man has a tough call to make, with him being set to earn $17,884,176 next season, which is the final one of his current deal. With the cap set to jump to over $100MM next summer, the opportunity to chase a long-term deal may be appealing, but Monroe is also a more traditional big man in a league that is moving away from that model. A strong campaign would likely decrease the chances of him opting in, though that is merely my speculation.
C.J. Miles‘ knee injury won’t require surgery, but the Pacers aren’t sure when the swingman will be cleared to return to action, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star notes. Miles said he felt he would need at least two full practices without any pain to feel confident about his knee for the season opener, Taylor adds. “I’m definitely not going to get in a game without a chance be in practice,” Miles said. “I wouldn’t want to even do that if I was going to be a detriment to the team. That would be selfish on my part.”
Van Gundy noted that the Pistons are hoping to sign both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock to extensions prior to this season’s deadline, James Hawkins of The Detroit News relays. “We definitely have a desire to get something done with both of them,” Van Gundy said. “I think both agents are clear on that from our side. It’s a matter of two things — a matter of what they want to do and a matter of, obviously, money. So that’s where the negotiations are but I think both their agents are very clear that we would prefer to get something done and that we like those guys and would like to extend them.“

Stein’s Latest: Extensions, Jazz, Cavs, J.R. Smith

October 14th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest piece for ESPN.com, NBA insider Marc Stein takes a look around the league to attempt to determine which players entering the final year of their rookie scale contracts are most likely to sign extensions before the October 31 deadline. As Stein points out, the uncertainty surrounding the CBA may make some players or teams reluctant to finalize a new deal that won’t go into effect until next summer, but there are still a few extension candidates worth monitoring.

According to Stein, Jazz center Rudy Gobert is viewed as the most likely candidate to be extended this month — Utah wants to lock up both Gobert and Derrick Favors to long-term deals, recognizing that securing those players could help convince Gordon Hayward to re-sign next summer. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves), and Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves) are also in play for potential extensions, says Stein.

Here’s more from the ESPN scribe:

It’s not clear how eager the Thunder will be to get something done with Steven Adams and/or Victor Oladipo before October 31, since the team may be enticed by the possibility of maintaining 2017 cap room, Stein notes. Oklahoma City could take the same approach the Wizards and Pistons did with Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond, respectively, waiting to extend them in order to maximize cap room. Of course, waiting until 2017 would almost certainly mean doing max deals for Adams and/or Oladipo.
As high as they are on Dennis Schroder‘s potential, the Hawks may want to see how he handles the starting point guard job in Jeff Teague‘s absence before committing to a long-term deal, Stein writes. In that case, an extension this month seems unlikely.
The Cavaliers had been offering a $10-11MM annual salary to J.R. Smith, and while it’s possible they’ve increased their offer, it hasn’t been enough to entice Smith to sign. Sources tell Stein “it’s only a matter of time” before the free agent guard starts to engage more seriously with other teams.
While they don’t have the cap room for him at this point, the Celtics‘ reported interest in Smith is genuine, according to Stein, who suggests Boston could explore moving some salary to another team in order to create space for Smith.
There are whispers that the Cavaliers have “strong interest” in bringing Mario Chalmers aboard when he’s healthy enough to play, per Stein. Chalmers, who remains on the free agent market, continues to recover from Achilles surgery.
The Jazz don’t appear inclined to add anyone to their roster as a temporary fill-in while Gordon Hayward’s broken finger heals, Stein writes.

Pistons Notes: Gbinije, Caldwell-Pope, Smith

September 29th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

To help ease Michael Gbinije‘s transition to the NBA, the Pistons won’t be playing him at point guard during camp, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The 49th overall pick out of Syracuse, Gbinije brings great versatility to Detroit, both on offense and defense. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the decision to use Gbinije solely as as a swingman in the early going was made after summer league. That’s why the Pistons signed Ray McCallum to compete with Lorenzo Brown for the No. 3 point guard slot. Gbinije, who may get to hone his point guard skills with the Pistons’ D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, said he accepts the decision. “I can just focus on one position at a time,” Gbinije said. “I’m sure the more comfortable I get, I might experience other positions. But right now, it’s good that I’m just limited.”

There’s more news from the Pistons’ training camp:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope doesn’t mind waiting until next summer for a new contract if that becomes necessary, writes Aaron McMann of MLive. The fourth-year shooting guard is eligible for a rookie extension through October 31st, and his agent, Rich Paul, is now negotiating with the team after a quiet summer. No word has leaked about how close they may be to an agreement. If they can’t reach a deal before the deadline, Caldwell-Pope will enter next summer as a restricted free agent. “That’s all on the organization here, if they would like to keep me or let me go into free agency,” he said. “Right now, my focus is on the season. I can’t worry too much about that.”
The decision on Caldwell-Pope is the most important one the franchise will face in the immediate future, contends David Mayo of MLive. Mayo estimates the Pistons could probably re-sign Caldwell-Pope to a contract starting at $15MM-$16MM annually if they hammer out an extension before the deadline. But if he has another good season, that price might be closer to $20MM in free agency.
Ish Smith was the first free agent the Pistons targeted over the summer, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. At 28, Smith is one of the oldest players on the roster and is expected to provide steady veteran leadership as the backup point guard. “It’s so much better than I thought,” Smith said of the situation in Detroit. “When I was in Philly, we played them four times and you see [the chemistry] from the outside looking in. When you get here and see the hard work everybody puts in and the dedication to win.”

Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Bullock, Smith

September 24th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will continue to purse rookie contract extensions with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock until the October 31st deadline, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. A full-time starter in Detroit for the past two seasons, Caldwell-Pope appeared in 76 games last year, averaging 14.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per night. Bullock played 37 games, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. The Pistons are over the salary cap, but Beard reports that the team is willing to use its Bird rights to re-sign both players. “We’re all in agreement it’s an atmosphere and environment where they have good thoughts,” GM Jeff Bower said of negotiations. “We’re going to continue to take those talks a little bit further through the month and see if there’s an opportunity to reach an extension now.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

As the longest-tenured player on the roster and with a max contract now in hand, Pistons center Andre Drummond feels like he’s entering a new chapter of his career, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The 23-year-old has witnessed a lot of turnover in Detroit since he arrived four years ago. He has played for four coaches in that time, but with Stan Van Gundy firmly in place, the Pistons seem ready to commit to their current core. Drummond is happy to be a part of that group. “I signed a five-year deal, so I’m here for the long haul and I’m excited to be here,” he said. “Detroit is now my home and I’m ready to embrace it and try to bring great things to this city.”
The Cavaliers are counting on 33-year-old Mo Williams and second-round pick Kay Felder to replace Matthew Dellavedova, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In his “Summer Rewind” on Cleveland, Marks says the Cavs made a wise move by orchestrating a sign-and-trade after Dellavedova committed to the Bucks, creating a $4.8MM trade exception in the process.
Unsigned shooting guard J.R. Smith traveled to Cleveland to watch an Indians game on Thursday and posted “#meetings” on his Instagram account, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. While it’s not a sure sign of progress, Vardon speculated that there has been communication between Smith and the team.
A rumor that Smith has been negotiating with the Sixers is not true, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com.

Pistons Have Had Extension Talks With KCP, Bullock

September 23rd, 2016 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Pistons general manager Jeff Bower, the team has engaged in dialogue with both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock about potential contract extensions, tweets Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Bower added that both players like their situations in Detroit.

Caldwell-Pope and Bullock were both first-round picks in the 2013 draft, with KCP coming off the board eighth overall, while Bullock was selected with the 25th pick. Because they signed their rookie-scale contracts that year, and haven’t been waived since then, both players are heading into the final year of those deals, making them eligible for a rookie-scale extension by October 31.

While C.J. McCollum and Giannis Antetokounmpo have each signed rookie-scale extensions already with their respective teams, most negotiations around the NBA will likely go down to the wire, with teams and their extension candidates potentially reaching agreements during the final week of October.

The Pistons had an extension candidate a year ago at this time, in Andre Drummond, but ultimately waited until this summer to lock up the star center. If Detroit opts not to extend Caldwell-Pope and Bullock yet, they’d be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. Still, team head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said today that “in a perfect world” the Pistons would get deals done for both players within the next few weeks (Twitter link via Rod Beard of The Detroit News).

Caldwell-Pope, the Pistons’ starting two guard, set new career highs in 2015/16 when he averaged 14.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, and a .420 FG%. As for Bullock, in his first season with the Pistons after being traded to Detroit from Phoenix in 2015, he played sparingly, averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG on 11.6 minutes per contest (37 games). He did make 41.5% of his three-point attempts, though the sample was relatively small.

Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Poythress, Bucks

August 31st, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may make a mutual decision to wait until next summer for contract talks, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Detroit took a similar approach to Andre Drummond last year, but that was to preserve cap space. In the case of Caldwell-Pope, it would be to monitor his development and decide if he’s the long-term solution at shooting guard or if Stanley Johnson is a viable alternative. From Caldwell-Pope’s perspective, he and his representatives may be encouraged by the huge salaries thrown around in free agency this year and decide that he’s likely to top whatever offer the Pistons could make now. The deadline for extensions is October 31st. Langlois notes that regardless of when it happens, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is a huge proponent of Caldwell-Pope and wants to see him signed long term.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Alex Poythress isn’t discouraged about his NBA dream despite being bypassed on draft night, writes Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. The 6’7″ forward, who spent four years at Kentucky, recently signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Pacers and is believed to be ticketed for the D-League. Poythress has been working out in Indianapolis for the past few weeks. “Things are going good,” he said. “Going through the draft process, [the Pacers] really liked me. I’m just trying to make best of this opportunity.”
Even though the Bucks finished 33-49 last season, Matthew Dellavedova believes he is joining a playoff team, relays ESPN’s Jake Michaels. Fresh off a championship season with the Cavaliers, the Australian point guard accepted a four-year, $38MM offer from Milwaukee and was sent there as part of a sign-and-trade deal. Dellavedova said he is looking forward to having a legendary point guard as his new coach. “To be able to learn from one of the greatest point guards of all time in Jason Kidd is going to be cool, and something I’m really excited about,” he said. “I cannot wait.”
The Bucks should locate their new D-League franchise in Sheboygan, argues Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. Sheboygan is one of the finalists for the new team, along with Oshkosh and Racine. The Bucks’ new affiliate will start play in the 2017/18 season.

And-Ones: Beal, Oladipo, Gasol, Gobert

August 3rd, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Turnover among NBA coaches has been extremely high over the past few seasons, with only four current head coaches having been with their respective teams for at least five seasons. Just this calendar year alone there have been 12 new coaching hires made, with more likely to come if some teams get off to rocky starts to the 2016/17 season. Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders ran down the coaches who are under the most pressure to perform well this coming campaign, including Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Steve Kerr (Warriors) and Quin Snyder (Jazz).

Here’s more from around the league:

Each season there are a number of players who exceed expectations or fail to live up to the hype or their previous season’s performance. Looking ahead to 2016/17, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders weighed in on who he believes will have bounce back seasons (ie: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, Joakim Noah) and those who will disappoint (ie: Kyle Korver, Pau Gasol).
With most offseason moves now officially in the books, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider Subscription required) broke down the teams he believes to be winners. Franchises getting high marks from the scribe include the Warriors, Celtics, Cavs and Wolves.
Teams have until October 31st to work out extensions with eligible players and Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com notes that the most likely candidates to reach new agreements prior to the deadline are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Harris, Lue, Vogel

April 30th, 2016 at 2:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may think twice before committing to a contract extension with the Pistons, according to David Mayo of MLive. The third-year shooting guard will be eligible for an extension this offseason, but he may try to increase his value with another productive season and then take his chances as a restricted free agent next summer. “I think what’s important is we’ll have to have discussions and see what’s important to Kentavious and have a sense of where they’re at with the whole thing,” said GM Jeff Bower. “It’s something that doesn’t have to take place. But what does have to take place is an understanding of what’s important, what time frames are important, how he understands his place and role here.” Caldwell-Pope started all 76 games he played this season, averaging 14.3 points per night.

There’s more on the Central Division:

Replacing Ersan Ilyasova with Tobias Harris in a February trade helped the Pistons reach the playoffs, Mayo writes in a separate piece. Ilyasova tended to slow down the offense, while Harris displayed a willingness to pass, shoot, drive, rebound and do anything the team needed from him. Detroit’s offensive rating improved nearly three points per 100 possessions after Harris arrived. Mayo adds that the Pistons will emphasize shooting as they search the free agent market for backups at the point guard and power forward positions.
Tyronn Lue hasn’t signed a new contract since taking over as the Cavaliers‘ head coach in January, but he’s not interested in any of the open positions around the league, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Lue was the league’s highest-paid assistant, with a four-year deal he signed in 2014 worth $6.5MM. After replacing David Blatt, Lue reached a verbal agreement worth $3MM prorated for his time as head coach this season and another $3MM for next year, along with a team option for 2017/18 at $3.5MM with a buyout. An unidentified source told ESPN the Cavs will live up to the offer and plan to finalize the deal with Lue this summer.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel is used to the level of criticism he received after the Game 5 loss to Toronto, which included calls for his firing on social media, writes Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star. “I don’t take it personally,” Vogel said after the Indiana blew out the Raptors in Game 6. “I hear everything. I don’t take anything personal. The passion the fans have? It isn’t as strong as mine.”

Eastern Notes: Caldwell-Pope, DeRozan, Gores

April 26th, 2016 at 9:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is eligible to ink a rookie-scale contract extension this summer, but he says his focus is on improving his game and not on his next deal, David Mayo of MLive relays. “Yeah, I mean, why do it now? It’s not in my mind. I mean, it could happen. If it does happen, it happens. But right now I’m going to stay focused and get better,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Right now, I’m just going to let my agent handle all that. If you have any questions about that, I really can’t answer them. I let my agent answer for me. I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it.” If Caldwell-Pope and Detroit are unable to reach an agreement by October’s deadline, he would be eligible to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2017.

Team owner Tom Gores, one of the principals who will be involved in the Pistons’ future decisions regarding Caldwell-Pope, is involved in a bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Detroit, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays. Gores is partnering with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert on the venture, Ellis notes. “I’ve always believed a sports franchise is a community asset with the power to unite and inspire people,” Gores said in his official statement. “I’m excited to partner with Dan and help in Detroit’s resurgence. Together we have all the tools we need to make a new team successful.”

Here’s more from the East:

Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan‘s struggles this postseason call into question whether or not he is worthy of a max salary deal this summer, should he choose to opt out of his current deal and become an unrestricted free agent, Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun writes. The 26-year-old is averaging 13.3 points and shooting a woeful 29.6% from the field in four playoff outings. His player option for 2016/17 is worth $10.15MM, but he’ll almost certain decline it and end up with more than that.
The Nets hiring of the hard-working Kenny Atkinson as their new coach is another positive sign of the franchise trying to change its culture for the better, NetsDaily opines.
If the Wizards intend to maintain their “pace-and-space offense,” they need a playmaker off the bench who’s capable of sinking the long ball and should consider signing Seth Curry, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic.com writes. The Kings combo guard averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 45.9% from the field, including 48.9% from beyond the arc over Sacramento’s last seven contests, Standig notes. Curry, 25, has a player option on his deal for 2016/17 worth $1,015,696.

Central Notes: Gasol, Butler, Caldwell-Pope, Cavs

April 1st, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls aren’t as intent on re-signing Pau Gasol, who plans to opt out and hit free agency this summer, as they were after the trade deadline in February, when GM Gar Forman referred to him as part of the core, sources tell K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Gasol is open-minded about hearing from other teams, Johnson adds, though it’s unclear if that’s a change from earlier, when Johnson identified the Bulls as the front-runners to re-sign him. Gasol said in February that how the team played down the stretch would influence his decision. Chicago has gone 11-12 since the All-Star break.

See more from the Windy City amid news from the Central Division:

Bulls brass is reportedly thinking about trading Jimmy Butler, but teams would have to make overwhelming offers to get Chicago to bite, Johnson writes in the same piece. Some in the organization nonetheless believe Butler’s personality has changed over the last year, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Coach Fred Hoiberg denied Thursday that any idea about trading Butler would come from tension between them, Johnson notes, and for what it’s worth, Butler made it clear he wants to remain with the Bulls, as Friedell relays. “Jimmy and I have a very good relationship,” Hoiberg said. “Obviously I have a lot of trust in Jimmy, putting the ball in his hands late in games. I communicate with Jimmy as much as anyone on this team. I obviously think the world of him for how hard he pushes himself and how much he just has improved over the years with his work ethic. That rubs off on the other guys.”
The Pistons often use Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to defend point guards, and his versatility and durability are earning high praise from coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, who thinks he should be in the discussion for the NBA’s All-Defensive teams, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press examines. “He should get consideration, for sure,” Van Gundy said. “I think that every night he draws our toughest perimeter assignment, and he’s played absolutely huge minutes. It’s not easy to do. It’s not like you can go out there and just use all your energy for 6 minutes and get a rest. Put those two things together, and I think he should definitely get consideration.” Caldwell-Pope will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers are essentially in the same position in their second year since reuniting as the Heat were in their second LeBron season, struggling to live up to expectations, observes SB Nation’s Tom Ziller. The key is the playoffs, where the Heat made a title run that year, Ziller writes.