Kevin Garnett Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Hollins, Raptors, Knicks

February 6th, 2015 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests that Kevin Garnett will be the subject of trade discussions between now and the deadline. The 20th-year vet is appealing to teams looking for a either bench upgrade, an expiring contract or both, according to Lowe, identifying the Warriors, Hornets and Raptors in that group. However, it doesn’t appear from Lowe’s report that those teams are indeed going after Garnett, who has one of the NBA’s few true no-trade clauses. There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets GM Billy King denies that Lionel Hollins‘ job is in jeopardy in the wake of a report that the team had upped its scrutiny of the coach, observes Johnette Howard of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t know where that story came from about Lionel, but it’s not true,” King said. That report indicated that Hollins’ criticisms of Nets players had rankled ownership, but King says he likes the coach’s demanding approach, Howard writes.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said Thursday that he’s always listening to trade proposals but added that he doesn’t have a lot going on for now, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The team has reportedly been looking for an upgrade at power forward and has been linked to David West, Taj Gibson and Kenneth Faried.
Langston Galloway says he received “pretty significant” offers from multiple European teams but turned them down to play with New York’s D-League affiliate this season, as he tells Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his Open Floor column. The Knicks signed Galloway out of the D-League last month to a pair of 10-day contracts before inking him to a multiyear pact.
If the Triangle Offense fails to work for the Knicks by next season and Phil Jackson continues to insist that coach Derek Fisher use it, that puts Fisher in a compromising position not just in New York but for any coaching job he’d want to take in the future, opines Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal.
The Celtics have recalled Phil Pressey from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Pressey’s first career assignment to the D-League lasted but one day, long enough for him to record 34 points, nine assists and six turnovers in a single game for Boston’s affiliate.

Kevin Garnett Not Seeking Buyout

February 2nd, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the Nets tipped off against the Clippers Monday night, there was a great deal of focus on Kevin Garnett facing former coach Doc Rivers. Many have speculated that KG and the Nets could hammer out a buyout this season, which would free the veteran up for the possibility of reuniting with Rivers in Los Angeles. However, Garnett is not looking to be bought out of the final year of his deal with Brooklyn, sources tell Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.

Garnett, 38, told reporters on Sunday that he is “all in” with the Nets and enjoys serving as a mentor to the team’s youngsters, such as Mason Plumlee. Even from a distance, Rivers told reporters that he can see the impact that the 15-time All-Star is having on the Duke product.

“Plumlee I think is the biggest beneficiary of having Kevin around,” Rivers said, according to Youngmisuk. “I can’t imagine the tutelage and experience that Plumlee gets from Kevin every single day. Kevin is a great teacher.”

For the time being, it sounds like Garnett is likely to finish out the year in Brooklyn. Heading into tonight’s game, Garnett had averages of 6.8 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 21 minutes per contest.

Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Lopez, ‘Melo, Sampson

February 2nd, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors have a whopping 14-game lead in the Atlantic Division, leaving the intrigue for the bottom of the division. The Knicks and Sixers are tied for last place in the division and, as our Reverse Standings show, for the second spot in the draft lottery. The future is the focus for those teams, but time may be running short for another prominent name in the Atlantic, as we detail:

Kevin Garnett says he’s “all in” with the Nets, and while he downplayed the idea of buying out his contract, he won’t rule it out, as Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal writes. “I don’t know what management is going to do,” Garnett said. “When my situation comes up, I’ll obviously give it some attention. Other than that, my attention is trying to get us on a winning streak, get us on a road where everybody’s playing together.”
Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post believes JaVale McGee would be part of any Nets-Nuggets swap involving Brook Lopez, no matter the other parts involved.
The “prevailing theory” is that Carmelo Anthony will sit out for the balance of the season once the All-Star break is over to rest his sore knee, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. For what it’s worth, the Knicks star won’t commit to playing in mid-March, Berman notes.
The Sixers had considered sending JaKarr Sampson on D-League assignment a couple of weeks ago, but two strong defensive games led the team to move him into the starting lineup instead, coach Brett Brown said, as Max Rappaport of Sixers.com writes. Sampson, an undrafted rookie, is in the first year of a four-year contract that doesn’t include any guaranteed money beyond this season.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Garnett, Carmelo

February 1st, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The struggling Nets could use a return by Deron Williams, contends Reid Wallach of NetsDaily.com. Only the Knicks had a worse January offensively than Brooklyn, and Wallach argues that the point guard play of Jarrett Jack and Darius Morris is a big reason why. Williams, whose maximum contract runs through 2016/17, may not be the player he once was, but he could lead another late-season Nets run to the playoffs. Williams went through a full practice Sunday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. (Twitter link). More from the Atlantic Division..

Amid speculation that the Nets could buy him out, Kevin Garnett says that he’s not thinking much about that possibility. “When that road comes, I’ll cross it and I’ll deal with it,“Garnett said, according to Stefan Bondy of the Daily News. “A lot of things with family, situation and things, it’s not just convenient to get up and move, to change things. It’s not as convenient as it once was when I was younger. I have a lot more responsibilities and things to take into account.” In December it was reported that Garnett has been telling people that this will be his last season in the NBA. Meanwhile, one has to imagine that KG could get a call from Doc Rivers and the Clippers if he’s freed from his current deal.
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony can only be so patient with the team’s rebuilding process. “The time is now ….I don’t think we can wait. Not just for my sake, just in general,” Anthony said, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
On Saturday, Jared Sullinger said that Celtics coach Brad Stevens has asked him to take more shots and to take shots off of different actions since Boston’s stretch of trades, according to the team’s official Twitter.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Williams, Celtics, Garnett

December 27th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics discussed Brook Lopez and Deron Williams when the teams spoke about Rajon Rondo prior to the trade that sent Rondo to the Mavs, league sources tell NetsDaily’s Robert Windrem. The Nets have been open to trading Lopez and Williams, as well as Joe Johnson, and some reports have indicated that they’re actively seeking trades for the trio, though that matter is unclear, and it’s unknown whether the Celtics had or maintain interest in either Lopez or Williams. While we wait to see how Boston and Brooklyn try to shape themselves back into contenders, there’s more on those teams amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics and Nets talked about Mirza Teletovic and “some of the younger pieces” that Brooklyn has, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who spoke on CSNNE’s Celtics Pregame Live (video link). However, Windrem hears that wasn’t the case, as he notes in the same piece amid his transcription of Mannix’s remarks.
Kevin Garnett has been telling people this season is his last in the NBA, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears, but they haven’t necessarily believed him, and one unidentified person tells Bulpett that Garnett is having more fun playing than he has in a while. The 20th-year vet, whose contract expires at season’s end, said publicly this week that he’s not sure about whether he’ll play next season, Bulpett notes.
Landing Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 draft would help the Knicks attract free agents, as Marc Berman of the New York Post opines amid a look at New York’s woes. The Knicks are just a half-game back of the top slot in the draft lottery, our Reverse Standings show. Okafor, a center, tops the prospect rankings of Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Chad Ford of ESPN.com and our own Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors.

Celtics Notes: Green, Rondo, Lee, Bass

November 22nd, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the month, Hoops Rumors’ own Chuck Myron broke down the Celtics’ offseason moves. While Boston added some nice pieces, no acquisition moved the needle in the win column as the team started the season with a 4-7 record. It hasn’t been all bad this season as the team owns the fourth best offense in the league, scoring 106.2 points per game.

Here’s more from Boston:

Jeff Green‘s frustration with the Celtics’ losing is at an all-time high, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. “I’m tired of losing,” Green said. “[Friday] we let them get whatever they wanted, so we deserved to lose.” The forward can opt out of his current deal at season’s end and become a free agent. Blakely adds that the market for Green is as strong “if not stronger” than it is for fellow teammate Rajon Rondo, according to talks with a league executive. Green is averaging 18.4 points per game and is sporting a player efficiency rating of 16.5.
Courtney Lee liked playing for the Celtics but understood why he was traded to the Grizzlies, writes Blakely in a separate piece. “I enjoyed my time in Boston,” Lee said. “The organization, my teammates, coaching staff; everybody was top-notch. It just didn’t work.” Lee signed in Boston while the team had title aspirations but a year later, the Celtics traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets to begin their rebuilding efforts. Lee, who most would describe as a complementary player, is thriving as a catch-and-shoot wing in the Grizzlies offense. “Just square up, lick my fingers and knock down shots,” Lee said. “It works for me.”
Brandon Bass is still familiarizing himself with his new role of coming off the bench for the Celtics, writes Blakely in another piece. “I’m adjusting,” Bass told Comcast SportsNet’s Abby Chin. “I’ve been a starter and I’ve come off the bench in the past … I’m adjusting.” Although he would love to start, he understands the importance of making a positive impact when he gets in the game. “It’s important for the guys off the bench to lift the starters each and every night; try to contribute in a major way each and every night,” Bass said. The power forward has begun the season on a positive note, averaging 8.4 PPG and with a player efficiency rating of 16.35.

Kevin Garnett Admits Interest In Buying Wolves

November 14th, 2014 at 10:41am CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Garnett is in rarefied air as one of just four players ever to have a 20-year NBA playing career, but he’d also like to join an even more exclusive club of players who’ve taken control of NBA franchises. Garnett told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he wants to buy the Timberwolves, whom current owner Glen Taylor has said he’d eventually like to sell. It’s the first public admission of the desire from the 38-year-old, though the idea has been the subject of chatter around Minnesota for a while, notes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).

“I want to buy the Timberwolves. Put a group together and perhaps some day try to buy the team. That’s what I want,” Garnett said.

Garnett, 38, would have to retire as a player first, and he said before this season that he won’t rule out continuing his career into 2015/16. His contract with the Nets expires at season’s end, but he wouldn’t comment when Spears asked whether he’d like to play for the Wolves or for former coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers next season. Still, Garnett said to Spears that the Wolves are his target for ownership based on his ties to the franchise, for which he played his first 12 NBA seasons, and the presence of Flip Saunders, who is the team’s coach and president of basketball operations and also holds a minority ownership share.

NBA salaries have given Garnett more than $315MM over the course of his career, according to Basketball-Reference, though that doesn’t include the $12MM coming his way this season or any income he’s earned through endorsements. Forbes.com affixed a $430MM valutation to the franchise this spring, and that number has no doubt escalated after the $550MM sale of the Bucks and Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion purchase of the Clippers. Still, Garnett acknowledged that he would team with other investors, though it’s unknown whether he’d be willing to take a back seat to another partner who’d want to become the controlling owner.

Taylor has said he’s looking for someone to purchase a minority stake in the team who could eventually take over the majority interest from him, though he’s been resolute that any new owner commit to keeping the team in Minnesota, as Spears notes.

Mikhail Prokhorov On Nets Sale, Spending, Pierce

November 3rd, 2014 at 8:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov spoke to reporters on Monday before Brooklyn’s matchup versus Oklahoma City, touching on a number of topics ranging from the most recent offseason to the future ownership of the Nets franchise. We’ll round up the highlights from the outspoken billionaire owner below (all links lead to Twitter):

Rumors have indicated Prokhorov is interested in selling his majority stake of the Nets, but he insisted he wasn’t open to the idea of giving up control of the organization, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Despite his insistence, Prokhorov still said “it’s not bad to listen” to offers for the team, notes Bontemps.
Rather than holding an angry disposition toward Jason Kidd, who pushed for a job with the Bucks in June, Prokhorov says he’s more interested in “getting even” with his team’s former head coach, passes along Andy Vasquez of The Record.
The Nets lost a reported $144MM last season after spending an exorbitant amount of money on the luxury tax, but Prokhorov didn’t seem fazed by the total, observe Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “It’s no big deal,” said Prokhorov in reference to his team’s 2013/14 deficit. “I’m ready to spend. We need success now but we also need to be building for the future.“
Prokhorov doesn’t regret the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, despite the latter’s departure in free agency this summer, as Vasquez relays. The reason the Nets decided to let Pierce walk, according to Prokhorov, was because the team wanted its young players to get more time on the floor, notes Mannix.

Eastern Notes: Garnett, Butler, Pistons

November 2nd, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Retirement talks have surrounded Kevin Garnett over the past few seasons but he is still motivated to remain a key contributor for the Nets, writes Paul Flannery of SB Nation. “I feel good about this year like I did last year,” Garnett said. “But obviously, I have a little bit of edge to me this year, I’ll say that. I didn’t like the way I ended last year or even started last year. I am a very motivated person, very real with myself, watch a lot of film on myself, and I look to be a little different this year.” Based on his skill set, Garnett could easily find employment in a league scarce in big man talent, but based on his personality, it’s hard to see him accept a vagabond journeyman’s life in the NBA, Flannery notes.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Jimmy Butler knows for a fact that he will remain with the Bulls after his free agency this summer, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “People say I’m chasing money when that’s not it — yeah, get your mic closer — that’s not it, because I’m going to be in Chicago,’’ Butler said. “I’m not worried about it. I say that with a smile on my face because I know that for a fact. We’ll resume [negotiations] in July.’’
Pistons owner Tom Gores is heavily involved in the direction the team is heading, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. “Tom’s involved in every decision we make,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We communicate daily. Tom’s a great leader and really understands people.” Gores’ involvement may be a reason why Van Gundy hasn’t shipped out players from the old regime such as Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith, although that is just my speculation.
Tony Wroten has been inconsistent early in the season for the Sixers but coach Brett Brown still has faith in the guard, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s just a matter of continuing to coach him and put him on the floor, because he has to stay on the floor if he’s going to do better,” Brown said.

Eastern Notes: George, West, Heat, Garnett

October 1st, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers and Heat have met the last two years for the Eastern Conference title, but chances are they’re not going to do so again this coming spring. The Nets, too, seem to have taken a step back, though there’s still a distinct possibility that all three will make the playoffs. We’ll touch on three Eastern mainstays amid our look around the conference:

Paul George refuses to rule out the notion that he might return this season, even though the Pacers assume he’s out for the year, though he told reporters Monday that he’s “come to peace” with the idea that his broken leg will keep him out. Mark Montieth of Pacers.com has the details.
David West said he considered retirement last year and suggested that the thought passed through his mind again after George broke his leg this summer, as he tells Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. The 34-year-old can opt out of his contract at season’s end.
Shawne Williams made an impression on the Heat during the same workout in which Chris Douglas-Roberts and MarShon Brooks made bids to join the team, notes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Kevin Garnett made it clear that he has no intention of coaching after he retires as a player, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News observes (Twitter link).