Kristaps Porzingis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Williamson, Mavs, Spurs, Miller

July 5th, 2020 at 5:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Pelicans star Zion Williamson is ready to continue his impressive rookie season when the NBA resumes in Orlando this month, explaining his thoughts on the team’s mindset in a media availability posted on NBA.com.

“That’s a simple answer – we’re trying to make a playoff push, and we’re trying to get back into our full game condition within those eight [seeding] games,” Williamson said.

Williamson played just 19 games before the NBA suspended its season in mid-March, averaging 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 29.7 minutes per contest. He’s since taken a leadership role with the club, recognizing the importance of being successful both on the court and off.

“I’m preparing by bonding with my teammates once again,” Williamson said. “Talking to them, saying ‘We’re going to get through this,’ and we’re just going to battle the [mental challenges surrounding this]. As far as me also getting ready for that, it’s just conditioning and honing my skills.”

New Orleans is tied for the 10th best record in the Western Conference with Sacramento at 28-36, trailing the No. 8 seed Grizzlies by 3.5 games. The team’s first game in Orlando will commence on July 30 against Utah.

Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division today:

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis is confident the team can surprise people during the NBA’s resumed season, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News writes. Porzingis is holding per-game averages of 19.2 points and 9.5 rebounds after taking a full year off to rehab from a torn ACL.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News explores how the Spurs are mentally preparing themselves for the rest of the season. San Antonio owns the third-worst record of all 22 teams heading to Orlando, going 27-36 through 63 games on the season. “I think we’re all aware of the risk [of resuming play],” Spurs center Jakob Poeltl said. “Everybody individually had to really think about the situation. From what I’m hearing, the NBA is going above and beyond to create the safest possible environment for us. I’m hearing that possibly it’s going to be safer for us to be in that bubble than maybe even being at home. But it’s definitely still a risk.”
Pelicans forward Darius Miller is unsure if he’ll be able to play in Orlando due to COVID-19, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Miller has been unable to play 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 due to the virus. He suffered an Achilles tear in the summer of 2019, last appearing in an NBA game during the 2018/19 season.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Rivers, Mavs, Hardy

June 18th, 2020 at 9:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson continues to grapple with a $100MM civil suit from attorneys representing his former marketing manager Gina Ford and her company Prime Sports Marketing, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN. Per Schlabach, the suit alleges that Williamson’s parents may have been given “improper benefits” preceding or during Williamson’s blockbuster one-season Duke tenure.

However, Williamson got some positive news on the case this week, as a Florida state appeals court has granted him a full stay. This will allow the star forward to avoid answering questions about the suit until the resolution of a federal case covering the same issues.

Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

Rockets backup guard Austin Rivers spoke with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko at length about a variety of issues, including the league’s Orlando restart. “They’re saying we’ll be in Orlando for at least a period of time, anywhere between 30 to 40 days without seeing our family,” Rivers said. “And I don’t want to do it. Nobody wants to do it, but we all have to sacrifice if you want to have the season, resume and that’s what we have to do.” Rivers inked a veteran’s minimum contract with Houston in the hopes of winning a title, despite apparently fielding heftier offers from non-contenders.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has indicated that team stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are set to return to Dallas within the week, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link). Doncic, a second-year guard, has been having a breakout season in Dallas. Voted an All-Star starter in the competitive West, Doncic is averaging 28.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 8.7 APG on the 40-27 Mavericks.
In case you missed it earlier today, Spurs assistant Will Hardy reportedly ranks among the coaching candidates who will interview for the Knicks’ head job. The 32-year-old Hardy has been with the Spurs in some capacity since 2010, when he got his start with the team as a basketball operations intern. He became an assistant coach in 2016.

Knicks Notes: Haliburton, Front Office, Porzingis

May 20th, 2020 at 9:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Tyrese Haliburton, who is expected to be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, claims he won’t be fazed by the pressure of playing in New York if the Knicks end up selecting him.

“Being in New York, they always talk about the pressure of being a Knick,’’ Haliburton said Tuesday on ESPN’s The Jump (h/t Marc Berman of the New York Post). “I feel like no matter where I go, the pressure I put on myself is more than I’ll get from anywhere. No matter where I’m at, that pressure is prominent and it will be more from me. I’m ready to play anywhere.’’

The Knicks have the sixth-worst record in the league, as our reverse standings show. “I think the Knicks are on the right track if they take (Haliburton) at six,’’ one NBA executive told Berman.

Here’s more from New York:

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic details what Walt Perrin brings to the Knicks. New York is finalizing a deal to hire Perrin – whose decision it was for the Jazz to draft Donovan Mitchell back in 2017 – as an assistant GM.
Several scouts throughout the league believe the Knicks are in good hands with Perrin and Frank Zanin, who will also join the team an assistant GM, Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes. Zanin spent the past four seasons with the Thunder, helping them retool post-Kevin Durant and later, setting the franchise up for a rebuild down the line with the Paul George trade.
It’s been over a year since the Knicks traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Mark Cuban is still stunned that Dallas was able to make that deal. “It’s like the James Harden trade,” Cuban explained on WFAN’s Moose and Maggie radio show. “Harden gets traded from OKC to the Rockets and I’m like, damn, why didn’t we even get that offered to us? We weren’t in the mix. Nobody was. It was one phone call and the Rockets said yes. (The Porzingis trade) was our one phone call.”

Porzingis, Doncic Starting To ‘Click’ As Teammates

February 15th, 2020 at 9:37am CST by marksuleymanov

Although injuries have limited their time together on the floor this season, Mavericks All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have started showing signs of becoming an elite duo.

In Dallas’ final game before the All-Star break, Doncic (33 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) and Porzingis (27 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks) led the team to a blowout win over the Kings. While Doncic has played at an MVP-caliber level when healthy, Porzingis is playing his first season since tearing his ACL as a secondary option.

Despite both players missing some time with injuries, Porzingis says he and his new teammate are starting to mesh together, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.

“Luka’s done a great job communicating to me [about] where I wanna get the ball,” Porzingis said. “He’s also getting used to playing with me and he’s really starting to find me in those spots where I’m comfortable, that midrange area. And slowly these things are starting to click. I think as we keep working, playing together, it’s going to get better and better and better.”

At 33-22, the Mavericks are the current seventh seed in the Western Conference. A lot of that success has hinged – and will continue to hinge – on the health of Doncic and Porzingis. As MacMahon noted, after an inconsistent 10-game stretch to start the season, the Mavericks have been a scoring force when both of their young stars have shared the court. Moving forward, Doncic feels things will only improve.

“It’s great that we both had those nights,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to keep working, and we’re going to get better and better.”

Mavericks Notes: MKG, RHJ, Porzingis, Broekhoff

February 1st, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks are talking about trading for a combo forward by Thursday’s deadline and have “kicked tires” on both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of the Hornets and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Raptors, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. He adds that discussions are still in the exploratory stage.

Both players have expiring contracts, but it would be much tougher to match salary for Kidd-Gilchrist, who is making $13MM this season. The second pick in the 2012 draft, he has spent his entire career in Charlotte, but his numbers have declined drastically in recent seasons. He has gotten into just 12 games this year and is averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per night.

Hollis-Jefferson, who has a $2.5MM salary, has appeared in 38 games for Toronto, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG. He signed a one-year deal with the Raptors as a free agent in July.

There’s more Mavericks news to pass along:

Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the franchise-altering trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks, Townsend observes in a full story. Owner Mark Cuban was surprised by how quickly the deal came together, while coach Rick Carlisle says Porzingis has been doing a “great job” in a “transition year” after missing all of last season following a torn ACL in his left knee. After clashing with management in New York, Porzingis is much happier in Dallas. “This organization has treated me incredibly,” he said. “As family. Mark is unbelievable. And everybody who works here, it’s really high-level, high-class. It’s an honor to be part of this.”
The Mavericks are considering a stricter load management plan for Porzingis, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He missed 10 straight games last month with soreness in his right knee.
Second-year shooting guard Ryan Broekhoff made the first start of his NBA career last night in Houston, Townsend relays in a separate story. Carlisle said parts of the starting lineup will be filled based on a “game-to-game situation,” but the decision was surprising because it was only Broekhoff’s second game back after being injured on December 29. “I was actually nervous,” he said. “I haven’t been nervous for a game in a long time, maybe since my first NBA game last year in Phoenix. There was a little nervous energy throughout the day. These things, you never know when they might come, so I just tried to put my best foot forward to help the team.”

Mavs Notes: Porzingis, Noah, Powell Replacements, Trade Options

January 22nd, 2020 at 5:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kristaps Porzingis could see a lot more action at center the remainder of the season, according to Eddie Sefko of the team’s website. The Mavericks need to replace the minutes of Dwight Powell, who is out for the season with a ruptured right Achilles. When paired with Maxi Kleber, Porzingis can play either center or power forward. Porzingis can utilize his playmaking skills from the middle, as he did for a stretch against the Clippers on Tuesday.

“We’ve done it some,” coach Rick Carlisle said while adding, “The bind you get in is with rebounding and that was obvious in the second half. We were really up against it on the boards. … But in terms of the lineup and everything else, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to keep on the table.”

We have more on the Mavericks:

The Mavs’ front office has made contact with free agent center Joakim Noah, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. However, the team has concerns about Noah’s health and is also looking at overseas and G League options, MacMahon adds. Noah, 34, appeared in 34 games with the Grizzlies last season. Dallas would have to open up a roster spot to bring in a free agent.
Washington’s Ian Mahinmi, Minnesota’s Gorgui Dieng and Golden State’s Willie Cauley-Stein and Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson are some of the trade options the team could pursue in the wake of Powell’s injury, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Rookie Isaiah Roby and Justin Jackson could also pick up some of those minutes, Sefko adds, and the Mavs might pursue another G League option, Ray Spalding, of the Greensboro Swarm, who was on Dallas’ roster for part of last season.
Even before Powell’s injury, the team was perusing the trade market for players with size who can score 15 points a game, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link). “They have assets. They have a trade exception, they have Courtney Lee, who’s a contract that can be traded. Watch out for them,” Windhorst said.
The Mavs have two trade exceptions available to utilize prior to February’s deadline, including one worth over $11.8MM. Check out the list of all trade exceptions here.

Kristaps Porzingis Returns For Mavs

January 21st, 2020 at 6:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks will have Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup for the first time since December 29, as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon passes along on Twitter.

“Porzingis is scheduled to play. He’s looking forward to playing,” head coach Rick Carlisle told the media prior to the Mavs’ tilt against the Clippers.

Porzingis’ knee has kept him on the sideline during the entire month of January. He’s missed 10 games for the club and Dallas has gone 6-4 during his absence.

While there’s no word of an exact minute restriction, Carlisle said that the big man will play shorter stints than he normally would. Porzingis has played in 31 games for the Mavs this season, seeing 31.2 minutes per contest.

Southwest Notes: Anthony, Zion, Porzingis, Brooks

January 15th, 2020 at 9:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony is downplaying tonight’s return to Houston for the first time since last year’s failed experiment, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Anthony signed with the Rockets last summer, but only played 10 games before being pulled from the rotation. He remained on the roster but away from the team for about two months before being traded to Chicago in January.

Although GM Daryl Morey made several attempts over the years to acquire Anthony, once the Rockets landed him they found his mid-range game wasn’t compatible with their preferred offense.

“I honestly don’t have any feelings about going back,” Anthony said. “I was only there a couple weeks. I don’t really have any type of feelings going back.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Now that No. 1 pick Zion Williamson has a target date for his NBA debut, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer examines how New Orleans will use him during the second half of the season. Despite a dismal start, the Pelicans entered the night just four games out of a playoff spot, and O’Connor notes that 14 of their final 15 games will be against teams with losing records. “I’ve heard the narrative that he shouldn’t play at all, but that would be absurd from where he is,” head of basketball operations David Griffin said. “He’s worked this hard because he intends to play basketball and he wants to lead his guys. He’s going to be an alpha as a vocal presence; you can’t be that when you’re not playing basketball.”
After initially being listed as available, Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch for tonight’s game at Sacramento, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. It marks the ninth straight game that Porzingis has missed because of soreness in his right knee, combined with an illness that prevented him from working out for a few days. The team is “playing it safe,” MacMahon adds (Twitter link). Dallas is 4-4 so far without him.
Dillon Brooks met the starter criteria by starting his 41st game of the season for the Grizzlies last night, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. As a result, his qualifying offer will increase from $2MM to $3.1MM, which will also be the amount of his free agent cap hold.

Southwest Notes: McLemore, Aldridge, Porzingis, DeRozan

January 12th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former lottery pick Ben McLemore has revitalized his career with the Rockets. ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote an excellent profile piece examining the reemergence of McLemore in Houston.

On his third team in three years, McLemore seized his opportunity with the Rockets when injuries befell Eric Gordon and Gerald Green. McLemore has transformed himself into an effective catch-and-shoot option in Houston. For nine games starting on November 30th, McLemore averaged 14 PPG while shooting 39-of-85 from long range.

The first season of McLemore’s two-year, $4.4MM contract with the Rockets became fully guaranteed on January 10th. “I love Ben,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni told Lowe. “All he was lacking was confidence and an opportunity.” The rangy, athletic McLemore is averaging 10.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.0 APG for the 26-12 Rockets. He is shooting 36.5% from long range on 6.7 attempts and 80% from the free-throw line.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

The trade market stock of 34-year-old Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge is rising, writes San Antonio Express-News reporter Mike Finger. Finger postulates that Aldridge would have net more interest as a trade piece than fellow 30+ former All-Star big man, Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, who has been very, very vocal about being unhappy in Cleveland. Aldridge has emerged as a moderate three-point shooting threat for the first time in his career, knocking down 45.5% of his 2.5 attempts per game, both career highs.
Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis was given a platelet-rich-plasma injection to treat the soreness in his right knee that has kept him in street clothes for two weeks, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon. Porzingis is also grappling with an illness that has slowed his recovery process.
Polarizing, old-fashioned Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan returns to the team for whom he made four All-Star appearances today, the Raptors, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN reports. His former teammate, current Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry, reflected on his contributions to Toronto basketball. “I think he poured his heart into the city,” Lowry said. “He gave the city and lot and the city [saw] him grow from a boy to being a man.”

Southwest Notes: Ball, Porzingis, Capela, Jackson

January 2nd, 2020 at 7:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, acquired as part of the Anthony Davis trade package with the Lakers this summer, got off to a slow start in New Orleans. That said, Ball has displayed marked improvement since returning to the team’s starting lineup four games ago, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

The Pelicans’ increased offensive pace also suits Ball’s athletic game. In his best game for New Orleans Sunday, Ball scored 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a win over the Rockets. Ball’s point tally included connecting on a career-high seven triples.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry appreciated the team’s speed and floor spacing. “I thought our guys did a great job of creating space and just running into space,” Gentry said. “By doing that, I thought we had open shots. That’s the way we have to try to play.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick spoke with new Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis about his adjustment to supporting Luka Doncic in Dallas. Porzingis is averaging 17.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 2.1 BPG. “In the very beginning of the season, it was a little bit frustrating for me because it’s a new system,” Porzingis told Amick. “[Doncic is] starting to read the game more when maybe I need to get a touch, when to run a play for me or somebody else on the team. And I feel like that connection is getting better.”
Rockets center Clint Capela returned to the hardwood for Houston on Tuesday after missing two games with a bruised right heel. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen reports that Capela acknowledged he is still playing through pain stemming from the injury.
The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears spoke with Grizzlies forward Josh Jackson, currently logging time with Memphis’ G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. “The last time I had fun like this was maybe AAU,” Jackson, taken No. 4 in the 2017 draft by the Suns, told Spears. “Don’t feel bad for me. It’s an opportunity. I am just thankful I get to play basketball.” Jackson is averaging 20.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.3 APG and 2.6 made triples through 18 Hustle bouts.