Kyle Anderson

Western Notes: Howard, Pecherov, Simmons

Rockets center Dwight Howard has heard the trade rumors regarding himself, but insists that he isn’t concerned about his immediate future, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News relays. “There’s always going into be rumors and speculation,” Howard said. “I don’t want to pay attention to it. I didn’t say it. What can I do? There’s nothing I can say. Teams are going to say what they have to say. It doesn’t matter what I say. I’m here now. I’m a Rocket. That’s the only thing that matters. People are always going to have rumors and say certain things. It doesn’t matter. It’s just a distraction. Nobody thinks about that stuff. I know my mind is on trying to get better every day. I feel like I was in a good stretch and got hurt. I’m going to try to get back. That’s my mindset. We don’t sit around and talk about what’s going to happen next year because that means you’re really not in it. You don’t want to have those thoughts.

Here’s more from out West:

  • Nuggets camp cut Oleksiy Pecherov has signed with the Lebanese team Sagesse, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports. Pecherov, 29, has been out of the NBA since the 2009/10 campaign when he appeared in 44 games for the Timberwolves. The center has career NBA averages of 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks to go along with a slash line of .386/.290/.793.
  • Based on the Spurs‘ track record of developing players, the team should think twice about trading away Jonathon Simmons and Kyle Anderson in any potential deals, as both have reasonably high upsides, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports opines in his trade deadline primer for San Antonio.
  • Blazers big man Ed Davis says he has found a home in the NBA for himself in Portland and admits he had some maturing to do after a difficult experience being buried on the Grizzlies bench during the 2013/14 campaign, writes Jason Quick of CSNNW.com in his profile of the player. “I think I grew up quicker after that,’’ Davis said. “I didn’t carry myself as well as I should have when I was there. I wish I would have communicated more with coach [Dave] Joerger. I never got into it with him – was never suspended, fined or had a skirmish in the locker room – but I wish I would have been more outspoken, like asking him what was going on, and what did he expect from me.’’

Spurs Rumors: Aldridge, Anderson, Marjanovic

LaMarcus Aldridge is shooting less than at any time since his rookie season and his scoring average is down about 5 points per game from where it was in Portland, but Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News says the new Spur doesn’t mind at all. Aldridge knew there would be sacrifices when he signed with San Antonio last summer, but the Spurs’ 36-6 record has made them worthwhile. “We talked before he decided to come here, and he knew it wasn’t going to be like he’d had it,” said Patty Mills, an ex-Blazer who helped recruit Aldridge. “He came here for a reason.” A reduced role in the offense has been offset by an $84MM contract and the chance for Aldridge to win the first championship of his basketball career. “I’m happy,” Aldridge said. “We’re winning, so I’m happy.”

There’s more out of San Antonio:

  • This season has been a difficult learning process for second-year forward Kyle Anderson, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Anderson has bounced in and out of the rotation on a talented Spurs team. He had a season-high 13 points in a win over Utah this month, but is often pulled from games by coach Gregg Popovich over missed assignments. “I never took it personal,” said Anderson. “That’s constructive criticism. I got to worry about when he’s not hard on me. That’s when I’ll start worrying, but as long as he’s hard on me, I can accept it. … I see the bigger picture. It’s not immediate gratification, it’s long-term gratification for sure, so I trust it.”
  • Rookie center Boban Marjanovic was only doing what his coaches asked when he picked up his first technical foul Sunday, McDonald writes in a separate story. Marjanovic, who is regularly told to keep the ball above his shoulders on rebounds, was whistled for taunting after reacting to his follow-up dunk against Dallas. “I must keep my hands up,” Marjanovic said. “I have a big wingspan, and I am tall and I can use my hands to keep the ball high and close to the rim.”
  • The Spurs tied their best-ever first half of a season by playing strong defense and not obsessing over the competition, writes Mike Monroe of the Rivard Report. “If the Warriors go 80-2, it is what it is,” said Manu Ginobili earlier this season about the only team with a better record than San Antonio.

Spurs Pick Up 2016/17 Option On Kyle Anderson

The Spurs have exercised their 2016/17 team option on small forward Kyle Anderson‘s rookie scale contract, the team announced via press release. That locks in a guaranteed salary of $1,192,080 for the 2014 No. 30 overall pick. The move appeared generally likely, though his option pickup wasn’t quite the certainty that others were.

Anderson, nicknamed Slow Mo for his lack of quickness, found his place in the NBA thanks to his canny on-court moves and and 6’8″ size. He saw limited playing time on a Spurs team that was trying to repeat as champions last season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game across 33 appearances, though he did make eight starts. San Antonio assigned Anderson to the D-League seven times last season, and he played in 26 D-League games.

The option doesn’t do much to affect the math for San Antonio next summer. The Spurs now have about $70.4MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $89MM cap for 2016/17, though that doesn’t count any salary for Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or David West, all of whom have player options. Anderson has one more team option left on his contract, for 2017/18.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Parsons, Anderson

Mavs point guard Rajon Rondo has been ruled out indefinitely due to an injured back, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. This announcement comes after Rondo only played 34 seconds in the second half of Tuesday night’s loss to the Rockets. When asked after the game if Rondo was benched due to his injury, coach Rick Carlisle said, “You can ask him that question. All I know, right now, is that we need everybody at their competitive best. This isn’t about one guy who did or didn’t play. This is about everybody pulling in the same direction for the organization,Vernon Bryant of The Dallas Morning News relays. Rondo is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it’s growing increasingly doubtful that he’ll return to Dallas next season.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Mavs‘ path to the second round of the playoffs has gotten even more difficult. In addition to the loss of Rondo, Chandler Parsons is out for the remainder of the playoffs with an injured knee, the team announced in a press release. Parsons is expected to explore surgical options to correct the issue, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets.
  • The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from the Austin Spurs, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In the 2015 D-League Playoffs, Anderson averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in five appearances.
  • Since being acquired by the Pelicans in February, Norris Cole has become a mentor to Anthony Davis, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. The veteran point guard also has a wealth of playoff experience from his time in Miami, a valuable asset for such a young squad, Haberstroh adds. “It’s all in the preparation.” Cole said. “I try to tell the guys, it’s all in the preparation. As long as you prepare, which I believe we are, we give ourselves a good chance to win and go out there and compete and fight.”
  • One Spurs official estimates that there is a 55% chance that Manu Ginobili will retire at season’s end, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Other members of San Antonio’s front office believe that Ginobili’s future will depend on the outcome of this season’s playoffs, and that if the Spurs are ousted early the veteran guard would return for another campaign, Harvey adds.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Gasol, Spurs

Rajon Rondo has been a disappointment for the Mavericks since they traded for him in December, owner Mark Cuban admits to Grantland’s Kirk Goldsberry, and as the point guard readies to take on the Rockets in the playoffs with free agency looming this summer, Rondo’s time is now.

“He hasn’t been as good of a fit as we would’ve liked,” Cuban said. “And Rajon would tell you the same. I think that he is a guy that is built for the playoffs, and we haven’t had a lot of practice time together. He’s been here for maybe five or six practice days.”

While we wait to see if Rondo, who’s fallen out of the top 10 in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, can recover some of his value with a strong postseason, here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

  • Marc Gasol in February cast doubt on the idea that an early postseason exit for the Grizzlies would dissuade him from re-signing, and owner Robert Pera echoed his center in comments to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who writes in a subscription-only piece. “It’s a very long season and there are always going to be ups and downs,” Pera said. “You can’t get too high when shots are falling or too low when they aren’t. With respect to Marc, he is unique in that he is as much a Grizzlies stakeholder as I am. He has been a Grizzly his entire career, experiencing the lows of rebuilding and the highs of the past few seasons. I believe his goal, like mine, is to build a winning culture in Memphis that will carry on long after we have both faded into the background. In that sense, I believe his decision will be based not on any one particular result but on the process generally and his confidence in the direction of our franchise.”
  • Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich has made Danny Green his whipping boy, but it’s not because he isn’t high on the swingman, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News explains. One unnamed executive who spoke with Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops recently estimated Green’s value at $6MM a year.
  • The Spurs have assigned rookie Kyle Anderson to the D-League, the team announced. San Antonio’s affiliate has a playoff game tonight, while the NBA club doesn’t tip off its first-round series against the Clippers until Sunday night.

Western Notes: Hudson, Anderson, Kanter

The Clippers’ decision to re-sign Lester Hudson came down to what the guard brought on the defense end, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “I liked his toughness,” President of Basketball Operations and coach Doc Rivers said. “I like his defense. He has a chance to be a really good defensive player in our program.” Rivers also said that Hudson and Nate Robinson were both options for the roster spot and he added that he didn’t believe Robinson was 100% healthy.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Spurs have recalled forward Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. To date, Anderson has appeared in 31 games for San Antonio, averaging 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
  • Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders wonders if the Thunder should re-sign Enes Kanter. Blancarte cites Kanter’s defensive struggles as reason Oklahoma City should hesitate to offer the center a lucrative contract.
  • DeAndre Jordan has had an impressive season and the center believes coach Doc Rivers was an integral part of his success, as he tells Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio. “So much respect, so much respect,” Jordan said of Rivers. “He’s helped me out so much, he really believes in each and every one of us 150 % and when you have a guy like that who believes in you and really thinks you can get it done and knows you can get it done, your confidence is so high you will run through a brick wall for a guy like that.” Last month, Will Joseph of Hoops Rumors examined the market for Jordan, who will become a free agent at the end of the season.

Texas Notes: Beverley, Mavs, Spurs

Patrick Beverley hopes to return to the court if the Rockets make a deep playoff run, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston writes. “Very strong possibility,” the 26-year-old said about his possible return. “Very strong. Let’s hope everything goes right.”  Beverley, who will become a free agent at the end the season, also expressed his interest in returning to the team. “I want to be in Houston. I want to be a part of this whole thing that we’ve built since me and James first got here, but that’s not under my control. That’s up to my agent and [general manager] Daryl Morey of the Rockets. It’s going to be interesting this summer. I’m just happy I put myself in a position where I can play basketball and earn enough money to take care of my family,” the point guard said. “The culture, the city is me. A hard-working blue-collar type of city. I embrace that and they embrace me. I will definitely enjoy being here again.”

Here’s more from Texas:

  • Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News believes this season won’t be Dirk Nowitzki‘s last. Cowlishaw also adds that he could see Tyson Chandler, who will be a free agent this offseason, leave the Mavs. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Dallas’ frontcourt, I’d speculate the team will have both players back for the 2015/16 season.
  • San Antonio has assigned Kyle Anderson to its D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. This will be Anderson’s sixth trip to the D-League this season.
  • The Spurs are ready to pass the torch to Kawhi Leonard, writes Andrew Keh of The New York Times. “It’s going to be Kawhi’s team, anyway,” 32-year-old Tony Parker said. “[Tim Duncan] transitioned to [Manu Ginobili], Manu transitioned to me, and now it’s going to be transitioned to Kawhi.” Leonard will be a restricted free agent during the offseason and it was reported that the team would almost certainly match any offer sheet that he signs.

Western Notes: Howard, Anderson, Parsons

Dwight Howard says that his desire is for an extended career similar to that of Tim Duncan‘s, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. The Rockets‘ big man told Creech, “That’s always been my goal- to play 20 years in the league so I think it can be done. It would be great. Tim [Duncan] is still playing great basketball. He has migrated to different spots on the floor instead of just the post. When you play that long, you get an opportunity to do a lot of different things. God willing, I will play this game as long as I can. It brings a lot of joy to myself and to other people around me. Hopefully I can continue to play at a high level.” This is currently Howard’s 11th season in the NBA.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In five jaunts to Austin this season Anderson has made 26 appearances, averaging 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 40.0 minutes of action per contest.
  • The Mavericks are hopeful that Chandler Parsons can return from injury in time for the playoffs, though no timetable has been set, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “He’s doing better. He’s just not there yet,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’d like to get him back to play a game or two before the playoffs, if it’s possible. But nothing is for sure. He’s doing better each day and there are some encouraging signs. But beyond that, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.” Parsons is out of action courtesy of a balky right knee.
  • The Wolves have announced (Twitter link) that Nikola Pekovic underwent a successful debridement and repair of his right Achilles tendon this morning. The center will remain out of action indefinitely. In 31 appearances this season Pekovic averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per contest.

D-League Notes: Powell, Nogueira, Jerrett

The D-League continues to be an integral part of the NBA’s process of developing younger players, as well as a source for locating hidden gems to bolster rosters during the course of the season. You can easily stay on top of which players are coming and going from the D-League all season by checking out our 2014/15 D-League Assignments, Recalls tracker, which is updated daily. You can also find this page anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

Here are the latest D-League moves:

  • The Raptors have recalled center Lucas Nogueira from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced on Twitter. This concludes Nogueira’s second trip of the season to the D-League, where in four contests he averaged 8.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 20.0 minutes per night.
  • Kyle Anderson has been assigned by the Spurs to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Anderson’s fifth jaunt to the D-League this season.
  • The Mavericks have recalled Dwight Powell from the Texas Legends, their D-League affiliate, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com reports (Twitter link). Powell has made a dozen trips to the D-League this season.
  • Grant Jerrett has been assigned by the Jazz to the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the forward’s tenth sojourn of the season to the D-League.
  • The Pistons have recalled Quincy Miller from the Grand Rapids Drive, their D-League affiliate, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Llull, Rockets, Anderson

Each club playing in the Southwest Division possesses a realistic shot at making the playoffs this season in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. However, the Pelicans might come just short of a postseason berth thanks to a revitalized Thunder team playing hot down the stretch. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today look at the potential impact of changing the structure of the playoffs to include the 16 best teams, regardless of conference. Such an idea would stand to benefit a club like this year’s New Orleans bunch but hinder the postseason dreams of some Eastern Conference squads.

Adam Silver admits there are issues with the way the playoffs are constructed now but contests there’s no easy solution. For now, the Pelicans will just need to continue their strong play if they want to keeping competing past April. We’ll round up the latest coming out of the Southwest below:

  • Rockets draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull acknowledged that Houston has had interest in signing him over the past two or three years, as the point guard told Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype).
  • The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. The rookie out of UCLA has had four stints with the Austin Spurs so far this season, as our list of D-League assignments and recalls shows.
  • Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal looks at the struggling Grizzlies and wonders if Jeff Green‘s presence might be negatively impacting the club’s overall performance. Herrington compares Green to Rudy Gay and thinks in order to succeed, Memphis will need to potentially change the way they’re using him in the offense.
  • We heard this afternoon that the Mavs are no longer interested in bringing aboard JaVale McGee.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.