Lamar Patterson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Claim Lamar Patterson Off Waivers

July 14th, 2016 at 4:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 15th, 1:33pm: The move is official, the team announced.

JULY 14th, 4:31pm: The Kings have claimed Lamar Patterson off waivers from the Hawks, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (Twitter link). As a result, Sacramento will assume responsibility for the $874,636 he is due for 2016/17. Atlanta waived Patterson on Tuesday.

It’s a low-risk move for the Kings, as Patterson’s salary isn’t guaranteed. The team can get a look at the 24-year-old shooting guard during the preseason and not be responsible for any cash if he doesn’t pan out.

Patterson made 35 appearances for the Hawks this past season, averaging 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 11.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .350/.245/.727.

Hawks Waive Lamar Patterson

July 12th, 2016 at 7:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

7:56pm: Patterson has officially been waived, the team announced via press release.

4:53pm: The Hawks are cutting ties with Lamar Patterson and intend to waive the shooting guard, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter). No official announcement has been made by the team at this time. As a result, Patterson will become an unrestricted free agent, provided he clears waivers.

The 24-year-old’s contract is non-guaranteed, so Atlanta won’t be on the hook for any of his $874,636 salary as a result of this move. Patterson’s deal wasn’t going to be guaranteed until January 10th, which is the league-wide date, meaning his release was not motivated by an impending deadline.

Patterson made 35 appearances for the Hawks this past season, averaging 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 11.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .350/.245/.727.

Southeast Notes: Wade, Lamb, D-League

April 21st, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Dwyane Wade, who’s poised for free agency in the summer, has been in closer communication than ever with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this year, as Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald details. “I really care about Dwyane,” Spoelstra said. “When you work with somebody that long, you get to see somebody grow, from a young man as a professional, and then as a father. There’s been so much time, he’s seen me grow as a professional, and I’ve seen him grow in all those areas. And it’s just kind of fun. And this year, I’ve just tried to enjoy the relationship, enjoy this journey together, to be pushing and driving in the same direction in a way that’s not quite as player-coach.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Jeremy Lamb‘s role with the Hornets has decreased significantly since the beginning of the season and his future in Charlotte is up in the air despite having three years remaining on his deal, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. The 23-year-old made 66 appearances for the Hornets this season and averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.6 minutes per outing. Lamb is scheduled to earn $6,511,628 in 2016/17.
Given that their 2016 first-round selection is likely to fall outside the top 10, the Magic should strongly consider trading the pick for a player who can contribute immediately, opines Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. With this year’s draft extremely top-heavy in terms of depth, adding another player who’s years away from contributing makes little sense for Orlando, Taylor adds.
Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum will miss the remainder of the team’s first round series against the Heat with an ankle injury, tweets Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. Batum’s X-rays showed no fracture in his injured ankle, Haynes adds. See more about Batum’s impending free agency here.
The Hawks have recalled center Edy Tavares and swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Lue, Johnson, Thibodeau

April 20th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cavaliers GM David Griffin was hesitant to say anything negative about former coach David Blatt, but the executive did contend that Blatt wasn’t the right person to lead the team’s current roster, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes. “David really didn’t do anything inherently wrong,” said Griffin. “It just wasn’t the right fit. We [the players] are radically more engaged with each other [since Tyronn Lue took over as coach]. You can see it on an night-in, night-out basis just by watching the bench during games.”

When asked about the Cavs’ record being worse under Lue than under Blatt this season, Griffin responded, “I told everyone that things were likely to get worse before they got better after the change,” said Griffin. “I know the [coaching] change was somewhat unprecedented. We were going to make some significant changes, and it was going to take Ty a while to get his feet on the ground. At one point, we had 23 games in 41 days. When Ty took over, we were changing offensive and defensive schemes and there were periods where we had absolutely no practice days. We put him in a very tough spot.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons rookie swingman Stanley Johnson has embraced the challenge of guarding LeBron James in his first-ever playoff series, which is in line with the competitive fire that made the team enamored with him in the first place, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Stanley’s toughness and competitiveness and the fact that he’ll never back down, that’s not been a concern all year,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “What he’s got to do is play smarter, make better decisions and continue to work on his skills. I never have a doubt about his competitiveness. If you’re not a competitor, a great competitor at 19, my guess is at 22 you’re not going to be a great competitor, either. That to me is just sort of part of the personality. Now you’ll learn to play situations better, you maybe won’t make the mistakes about being nervous, you’ll have seen things more. All of those things will change, but the competitiveness to go out and play the best player in the world and not be afraid and all of that. If he didn’t have that now, I don’t think he’d have it in three years, quite honestly.”
The plethora of talented young defensive players the Wolves possess makes former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau the perfect choice to lead Minnesota into contention, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
The Hawks have once again assigned swingman Lamar Patterson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Patterson will play in the deciding game of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, Vivlamore notes.

Southeast Notes: Dragic, Winslow, Thibodeau

April 19th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have a track record of luring free agents to Miami on below-market contracts, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes. Center Udonis Haslem offered an explanation for the trend, saying, “It’s a first-class organization, winning organization, and you see how [team president] Pat [Riley] and [owner] Micky [Arison] work together, how the players are treated, how we love being here. And [players] see other people make sacrifices and they start to wonder, ‘Why is everybody sacrificing to be there? Why is everybody sacrificing to stay there?’ When they get a chance to be a part of it, then they buy in.”

Combo guard Goran Dragic, who signed a five-year, $90MM deal this past offseason, left millions on the table from other suitors in order to remain part of the Heat’s winning culture, Jackson relays. “When the time came and we negotiated, [agent Rade Filopovich] said we can get more somewhere else,” Dragic said. “But the most important thing for me was to be in the right place to try to win a championship. I didn’t even want to question that. Because it’s a winning culture here. Everybody wants to win, at least the players that are here. You want to put yourself in a good situation that you can develop your game, that you can get better and get the highest prize. I’m happy here. I went through some struggles but I’m really happy I’m part of this team. Everything looks good now.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets surprised a number of draft experts when they selected Frank Kaminsky over Justise Winslow in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. Coach Steve Clifford indicated that it was a matter of redundancy that led Charlotte to pass on Winslow, Jackson relays in a separate piece. “[The decision] was difficult, because Justise is a good player. But so much of it is need. Justise’s position, that versatile three/four, is what we have in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist [who missed most of the season with injury]. But we were really high on Frank anyway,” Clifford said.
The Wizards may not be a good fit for Tom Thibodeau, since the team isn’t offering organizational control to head coaching candidates, and that’s something the former Bulls coach reportedly prefers, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic notes. Scott Brooks is the reported front-runner for Washington’s coaching vacancy, though Thibodeau has also drawn consideration from the Wizards as well.
The Hawks have recalled swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Lin, Whiteside, Patterson

April 18th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Bradley Beal is a virtual lock to elicit a max offer this summer, and “the consensus” is the Wizards will keep him, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Beal was somewhat vague when asked whether he plans on agreeing to an offer from the Wizards as soon as possible upon becoming a free agent in July or gauging bids from other teams, as Castillo relays. Either way, the Wizards have the right to match any offer for the soon-to-be restricted free agent. “I want to be here. I don’t know,” Beal said in response to the question. “I don’t even know what I’m getting into right now. It’s like choosing colleges again. But I’m happy where I am. Hopefully, we can agree with each other this summer and we can get it done. But if not, it’s a business at the end of the day.”

See more from the Southeast Division:

Jeremy Lin, who said he almost signed with the Mavericks for the $2.814MM room exception this past summer, drew an offer from the Nets for the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception but turned it down, with his camp of the belief that he could get $5MM a year, league sources tell NetsDaily (Twitter link). Lin instead signed with the Hornets for the $2.139MM biannual exception amount.
Hassan Whiteside says he and his representatives tried several times without success to convince the Hornets to give him a tryout before he signed with the Heat last season, as Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays. Whiteside, who hits free agency again this summer, is from Gastonia, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte.
The Hawks have assigned Lamar Patterson to the D-League affiliate of the Spurs, Atlanta announced. The D-League Spurs are set to play tonight as they resume a postseason game that had been suspended Sunday when condensation formed on the court. Atlanta’s next playoff game is Tuesday. The Hawks are without their own affiliate but have sent players, including Patterson, to the Austin Spurs on many occasions.

Southeast Notes: Lin, Beal, Horford, Patterson

April 17th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin says Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson helped lay the groundwork for “Lin-sanity,” relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Atkinson, who will become the Nets’ new head coach once Atlanta’s playoff run is complete, aided in Lin’s development when both were with the Knicks. “I’ll text after a game at midnight, one o’clock when I go home,” Lin recalls, “and I’ll say, ‘Hey, can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?’ And he’ll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning. When I wasn’t playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice, he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it’s like to play in Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s system.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Restricted free agent Bradley Beal said he and backcourt partner John Wall both have to play better for the Wizards to be successful, according to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The fourth-year shooting guard was limited to a career-low 55 games this season and was placed on a minutes restriction after doctors found “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula” in December. “It’s been a rocky year in terms of injuries, offense changing, getting used to playing with new guys on the team and adjusting to a few things,” Beal said. “We both should’ve had a better year than we had. We should’ve carried the team a little better than what we did. We both can attest to it.”
The Hawks‘ Al Horford stands to more than double his salary in free agency and may change the perception of who deserves a max contract, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Horford is making $12MM this season, but when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his ninth NBA season, he will be eligible for a contract starting at approximately 30% of the salary cap, or about $26MM. Hamilton says that may seem expensive for a player who has never averaged 20 points per game, but Horford will likely define the market for fellow free agents Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley and Harrison Barnes.
The Hawks sent Lamar Patterson back to the Austin Spurs of the D-League to finish their playoff series, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Atlanta recalled Patterson on Friday after Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a groin injury.

Southeast Notes: Morris, Whiteside, Anderson

April 15th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Injuries limited Alan Anderson to just 13 games for the Wizards this season, but the shooting guard, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, wants to return to Washington next season, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “I wasn’t able to show a lot of what I was capable of doing,” Anderson said. “I’m definitely a totally a different player than what I’ve shown. I definitely would love to be back. I expected to be back around January, then January went to February then February went to [late February], then I came back and got hurt again. I think me not playing kind of hurt us. I didn’t travel the first two months. We had no consistency. We’d beat tough teams and we’d lose to teams we should beat. We didn’t take care of home court as good as we should have. We were just like a roller coaster. In this league you can’t be that.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Markieff Morris is thrilled to be a member of the Wizards and appreciates how the team has utilized him thus far, Ben Standing of CSN Mid-Atlantic relays. “I love my position,” Morris told Standig. “I think they’re using me to the best of my abilities. I love my position they have me in now. I get to roam the floor. I get post-ups sometimes. Play pick-and-roll with John. Play the popper when John Wall and Marcin Gortat are playing pick-and-roll. I can’t wait to get to the summer and work with these guys. I’m 100% [with the system] right now. It takes a little while, but I’ve been here for a little while now. I’m comfortable with everybody.“
Heat center Hassan Whiteside is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he won’t let that overshadow his excitement at being in the playoffs, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays. “I’m not gonna put a lot of pressure on myself,” Whiteside said. “When you start saying, ‘I gotta do this or that’… I’m just gonna play the way I’ve been playing and try to get every rebound and every block and play smart basketball. I’m not going to put pressure on myself.”
Magic GM Rob Hennigan noted that it was a priority for the team to sign players with experience in the league this offseason, a sentiment that was echoed by many on Orlando’s current roster, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter links).
Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing‘s ability to relate to players is one of his strongest selling points in his bid to become a head coach, Adi Joseph of The Sporting News writes. “He’s been a tremendous help for me, personally,” Hornets combo forward Marvin Williams told Joseph. “Even though he played center, he knows the game, from the point guard to the center. So there’s been many, many times where he sees something out there, and he’ll pull me aside and help me out, whether it be offensively or defensively. He does that for a lot of guys on our team. He’ll be a fantastic head coach one day, no question.”
The Hawks have recalled swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Batum, Dragic, Hawks

March 31st, 2016 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal‘s harsh comments toward his teammates after Wednesday’s loss in Sacramento are a sign of underlying problems on the Wizards, contends J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Beal, who is headed toward restricted free agency this summer, said the team isn’t “hungry enough” and seemed to give up in the closing moments of the game. “We bark too much,” Beal said. “We say what we need to do. We scream at one another. We can even try to blame [coach Randy Wittman] if we want to, but at the end of the day we still the ones playing. … We just do dumb mental lapses that just mess up the game and end up hurting us in the long run.” Michael thinks Beal and John Wall need to get together as team leaders and work out whatever personal differences they have with each other before their relationship is too far gone.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Nicolas Batum figures to be the most sought after among a large group of Hornets free agents, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Contracts for Marvin Williams, Courtney Lee and Al Jefferson will also expire at the end of the season and Jeremy Lin has the choice to opt out, but Batum has risen above the crowd with his versatile play. “I’ve been around teams where people think about their contract and their personal situation. I can’t understand that,” Batum said. “With this team, we know if we do great as a team, if we all do our jobs, everything will work out.”
If the Heat were giving any thought to trading point guard Goran Dragic and pursuing Grizzlies free agent Mike Conley, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald says Dragic has changed their minds with his recent performance. “We love Goran,” said team president Pat Riley. “Now he’s playing like The Dragon. His game has opened up. I’m very happy that we have this point guard.”
The Hawks plan to keep Lamar Patterson and Edy Tavares with the Austin Spurs through the D-League team’s playoff run, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both rookies have spent extensive time in the D-League this season. Tavares, a 7’3″ center, has played in 27 games for the affiliates of the Spurs, Suns and Cavs, while Patterson has been in 17 games with San Antonio’s and Cleveland’s D-League teams.

And-Ones: Colangelo, Upshaw, Westbrook

March 29th, 2016 at 10:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Better times are ahead for the Sixers in the near future, executive Jerry Colangelo told fans in a video that appears on the team’s official website (transcription courtesy of Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We have a bright, bright future,” Colangelo said. “We’re watching young players develop. We’re anticipating a lot of good things to happen in the very near future. If the stars are aligned and you have a little bit of luck, we could turn this thing around much faster, much quicker than people seem to believe it’s going to take.”

“When this opportunity presented itself, I saw it as a challenge,” Colangelo continued. “I saw it as someone who believed that I had something to offer the organization in the way of credibility, in the way of experience. And I believe this is a situation that is a lot closer than people think. If you treat people well, you give people room and the ability to make decisions, and you create a team effort — and it starts at the top, and it permeates throughout an organization — I think that’s really the way you build a franchise. I have a personal request. I am saying to you: Don’t give it up. There’s one way to go, and that’s up, and it’s going to be fun building it.“

Here’s more from around the league:

Russell Westbrook‘s stellar play and increased willingness to share the basketball this season could be the Thunder‘s best recruiting tool when the team attempts to re-sign unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant this offseason, Sam Amick of USA Today opines. Westbrook is currently second in the league in assists (10.4 per game) and has fed Durant on 67.4% of his made field goal attempts, which is a marked increase from previous campaigns, Amick adds.
Lakers affiliate player Robert Upshaw, who was tossed from the D-league earlier this month for violating its anti-drug program, has parted ways with BDA Sports Management and agent Bill Duffy and hired Hazan Sports Management to represent him, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.
The Hawks have assigned Lamar Patterson to the NBA D-League, the team announced. Patterson will report to the Austin Spurs as part of the league’s flexible assignment rule since Atlanta does not have its own affiliate.