Lucas Nogueira Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks

September 26th, 2013 at 10:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.

International Notes: Nogueira, English, Ennis

August 12th, 2013 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Today's international news and rumors deal with a pair of former NBA players and a pair of 2013 draft picks. Here's the latest on the notable names from around the globe:

Hawks first-rounder Lucas Nogueira will play for Spain's Asefa Estudiantes Madrid for the 2013/14 season, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 16th overall pick will almost certainly be the highest pick from this year's draft to spend next season overseas — 28th overall pick Livio Jean-Charles looks like he'll be the only other first-rounder heading to Europe.
According to a La Gazzetta dello Sport report, passed along by Sportando, Italian club Virtus Roma has interest in Kim English. English was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Pistons, but was released earlier this offseason.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida writes that the Heat were hoping that James Ennis would join the club's D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. However, Miami didn't want to sign Ennis and have him taking up one of the Heat's 15 roster spots for 2013/14, so Ennis would have only made about $25K if he'd joined the Skyforce — he opted for a more lucrative contract in Australia instead.
Ukrainian club BC Budivelnyk has officially signed Blake Ahearn, who has played for the Heat, Spurs, and Jazz, and spent last fall in camp with the Pacers (hat tip to Sportando, via Twitter).

Eastern Notes: Wall, Monroe, Sixers, Humphries

August 1st, 2013 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday items from around the Eastern Conference….

John Wall's five-year extension with the Wizards is fully guaranteed, with no player or team options involved, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Wall spoke to Monumental Sports Network about his new deal, and the additional pressure it will put on him over the next few years.
According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, the Pistons don't seem overly enthusiastic about signing Greg Monroe to a maximum-salary extension. If the team "falls in love" with a frontline of Josh Smith and Andre Drummond, Monroe could be dangled at some point, Lowe suggests.
Monroe, Paul George, and Larry Sanders are among the Eastern players who could follow in Wall's footsteps and sign lucrative long-term extensions this offseason, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld writes.
Spurs assistant Brett Brown continues to be a frontrunner for the Sixers' head coaching job, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). A report last month indicated Philadelphia would likely choose between Michael Curry and Brown, who Pompey calls "the preferred candidate."
The Knicks would be interested in Kris Humphries if he's bought out by the Celtics, but that appears unlikely at this point, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
The Hawks have yet to make a final decision on where Lucas Nogueira will play next season, but it still looks as if he'll return to Spain, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Brett Koremenos of Grantland speculates that if Gigi Datome has success with the Pistons, it could inspire other NBA teams to look more closely to Europe for inexpensive outside shooters.

Southeast Notes: Hardaway, Hawks, Heat

July 29th, 2013 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

After helping lead Michigan to the Final Four in April and being drafted by the Knicks in June, Tim Hardaway Jr. is making more headlines than his father this year, but Tim Hardaway Sr. remains involved in the NBA, and is hoping to eventually land a larger role, as he tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Currently a scout for the Heat, Hardaway says he'd like to become the team's general manager down the road.

"That's my goal," Hardaway said. "That's why I'm here every day…. Everything is realistic. You just got to believe and make connections."

Let's round up a few more items from out of the Southeast division….

The Hawks' waiver claim of Gustavo Ayon makes it likely that first-round pick Lucas Nogueira will spend the 2013/14 season in Spain, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Second-round pick Mike Muscala will probably play overseas as well, according to Vivlamore.
In order to create the space necessary to claim Ayon, the Hawks renounced their rights to Ivan Johnson, tweets Jason Walker of Peachtree Hoops. The team can still re-sign Johnson, but no longer holds any form of Bird rights.
In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that it may make sense for the Heat to hang onto their mini mid-level exception through the summer and into the season.

Contract/Cap Details: Pressey, Ledo, Roberts

July 25th, 2013 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

As various reporters and cap experts continue to fill on the gaps on team salaries, let's check out the latest details….

Phil Pressey's deal with the Celtics is a three-year, minimum-salary pact, with a fully guaranteed first season, tweets Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Because it's a three-year contract, the C's likely used a portion of their mid-level execption to get it done.
Ricky Ledo's four-year deal with the Mavericks will pay him $550K in year one, but will be worth the minimum for the other three years, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The first two years are guaranteed.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com examines how much cap space the under-the-cap teams actually still have, and how much more they could theoretically create.
Since he wasn't waived by last Saturday, Brian Roberts' salary for the upcoming season appears to be guaranteed, per ShamSports' breakdown of the Pelicans salaries.
The Hawks are close to buying out Lucas Nogueira's contract, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Atlanta is allowed to contribute up to $550K toward a contract buyout, and the price for this year's 16th overall pick will be somewhere below $1MM, says Carchia.

Eastern Rumors: KG, Mo Williams, Hawks, Cavs

July 18th, 2013 at 7:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

In his introductory press conference with the Nets today, Kevin Garnett admits he "absolutely" considered retirement this spring, and indicated that Paul Pierce's uncertain future with the Celtics was a major reason why. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has more from Garnett. Washburn rounds up Pierce's comments as well, and we'll take a look at the rest of the East:

The last we heard on Mo Williams was that he's prepared to take a discount to sign with a contender, and HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reiterates that, tweeting that Williams is telling people he'll look to sign with the Heat if offers from other clubs don't improve.
The Hawks are mulling whether to sign 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira this summer or let him play overseas this year, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines (subscription required).
Atlanta paid $550K to buy 15th pick Dennis Schröder out of his European deal, and a larger buyout would be probably be necessary for Nogueira, Vivlamore writes in the same piece. NBA clubs can only pay up to $575K in a buyout without money coming out of the player's check.
The Cavs are high on undrafted guard Matthew Dellavedova, and would like see him play for their D-League affiliate, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The St. Mary's product is drawing offers from overseas that could complicate matters, Lloyd notes.
Foreign clubs are also showing interest in Chris Quinn, who's with the Cavs on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal. Quinn isn't likely to last long in Cleveland, and the Cavs may cut him soon to allow him to pursue other opportunities, according to Lloyd (Twitter link).
Talks between the Knicks and Bobby Brown are gathering steam, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Creative Artists Agency client was among a group who worked out for the Knicks this week, though five other teams have interest, Zwerling says.
Toure Murry has also made a positive impression on the Knicks, Zwerling adds.

Hawks Acquire Cunningham, No. 16 Pick

June 27th, 2013 at 11:25pm CST by Luke Adams

11:25pm: The Mavs confirmed this deal via press release, as it was reported: Cunningham, the 16th pick (Nogueira), and the 44th pick (Mike Muscala) in exchange for the 18th pick (Shane Larkin).

9:05pm: This deal is "still evolving," according to Broussard (via Twitter), so we'll have to wait and see if any of the previously reported details change, or if any new pieces are added.

8:46pm: Pick No. 44 is actually heading from Dallas to Atlanta in the deal, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.

8:13pm: Minutes after acquiring the No. 16 pick from the Celtics, the Mavericks will flip it to the Hawks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Jared Cunningham will also go to Atlanta in the deal, with the 18th and 44th picks headed to Dallas, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). Atlanta doesn't have the 44th pick, so perhaps Woj means No. 47 or 50.

The move clears a little more money from the Mavericks' books, as Cunningham's $1,208,400 salary will be assumed by the Hawks. That'll give Dallas a little more room to squeeze in a maximum-salary offer for Dwight Howard.

The Hawks will use the 16th pick to draft international big man Lucas Nogueira.

More Draft Rumors: Thunder, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz

June 27th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will be on the clock in less than two hours, and we still don't know exactly what they'll do with that No. 1 pick. The rest of the first round only gets more uncertain, so it looks like we're in for a fun night. Here are the latest rumors and rumblings related to the 2013 draft:

The Thunder tried to acquire the Cavs' first overall pick, but OKC's bid failed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter), the Cavs have made a decision on their first overall pick, assuming they hang onto it. Within the next 15 minutes or so, we'll know what that decision is.
The Raptors are finding no traction in their efforts to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
While the Wolves continue attempting to move up in the lottery, teams ahead of them are "hesitant" to move their picks, a source tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

While the Jazz could be seeking a point guard at No. 14, don't expect Michael Carter-Williams to fall to them, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
The Cavs "definitely" have interest in Lucas Nogueira, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's Chad Ford is hearing that the Pistons will ride things out and keep the No. 8 pick (Twitter link).
The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th pick "as hard as advertised," in hopes of landing a 2014 lottery pick, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
In addition to the Suns (mentioned below), the Timberwolves also remain in play for the No. 1 pick, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Suns have offered the Cavs the Nos. 5 and 30 picks for the first overall pick, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Phoenix is after Nerlens Noel, according to Ford. But given how highly the Cavs seem to value that top pick, I doubt that offer gets it done.
There's "little chance" that the Magic part with the No. 2 pick, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
While the Timberwolves still have interest in trading up from No. 9, the price remains high, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. In the likely scenario that Minnesota remains at No. 9, the team is expected to target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cody Zeller, and C.J. McCollum, in that order.
The Cavs continue to explore trades involving the No. 1 pick, and Broussard says (via Twitter) that if they take anyone besides Alex Len, it could be part of a deal.
Various reports indicate that the Raptors are looking to acquire a lottery pick. Broussard tweets that they could be trying to get as high as No. 2, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com is hearing (Twitter link) Toronto is targeting a late lottery pick with its eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Suns are trying to acquire late-first-round picks, hoping to add more young players to the roster, tweets Broussard.
Although the Trail Blazers would like to add veterans more than youth, indications are that they'll keep the No. 10 pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The possibility that the Thunder could draft Antetokounmpo at No. 12 probably scares the Hawks, who have long coveted the "Greek Freak," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Berger On Knicks, Spurs, Plumlee, Hawks, C’s

June 27th, 2013 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com is passing along a number of draft-night updates via Twitter, so let's dive in and check out the latest from him….

The Knicks figure to keep their first-round pick and will likely target the best available shooting guard at No. 24. Berger suggests Jamaal Franklin or Allen Crabbe.
With the Spurs hoping to get younger and more athletic, teams view Tony Mitchell and Lucas Nogueira as possibilities for San Antonio at No. 28.

Earlier updates:

Mason Plumlee is a "strong possibility" for the Hawks at No. 17 or 18, according to Berger. The team's other pick would likely be a draft-and-stash international player.
Jamaal Franklin has drawn interest from the Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, and Clippers.
Berger says that NBA teams are eager to see what the Celtics do at No. 16. If Boston drafts a point guard, it could be an indication that the club is open to trading Rajon Rondo as part of its rebuild.
On the other hand, if the Celtics intend to rebuild around Rondo, rival teams believe Reggie Bullock is a likely target for the C's at No. 16.
The Pacers (No. 23), Clippers (25), Wolves (26), and Nuggets (27) are teams who could end up moving their first-round picks.

Draft Notes: Noel, Cavs, Zeller, Kabongo

June 27th, 2013 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Chad Ford of ESPN.com revealed his mock draft 7.0 this morning and just like every previous incarnation, Nerlens Noel sits at No. 1. Ford heard that the Cavs' top option is to trade the No. 1 overall pick for a combination of a veteran plus a 2014 first-round pick, but if not, he believes Noel will be the pick. Owner Dan Gilbert likes Victor Oladipo and other people in the front office are pushing for Alex Len, but GM Chris Grant likes Noel and Ford sees him as the tiebreaker. Here's more as we approach tonight's draft..

Cody Zeller could be a surprise high pick, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. One NBA executive who loves the Indiana product's athleticism says that he is someone to keep an eye on towards the top of the board. Last night's mock draft from Alex Lee of Hoops Rumors had Zeller going No. 11 to the Sixers.
One NBA exec told Spears (Twitter link) says that guard Myck Kabongo is a possible late first-round pick after an impressive interview. The Texas standout gave the impression that he can be a leader at the next level and also looks bigger than expected.
Lucas Nogueira has officially extended his contract with Asefa Estudiantes through June 2015, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). The center is in tonight's draft and has picked up some buzz as a possible stash pick.