Luol Deng Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Kobe, Mavs, Johnson

March 19th, 2014 at 7:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kobe Bryant endorses the Knicks hiring of Phil Jackson despite his well-documented disappointment with the Lakers front office for not bringing Jackson back to Los Angeles. In an article by Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles, Bryant said, “I just think his mentorship shifts. I think it goes from having a direct influence on the players themselves to having a direct influence on the coaching staff, which he’s accustomed to doing because that’s how he coached as well. He really had a great rapport with his coaching staff and he was really a great mentor for them, and I’m sure he’ll do the same thing and it will just kind of trickle down from there. It’s really no different from what Pat [Riley] has been able to do in Miami with [Erik] Spoelstra.” According to the article, Bryant also believes that Jackson will be able to help Carmelo Anthony improve as a player. On what Phil can do for ‘Melo, Bryant said, “Phil will be able to provide that knowledge and he’ll learn more about the game and open up dimensions of the game that he never saw before. So, he’ll just continue to improve.”

Western Notes: Mavs, Lakers, Presti

March 12th, 2014 at 9:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It doesn’t matter whether the Mavericks go one-and-done, miss the playoffs or end up in the conference finals, the offseason game plan is the same, writes Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News. He says they are going to figure out a way to use the $34MM dollars of cap space they anticipate having to try and add a premier small forward and/or center. Sefko floats the possibility of Luol Deng and Marcin Gortat being their prime free-agent targets. The article also mentions that the deeper the team goes in the playoffs, the more appealing they will become to any free agent, including LeBron James, though Sefko admits that landing LeBron is a long shot at best.

Here’s some more from out west:

With the news from earlier that Kobe Bryant wants Mike D’Antoni gone, it seems that he’s not the only Lakers player that would feel that way, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. He mentions that Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill would also like to see a new coach next season.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times supports Bryant calling out Lakers management. He hopes the star player’s comments bring about the needed changes in the organization. Plaschke also thinks that it’s a good thing for the team that Kobe is done for the year as it will help them secure a higher lottery pick. The article also questions the decision to re-sign Bryant when they did. Plaschke believes that Bryant would have signed for less now in order to free up cap space to help the team sign players to make a run during his final years.
Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his thoughts on tanking with Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Presti said, “Oddly enough, I think it’s a narrative that was created to tweak the league office, and they are showing to be quite reflexive to it. I’m actually a bit surprised they have fed into it and devoted so much public energy to it given the lack of evidence. The records of the teams in the bottom four of the league are in line with those over the last 20 seasons. If anything, they are actually slightly above those averages. I’m missing the epidemic on this, really. I would hope we’d focus our attention on a lot of the great things our players are ding and that the league has in place now.“

Central Rumors: Fredette, Bennett, Deng

March 8th, 2014 at 8:21pm CST by Cray Allred

Bulls center Nazr Mohammed tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that growing friendships between players at the NBA level is changing the way teams are constructed. Mohammed says that animosity between rival players is no longer the norm. “AAU, social media, that’s all gone. Basketball on a high school level has just meshed all these kids from all over the country, especially with social media, so playing with each other at this level is no big deal. There’s no longer that dislike,” said the 15-year veteran. “Ultimately, it’s good for the league. You’ve got guys that like each other, want to play with each other. Why not? The collective-bargaining agreement is going to settle some of it because either guys are going to take huge pay cuts to play with their best friends or you can’t do it because of the CBA.” Here’s more from the Central division:

Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune thinks that the environment Jimmer Fredette now has with the Bulls will help him succeed. Luhm says the combination of great coaching, talented teammates, stable ownership, and skilled management–things he didn’t have with the Kings–create an ideal situation for the dead-eye shooter.
Anthony Bennett has improved his play after a disastrous start to the season, but the Cavs first-overall pick from the 2013 draft now faces a potential minutes reduction as Anderson Varejao returns from injury. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald says that Bennett needs to improve and get in better shape over the offseason if he wants to shed the perception that he’s a bust.
In the same piece, Finnan says there is “no pretense whatsoever” that Luol Deng will re-sign with the Cavs this offseason, as Finnan is hearing from many that Deng is counting the days until he can flee Cleveland.

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Dragic, Mavericks

March 4th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

This summer, the Knicks will have a load of expiring 2015 contracts, including Tyson Chandler, who could be used as a pawn in a trade bid for Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (Marc Berman of the New York Post). One league source didn’t mince words when commenting about New York’s chances at dealing for the 6’10 big man, telling Berman: “They’re selling New York fans land in New Mexico.’’

Carmelo Anthony recently spoke about Love’s game, and when specifically asked about the similarities between them as stretch-fours, Anthony didn’t see a comparison: “I didn’t know we had similarities…He’s a guy who became a stretch 4 but never was a stretch 4. He worked on his shot, his 3-ball and stretching the floor and spreading the floor out. He can also go inside. He’s one helluva rebounder. He’s a big load. He’s gotten better every year since been in the league and still is.’’

Here are more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:

Former NBA coaches George Karl, Avery Johnson, and P.J. Carlesimo weighed in on the state of the Knicks, the Warriors‘ title hopes, and who should have been moved during the trade deadline, among other topics (ESPN Insiders only).
The Suns are poised to make their first postseason appearance since the 2009/10 season, thanks in large part to an All-Star caliber season from Goran Dragic. The 27-year-old point guard recently shared his thoughts on the season with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, speaking with the confidence one would ideally expect from a seasoned veteran: “I’m more relaxed…I know all of the situations I’m put in and I know how the opposing teams are going to guard me. I’m just more relaxed. It feels like I’m playing basketball with my friends back home, with no pressure. I just go out there and do my job. I’ve gotten some great support from my teammates and I’m just having fun. It’s not like I’m thinking too much or anything. I’m just having fun.”
Luol Deng and Marcin Gortat are two players that the Mavericks should go after in free agency this summer, opines Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.
Brad Stevens’ emphasis on establishing a winning culture along with the players’ continued commitment toward playing hard is proof that the Celtics haven’t given up on the season just yet, explains Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.

Odds & Ends: Wade, Colangelo, Deng

March 3rd, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat seem to be chief in Dwyane Wade‘s mind as he eyes his early termination option this summer, but the decision won’t necessarily be straightforward, as he tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who shared Wade’s thoughts in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

“Well, I want to be here,” Wade said. “I think that’s always the things I’ve always said and I’ve always expressed. And after that, I want to win. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m starting over and I’m rebuilding. I want to win. And I want to be on a team that has an opportunity to do that, and feel like I’m a big part of that. This is where I want to be. But as players, [having] options is good. Because you don’t know what is to happen or what is to come. So for us, I think we’re in a great situation. Guys have options as players, and they can exercise those options. Who knows what that means? But right now, for us, we’re on a very good team. We enjoy each other. We enjoy this city and we enjoy playing for this organization, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Here’s more from Aldridge’s piece and other news from around the league:

Bryan Colangelo spoke with Aldridge and attempted to walk back his comments from Friday in which he said he tried to tank as GM of the Raptors in 2011/12.
The Pacers reportedly spoke with the Cavs about Luol Deng before the trade deadline, but Andrew Perna of RealGM hears Indiana had no interest in the soon-to-be free agent (Twitter link).
The Rockets have recalled Troy Daniels from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Daniels had been with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before the Rockets signed him last month. Houston immediately assigned him back there after inking the deal, which is for the minimum salary, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes in an update to the team’s salary page.

Eastern Notes: Fredette, Silver, Stoudemire

March 2nd, 2014 at 12:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Commissioner Adam Silver not only defended the Sixers, but praised the organization’s strategy for attempting to build a championship contender, writes Jason Wolf of USA Today. This comes a day after former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy slammed the Sixers’ apparent willingness to field a non-competitive team and tank a season to improve its draft stock. “I don’t agree with Coach Van Gundy at all,” Silver said. “I just came from the locker room, I just spoke to the coach. It’s an insult to the entire league to suggest that these guys are going out on the floor and aren’t doing their very best to win games.” Tom Moore of Calkins Media tweeted that Silver said the team isn’t tanking, but rather “building from the ground up.” Silver also told Moore (Twitter link) that he “doesn’t believe a team has to go all the way to the bottom to get to the top.”

Amico On Deng, Lakers, LeBron, Bosh

February 24th, 2014 at 8:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Luol Deng stay in Cleveland beyond this year? While there has been speculation that he’ll bolt this summer, execs tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio the Cavs can hang on to him if things change. That means getting hot to close out the season and possibly shaking up the roster/coaching staff. More from Amico’s column..

Most execs feel LeBron James will either return to the Heat or shock everyone and aim for the ultimate redemption story by returning to the Cavs. The Heat, however, are believed to be way in front of everyone.
One GM told Amico that it’s hard to know whether the Lakers are a real possibility for Carmelo Anthony or if it’s just wishful thinking from Lakers fans.
It seems most GMs feel Chris Bosh, and not Anthony, is the second biggest potential prize on the upcoming market. But if James goes back to the Heat, Bosh will, too. If James flees Miami, the Lakers are secretly interested, sources tell Amico.
Kobe Bryant is probably the only one who can convince Pau Gasol to stay with the Lakers. Gasol would love a return to Memphis, but the Grizzlies aren’t exactly big spenders.
If Kevin Garnett retires, Amico gets the sense that fellow Nets vet Paul Pierce could wind up anywhere.

Cavs Notes: Irving, Deng, Jack, Zeller

February 22nd, 2014 at 8:21pm CST by Cray Allred

Interim Cavs GM David Griffin tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald that no player in Cleveland is “untouchable,” including Kyrie Irving. “As a franchise, it is my philosophy that absolutely no one is untouchable in any area. Why would you ever do that? It doesn’t make any sense to me.” says Griffin. “That doesn’t mean anybody’s ever going to go away, either, because untouchable and tradable are different things. I don’t want to get into semantics, but untouchable is a ridiculous word.” Here are some more Cavs notes from Finnan’s article:

Griffin also told Finnan that it was “exhilarating” to be at the front of negotiations through the trade deadline for the first time. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “Running it and being the name of record are different. I’ve run the trade deadline and I’ve been the one to have to make sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. But I was never the one in the paper tomorrow that’s going to be a moron. That part for me was unique. That experience was different.”
Sources tell Finnan that the Cavs worked unsuccessfully to move Luol Deng, Jarrett Jack, and Tyler Zeller before the trade deadline. Griffin says that the Cavs didn’t come close to moving Deng.
Finnan says there were some talks of the Cavs trying to trade for Pierre Jackson, the unsigned Pelicans rookie who is headed to Turkey.

Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown

February 22nd, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Charlie Adams

Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:

According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.

Central Notes: Deng, Pacers, Bulls

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:13am CST by Cray Allred

Anthony Bennett appears to have turned around his season, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game this month for the Cavs, with a boost in production. “I’m just more relaxed on the court, going out there not really thinking about too much, not thinking about the plays or who needs to get the ball where. I just need to go out there play my game, play hard, rebound and then things will start flowing,” Bennett said, according to Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Here’s a look at what else is happening around the Central Division:

Cavs guard Jarrett Jack was a heavily discussed trade candidate as the trade deadline came and went, but tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer that the rumors didn’t affect him much.
In the same piece, Luol Deng said that all of the contract talk from this year has been “exhausting,” and that his perspective on the Cavs is incomplete as he heads toward free agency, when he will decide whether to stay with the team that traded for him earlier this year: “It’s just the same thing everybody wants. The guy who brought me here [former GM Chris Grant] is not here, and now we have [current GM David Griffin] and Griff is an interim. Those two guys are who really brought me here. I really don’t know if Griff is going to be the GM or what’s going on. I know the direction the organization is going and how everything has been set up. I’ve been happy with that from day one.”
The Bulls might be interested in adding Ben Gordon if the Bobcats buy out his contract as expected, per Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Gordon was an impact player for Chicago in his first five seasons in the NBA.
Speaking of the pool of players being bought out or waived, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said that any player added by Chicago won’t wind up a forgotten man on the end of the bench, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
The Pacers are sad to lose former face of the franchise Danny Granger after Thursday’s trade with the Sixers, but the team isn’t questioning the front office’s championship-or-bust mentality that brought about the trade, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com.