Mario Hezonja Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Hezonja, Knicks

November 22nd, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Joakim Noah, a 2016 free agent, hasn’t started a game, has career lows in nearly every statistic and is not in position to contribute more because the Bulls have changed into more of a 3-point shooting team, Sam Smith of NBA.com notes. While Pau Gasol, who has a player option on the final season of a three-year, $22.3MM contract that brought him to Chicago in 2014, has not struggled as much as Noah has, his production is much lower than it has been in recent years, Smith adds. Both players, of course, are getting up there in age (Noah is 30 and Gasol is 35), but feel healthy, Smith writes, and that adds to the frustration of not being able to help the team more.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Magic rookie swingman Mario Hezonja has shown flashes of the potential that made the Magic select him fifth overall in the draft, but his rookie mistakes on defense have led to a cut in his minutes, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. To his credit, Hezonja has been willing to learn from his mistakes and has fit in well with the Magic’s young locker room, Robbins adds. “Oftentimes, he’s just not ready,” Magic coach Scott Skiles said. “He’s not aware and he’s not ready. He knows it.”
The Bulls assigned Cameron Bairstow to the Austin Spurs of the D-League, Chicago announced in a press release. Bairstow is headed to Austin as part of the flexible assignment rule since Chicago is without a one-to-one partnership with a D-League team.
Carmelo Anthony is not surprised by Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis‘ hot start, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Porzingis has six double-doubles in his first 14 NBA games, as Berman points out. “Man, he’s 7’3″,’’ Anthony said. “There was only concern because people didn’t know and nobody ever saw him before. People were all so upset the Knicks drafted him. When you’re 7’3″, you just put your hands up and block a shot. For him to have seven blocks, it didn’t surprise me. [But] nobody expected [24] and 14, seven blocks. Nobody expected that, but I’ll take it.’’

And-Ones: Paul, Agent Changes, Leonard

October 28th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Paul rejects the notion that he’s a poor teammate, an idea that rumors of a rift between Paul and DeAndre Jordan helped fuel this summer, writes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Jordan has downplayed any tension, citing a mutual desire to win, and that’s just what Paul is thinking about as he envisions playing the rest of his career with the Clippers, as Woike details.

“Hell, I never imagined I’d leave New Orleans, but there’s no question this is where I want to be,” Paul said to Woike. “I want to win. Here.”

The earliest Paul can elect free agency is the summer of 2017. See more from around the NBA:

Agent Michael Tellem, the son of former agent turned Pistons organization executive Arn Tellem, is leaving the Wasserman Media Group for the Creative Artists Agency and taking high-profile client Danilo Gallinari with him, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Mario Hezonja, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica have dropped Tellem and will continue with Wasserman, Pick adds (on Twitter). The loss of Arn Tellem has proven tough for Wasserman, which also lost Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Johnson over the offseason. Gallinari, Hezonja and Bjelica all signed new deals earlier this summer, while Bogdanovic remains on a deal with the Nets that runs through 2016/17.
Extension talks between the Trail Blazers and Meyers Leonard are off to a late start, but Leonard’s preference is to stay in Portland, observes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The deadline for the sides to reach a deal is Monday. “I really, really like and love this city,” Leonard said. “I love the organization and now that a greater opportunity has presented itself, I think a lot more people are embracing me. I’d love to be here. That’s my hope. But I don’t know if I’ll get an extension. I don’t know what will happen after this year. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Al Harrington said in March that he was retiring, but instead the 16-year NBA veteran is joining the Sydney Kings of Australia on a four-week deal, league sources told Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia.

Magic Sign Mario Hezonja

July 10th, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic have signed Mario Hezonja, this year’s fifth overall pick, the team announced. He’ll almost certainly receive a salary of more than $3.741MM this season and a total of nearly $16.897MM over the four-year rookie scale contract, as our salary chart for 2015 first-rounders shows. Those figures presume he’ll get 120% of the scale amount, which is standard procedure. The Arn Tellem client will likely put some of that toward his $1.4MM buyout from Barcelona of Spain. The Magic can only cover $625K of that.

Hezonja’s selection wasn’t too surprising, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him as the fifth-best prospect while Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranked him sixth. The Croatian swingman is a versatile scorer with tantalizing outside shooting skill, though he has a reputation for a poor attitude.

The Magic are likely done with signings for more than the minimum salary, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel wrote. That frees the team to formally sign Hezonja, a maneuver that lifts his cap hold by about $900K.

Southeast Rumors: Heat, Winslow, Harris, Brand

June 30th, 2015 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald (via Barry Jackson on Twitter) hears that the Celtics offered the Heat four first-round picks and two second-rounders for their No. 10 pick so that they could grab Justise Winslow. Instead, Miami stood pat and grabbed the Duke star, who many feel could wind up being the sleeper of the draft. Here’s more from the Southeast Division..

Magic forward Tobias Harris is looking for a max or near-max offer sheet since the salary cap is set to rise, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). If he gets a large enough offer, Kennedy adds, the Magic might not match. Harris, as expected, received a QO from Orlando earlier today.
The Hawks likely won’t re-sign Elton Brand, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore anticipates that Mike Muscala, entering his third season, will have an increased role with Brand out of the picture.
More from Vivlamore, who tweets that the Hawks have announced that Kyle Korver will undergo surgery. The sharpshooter’s procedure will be done in New York by Dr. David Altchek.
Magic GM Rob Hennigan said it’s possible he will be “very active” in free agency, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Still, Robbins points out that Orlando is unlikely to jump into the mix for Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Kevin Love.
Janis Timma, whose NBA rights were traded to the Magic last week, has joined up with B.C. Zenit Saint Petersburg, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter).
Mario Hezonja‘s buyout agreement calls for him to give $1.4MM to his former club, not ~$1.8MM as previously reported, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.net (on Twitter). In a chat with Robbins, agent Arn Tellem confirmed that the buyout for the Magic‘s top draft pick has been finalized.

Eastern Rumors: Cavs, DeRozan, Celtics, Monroe

June 29th, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Some sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that they think LeBron James will ask the Cavs to change coaches (Twitter link), though he has no intention of pushing the team to fire David Blatt, as ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported last week. Blatt has made it clear on multiple occasions that he expects he’ll be back. Still, we’ll see what happens this summer in Cleveland. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Chatter continues to indicate that DeMar DeRozan will opt out and seek a maximum-salary deal next summer, and “there is no way” that the Raptors would be willing to pay him that much, reports Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. For this summer, the Raptors will probably have particular interest in Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap, Wolstat also writes.
Celtics don’t find their chances to land a star encouraging, as Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hears. Himmelsbach confirms earlier reports of interest in Greg Monroe and Millsap, though he hears from several team sources who say the team didn’t offer Marcus Smart in trade proposals to other teams on draft day.
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com believes the new regime in Atlanta isn’t as enamored with Monroe’s game as the team’s last set of higher-ups was (Twitter link). The Hawks, who have a new principal owner in Tony Ressler and have formally cut ties with GM Danny Ferry, aren’t among the teams reportedly meeting with the soon-to-be free agent big man.
Jimmy Butler would like to sign a one-year offer sheet with the Lakers, a league source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, but that would be impossible since offer sheets must be for at least two years and at least three if, as the Bulls have long planned, Chicago makes a five-year max offer. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported a couple of weeks ago that Butler’s interest in the Lakers had increased, but the Bulls have the right to match any offer and are expected to do so, Medina notes.
Reggie Jackson turned down an offer worth more than $12MM a year in extension talks with the Thunder last year because he wanted out of Oklahoma City and onto a team where he could start, a source told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Jackson will probably demand the max if the Pistons want him to sign for five years, the same source said to Ellis.
Mario Hezonja and Barcelona, his Spanish team, have reached a deal on a buyout that will allow him to part ways with the club and sign with the Magic, who drafted him fifth overall Thursday, reports Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (translation via Sporando’s Enea Trapani). The buyout is worth 1.6 million euros, the equivalent of about $1.79MM at today’s exchange rate. Orlando will presumably cover the maximum $625K of that amount.

Eastern Notes: Crowder, Sixers, Dunleavy

June 27th, 2015 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics have completed the paperwork to make Jae Crowder a $1.1MM qualifying offer, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports. The deadline is Sunday. Crowder has expressed a desire to return to the Celtics but is expected to test the free-agent market, Murphy adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Mario Hezonja’s buyout with his Barcelona team will be finalized as early as Monday, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Barcelona had reduced the NBA escape clause for Hezonja, whom the Magic drafted with the No. 5 pick, to 1.5 million euros, or roughly $1.675MM, in order to retain his Euro rights, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com. (Twitter link). Agent Arn Tellem had been negotiating for a lower amount, as Pick reported previously. The most the Magic, who drafted him fifth overall, can pay toward a buyout is $625K, with the rest having to come from Hezonja. Orlando wound up drafting Hezonja despite a report that teams felt his camp might be steering him toward the Pistons. Tellem is leaving the Wasserman Media Group to take an executive position with the Pistons organization later this year.
The Sixers received second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 from the Knicks in the draft-night trade for Spanish big man Guillermo Hernangomez, according to Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. The Knicks had already traded away their own second-round picks through 2019, with the picks in 2018 and 2019 potentially headed to the Sixers. Bodner continues. Philadelphia will get a second-rounder from either the Knicks or Clippers in 2018, whichever is higher, Bodner adds.
The Bulls are hopeful of re-signing Mike Dunleavy, according to a tweet from Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. There’s interest from both sides but it depends on how much money the unrestricted free agent is seeking, Friedell adds.

Mario Hezonja’s Camp Steering Him To Pistons?

June 25th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Some teams are expressing frustration with the lack of information coming from Mario Hezonja‘s camp, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets. Those officials feel that Hezonja’s camp could be trying to get the youngster to the Pistons, similar to the way Kobe Bryant‘s reps steered him to the Lakers years ago.

Even though that could be the motivation of the guard’s people, Givony (link) doesn’t see him falling to Detroit at No. 8. If the Pistons really want the Croatian, Givony feels they’ll have to move up for him as teams No. 4-7 are all high on him. Hezonja’s buyout information is already well known as it was negotiated by his previous agents, but there have been no interviews conducted and medical information has not been disclosed (link).

Earlier today we learned that the Kings are considering moving back from No. 6, but Hezonja is a very likely target for them if they stay.

Kings Exploring Trading Back From No. 6

June 25th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Kings have been making calls on the possibility of moving back in the top 10, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). If the Kings do remain at No. 6, however, Mario Hezonja is a strong possibility to be their target.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Hezonja ranked as the fifth-best prospect in this year’s draft and predicts that he’ll go No. 4 to the Knicks, so it’s quite possible that the guard won’t be there when the Kings pick at No. 6. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), meanwhile, has the Kings landing Hezonja at No. 6.

Nuggets Rumors: Draft, Hezonja, Russell, Mudiay

June 21st, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets have no untouchable players as trade rumors swirl around draft day, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Most of the trade talk has focused on point guard Ty Lawson, but GM Tim Connelly indicated anyone might be moved if the right deal comes along. “The variables come when you get one phone call and the best-laid plans go out of the window,” Connelly said. “But we’re pretty active and aggressive. We’ve got a lot of calls out there and a lot of scenarios in play. I can’t say for certain that where we stand today is where we’re going to stand on draft night.” Denver, which already holds the seventh choice, is rumored to be seeking another lottery pick.

There’s more draft news this morning from the Mile-High City:

Croatian guard Mario Hezonja would be a tempting choice for the Nuggets, Dempsey writes in a separate story, but he may not be available with pick No 7. Hezonja, a good friend of Denver center Jusuf Nurkic, has been quickly rising on draft boards as scouts rave about his elite shooting and athleticism. “I talk to him every day,” Nurkic said. “I think he’s at this age the best shooting guard.”
Trading up to snag Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell would be the Nuggets’ dream draft scenario, contends Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. He notes that the Knicks want to improve quickly and may be willing to deal their No. 4 choice for a package of veterans. However, Kiszla also points out that it would be surprising if Russell falls that far, and Denver has the option to exchange picks with New York in 2016, so the Nuggets may be cautious about helping the Knicks get better next season. He sees Hezonja or Emmanuel Mudiay as possibilities if the Nuggets are stuck at No. 7.
The Nuggets need to aggressively pursue Mudiay, argues Woody Paige of The Denver Post. He notes that Mudiay hasn’t worked out for Denver, but contends that he would become the best point guard the franchise has ever had. Former Nuggets coach Larry Brown, who recruited Mudiay for Southern Methodist before he decided to play in China, once called Mudiay “the best young point guard I’ve ever seen.”

Draft Rumors: Towns, Okafor, Lakers, Hezonja

June 17th, 2015 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The gap between Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke center Jahlil Okafor has widened over the past few months to the point that it seems like a foregone conclusion that Towns will go No. 1 overall, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress writes amid his latest mock draft. That doesn’t mean it’s set in stone just yet, of course, but it does further the notion of Towns as the front-runner for the top pick, one that took hold during the NCAA Tournament. Givony also has Emmanuel Mudiay falling to the Nuggets at No. 7. Chad Ford of ESPN.com suggests in a chat with readers that the Nuggets would like to trade up in search of Mudiay at an earlier pick but have found little traction with the Kings, who hold the No. 6 pick, and others in trade talk involving Ty Lawson. Here’s more with the draft just one week and one day away:

The Lakers are worried that finding a quality big man via free agency or trade will be tougher than finding a guard who can score, as Ford reports in his new mock draft, citing it as an edge for Okafor as the team mulls what to do with the No. 2 pick. It appears that the Lakers are debating Okafor and Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell if the Wolves pick Towns, Ford writes.
The stock of Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is rising, making him a sleeper lottery pick, Ford hears, writing in the same mock draft. Multiple sources told Ford that they believe Oregon shooting guard Joseph Young has a promise from a team picking late in the first round.
Agent Arn Tellem is negotiating with Barcelona of Spain to reduce the buyout clause in top-10 prospect Mario Hezonja‘s contract, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The buyout is the equivalent of $2.27MM as it stands, well north of the $625K cap that NBA teams can shell out without it coming out of the player’s salary. Tellem is set to become an executive in the Pistons organization, and Detroit picks eighth.