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Stein’s Latest: Llull, Bucks, MCW, McLemore, Pistons

October 7th, 2016 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s regular season inching closer, ESPN’s Marc Stein takes a look around the league and rounds up a handful of noteworthy tidbits from out of training camps. There are plenty of interesting items to pass along, so let’s dive right in…

  • A recent report out of Spain indicated that the buyout for Sergio Llull‘s contract with Real Madrid has increased to 12 million euros. However, Stein hears that the buyout isn’t “nearly as onerous” as that report suggests — one source describes the cost as “manageable.” As such, the Rockets continue to have strong interest in bringing Llull stateside, and the Spanish guard does have real interest in eventually coming to the NBA, despite his proclamations about spending the rest of his career in Madrid.
  • The Bucks continue to scour the market for possible Khris Middleton replacements, and have offered Michael Carter-Williams to the Kings in a deal for Ben McLemore, Stein reports. Sacramento turned down that pitch, but Milwaukee continues to explore deals.
  • One scenario likely not in play for the Bucks is a deal with the Hornets that would involve Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes. According to Stein, Charlotte is said to have no interest in Monroe.
  • As the Pistons consider potential point guard options with Reggie Jackson ailing, they took a look at Norris Cole before he agreed to sign in China, writes Stein. Steve Blake, given his familiarity with the team, is also an option. However, as the ESPN scribe cautions – and as Stan Van Gundy said himself this week – the Pistons are no lock to add another player at the point, since the club would have to eat a guaranteed contract to do so.
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Suns To Seek Trade Partner For Brandon Knight?

October 6th, 2016 at 4:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If the Suns have interest in moving point guard Brandon Knight, a strong start would help create a “palatable” market for him, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Links here). Knight, who has four years and approximately $57MM remaining on his contract, has become a backup behind Eric Bledsoe and shooting guard Devin Booker.

The Suns’ current blueprint has Knight, who is not a classic point guard, transitioning into a Jamal Crawford, instant-offense type of role player. That wasn’t the original plan when they gave up a protected first-round pick they possessed from the Lakers and forwarded it to the Sixers, Lowe points out. There isn’t much of a market for Knight now, but that could change if he plays well early on, due to the lack of quality wings around the league, Lowe adds. The club is not interested in moving Bledsoe, sources told Lowe.

In other tidbits offered by Lowe in his two-part article:

  • The next Collective Bargaining Agreement will likely tweak the Gilbert Arenas provision, so that matching teams can distribute salary more evenly across the length of certain contracts. Lowe uses the example of Heat guard Tyler Johnson, whose offer sheet from the Nets this summer jumped his salary from under $6MM during the first two years of the contact to $19.245MM in each of the final two years of the four-year offer. Under the current agreement, the team making the offer could use the average salary of the contract to count against its cap, while the matching team has to go with the actual salary figures for each season.
  • The Kings are actively involved in trade discussions and since Darren Collison is suspended for the first eight games, they could make a deal for a point guard during training camp, possible as part of a larger package.
  • The Bucks are seeking help at the wing positions and a swap with the Kings for shooting guard Ben McLemore – a projected backup with the addition of Arron Afflalo — is a possibility. Milwaukee would like to move either center Greg Monroe or point guard Michael Carter-Williams under the right circumstances, according to Lowe’s sources.
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Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Cavs, Pistons

September 27th, 2016 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

With Khris Middleton expected to miss most of the season, Bucks general manager John Hammond has said there’s a possibility of acquiring a veteran shooting guard in a trade, writes Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. League officials tell Woelfel that if Milwaukee does explore a trade, Michael Carter-Williams could potentially be on the block, along with Greg Monroe. Woelfel adds that John Henson could also be used as trade bait, though that appears to be speculation.

For now, the Bucks are moving forward with their in-house options, including including Rashad Vaughn, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jason Terry. But it will be a situation worth monitoring as the season nears, since Milwaukee has playoff aspirations this season, even after the loss of Middleton.

Let’s check in on a few more items from around the Central…

  • Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bulls GM Gar Forman reiterated that the decision to trade Derrick Rose was a “basketball decision,” reports Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Although Rose’s sexual assault civil case has been in the news recently, Forman stressed that Chicago’s decision wasn’t influenced by the point guard’s legal situation.
  • The Cavaliers have the oldest roster in the NBA, but don’t view that as a problem heading into the 2016/17 season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, as Aaron McMann of MLive.com details, the Pistons are on the other end of the spectrum, with one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and will be looking for players to assume leadership roles this year.
  • Pistons owner Tom Gores said during his team’s media day that he’s “always looking” at moving the franchise to downtown Detroit, particularly with the Red Wings set to move into Little Caesars Arena next fall. “It has to be good for everybody, us included, for our fans,” Gores said, per McMann at MLive.com. “We’re really in the middle of assessing it.”
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Eastern Notes: Noah, Crawford, MCW

June 26th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks badly need a starting center and their top target in free agency is Joakim Noah, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Newly acquired point guard Derrick Rose recently said his first priority this offseason will be convincing Noah to come to the Big Apple. “He knows that I would want to play with him [in New York],” Rose said. Berman notes that the Knicks could have upwards of $32MM in cap space this offseason.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Knicks also need a shooting guard and Jamal Crawford reportedly has interest in returning to New York. However, the 36-year-old is not atop Phil Jackson‘s list, according to Berman, as he writes in the same piece.
  • The Bucks remain high on Michael Carter-Williams, as GM John Hammond said on Bleacher Report Radio (Twitter link). “We’re going to need him moving forward,” Hammond said. “He has the potential to be a top-10 player at his position.”
  • Coach Brad Stevens said Jaylen Brown‘s versatility, explosiveness and work ethic are major reasons why the Celtics took him with the No.3 pick (video link via CSNNE.com).
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Bucks Notes: Plumlee, Antetokounmpo, Arena

April 17th, 2016 at 3:01pm CST by Will Joseph

The Bucks have interest in re-signing Miles Plumlee, who is set to be a restricted free agent, after the center showed value late in the season, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel details. Center is a high priority for the Bucks this summer, Gardner writes, despite the franchise signing Greg Monroe to a three-year maximum contract last summer. There were high hopes for the Bucks this season after Monroe signed for $50MM, but Milwaukee largely disappointed with a 33-49 record. Plumlee is a solid fit for the Bucks, Gardner adds, because he is athletic and can run the floor, and the Bucks want to push the pace with their young roster.

Here’s more out of Milwaukee:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be in the final year of his rookie-scale deal next season, is poised to be an All-Star for several years, especially if he can improve his 3-point shooting, Gary D’Amato of the Journal Sentinel opines. Antetokounmpo, who starred at the point guard position during the second half of the season, will be eligible for a contract extension before October 31st and the Bucks plan on locking him up, D’Amato writes.
  • Speaking of Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams, who started 37 games at point guard before suffering a torn labrum in his left hip and missing the season’s final 23 games, believes the two players can coexist on the court, relays Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel. Carter-Williams is also poised to enter the final year of his rookie contract.
  • Groundbreaking is set for June on the Bucks’ new downtown arena that is scheduled to open by the 2018/19 season, as Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press details.
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Uncertainty Surrounds Jason Kidd, John Hammond

April 11th, 2016 at 4:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

League sources who spoke with Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times believe Bucks GM John Hammond will either be fired or resign soon, and people close to the team tell Woelfel that coach Jason Kidd is also on shaky ground. The news on Kidd jibes with a February report from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicating that Kidd was losing his influence with Bucks owners in the wake of player personnel moves that haven’t panned out. Kidd has exerted control over the composition of the roster, as Woelfel told Hoops Rumors earlier this season.

Some around the league speculate that Hammond will end up with the Pelicans, who’ve long been linked to Joe Dumars, Hammond’s former boss, Woelfel hears. The Bucks signed Hammond to an extension this past September that carries through next season, which is also the last on Kidd’s deal. Lottery-bound Milwaukee has disappointed this year and can finish no better than 35-47 after last season’s 41-41 record.

Woelfel indicates the Bucks plan to shop Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams this summer, though it’s unclear if that plan would persist if neither Hammond nor Kidd is around to execute it. The Bucks reportedly had talks with the Pelicans about Monroe before the trade deadline, and Wojnarowski heard Bucks owners vetoed a would-be trade with the Pelicans that Kidd was spearheading, though it’s unclear if that would have involved Monroe.

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Rubio Says GM Told Him He Was Almost Traded

April 6th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ricky Rubio says Timberwolves GM Milt Newton told him the team “almost traded” him at the deadline but didn’t because the right offer didn’t come, but Newton dismissed that notion, saying the point guard might have misinterpreted their conversation, as both relayed in interviews with Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Reports indicated the Wolves engaged in trade talk regarding Rubio before the February deadline with the Bucks and, to a lesser degree, the Knicks. Milwaukee turned down an offer of Rubio and a protected 2016 first-round pick for Khris Middleton, while Minnesota rejected a counterproposal of Michael Carter-Williams for Rubio, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.

“When the GM comes to you and says that’s what happened, it hurts, but you’ve got to be professional,” Rubio said. “You’ve been here all your career and thinking they were supporting you. At some point, they weren’t. But I’m professional. I’m going to give it my all. I love playing basketball and every time I step on the court I want to win.”

Newton told Krawczynski he would try to communicate more often with Rubio and said he’s already sought the point guard’s input on possible moves. The GM, to whom the Wolves have committed through at least the summer, called Rubio “extremely valuable to the organization,” as Krawczynski notes.

“I told him we’ve never, ever called another team to trade you, but it is my job to listen,” Newton said. “I even shared that with his agent. I never told him we almost traded you, because we didn’t almost trade him.”

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Central Notes: Butler, Noah, Antetokounmpo

March 30th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Several executives around the NBA say the Magic are a team to watch in regard to Jimmy Butler, The Vertical’s Chris Mannix reports. The swingman is in the first season of a five-year contract with the Bulls, but the tension between him and coach Fred Hoiberg, who’s just starting a five-year deal of his own, led several teams, including the Celtics, to ask the Bulls about trading for Butler before last month’s deadline. Orlando, with enough cap flexibility to add Butler and another maximum-salary player this summer, has several intriguing young players and coach Scott Skiles, a defensive taskmaster with similarities to former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

See more from the Central Division:

  • Many expect Joakim Noah to leave the Bulls in free agency this summer, Mannix writes in the same piece. Noah has also been linked to the Magic, though only speculatively.
  • Bucks coach Jason Kidd said a few days ago that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be guarding point guards and alluded to the need for a traditional point guard like Michael Carter-Williams to fill that duty, but Kidd on Tuesday said Antetokounmpo will be the team’s primary ball handler next season, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Antetokounmpo and Carter-Williams will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions in the offseason.
  • Miles Plumlee is fond of the Bucks organization and Kidd admires the center’s perseverance, Gardner notes in the same piece. Plumlee is set for restricted free agency at season’s end.
  • Some Thunder players still have raw feelings about Reggie Jackson, who pushed his way off the team and into the trade that sent him to the Pistons last season, as Royce Young of ESPN.com details. Russell Westbrook disapproved of Jackson’s animated celebration at the end of Detroit’s win Tuesday over Oklahoma City. “Yeah, I did actually,” Westbrook said. “Honestly, I think that was some real [expletive]. I don’t appreciate it for our team and our organization. I don’t like it at all. But it is what it is. We’ll see him down the line. We’ll take care of that when we get there.”
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Central Notes: LeBron, Love, Carter-Williams, Bulls

March 29th, 2016 at 9:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs are confident LeBron James won’t leave in free agency again, but they understand that at least a slight chance exists that he would if they once more come up short in the postseason, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. James “lashed out” at his teammates during the players-only meeting that followed the firing of David Blatt, sources told Lowe, and many in the Cavs brass have kept a nervous eye on the signs of discontent that James has shown on the court. The four-time MVP has the power to press for changes. Lowe confirms that the Cavs and Celtics spoke about Kevin Love before last month’s trade deadline but hears the Celtics made a lowball offer. The ESPN scribe believes chances are strong that Cleveland will trade Love if the team doesn’t deliver in the playoffs, underscoring the unusual level of concern surrounding a team poised to grab the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

See more from the Central Division:

  • It’s a key summer for the development Michael Carter-Williams, Bucks coach Jason Kidd argues, but Kidd maintains his faith in the former Rookie of the Year, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel details. Carter-Williams, who’s out for the season with a torn labrum in his left hip, will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension from July through October. “Michael is able to guard the point,” Kidd said. “Giannis [Antetokounmpo] isn’t going to guard the point. You’ve got to have a small on the floor. With Michael being able to work on his jump shot and become consistent, it only makes us better.”
  • Bulls GM Gar Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson know they need to change the roster this summer, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf seems inclined to empower them to do so, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Still, Friedell takes Forman and Paxson to task for failing to see the fissures in this group of players last year and for a coaching change that hasn’t panned out. The Bulls, who held a team meeting Sunday, have lost four in a row and are two games in the loss column behind the Pistons for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
  • Cavs GM David Griffin is at fault for failing to put someone in the locker room who can hold LeBron accountable, at least to a degree, but the superstar is ultimately worth all the angst, contends TNT’s David Aldridge in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
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Central Notes: Lawson, LeBron, Irving, Moore

March 8th, 2016 at 3:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets were willing to replace Ty Lawson with Michael Beasley, which underscores the risk the Pacers assume with their new point guard, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. Taylor nonetheless believes Lawson and Indiana need each other. Much depends on how Lawson performs down the stretch, Taylor believes, and his debut for the team Monday was inauspicious, since he left after five minutes with a sprained foot, as Taylor notes in a separate piece. Lawson is day-to-day, coach Frank Vogel said, according to Taylor. See more from the Central Division:

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