Mickael Pietrus Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Shaw, Caboclo, Pietrus

March 4th, 2015 at 10:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Brian Shaw was Phil Jackson‘s second choice after Steve Kerr to become the Knicks‘ new head coach last summer, but Jackson was leery of the compensation it would take to pry Shaw away from Denver, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. While it’s doubtful that New York’s team president would part ways with Derek Fisher after inking him to a five-year deal this past offseason, adding Shaw as a veteran assistant on the Knicks’ coaching staff next season is entirely possible, Berman adds. A friend of the coach relayed that Shaw would have considered it an ideal opportunity to become the Knicks’ head man under Jackson had the Nuggets fired him after last season, the Post scribe relays.

Here’s more from around the league:

Raptors rookie Bruno Caboclo is now being represented by Relativity Sports, having parted ways with agent Eduardo Resende, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun reports (Twitter link).
Clippers executive and coach Doc Rivers said that the team would “most likely” sign Jordan Hamilton to a second 10-day contract when his initial 10-day pact ends this Thursday, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
It wasn’t surprising that Ray Allen announced that he wouldn’t play this season, Chris Mannix of SI.com tweets. Allen is reportedly content with living the life of a retiree, Mannix adds.
Former NBA player Mickael Pietrus has inked a deal in Puerto Rico with Mets de Guaynabo, Three Eye Sports reports (Twitter link). The swingman’s last NBA appearance was during the 2012/13 campaign when he appeared in 19 contests for the Raptors. In 557 career NBA games Pietrus has averaged 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. His career slash line is .425/.355/.665.
NBA teams are still trying to evaluate Emmanuel Mudiay, and decide if he is worth selecting with the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes in his profile of the 18-year-old guard. “The two guys with the biggest upsides in the draft are Mudiay and Karl-Anthony Towns,” one NBA GM told Ford. “Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell are more sure things, but neither of those guys have the ceiling of Mudiay and Towns. And of those four, Mudiay is the best athlete. I can understand a team taking any of those four guys No. 1. But if you’re asking me who has the chance to be a game-changer in the NBA, I think it’s Mudiay. Big risk, big reward.“

And-Ones: Pietrus, Parker, Bjelica

September 24th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

After a one-year break, free agent Mickael Pietrus is healthy and ready to return to the NBA, Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. One league executive told Haynes that Pietrus has looked good in workouts and can help an NBA team immediately. The executive added, “You can tell right away that he can still be a productive player. His movements are crisp and the athleticism is there. It’s all about finding the right fit for him but he definitely belongs in the NBA.” Pietrus has already worked out for the Kings, and has more showcases lined up in the future.

Here’s more from around the league:

Serbian player Nemanja Bjelica has signed with Wasserman Media Group, Liz Mullen of Sports-Business Journal reports (Twitter link). The Timberwolves hold the NBA rights to the 2010 second-rounder.
Free agent guard Charlie Westbrook has signed with Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket in France, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). Westbrook went undrafted back in 2012 and was in training camp with the Heat last year before spending the rest of the season in the D-League.
Bucks rookie Jabari Parker said he was more comfortable playing power forward when asked which position suited him best, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. In an interview with Nancy Lieberman of Sirius XM NBA Radio, Parker said, “As of right now I’m more comfortable with the 4 position. That’s where I played previously, before getting drafted, at Duke. I played a lot of 4. Even in high school. I know this is a different level. But in coach’s style of play, it’s more a stretch 4. That’s where I like to play my game, even though I like to post up a little. Just being on the perimeter, setting screens and popping, that’s what we’ve been doing so far. That’s what coach Kidd has been anticipating me playing that role.”
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/24/6733686/abdur-rahim-no-longer-with-kings.html#storylink=cpy

And-Ones: Pietrus, Sophomores, Crawford

September 18th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Zachary Links

NBA coaches need to be in charge, they need to have the final say on matters, and they need to have the backing of the front office. Of course, that’s not always the way it is and, for the most part, NBA teams wind up getting run by their players, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith would be very impressed with a General Manager who would call in a star player and tell him to shape up or ship out, but that rarely happens. Here’s more from around the Association..

The Kings worked out free agent forward Mickael Pietrus this week in Sacramento, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter).
Word of Jordan Crawford‘s deal in China just leaked out today, but the guard tells his followers on Twitter that the deal was actually agreed upon a month ago.
Being a rookie in the NBA can be hard on most players who have to adjust to the talent level the league offers as well as the grueling schedule. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com takes a look at some second-year players who could be facing career-defining seasons.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Pietrus, Centers, Team USA

September 6th, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Team USA continued to dominate competition during FIBA World Cup play, defeating Mexico by the score of 86-63. Stephen Curry led the way for the Americans, scoring 20 points. Gustavo Ayon was the high-scorer for Mexico with 25 points.

Here’s more from around the league:

Free agent swingman Mickael Pietrus has workouts scheduled with four teams later this month in an effort to rejoin the NBA, agent Bill McCandless tells Jérôme Knoepffler of the French website Basket USA (translation via HoopsHype). The 10-year veteran went without a deal all of last season and last appeared for the Raptors in 2012/13.
More than a few great athletes have had their careers cut short due to injuries. Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders takes a look at some of the notable NBA players whose careers ended too soon.
Despite the NBA becoming a more wing-oriented league over the last decade there are still plenty of good big men in the association. Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders looks at a number of the more underrated centers in the game.

Mickael Pietrus Rules Out NBA Return In 2013/14

March 20th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mickael Pietrus is focusing on returning to the NBA in 2014/15, agent Bill McCandless tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, adding that the 32-year-old swingman plans to sit out the remainder of this season. Pietrus rejected multiple “significant” overseas offers, but he’s had no luck finding work in the Association this year, even though a pair of NBA teams were reportedly keeping tabs on him as of January.

Pietrus played last season for the Raptors, appearing in just 19 games but making 16 starts. His minutes were close to his career average, but his scoring, rebounding, assists and field goal percentage were all much lower than usual. He received an invitation to Spurs camp over the summer, but he rejected it, and while he tried to find his way onto the Blazers earlier this season, Portland turned him down.

McCandless suggests the reason that Pietrus has been unable to return to the league is because teams want to save room for this year’s draft class. That seems to indicate that Pietrus has been looking for a multiyear deal, though that’s just my speculation. In any case, if a team makes a suitable offer between now and the end of the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pietrus goes back on his plans to stay at home.

Mickael Pietrus

Odds & Ends: Suns, Bobcats, Pietrus

February 13th, 2014 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Executives from around the league say the Bobcats and Suns are the teams to watch with the trade deadline a week from today, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both teams are buyers looking to improve their postseason chances, and Charlotte in particular has been involved in numerous trade rumors of late. Here’s more from around the Association:

A recent conversation with Nicolas Batum sold Mickael Pietrus on the idea of joining the Blazers, but Portland, with a full 15-man roster, declined the free agent swingman’s pitch to join the team, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post figures Mike Woodson has coached the Knicks for the last time at Madison Square Garden, since New York follows up Wednesday’s home loss to the Kings with a tough road trip after the All-Star break.
Dan Gadzuric has signed with Petrochimi of Iran, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The 36-year-old is continuing his career overseas after retiring from the NBA this past fall.
Hawks first-round draftee Lucas Nogueira is headed back to Spain to rejoin Estudiantes next week, observes fellow Sportando scribe Emiliano Carchia. The 16th overall pick this past June has been in the care of Hawks doctors, who’ve treated the severe tendinitis that’s sidelined him since December.
The Rockets have sent Robert Covington to the D-League, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The assignment will allow the rookie to take part in the D-League All-Star Game this weekend.

Two NBA Teams Keeping Tabs On Mickael Pietrus

January 23rd, 2014 at 2:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mickael Pietrus is one of the most prominent free agents from this summer who’s still without a deal, and he’s rejected “significant” offers to play overseas in hopes of landing an NBA job, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. A pair of NBA clubs have maintained frequent contact with the 31-year-old swingman as he works out on his own in Orlando, Charania hears, though it’s not clear which teams those are.

Pietrus turned down a camp invitation from the Spurs this fall in search of a guaranteed contract. He held out for a guaranteed deal in 2012 and got one from the Raptors on the last day of November that year, but the strategy hasn’t proven as successful this time around for the client of Bill McCandless. There hasn’t been any chatter of significance about Pietrus since the start of preseason.

The 10-year NBA veteran has averaged 8.3 points in 20.3 minutes per game for his career, with a below-average 11.6 PER. His production was off in a similar amount of minutes with the Raptors last season.

Mickael Pietrus

Latest On Notable Veteran Free Agents

October 3rd, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Even with about 550 players currently under contract with NBA teams, there are still a number of interesting names remaining on our list of 2013/14 free agents. That list will only grow in the next several weeks, as teams release camp invitees in an effort to reduce their roster counts to the regular-season maximum of 15. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see some of the players presently available to land on NBA teams once the season gets underway.

Injuries are already starting to pile up for some teams, and when a club needs to add an extra body or two during the season, a veteran addition is more likely than a rookie signing. Even if a team would rather take a look at a few young players during camp, a known commodity has more value when that same team needs immediate help during the season.

So which players could we see join teams at some point after training camp ends? Here are a few names to keep in mind, along with the latest rumors and updates we've heard about them:

Rodrigue Beaubois
Previous team: Mavericks
Latest updates: The Heat were reportedly hoping to bring Beaubois in for an "audition," but a wrist injury derailed those plans. If and when he gets healthy, Beaubois could draw renewed interest, though perhaps a lottery team would be more likely to take a flier than a contender.

Jason Collins
Previous team: Wizards
Latest updates: ESPN.com's Marc Stein recently explored Collins' free agency, identifying the Nets, Wizards, and Clippers as potential fits for the big man. Coach Mike Woodson also confirmed that the Knicks kicked the tires on Collins before deciding to go younger.

Chris Duhon
Previous team: Lakers
Latest updates: The Knicks and Sixers were said to be considering Duhon back in August, and we heard again about Philadelphia's interest last month. The team went younger and cheaper shortly thereafter though, signing Darius Morris.

Richard Hamilton
Previous team: Bulls
Latest updates: A report a month ago indicated that the Rockets and Knicks could have interest, but both clubs have several other options for now. Perhaps New York could re-emerge as a viable option if J.R. Smith has lingering issues related to his offseason knee surgery.

Josh Howard
Previous team: Timberwolves
Latest updates: While some of the players on this list may be waiting out the market in the hopes that teams will get more desperate when rosters are reduced to 15 players and injuries start to add up, Howard was said to be in the market for a camp invite. That doesn't seem to bode well for his chances of catching on with an NBA team this season, though there's still plenty of time.

Stephen Jackson
Previous team: Spurs
Latest updates: Jackson was linked to the Rockets and Heat back in August, but both of those teams have several other three-point shooters in the mix. With Jackson's production in decline, clubs may be reluctant to roll the dice on the 35-year-old and his strong personality.

Mickael Pietrus
Previous team: Raptors
Latest updates: Although Pietrus received a camp invite from the Spurs, he continues to seek a guaranteed deal, as he did a year ago. It worked out for him last fall, when he signed a guaranteed contract with the Raptors several weeks into the season, but he didn't play well and didn't stay healthy in Toronto. We'll see if his patient approach to free agency pays off again this time around.

Other notable veterans on the market: Daequan Cook, Drew Gooden, Lamar Odom, Sasha Pavlovic, Tyrus Thomas, Jamaal Tinsley, Luke Walton, Hakim Warrick, Chris Wilcox

Mickael Pietrus Seeking Guaranteed Deal

September 27th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Nearly all of the NBA contracts being signed in the weeks leading up to training camp are non-guaranteed, but Mickael Pietrus is looking for more than a make-good deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania reports that Pietrus turned down a camp invitation from the Spurs and continues to seek an offer that includes a guaranteed salary.

We heard earlier in September that Pietrus was working out for the Spurs, and it's no surprise that he received a camp invite, since the team seems to be bringing in veteran wings to compete for its final roster spot. Sam Young and Corey Maggette are among the players who will be in camp with the Spurs.

According to Charania, Pietrus has worked out for a few teams besides the Spurs, but presumably no other club was willing to offer a fully guaranteed contract either. There's something of a precedent here for Pietrus, who didn't participate in training camp last fall, and ultimately landed a guaranteed pact with the Raptors a month into the season. With word of a few injuries already beginning to trickle in, it's probably not a bad strategy for Pietrus and his reps to wait out the market for now, in the hopes that a desperate team will be willing to up its offer within the next few weeks.

Pietrus' 2012/13 season was cut short due in part to knee issues, which plagued him even when he did suit up. He appeared in 19 contests for Toronto, averaging career-lows in PPG (5.3), FG% (.347), and PER (6.0), among other categories. However, Charania says the French swingman has spent the offseason working out to regain his old form.

Mike Bibby, Mickael Pietrus Working Out For Spurs

September 3rd, 2013 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA point guard Mike Bibby is participating in a Spurs mini-camp this week, auditioning for a chance at a contract or camp invite, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Zwerling adds that Mickael Pietrus will also be among the players working out for the Spurs (Twitter links).

It seems the Spurs have yet to start extending camp invites to roster hopefuls. As our page of roster counts shows, the club currently has 14 players under contract, all on guaranteed deals. Teams can carry up to 20 players up until opening night, so I'd expect San Antonio to add a few more players before camp opens.

Whether Bibby or Pietrus will earn one of those spots on the preseason roster remains to be seen. Bibby, 35, didn't appear in an NBA game last season, having last played for the Knicks in 2011/12. Pietrus signed a minimum-salary contract with the Raptors last season, but injury woes and a lack of production limited him to 19 games.

According to Zwerling, Pietrus may have more workouts lined up, but the Spurs appear to be Bibby's only potential suitor at this point.