Mirza Teletovic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lowe’s Latest: Lopez, Biyombo, Davis

April 7th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Most executives around the league expect Brook Lopez to turn down his player option for next season, worth more than $16.744MM, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. That’s on the heels of his surge over the past month, as he averaged 20.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in March, and he’s upped those numbers to 22.8 PPG and 9.8 RPG so far in April. Lowe wrote in December that most execs thought Lopez would pick up the option, so it seems his hot streak has changed thinking around the league. Still, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck wrote just a week after Lowe’s report in December that he had heard from many executives who expected even then that Lopez would opt out. The Nets center said a few weeks ago that he hadn’t thought about what to do with the option, so there’s some mystery here. Lowe has more rumors from his latest column, which focuses on players with decent chances of becoming this year’s version of what DeMarre Carroll was in 2013, when he signed a two-year, $5MM pact that wound up a bargain deal for the Hawks.

Bismack Biyombo will almost certainly see the value of his qualifying offer from the Hornets shrink from more than $5.194MM to nearly $4.046MM thanks to the starter criteria that he has virtually no chance of meeting. Executives are “nearly unanimous” that he wouldn’t command annual salaries of that nearly $5.2MM amount in free agency this summer, according to Lowe, though while most people believe a team could snag him for about $4MM a year, no one is sure about that, Lowe adds.
Ed Davis rejected a multiyear contract offer from the Grizzlies this past summer, several league sources tell Lowe. He instead signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal for the minimum salary with a player option that he’s said he plans to decline in search of a long-term deal this summer. Davis turned down a rookie scale extension in the fall of 2013 that would have given him annual salaries of $5-6MM beginning this season, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reported this past October.
Derrick Williams doesn’t intrigue front offices as much as he did a year ago, Lowe writes. He, too, is in line for a reduced qualifying offer from the Kings for failing to meet the starter criteria.
Lowe identifies the Spurs as a team to watch on Mirza Teletovic, though it’s unclear if that’s just speculation. The Nets can match offers if they extend a qualifying offer of more than $4.21MM.

And-Ones: Thomas, Mudiay, Nets

March 2nd, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Thomas was stunned when the Suns dealt him right before the trade deadline but he wasn’t surprised the Celtics wanted him, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports. Thomas, who has three years and approximately $19.76MM remaining on his contract after this season, expected Goran Dragic to be traded but thought he’d remain with the club that acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings last summer, according to Kennedy’s story. Boston’s Danny Ainge was the first GM to contact Thomas when the free agency period began in July and had been intrigued by Thomas’ skills since Thomas was a college prospect, Thomas told Kennedy. Thomas, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, is excited about his role with the Celtics and hopes to remain with the team in the long term, Kennedy adds.

In other news around the league:

Marquee draft prospect Emmanuel Mudiay is once more playing with China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers months after it appeared his overseas stint was at an end, as Nick Bedard of Basketball Buddha notes. Mudiay is the No. 2 ranked prospect in Eddie Scarito’s Hoops Rumors Prospect Power Rankings, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him third and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has the point guard fourth.
Mirza Teletovic, a restricted free agent after the season, wants to remain with the Nets, Alex Raskin of the Wall Street Journal tweets. Teletovic is out for the season after he was diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs in January. Teletovic was averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 40 games this season before the diagnosis.
The Hawks recalled Mike Muscala from the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced on Monday, Muscala, who appeared in six games with the Mad Ants, is averaging 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 20 games with Atlanta this season and gives the club some frontcourt depth.
The Sixers wanted to give JaVale McGee an opportunity to finish out the season with a playoff team, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said to Mannix it was “the right thing to do.” Several playoff teams are interested in McGee, who was acquired by the Sixers in a trade last month.

Atlantic Notes: Bargnani, Galloway, Ross, Nets

January 28th, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The idea of waiving Andrea Bargnani looks like it’s off the table for the Knicks until the trade deadline, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are reportedly shopping the former No. 1 overall pick who’s missed all but two games this season because of injury, but finding a trade partner will be difficult, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors examined last week. There’s more on the Knicks amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are trying to find use for the trade exceptions they picked up when they sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavs earlier this month, according to Berman, who writes in the same piece. The Smith exception is worth more than $5.982MM and the Shumpert exception nearly $2.617MM, but they don’t expire until January 5th, 2016.
Langston Galloway is assured of $275K for next season if he remains on the Knicks roster July 1st, and “well more” than half of his $845,059 salary for 2015/16 would be guaranteed if he’s still under contract at the start of training camp, Berman hears.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey‘s decision to bench Terrence Ross isn’t a harbinger of a trade, as league sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News the team isn’t making it any easier to deal for the former eighth overall pick.
Mirza Teletovic is set for discharge from a Los Angeles hospital today, and Nets team doctor Michael Farber expects him to make a full recovery from the multiple blood clots in his lungs discovered shortly after a game against the Clippers last week, the team announced. Teletovic, due for restricted free agency this summer, is out for the year thanks to the blood thinners he’s taking to treat the issue.

And-Ones: Hummel, Bullock, Celtics, Draft

January 26th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

There’s been a run of tough luck over the past few days, with Kobe Bryant, Brandon Jennings, Tony Wroten and Mirza Teletovic all likely having been knocked out for the season. There’s news on another injury this morning as the NBA hopes inclement weather in the Northeast won’t interfere with a seven-game night:

The Wolves have lost Robbie Hummel to a broken right (shooting) hand, the team announced (on Twitter), and Hummel said he’ll be out four to six weeks, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Hummel has started four of the last five games for Minnesota, which has a full 15-man roster, including Miroslav Raduljica, who’s on a 10-day contract.
Suns coach Jeff Hornacek believes new acquisition Reggie Bullock will fit into Phoenix’s plans for the future, as he told reporters, including Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bullock engaged in what he calls a “great conversation” with Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers when he found out that Rivers had pulled the trigger on the deal that sent him to Phoenix, Markazi observes.
The original plan was for Andre Dawkins to remain on D-League assignment for the duration of his 10-day contract with the Celtics, but coach Brad Stevens indicated there’s a decent chance that will change, notes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In any case, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest examines the reasons why NBA teams would sign a player to a 10-day deal and immediately send him to the D-League, as Boston did with Dawkins.
Tyler Harris said the idea that he intends to enter this year’s NBA draft didn’t come from him, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. A report last week indicated that the Providence junior small forward planned to declare for early entry.

Mirza Teletovic To Miss Rest Of Season

January 23rd, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Chuck Myron

Nets forward Mirza Teletovic will miss the rest of the season while he undergoes treatment for multiple blood clots in his lungs, the Nets announced. The 29-year-old left Thursday’s loss to the Clippers after experiencing shortness of breath. He’ll remain hospitalized for the time being, and he’ll go on blood thinners that will make it impossible for him to return in 2014/15, according to the team.

It seemed as though Teletovic had averted major trouble when he said on Twitter overnight that everything was OK following a “small problem,” and he had attributed the issue to fatigue, as Robert Windrem of NetsDaily tweets, but the issue is apparently more profound than he thought. The third-year veteran had been seeing more minutes per game this season (22.3) than in his previous two NBA campaigns, though his playing time had been receding with each passing month.

The Nets have an open roster spot, as our roster counts show, but they’re limited to handing out the prorated minimum salary to any free agents, and as a tax team, the cost of any signing would be multiplied. The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception was last week.

There were conflicting reports on whether Teletovic’s name came up in conversation between the Nets and Celtics when they apparently discussed potential Rajon Rondo trades earlier this season. The native of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the final year of his contract, making slightly more than $3.368MM, and he said in the fall that he planned to listen to offers from the Nets as well as others after the season. The Nets can make him a restricted free agent if they extend a qualifying offer worth more than $4.21MM.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Williams, Celtics, Garnett

December 27th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics discussed Brook Lopez and Deron Williams when the teams spoke about Rajon Rondo prior to the trade that sent Rondo to the Mavs, league sources tell NetsDaily’s Robert Windrem. The Nets have been open to trading Lopez and Williams, as well as Joe Johnson, and some reports have indicated that they’re actively seeking trades for the trio, though that matter is unclear, and it’s unknown whether the Celtics had or maintain interest in either Lopez or Williams. While we wait to see how Boston and Brooklyn try to shape themselves back into contenders, there’s more on those teams amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics and Nets talked about Mirza Teletovic and “some of the younger pieces” that Brooklyn has, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who spoke on CSNNE’s Celtics Pregame Live (video link). However, Windrem hears that wasn’t the case, as he notes in the same piece amid his transcription of Mannix’s remarks.
Kevin Garnett has been telling people this season is his last in the NBA, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears, but they haven’t necessarily believed him, and one unidentified person tells Bulpett that Garnett is having more fun playing than he has in a while. The 20th-year vet, whose contract expires at season’s end, said publicly this week that he’s not sure about whether he’ll play next season, Bulpett notes.
Landing Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 draft would help the Knicks attract free agents, as Marc Berman of the New York Post opines amid a look at New York’s woes. The Knicks are just a half-game back of the top slot in the draft lottery, our Reverse Standings show. Okafor, a center, tops the prospect rankings of Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Chad Ford of ESPN.com and our own Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Celtics, Teletovic, Sixers

October 21st, 2014 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers have company in their opposition to draft lottery reform, but it looks like change is inevitable. That figures to make a long season even longer in Philadelphia, but in the meantime, there’s news on the Sixers amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Greg Stiemsma would seem the favorite for the 15th regular season roster spot on the Raptors based on Toronto’s needs at center, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, but Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry are making strong cases for themselves, as Wolstat examines. Each has a partial guarantee of $25K.
The Celtics signed Tim Frazier, Rodney McGruder and Christian Watford with the intention of keeping their D-League rights, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Boston is set to release the trio, as well as Erik Murphy, from its NBA roster soon.
Mirza Teletovic plans to listen to offers from the Nets as well as other teams when his contract expires after the season, as he said this week to Avaz, a newspaper in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Robert Windrem of Nets Daily translates. The Nets can make Teletovic a restricted free agent, though their right of first refusal wouldn’t apply if he chose to go back overseas.
JaKarr Sampson has been especially impressive, as Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters this week as he discussed the team’s players fighting for a regular season roster spot, observes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Eastern Notes: Kidd, Celtics, Heat

June 29th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Kidd might look like the “bad guy” right now for trying to leave the Nets, but it might be the smartest thing for him to do, opines Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica cites the Nets’ declining roster, absentee owner, and a franchise that seemingly prizes headlines over wins as reasons Kidd might be trying to leave Brooklyn.

NYC Notes: Carmelo, Bulls, Nets, Teletovic

January 26th, 2014 at 9:07am CST by Jonathan Nehring

As the Knicks and Lakers prepare to meet this afternoon much anticipation surrounds Carmelo Anthony‘s response to his 62-point performance Friday night. Having broken Kobe Bryant‘s Madison Square Garden point record, this matchup would have brought much more hype had Bryant been able to defend his recently broken record. Instead, Kobe sits at the end of the bench recovering from a knee injury. Bryant’s visit will not be all for naught as Marc Berman of the New York Post suspects he will spend this trip recruiting Anthony to sign with Los Angeles next summer. Berman can’t imagine Anthony having much interest in the Lakers while head coach Mike D’Antoni is still at the helm considering their differences lost D’Antoni his job in New York but “the Lakers have cap space and the Clippers and the Bulls — at the moment — don’t.”

Time will tell how effective a sales pitch Kobe makes today. In the meantime, some other notes around the Big Apple.

As we pointed out yesterday, the Bulls are gaining traction as a destination spot for Carmelo this summer and are “much more in play than L.A.”. However, Chicago Tribune reporter K.C. Johnson cautions against those rumors as he believes Anthony in a Bulls jersey is an “extreme long shot”. Johnson points to the fact the Bulls could amnesty Carlos Boozer and still not be anywhere near the cap space needed to give Anthony the maximum contract he will be seeking. According to Johnson, the Bulls would have to also trade away either Taj Gibson or Mike Dunleavy and still hope Anthony will take a discount in order to join a coach and point guard he admires. Johnson does point out that a sign-and-trade involving Boozer and the Knicks could be more likely.
Speaking of those Anthony-to-Bulls rumors, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times claims the Bulls aren’t letting those rumors distract them. Head coach Tom Thibodeau told Cowley “[the Bulls have] gotten used to [the media’s rumors].” Cowley adds that he doesn’t believe Anthony heading to the Bulls is impossible but “the Bulls would have to be willing to go back over the luxury-tax threshold they just escaped.” They would also have to amnesty Boozer, as Cowley reiterates.
Turning our attention five miles south, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban relayed to Dwain Price of the Star-Telgram that he “had no doubts Jason Kidd would eventually get the Brooklyn Nets turned around.” Cuban has maintained his “great relationship” with his former point guard and believes Kidd’s close relationship with Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle “is paying dividends for the Nets right now.” Cuban believes Carlisle to be “one of the two or three best (coaches) in the game at in-game adjustments and play-calling, and I’m sure (Kidd) picked up more than a few pointers when he played for Rick.”
Observing the Nets after beating Cuban’s Mavericks on Friday to improve to 9-1 of late, Beckley Mason of The New York Times believes the Nets have transformed since the beginning of this season, allowing them to exceed previous limitations. Mason attributes the Nets unique lineups, increase in defensive intensity, and ability for any player on the roster to take over each night as reasons for the sudden change in Brooklyn.
Evidence of the ability of any Net to take over on a given night, Mirza Teletovic is “making the most of his chance,” as Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com reports, after Teletovic scored a career-high 34 points against the Mavericks. Teletovic credits the Nets’ abundance of shooters as the reason “the guy from Europe [was left] open,” but Deron Williams believes Teletovic is “a competitor… making the most of [the opportunity].”

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Teletovic, Blue

December 31st, 2013 at 5:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thaddeus Young is playing at an All-Star level this season, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. ”I think Thaddeus’ last [four] games are off the charts,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “It’s at an all-star type of level. He’s playing with versatility and a toughness and a leadership. It’s just a real strong package that he’s showing us. I really feel, the last [four games] if that’s what he is, he’s something special.” Meanwhile, the 25-year-old continues to hear his name in trade talk. Try not to get teary-eyed on us, because this is the final Atlantic Rumors post of 2013..

J.R. Smith, who took to Instagram to express his frustrations with the Knicks’ decision to waive his brother, didn’t speak to reporters today, but coach Mike Woodson doesn’t expect Smith to have hard feelings against Jeremy Tyler, who replaced the younger Smith on the roster. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details. Chris Smith isn’t sure whether he’ll sign to play in the D-League and he may wait awhile before making his next move, Berman notes.
Tyler could play a significant role for the Knicks, as Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal examines.
Mirza Teletovic doesn’t answer a question about whether he’s asked for a trade, but he tells Emir Jesenković of the Bosnian newspaper Avaz that he’s not thinking about the possibility of a trade and that his focus remains on the Nets. Teletovic also lends his support to coach Jason Kidd (translation via NetsDaily).
Sixers camp invitee Vander Blue is once more a free agent, as Maccabi Rishon LeZion of Israel has waived the former Marquette shooting guard, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links).

Zach Links contributed to this post.