Nando De Colo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Lakers, Thibodeau, Duncan, Embiid

June 13th, 2014 at 4:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers never asked the Bulls for permission to interview Tom Thibodeau, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who reported last month that they would. The L.A. brass is “all but sure” the Bulls would have asked for this month’s No. 7 overall pick, which the Lakers would be unwilling to give up, according to McMenamin. The ESPN scribe also believes that L.A.’s concerns about paying Thibodeau a lavish salary to coach a mediocre roster next season played a role, and suggests the Lakers are wary of the way their fans might react if Thibodeau rejected the team’s pursuit. Here’s more from around the league:

The deadline for Tim Duncan to decide on his $10MM player option for next season is June 24th, but the Spurs are operating under the assumption that Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich will return, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Most option clauses give players until June 30th to decide, though Duncan’s date can be pushed back if he and the team decide to do so, Stein notes, adding that Popovich’s contract runs through next season.
A source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Joel Embiid checked out fine when he took a physical this week for the Cavs, contradicting an earlier report from Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland, who hears that the exam raised serious concerns (Twitter links).
It appears as though the Bucks will work out Andrew Wiggins twice, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com hears that he’s auditioning for the team today in California and again next week in Milwaukee (Twitter link).
A handful of top European teams have interest in soon-to-be free agent Nando De Colo, and it seems like they’re willing to give the Raptors guard a raise on the $1.463MM he made in the NBA this season, reports Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net.
The Timberwolves have hired Sidney Lowe as an assistant coach, the team formally announced (Twitter link), confirming an earlier report. He spent last season as an assistant with the Jazz.

Spurs Notes: Daye, Free Agents

February 28th, 2014 at 8:36pm CST by Cray Allred

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters, including Josh McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, that Nando De Colo‘s request for San Antonio to move him to a better situation was the impetus for GM R.C. Buford to trade him to the Raptors last week. Popovich says Buford was working to accommodate De Colo’s wishes for some time (Twitter links). Here’s more from San Antonio:

Popovich said in the same session that he isn’t feeling very anxious about what free agents the Spurs could add, per Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links): “R.C. and the boys are doing their due diligence but there’s nothing there we’re super excited about.” The Spurs have been linked to multiple players on the buyout market, but haven’t landed any to this point.
Austin Daye, whom the Spurs acquired in the De Colo trade, tells Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press that turbulence with the Pistons during his few years in the league helped him mature: “I saw a lot of things usually a lot of first-year guys don’t see, second-year guys don’t see—guys getting into it with coaches and stuff like that and all type of different stuff going on. It was tough when guys didn’t want to go to shootaround and all that stuff,” says Daye. “I kind of had to grow and mature as a player and as a person. I think I was able to do that my third to fourth year. Just be mature, come into work every day and beat somebody out for their spot. Just earn your minutes as best you can, instead of expecting stuff.”
Daye hopes to make enough of an impression for the Spurs to guarantee the final year of his contract next season, worth $1.1MM. He wants a chance to succeed like other Spurs reclamation projects have. “Look at what happened to [Danny Green]. He wasn’t playing at all in Cleveland, never sniffed the floor when he was there. He came into this system and the system really helps players like that. It helps players with perhaps a special skill-set or maybe even one skill-set,” says Daye. “I think it’s a great chance for me—I don’t think it’s the last chance for me. If that’s what they’ve been saying, that’s what they can think. I know I’m a good player in this league, I know I can play in this league.”

Spurs, Raptors Swap De Colo, Daye

February 20th, 2014 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs and Raptors have announced their swap of Nando De Colo for Austin Daye. De Colo has been on frequent D-League assignments this year, having ceded playing time at backup point guard to Patty Mills and Cory Joseph. Daye has been even less of a factor for the Raptors, appearing for just 33 minutes total after signing a two-year minimum-salary deal this summer. NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Milwaukee Bucks

De Colo, a 2009 second-round pick of the Spurs, finally signed with the team on a two-year deal in 2012. The contract gives him slightly more than the minimum, and he’s making $1.463MM this year. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Daye’s pact is partially guaranteed for $250K next season. He was the 15th overall pick the same year the Spurs drafted De Colo, but he never panned out in three and a half seasons with the Pistons, who traded him to the Grizzlies as part of the three-way Rudy Gay trade in January 2013.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first tweeted news of the deal.

Western Notes: Fisher, Jackson, Turkoglu

January 15th, 2014 at 7:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Derek Fisher is breathing a little easier today with the news that the judge, Huey Cotton, who is presiding over Billy Hunter’s wrongful termination lawsuit had dismissed most of the allegations against Fisher, and all against his former business manager, Jamie Wior, writes Ken Berger of CBS Sports.com. Hunter had alleged that the two conspired to oust him and seize control of the NBPA during and after the 2011 lockout. Cotton ruled that Hunter’s claims against Fisher regarding breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual relations may go forward, but struck 12 other allegations against the former NBPA president from the lawsuit, including defamation. The judge also ruled that Hunter must pay legal fees for Fisher and Wior related to the claims that were dismissed. The rest of Hunter’s lawsuit is cleared to continue against the NBPA.

Here’s some other notes from around the Western Conference:

Pierre Jackson still hasn’t been able to reach a deal with the Pelicans, who hold his rights after drafting him 42nd overall in last year’s draft. Not long before Jrue Holiday was ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right tibia on January 10th, Jackson’s representatives requested and received permission to explore trade opportunities. Jackson’s agents, who also represent Holiday, met with Pelicans general manager Dell Demps this week, but Jackson still doesn’t have a contract with the team. This has Jackson and his camp disappointed, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Jackson is currently the D-League’s second-leading scorer at 29.9 PPG, and feels his production warrants some NBA playing time.
The Warriors will be keeping MarShon Brooks, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Brooks was acquired as a part of today’s three-team trade involving Boston and Miami. An earlier tweet by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe had indicated the team might waive Brooks.
Spurs guard Nando De Colo‘s agent denied reports that the player was attempting to return to Europe and play for Fenerbahce, as he told French newspaper L’Equipe (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). De Colo is currently averaging 2.0 PPG in limited action.
The Clippers continue to have interest in Sasha Vujacic even as they near a deal with Hedo Turkoglu, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Southwest Rumors: Motiejunas, De Colo, Hairston

January 14th, 2014 at 2:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The chances that Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin will be involved in a trade this year appear to be waning by the day, but that won’t preclude Daryl Morey from making some kind of deal between now and the February 20th trade deadline. He’s been the most active GM at the deadline over the past six seasons, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News points out. Many Rockets players aren’t sold on the idea that the team needs to make another deal, feeling the team can win the title as constituted, Deveney reveals. There’s plenty more on the Rockets as we look around the Southwest Division:

The Rockets are more likely to trade for a shooter than for a big man, Deveney writes in the same piece.
The Celtics were involved in trade talks for Donatas Motiejunas, but those discussions have since died, as Virginijus Bulotas, the international agent for the Rockets reserve, tells Lithuania’s SportoTV (translation via HoopsHype). The Mavs have also held interest in Motiejunas, who has reportedly been “desperate” for playing time as the Rockets and his U.S.-based agent, Arn Tellem, place calls with other teams.
Turkey’s Fenerbahce is interested in Spurs guard Nando De Colo, according Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Sportando). De Colo has bounced back and forth between San Antonio and the Spurs’ D-League affiliate, but it doesn’t sound like the Spurs have any interest in letting him go. De Colo will be a free agent at season’s end, so perhaps the France native will return overseas then.
The D-League affiliate of the Mavs has officially acquired P.J. Hairston, the club announced. The move was widely expected once Hairston signed with the D-League, since the Texas Legends had first dibs in the league’s waiver system. The Mavs and all other NBA teams are ineligible to call him up this season, since Hairston has yet to enter the NBA draft. The former North Carolina shooting guard is 32nd on the DraftExpress list of 2014 draft prospects and 41st on the board at ESPN.com.

D-League Notes: De Colo, Franklin, McCallum

January 12th, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at today’s D-League assignments and recalls..

Nando De Colo was recalled from the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced. The guard, who has been assigned to Austin five times this season, has appeared in eight D-League contests, averaging 23.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.75 steals in 37.1 minutes. He has appeared in 12 games this season for the Spurs, averaging 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 7.0 minutes.
The Grizzlies announced they have recalled guard Jamaal Franklin from theirD-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Franklin has averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes in three games through two assignments with Fort Wayne.
Kings rookie guard Ray McCallum may have set a new record for quickest D-League assignment and recall. After being assigned to the Reno Bighorns this afternoon, he’s already back up and available for Sacramento’s game tonight against the Cavs.
The Thunder announced that Andre Roberson has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers. Roberson was sent down on Friday after he put up five points and six boards against the Nuggets the night before.

D-League Moves: Sixers, Spurs, Mavs

January 6th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy day so far for D-League transactions, with several teams either calling up or sending down young players. We heard earlier that the Nets re-assigned Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor. Now, let’s round up the rest of Monday’s moves:

The Sixers have recalled both Elliot Williams and Lorenzo Brown from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Williams was just assigned to the Delaware 87ers yesterday, while Brown had been with the Sixers’ D-League affiliate for the last week and a half.
Nando De Colo has been sent to the Austin Toros for the sixth time this season, the Spurs announced in a press release. De Colo’s assignments have each been brief, as he’s played just five total games during his time with Austin, averaging 24.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 6.2 RPG.
The Mavericks have recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends, according to a team release. Ledo was assigned back on November 30th, and appeared in 14 contests with the Legends, helping to lead the club to a 10-5 overall record.
C.J. McCollum has been informed by the Blazers that he’ll be active for Tuesday’s game, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. McCollum hasn’t officially been recalled from the D-League’s Idaho Stampede yet, but it appears that will officially happen today or tomorrow, in advance of what could be McCollum’s NBA debut in Sacramento.

D-League Notes: Gobert, Clark, T’Wolves

January 4th, 2014 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s look at the D-League..

The Spurs announced that they have recalled guard Nando De Colo from the Austin Toros of the D-League. De Colo made his fifth appearance for the Toros this season Friday evening helping Austin to a 122-97 home victory over the Texas Legends finishing with 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. For now, teammate Malcolm Thomas remains in Austin.
Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark will be staying in L.A. following last night’s game against the Lakers because they’re both being assigned to the D-League once more, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
The T’Wolves are giving some thought to purchasing a D-League team, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. “Eventually that might be something that we want to do, where we have a team where we can send (players) back and forth,” president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. The Wolves plan on sending Shabazz Muhammad to their shared affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa. It’ll be their first D-League assignment since 2011/12.
Brandon Parker of the Washington Post wonders what kind of impact it will have on the D-League if Celtics star Rajon Rondo is sent down to rehab from injury. Having household names rehab on a farm team would increase the D-League’s exposure and attendance. It also, of course, would give NBA players a great way to ease back into regular action.

D-League Notes: Muhammad, N’Diaye, De Colo

January 3rd, 2014 at 5:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s today’s D-League assignments and recalls..

The T’Wolves informed rookie Shabazz Muhammad that he’s being assigned to their D-League affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “He can play more minutes in those four or five games down there than he might play here all year,” team president Flip Saunders said. The 14th overall pick has played sparingly in just 11 of 32 games so far this season. Meanwhile, Saunders says he hasn’t considered asking Robbie Hummel and rookie center Gorgui Dieng to do the same because both have been part of coach Rick Adelman‘s rotation.
The Kings announced that they have assigned center Hamady N’Diaye to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. The 7-foot Rutgers product is averaging 0.4 points (3-9 FG, 0-1 FT), 1.3 rebounds and 5.3 minutes per game in 14 appearances this season for the Kings. He will be in the Bighorns lineup tonight when Reno faces the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros of the D-League. This will mark De Colo’s fifth assignment to the Toros this season and Thomas’ fourth. In four games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.25 steals in 38.8 minutes. In his four games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.25 blocks in 30.3 minutes.
The Raptors announced that they have assigned guard Dwight Buycks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Buycks will continue to be included on the Raptors’ roster and will be placed on the team’s inactive list. Buycks has appeared in 12 games for the Raptors this season recording a total of 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 121 minutes. He posted a season-best ten points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals December 10th versus San Antonio.
To keep up with all of this season’s D-League assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.

Western Notes: Dudley, Thompson, Spurs

December 31st, 2013 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jared Dudley was the glue that helped hold the Suns together and this season he’s brought his chemistry-boosting power to the Clippers, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Meanwhile, the Suns’ acquisition of Eric Bledsoe has made them a surprisingly solid team this season and turned them into a much more athletic squad. More from the Western Conference..

Kings forward Jason Thompson is struggling in his sixth NBA season and while his name has been involved in trade rumors, he’s determined not to let them become another roadblock. “All of my teammates over the years give you different advice and tell you how other organizations are,” Thompson said in a conversation with Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “I have been on this team a good amount of years, so there’s nothing — like trade rumors — I haven’t seen before. “If a team wants to get rid of you, another team wants you. It’s good that you’re wanted. You only control what you can control. We’ll see what happens. I’ll play to the best of my abilities no matter how the situation goes.”
The Spurs announced that they have recalled guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas from the Austin Toros of the D-League. Both players made their fourth appearance for the Toros this season on Sunday when they led Austin to a 96-93 home victory over the Tulsa 66ers.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com if Andrew Bynum is worth the risk for the Mavs if he becomes available.