Nik Stauskas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Acquire Jahlil Okafor From Sixers

December 7th, 2017 at 5:22pm CST by Austin Kent

5:22pm: The reported trade is now official, both teams have announced in press releases.

3:16pm: The Nets and Sixers are nearing a deal that will send Jahlil Okafor to Brooklyn, Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets. In the trade, Lowe adds, Philly will also send Nik Stauskas and a second-round pick to the Nets in exchange for Trevor Booker.

The second-round pick heading from the Sixers to the Nets will actually be the Knicks’ second-rounder in 2019, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Charania also clarifies that the Nets will promptly release guard Sean Kilpatrick in order to create space for the two incoming players.

The move to Brooklyn serves as an excellent opportunity for 2015’s third overall pick. Having seen action in just two contests for the Sixers this season, Okafor was in desperate need of a change of scenery. His camp had been working directly with the franchise to find a suitable new destination since at least October.

Okafor will slot into the Nets’ depth chart as a potential starter. Given that Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a rookie back in 2015/16, it’s not unreasonable to expect him to eat into Timofey Mozgov‘s role at the five. Okafor, after all, showed up to training camp this fall in the best shape of his career.

Worth keeping an eye on is the fact that Okafor will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season thanks to Philadelphia’s decision to decline his 2018/19 fourth-year option. If the Nets want to re-sign him, they won’t be able to offer him a starting salary worth more than the value of that declined option (approximately $6.3MM).

The acquisition of Stauskas may not move the needle much for Brooklyn fans, but the former Michigan Wolverine will reunite with Caris LeVert and add depth on the perimeter. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.

Finally, the Sixers will benefit from Booker’s veteran presence and his expiring $9.1MM contract isn’t going to impact the team’s financial future. Booker has averaged 10.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in just 21.9 minutes per game so far this season and will provide extra depth for a young team that is looking to turn the corner and seriously compete in the East.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Rumors: Johnson, LeBron, Stauskas, Raptors

November 13th, 2017 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers veteran big man Amir Johnson isn’t pouting about sitting out the team’s loss to the Warriors on Saturday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Johnson, who signed a one-year, $11MM contract in the offseason, was actually appreciative that coach Brett Brown forewarned him that he would not play for the first time this season. “I can’t do anything but respect having a coach come up to you and letting you know when you are going to get ready,” Johnson told Pompey. “With me being a vet, I always stay ready.” Johnson and Richaun Holmes are sharing time as center Joel Embiid‘s backups. Johnson isn’t concerned how his lack of playing time could impact him in the free agent market next summer, Pompey adds.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Cavaliers forward LeBron James wasn’t criticizing rookie guard Frank Ntilikina but rather taking a potshot at former Knicks president Phil Jackson with his comments regarding Mavs rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. James said over the weekend that Smith “should be a Knick,” referring to Smith going one pick after the Knicks selected Ntilikina. James clarified his remarks on Monday, emphasizing he didn’t mean to disparage Ntilikina’s ability. Ntilikina still apparently took offense to James’ comments, giving the perennial All-Star a shove during their teams’ game on Monday night, the Associated Press’ Brian Mahoney tweets.
The Sixers will be without backup guard Nik Stauskas for at least a week. He’s out with a sprained right ankle, Pompey tweets, and will be reevaluated in 7-10 days. That leave the Sixers a little thin in the backcourt. Jerryd Bayless is out indefinitely with a wrist injury.
The Raptors’ offensive issues have led to poor transition defense, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes. The Raptors have made just 33.5% of their 3-point attempts while hoisting up an average of 31.1 per game. That leads to long rebounds and poor floor balance, a major reason why the Raptors rank 27th by allowing an average of 13.4 fast-break points per game, Smith adds.

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Saric, Rambis

September 28th, 2017 at 6:54pm CST by Austin Kent

Among the biggest things that Gordon Hayward will have to adjust to when suiting up for the Celtics this year is the big market environment, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes.

Ever since rumors started to swirl that Boston may be the ultimate landing spot of the 2017 free agent (thanks in large part to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens), Hayward started to notice just how much attention he was generating in New England.

“It is different, and that’s something that’s different for me because I’ve flown under the radar since I’ve been in high school,” Hayward said. “Going into making this decision [to join the Celtics], we talked about how there’s going to be more of a spotlight.”

Hayward averaged 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Jazz last season. This year he’ll look to mesh well with a Celtics team dead-set on competing for the Eastern Conference title.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Despite a solid string of performances when given the opportunity to lead the Sixers, Dario Saric is poised to come off the bench for the squad at the start of the 2017/18 season. As Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, there were spacing issues when Saric played alongside Joel Embiid last season and it’s hard to envision a good fit for him with the rest of Philly’s expected starters on defense.
After a dismal 2016/17 season, Kurt Rambis has been relieved of his unofficial duties as the Knicks‘ defensive coordinator, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Rambis remains an associate head coach with the team, however.
Unsurprisingly, the Sixers have not engaged with Nik Stauskas about a possible contract extension, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Despite that, the shooting guard would be open to remaining with the team beyond this season.

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Stauskas, Nets, Celtics

August 31st, 2017 at 6:32pm CST by marksuleymanov

A report earlier this week suggested that friction between the Knicks‘ young phenom Kristaps Porzingis and head coach Jeff Hornacek caused the Latvian to skip his exit meeting earlier this offseason. However, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that issues between the player and coach were not the source of Porzingis’ issue with the team.

Porzingis was reportedly frustrated with the front office (particularly ex-president Phil Jackson) and the team’s treatment of Carmelo Anthony. Issues between Hornacek and Porzingis suggest that his problems with the team went beyond Jackson and company. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported in July that Porzingis and Hornacek’s relationship “sat on rocky terrain” for most last season, partly because of his loud and critical treatment of the Knicks’ former first-round pick.

“We try to get good relationships with all our guys, not just the star guys,” Hornacek said to Bondy about his relationships with players on the team. “We’re talking to these guys every day. We see them every day. We travel with them. As a group we’re trying to do more things as a team, kind of family-type stuff. We’ll try to grow on that, that way.”

For what it’s worth, the Knicks have insisted that the organization’s future rests on its young assets with the 22-year-old Porzingis at the forefront. With key changes to the front office and the roster, New York enters 2017/18 with cooled expectations but a clearer vision for the future.

Below you can read additional news around the Atlantic Division:

The “Process” of the Sixers rebuilding and trying to be competitive is over, swingman Nik Stauskas says to William Lou of theScore. The Sixers drafted Markelle Fultz first overall, signed J.J. Redick, and are hoping for healthy seasons from Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid If those elements come together, Stauskas feels the team can win.
Jared Sullinger is one of several remaining free agent targets for the Nets, according to SB Nation’s NetsDaily (Twitter link). Brooklyn has two open roster spots and approximately $5MM in cap space, NetsDaily adds.
With the Kyrie Irving trade complete, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes that Boston can now focus on how the current roster shapes up and how the big three of Irving, Gordon Hayward, and first-round pick Jayson Tatum will mesh.
While Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge gave up a king’s ransom for Irving, CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely writes that Ainge was right to complete the deal for the superstar guard.

Sixers Notes: Okafor, Brown, Colangelo, Embiid

April 14th, 2017 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Center Jahlil Okafor wasn’t among the players identified as “keepers” for next season by Sixers coach Brett Brown in a news conference today. Brown listed Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Richaun Holmes, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Nik Stauskas and T.J. McConnell, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Okafor was the subject of numerous trade rumors prior to February’s deadline. and his future with the organization remains uncertain. Brown said Okafor understands this is an important offseason for him (Twitter link), adding, “Our mission this summer is to get his body right.” (Twitter link). GM Bryan Colangelo, who also spoke to reporters today, didn’t say that trading Okafor will be a priority, but he noted, “If a deal comes along that makes sense for both, we’ll listen.” (Twitter link).

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

Brown and Colangelo both identified shooting as the Sixers’ most pressing offseason need. Brown said the team also needs to find a backup power forward, sign some veterans, assess Simmons’ abilities as a point guard and find the right shooting guard to play alongside him, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.
Brown added that early-season injuries to Simmons and Jerryd Bayless were the biggest obstacles the Sixers faced in their 28-54 season (Twitter link). Simmons fractured a bone in his right foot during training camp and missed the entire year. Bayless, who signed a three-year, $27MM deal last offseason, tore a ligament in his left wrist during camp and was limited to three games. “You felt like you just blew out your backcourt in about a week,” Brown said.
The Sixers are expecting a much healthier version of Embiid next season, Pompey tweets. After missing his first two NBA seasons, Embiid was limited to 31 games in his rookie year. Although he played spectacularly, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, Embiid was on a minutes restriction and Philadelphia’s medical staff was very cautious about his availability. “I don’t think back-to-backs will be an issue” for Embiid next season, Colangelo said.
Colangelo promises an aggressive approach in free agency, saying, “If there is the right free agent to spend money on, we will.” (Twitter link). The Sixers will enter the July bidding with more than $50MM available under the salary cap. Colangelo also vowed to be “prudent and wise” with any signings (Twitter link).

Jahlil Okafor, Robert Covington Done For The Season

March 31st, 2017 at 5:47pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Sixers announced they have shut down Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington for the season’s remaining seven games (Twitter links). Okafor had been sidelined with right knee soreness, an ailment “exacerbated by impact in game at OKC.” Meanwhile, Covington suffered a slight tear of his lateral meniscus.

With the Sixers out of the playoff picture, there was little reason to ask Okafor and Covington to play through injuries. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Nik Stauskas can expect to see a bump in minutes while Covington recuperates, and Shawn Long will receive time at center alongside Richaun Holmes.

The short-handed Sixers will face Cleveland at 7:30pm EDT.

Atlantic Notes: Howard, Noel, Sixers, Knicks, Rose

December 28th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

When he hit the open market back in July, Dwight Howard was linked to a handful of teams before he eventually landed with the Hawks, but he’s not sure why the Knicks were one of those clubs. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News details, Howard “strongly denied” an offseason report suggesting he considered the Knicks in free agency.

“I never said that. I love New York, the Knicks are a great team. But that was something that was a lie,” Howard said. “That was a rumor that was being put out there. Like I said, I have no issues with New York or the fans or the people there, but it’s just something I’ve never said.”

For what it’s worth, our Howard archive includes multiple reports that suggest the Knicks were considering Howard this past summer, but there’s little to suggest that interest was mutual.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After griping about his playing time when he first returned from a knee injury, Nerlens Noel has made peace with his role – or lack thereof – in the Sixers‘ rotation for now, says Keith Pompey of he Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, even if Noel isn’t thrilled with his situation, attempting to make the most of it is the best thing he can do for both the team and his own trade value.
Although Sixers guard Nik Stauskas has reiterated that he holds no ill will toward the Kings for trading him early in his career, he’s always motivated to show his old team that it was a mistake to give up on him, Pompey writes in a separate piece for The Inquirer. “No one wants to be given up on,” Stauskas said. “But at the same time, I think they did me a favor by sending me here. So I’m not really mad about it.”
As Ian Begley of ESPN.com outlines, Derrick Rose – who is on track for unrestricted free agency in 2017 – is having a major impact on the Knicks‘ offense this season and is one of the reasons New York looks like a potential playoff team.
We rounded up a handful of Celtics notes earlier today.

Kings Notes: Cousins, Casspi, Gay, Stauskas

November 30th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings coach Dave Joerger has gone back to a bigger starting lineup in an effort to improve the team’s defense, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Kosta Koufos is back with the starters, being used at center with DeMarcus Cousins at power forward. Joerger briefly tried a small-ball starting lineup, but wasn’t satisfied with the results. “I’m trying to protect DeMarcus a little bit by letting Kosta take the hits on a bigger guy like [Washington Wizards center Marcin] Gortat,” Joerger said. “And defensively more pick-and-rolls and try to save [Cousins’] legs for the end.”

There’s more news out of Sacramento:

Cousins continues to put up incredible numbers, averaging 28.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per night, but the Kings need more production from their complementary players, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. “We’ve just got to be better,” Omri Casspi said after Monday’s overtime loss at Washington. “Our bench guys and our role players have to do a better job of helping DeMarcus. It feels like he’s doing anything he can to win the game for us. We’ve just got to be better.”
Rudy Gay confirmed that he has left Octagon Basketball, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Gay, who has suggested that he won’t be re-signing with Sacramento after he becomes a free agent next summer, may be joining Roc Nation, an agency headed by rapper Jay Z (Twitter link). However, he told Jones that the change isn’t related to his impending free agency (Twitter link).
Nik Stauskas says it doesn’t bother him to hear that the Kings feel like they should have drafted someone else in 2014, Jones posts on Facebook. Owner Vivek Ranadive recently told Amick that he preferred Magic guard Elfrid Payton over Stauskas as the No. 8 pick. “Like I said, they did me a favor sending me here to Philadelphia,” Stauskas replied. “I’ve had a really good opportunity to play even though I hadn’t been performing though my first year with the Sixers. I’m thankful that the organization gave me an opportunity, they drafted me, but if they felt like the made a mistake by drafting me then they felt like they made a mistake. I can’t do anything about it now.”

Atlantic Notes: Afflalo, Noah, Stauskas, Whitehead

November 28th, 2016 at 11:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Arron Afflalo knew it was time to leave New York after being benched by interim coach Kurt Rambis and learning that the team was pursuing Courtney Lee, relays Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Afflalo spent just one year with the Knicks, opting out of an $8MM deal for this season and reaching a two-year, $25MM agreement with the Kings. His season in New York was marked by a coaching change, the demotion and other turmoil. “It’s hard to get a genuine experience with anything when you haven’t had longevity or there are a lot of changes taking place, whether it’s changes with my individual role or with the coaching staff or the environment as a whole,” Afflalo said. “Six months is a short season when you’re not a playoff team and you’re going through a lot of changes, but they seem to be doing better now. I think as the core group, with Melo [Carmelo Anthony] and KP [Kristaps Porzingis], and the guys that they bring in continuing to get better, New York will be okay.”

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

Thunder coach Billy Donovan is still a believer in Joakim Noah despite a difficult first month with the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Donovan, who coached Noah on two national championship teams at the University of Florida, says the center’s competitive spirit will help him overcome a slow start. Noah is averaging 4.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game after signing a four-year, $72MM contract this summer. “He’s going to continue to improve and get better as a player, he’s going to put his work in,” Donovan said. “But he’s one of the guys in my opinion that’s truly all about sacrifice, team and winning. I think he’ll bring that to the Knicks throughout the entire season.”
Nik Stauskas looks like a long-term fit with the Sixers after a rocky start to his NBA career, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. After being picked eighth in the 2014 NBA draft, Stauskas had an unproductive rookie season in Sacramento before being traded to Philadelphia. It took Stauskas time to find his way with the Sixers, but he has developed into a valuable bench player, averaging 10.2 points per game and shooting 44.6% from 3-point range. “I’m just having fun out there again, enjoying myself and kind of figured that when I’m having fun, that’s when I’m playing my best basketball and just been trying to tune out any negativity or any self doubt or anything like that,” Stauskas said.
Rookie point guard Isaiah Whitehead is becoming more of a vocal leader for the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Brooklyn has needed Whitehead to develop quickly after an injury to Jeremy Lin, and coach Kenny Atkinson is encouraged by how he has responded. “There’s on-court technical development and physical development,” Atkinson said. “But leadership development, all the players are commenting, he’s changing, he’s talking to us, he’s opening up, he’s asking us questions. It’s big.”

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Beasley, Augustin, Stauskas

November 20th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have solved the chemistry issues that plagued them all last season, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. A power struggle ended when Derrick Rose was traded to the Knicks and Joakim Noah joined him there as a free agent, leaving Jimmy Butler as the clear leader in Chicago. He helped the team replace its lost talent by recruiting free agents Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. “We all enjoy each other’s company, man,” Butler said. “Even when we’re not playing basketball. Even if we’re throwing a football, if we’re playing cards or just sitting there talking. Everybody’s locked in. Everybody’s having fun and everybody wants to get to know each other a little bit better. I think that’s the major difference. We spent a lot of time off the floor together, which I didn’t know could help so much, but it really does.”

There’s more news out of the Eastern Conference:

Bucks forward Michael Beasley still considers himself a young player because of the time he spent out of the NBA, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Now 27, Beasley is getting used to a new team after being traded from Houston to Milwaukee in September. “My first step is really what I’ve built my game on, if you’ve watched my career,” he said. “That’s how I get my offense going, because a lot of people can’t stay in front of me. And a lot of people have trouble guarding left-handed players.”
Now on his eighth team in six seasons, backup point guard D.J. Augustin is hoping for some stability with the Magic, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. He signed a four-year, $29MM deal over the summer, but understands that isn’t a guarantee he will spend all four seasons in Orlando. “It feels good to know that I’m going to be here for a while, but you never know what can happen in the NBA,” Augustin said. “Even though guys sign long deals, they still get traded. Anything can happen, so I still have that in the back of my mind.”
Nik Stauskas blames lost confidence for a poor first season with the Sixers, according to Kevin Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Stauskas believes in his game again, and it has shown with six straight double-digit scoring nights. The third-year guard is now comfortable with his role as a scorer off the bench. “Now it’s just one of those things where I’m enjoying myself again, I’m having fun out there,” Stauskas said, “and I think that’s when I’m most effective, when I’m having fun and, like coach [Brett] Brown says, being a little bit cocky and playing with swagger. That’s when I feel like I’m at my best.”