Nikola Jokic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Anthony, Kanter, Towns

January 28th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Austin Kent

The Thunder are intrigued by the idea of adding Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, though he also adds that they know such a pairing is a long-shot.

Anthony has been the subject of trade speculation for the last few months. In order for the forward to change teams, however, he would have to first waive his no-trade clause, something that he’s said to have only considered for the Clippers or Cavaliers and not specifically the Thunder.

That said, the possibility of suiting up alongside Russell Westbrook must at least somewhat appeal to the 32-year-old. Westbrook has led the Thunder to a 28-19 record.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

After fracturing his forearm while punching a chair, Enes Kanter has undergone successful surgery, writes Royce Young of ESPN. The Thunder big man is still expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks, but will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns started the year shooting nearly four three-pointers per game. That trend, Michael Rand of the StarTribune notes, has subsided of late. Rand observes that the Timberwolves big man saw his percentage from beyond the arc drop as the season went on and suggests that Towns is now striking a more successful balance between shooting from the outside and going to work down low. Seven of Towns’ highest games scores have come in his last eight game, a span in which he’s shot just 2.0 triples per game.
The unique ability of Nikola Jokic has given the Nuggets flexibility when it comes to generating lineups, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. His passing ability gives the team plenty of options when executing their offense. “Nikola is a guy we play all over the floor,” says head coach Michael Malone. “He’ll be in the low post. At times he’ll be in the high post and at the elbows. We’ll play through him anywhere.”

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Kanter, Blazers, Thibodeau

January 27th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will undergo an MRI today to determine the damage caused to his left hip in a collision Thursday night, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. X-rays taken after the game were negative and the injury has been diagnosed as a hip strain. The Nuggets, who currently hold the eighth seed in the West with a 20-25 record, would have a hard time withstanding a prolonged absence by Jokic, who is averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. “It’s good news for us,” teammate Will Barton said of the X-ray results. “He’s been playing out of this world for us, our best player. It would be tough to see him go down for a long time. I’m just happy he’s fine.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

The loss of Enes Kanter will create an even greater burden for Russell Westbrook, notes Royce Young of ESPN.com. Kanter is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks after breaking his right forearm by punching a chair Thursday night. The Thunder center was third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last year and has become even more valuable this season by improving his passing, Young writes. His absence robs the bench unit of a player who can create his own offense.
The Trail Blazers have one of the best backcourts in the league in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but they may need to break it up to build a contender, writes Michael Pina of RealGM. He suggests dangling both players in trade talks to see what kind of return they might bring, mentioning Andre Drummond, Jimmy Butler and Nerlens Noel as possibilities.
Tom Thibodeau’s style is starting to work with the Timberwolves, contends Jim Souhan of The Star-Tribune. Thibodeau can be loud and profane on the sidelines, but he is said to be fair and even-tempered with players behind the scenes. The Wolves are 17-29, but are only 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot that would be the first for the franchise since 2004. “He’s honest,’’ Andrew Wiggins said after a recent Thibodeau press conference. “He said we were flat but he likes the way we fought at the end.’’

And-Ones: Motiejunas, Deng, Jokic

December 3rd, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nets signed Donatas Motiejunas to an offer sheet on Friday and the timing of it was no accident, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Brooklyn hopes that by waiting until after November 23 to sign Motiejunas, the Rockets will further consider not matching, as that was the last day they could have signed him and still been allowed to trade him this season. If Houston matches now, the big man can’t be traded for a full year without his consent.

Stein also notes that Brooklyn hired former longtime Rockets executive Gianluca Pascucci as its director of international scouting during the offseason and there’s likely a correlation between the hiring of Pascucci and the Nets offer to Motiejunas.

Here’s more from around the league:

Luol Deng is struggling in his first season with the Lakers and the chatter about whether he fits in on Los Angeles’ young, promising team is expected to continue, Stein adds in the same piece. Deng signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in the offseason.
Nikola Jokic will miss at least a week as he recovers from a sprained wrist, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. “Talking to Nikola, he wants to play right when he can catch the ball,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I think we’ll probably be a little more cautious than that on this road trip, maybe get it looked at again just to kind of see where it’s at once the swelling goes down.”
Jake Rauchbach of Basketball Insiders examines how Russell Westbrook and James Harden are producing eye-popping numbers on the Thunder and Rockets, respectively. Both players signed extensions with their respective teams this offseason.

Northwest Notes: Oladipo, Ibaka, Jokic, Turner

November 13th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Oladipo has no regrets about the trade that sent him from Orlando to Oklahoma City, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Oladipo, who will face his former team for the first time tonight, not only landed with a contender, but he signed a four-year, $84MM extension last month. He is off to a good start in OKC, averaging 16.2 points per game and shooting 42% from 3-point range. “I was a little shocked at first,” Oladipo said of hearing about the deal. “But after it all soaked in, I was excited and looking forward to the opportunity. I’m glad where I am. Sometimes change is good.”

Serge Ibaka, who went to the Magic in the Oladipo deal, is looking forward to tonight’s return to Oklahoma City, relays John Denton of NBA.com. Ibaka spent seven years in OKC and helped the Thunder become one of the top teams in the Western Conference. He offered thanks to the fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “They gave me a lot of confidence,’’ Ibaka said. “Great things always have tough beginnings. It never starts great [and goes] to great. Big things come from small beginnings, so I have a lot of appreciation for those fans because my first year nobody knew who I was. But they gave me that trust and that’s one of the things I’m always going to appreciate them for.’’
Nuggets coach Michael Malone credits Nikola Jokic for being willing to accept a reserve role to help make the team better, according to Harrison Wind of BSNDenver. Malone tried juggling his lineup as Denver fell to 3-6 Saturday, starting Kenneth Faried and moving Jokic to the bench. “Nikola Jokic is probably the most selfless player on our team,” Malone said. “He’s a guy that even came to me, says ‘Coach I don’t want to start anymore. I just want to win.’ He’s one of the few guys on our team, that if I can pull him out of the starting lineup, he’s not going to be upset and pout. And I give him a lot of credit and respect for that.”
Evan Turner is feeling the frustration of his slow start in Portland, relays Jason Quick of CSNNW. The Trail Blazers gave Turner a four-year, $70MM deal this summer to add backcourt depth and another ballhandler. However, he is playing less than 24 minutes per game and averaging 6.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per night. He has 20 turnovers to go with 24 assists and appears bothered by his lack of playing time. “What can you possibly do?’’ Turner asked after Friday’s game. “When you get three shots and play 27 minutes … that’s not a knock, because we have the best guards in the league, but I mean, what can I possibly do besides be accountable to defense, take care of the ball, rebound, and play the floor? Where I just came from, I had the ball in my hands tons of times to make plays.’’

Northeast Notes: Harkless, Nurkic, Jokic, Sabonis

October 15th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Maurice Harkless has played well enough this preseason to claim the Trail Blazers‘ starting small forward slot, contends Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The 23-year-old Harkless re-signed with Portland this summer for four years at $40MM, but faces competition for the starter’s job from the re-signed Allen Crabbe and free agent addition Evan Turner. Coach Terry Stotts hasn’t named a starter yet, but Freeman believes Harkless’ defensive abilities and his chemistry with the other starters makes him the best choice. “Moe … just makes us versatile,” said Damian Lillard. “Being able to rebound the ball and push it, knock down threes, he can guard a bunch of positions, he changes the game in a different way.”

There’s more tonight out of the Northwest Division:

While the rest of the league is getting smaller, the Nuggets may start two 7-footers on opening night, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Jusuf Nurkic appears to have played well enough in preseason to earn the starting center job, with Nikola Jokic sliding over to power forward and Kenneth Faried moving to the bench. “It definitely is a herd mentality type of league,” said coach Michael Malone. “We’ve started two bigs together in (three) of our preseason games. We think that they can play well together because they are so skilled.”
The Jazz may need time to adjust to roster changes and the return of Dante Exum from injury, warns Dustin Jensen of The Deseret News. Utah traded for George Hill and Boris Diaw, signed free agent Joe Johnson and welcomed back Dante Exum after a year away with a torn ACL. Add in the emergence of second-year forward Trey Lyles and the Jazz may need time to develop chemistry.
Foul trouble is hampering rookie Domantas Sabonis as he bids for a starting job with the Thunder, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Sabonis has started every preseason game for Oklahoma City, but is averaging 3.3 personal fouls per night. Coach Billy Donovan is confident that Sabonis will learn to adjust. “When you’re a guard, you’re pretty much guarding the ball,” Donovan said. “But when you’re behind the (perimeter) defense and the floor starts moving and guys start shifting, you got to be able to pick up those movements and figure out what’s getting ready to happen.”

Western Rumors: Thunder, Young, Booker, Nuggets

October 10th, 2016 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie Domantas Sabonis appears to be the early leader for the Thunder’s starting power forward position over veteran Ersan Ilyasova, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman reports. Sabonis passed and shot the ball well in the Thunder’s preseason games in Spain last week, Horne continues. He’s also shown unusual maturity for his age, Horne adds. “In terms of defensively where he’s supposed to be, remembering plays, doing his job, being in the right spots, the right positions, (being) a competitive guy, he’s reliable,” coach Billy Donovan told Horne. “Really reliable.”

In other news around the Western Conference:

Lakers swingman Nick Young appreciates the way new coach Luke Walton has delivered his message of getting Young to improve defensively, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Young often bristled at the way former coach Byron Scott criticized him publicly, Medina notes, but Walton has tried a more positive approach. “You have a coach that is telling you to shoot the ball and has confidence in you,” Young told Medina. “All he wants you to do is play defense and do whatever you want on offense. That gives yourself a lot of confidence.”
Suns coach Earl Watson believes shooting guard Devin Booker is a star in the making, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic relays. Booker lit up the Trail Blazers for 34 points in three quarters this preseason and Watson marvels at his scoring ability, Coro continues. “He scored every way possible, so you like everything that he did,” Watson told Coro. “You can tell 19 years of age and his maturity and patience in the half-court and the way he can score is very unique. I’m not sure there’s a lot of people his age or a lot of people in the NBA who can do that.”
Jusuf Nurkic has been so impressive this preseason that he is practically forcing Nuggets coach Michael Malone to name him the opening-night starter at center, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Nurkic has played with determination in the preseason, Dempsey notes, while averaging 18.0 points and 13.3 rebounds. If Nurkic continues to play this way, Malone’s biggest decision will be to choose between Nikola Jokic and Kenneth Faried as the starting power forward, Dempsey adds.

Northwest Notes: Faried, Abrines, Lucas, Butler

October 2nd, 2016 at 6:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kenneth Faried has the inside track to remain the Nuggets’ starting power forward when the season starts, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Coach Michael Malone wanted to have a competition at that spot, but no one appears to be a serious threat to Faried. Darrell Arthur is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and will be phased in slowly. Denver sometimes uses Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler at power forward, but usually just in short bursts to speed up the game. It’s possible that Malone will decide to start Jusuf Nurkic at center and slide Nikola Jokic over to the four spot, but Dempsey believes the most likely outcome is Faried starting on opening night.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets may get their own D-League team again, possibly by next season, Dempsey writes in a separate story. Denver last had a direct affiliate in 2009 with the Colorado 14ers, who moved to Texas and hooked up with the Dallas Mavericks.
Alex Abrines waited to make the leap to the Thunder until he saw an opportunity for playing time, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. That chance came when Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State and created a huge opening on the wing. OKC has owned Abrines’ rights since 2013, when it took him 32nd in the draft. The 23-year-old shooting guard has been playing in Spain ever since, but now he believes there’s a chance to make an impact with the Thunder. “Once KD left, I think there was a spot at the three position,” Abrines said. “Also I can play the two. I thought I had a chance to come here and grab some minutes. I don’t want to be here and just practice.”
Two veterans fighting for spots on the Timberwolves‘ roster, John Lucas III and Rasual Butler, know what to expect from coach Tom Thibodeau because they’ve played for him before, notes Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune. Both players are 37 and have non-guaranteed contracts, but they came into camp with a decent shot to make the team. Minnesota has 17 players in camp, including Nikola Pekovic, who will be kept on the roster but won’t play this season because of injuries. Butler played for Thibodeau in Chicago briefly in 2010/11, and Lucas and Thibodeau teamed up with both the Rockets and Bulls.

Olympics Notes: Anthony, Popovich, Jokic

August 21st, 2016 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After capturing his third gold medal, the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony confirmed that his international career is complete, relays Sam Amick of USA Today. Anthony played on the 2004 team that settled for bronze before being part of the last three gold medal winners. He holds Team USA career records for games played and points scored, and today moved into the lead in total rebounds. “As much as I’m going to miss it, it’s time to pass it on to some of the guys who were on the team this year, and also the younger guys [not on the team],” he said after today’s win over Serbia in the gold medal contest. Anthony said he and his teammates “locked in” after some close games early in the competition.

There’s more news out of Rio on the final day of the Summer Olympics:

Anthony was the only basketball player nominated to be named Male Athlete of the Games for the United States, tweets Chris Washburn of The Boston Globe. The other nominees were swimmer Michael Phelps, cyclist Connor Fields, wrestler Kyle Snyder and runner Matthew Centrowitz Jr.
Gregg Popovich will take over as the next coach of Team USA, but he might have had the job years ago if not for the disappointing performance of the 2004 Olympic team, writes Jackie MacMullen of ESPN.com. Popovich was an assistant to Larry Brown on that team, which brought home a bronze medal from Athens. “We didn’t have a chance to build a team,” Brown says. “We threw those kids into a terrible situation. Pop and I talk about it all the time. I say to him, ‘What could I have done better?’ What I hate most about it is I think it cost Pop his chance at the job.” In the wake of that outing, Jerry Colangelo, head of USA Basketball, picked Duke’s Mike Krzyzewksi to be the new national team coach and started a rift with Popovich that lasted until he was offered the job last spring.
Serbia’s Nikola Jokic cemented his reputation as a rising star with his Olympic performance, according to Jonathan Huang of NBA.com. The 21-year-old Nuggets center had a memorable Olympics, including 25 points in an early matchup with Team USA, as he helped his nation reach the gold medal game.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Griffin, Rubio, Towns

August 19th, 2016 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

New Orleans has been selected to replace Charlotte as the host for the 2017 All-Star Game, reports Brett Martel of The Associated Press. An official announcement from the league is expected later today, tweets Brett Dawson of the New Orleans Advocate. The NBA announced last month that it was pulling the game from Charlotte in protest of a controversial new North Carolina law regarding protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. The league offered to give Charlotte the 2019 game if changes are made to the statute. New Orleans also hosted the event in 2008 and 2014. The game is scheduled for February 19th, which coincides with the start of Mardi Gras parades.

There’s more NBA-related news this morning:

Eric Griffin, a former D-League All-Star whose quest for the NBA was halted by an attempted murder charge, has agreed to a contract in Israel, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The state of Florida dropped the charges against Griffin in June, clearing him to resume his basketball career. He will join the Galil Gilboa club, says his agent, Tod Seidel. Griffin had been charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and spent a week in jail in May. The Florida state attorney’s office investigated the case and determined that Griffin had an alibi and did not match the victim’s description. Seidel says the incident cost Griffin the chance to play in the NBA’s summer league and in the Philippines.
The death of Ricky Rubio‘s mother made him consider skipping the Summer Olympics, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. The Spanish point guard talked regularly to his mother through video chats after Timberwolves games last season and was distraught over her battle with lung cancer. “Sometimes at night during the season I was going through hell,” he said. “Waking up in, who knows, Sacramento, in L.A., in the middle of the night alone in a hotel and thinking, ‘Why am I here? Is it really worth it?'”
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns tops the list of the best NBA sophomores heading into 2016/17, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Both have the reigning Rookie of the Year listed at No. 1. Ford has Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis ranked second, while Pelton opts for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Northwest Notes: Love, Mohammed, Huestis, Blazers

April 3rd, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Cavaliers decide to break up their team this summer, Denver could be a good landing spot for Kevin Love, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Dealing the 6’10” power forward, who is owed $93MM over the next four seasons, would ease the salary and luxury tax burdens that Cleveland has accepted in search of a title. Dempsey believes the Nuggets have the right combination of draft picks and young players to make a deal possible, citing rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and rookie center Nikola Jokic as the only untouchable players on the roster. The writer notes that Love would be the star player Denver is searching for, while the Cavs could pick up some young pieces who fit better into coach Tyronn Lue’s up-tempo style.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

It’s no coincidence that the Thunder started to improve right after Nazr Mohammed arrived, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City had dropped six of eight games before signing the veteran center on March 5th. Even though he has only seen 10 minutes of playing time, the Thunder’s record since the move is 11-3. Mohammed, who was with OKC once before and maintained close relationships with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, downplays the effect of his leadership on the team. “They were gonna make strides in that direction no matter what,” he said. “I can’t take any credit for it.”
Josh Huestis, who has made 15 trips to the D-League this year, may get some meaningful minutes for the Thunder before the season ends, Horne writes in a separate story. Oklahoma City has four games in the next seven days and is virtually assured of the third spot in the Western Conference. “In all reality, Josh hasn’t been in the rotation the entire year,” said coach Billy Donovan. “He got the opportunity in Detroit [when Huestis played 15 minutes], but there could be some opportunities down the road. He did some nice things against Detroit and showed some signs he can be a good player.”
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum should form the foundation of the Blazers for years to come, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The 25-year-old Lillard and the 24-year-old McCollum have already become one of the league’s best backcourts. Portland gave Lillard a five-year extension last summer, while McCollum is still on his rookie contract and is signed through next season.