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Northwest Notes: Nurkic, Cole, Nuggets

March 4th, 2017 at 10:45am CST by Austin Kent

Acquired from the Nuggets in the days leading up to the trade deadline, Jusuf Nurkic is a valuable component already breathing new life into the Trail Blazers, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. In five games with his new club, Nurkic has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per game.

“I think his energy is definitely good for our team,” Damian Lillard told Freeman of the big man, later adding that the fiery 22-year-old adds a valuable emotional boost. “I guess you would call him a tough guy — every play he’s saying something.”

This isn’t the first time Nurkic has shown impressive potential, he flashed signs of promise during his rookie campaign in 2014/15. Still, a 2015/16 injury coupled with the emergence of Nikola Jokic this year and last inhibited the Bosnian’s development in Denver.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

So long as the Trail Blazers are within reach of the playoffs, Damian Lillard will be competing at the highest level, writes Jason Quick of CSN Northwest. “We have an opportunity to make the playoffs and I’m going to play until that opportunity is gone, and then I’m still going to play. We have a whole summer until the next season, so I’m going to play.” The veteran understood the appeal of tanking during his rookie campaign when the postseason was never an option but has no desire to rely on the draft for immediate help.
The recent signing of Norris Cole gives the Thunder a reliable veteran to back up Russell Westbrook at the point, writes Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. “[We] just need him to run our team when he’s in there, make good decisions, defend,” says head coach Billy Donovan, “All the things he’s done for most of his career.“
The Timberwolves have experimented with both Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn in the lineup at the same time, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune. The pair of point guards has been deployed of late when starter Ricky Rubio takes a seat. “I like Tyus and Kris together; that’s a big plus,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They have good chemistry together. It gives you a second pick-and-roll player.”
Rookies have stepped up and made an impact for the Nuggets this season, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. He speaks, of course, about the emergence of Jamal Murray and Juan Hernangomez as valuable contributors even as Denver competes for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Northwest Notes: Cole, Oladipo, Nurkic, Davis

March 3rd, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran point guard Norris Cole is thrilled to be back in the NBA after nearly a year away from the league, writes Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. The Thunder signed Cole for the rest of the season on Wednesday, giving them a veteran point guard to back up Russell Westbrook. The job belonged to rookie Semaj Christon when the season started while Cameron Payne was rehabbing from a foot injury. Christon got it back again when Payne was traded to the Bulls last week. Now Oklahoma City has a more experienced option in Cole, who saw plenty of playoff action during his three and a half seasons in Miami. “I think he understands what he’s walking into and what he’s got to do,” said coach Billy Donovan. “And it will take some time. I think he understands that. Just need him to run our team when he’s in there, make good decisions, defend – all the things he’s done for most of his career.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Donovan isn’t worried that Victor Oladipo‘s back injury will become a long-term problem, Dawson tweets. Oladipo missed his fourth straight game with back spasms Thursday night, but the coach believes it’s just a muscular issue and the recovery time is normal.
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic made a powerful impression Thursday in his first home game since being acquired in a trade with the Nuggets, notes Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. Nurkic put up 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals, making him the first Portland player ever to reach all those numbers in a single game. “I feel great to be here, excited every day to spent with those guys in this city,” Nurkic said. “They give me a lot of opportunity when I came here, so I just try to play and have fun. I know who I am… I know I’m going to be on the court. I just go there and play.”
Blazers big man Ed Davis discusses his decision to have season-ending shoulder surgery with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and says he will definitely be ready for the start of next season.

Thunder Sign Norris Cole

March 1st, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 1: The Thunder have officially signed Cole, the team announced today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 28: The Thunder have reached an agreement on a rest-of-season deal with free agent point guard Norris Cole, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Oklahoma City had opened up a spot on its roster at the trade deadline when the club sent three players to Chicago and received just two in return, so no corresponding move will be required.

Cole averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG and 3.7 APG last season in 45 games for the Pelicans, but was unable to land a deal with an NBA team as a free agent during the 2016 offseason. The 28-year-old ended up signing with a Chinese team, the Shandong Golden Stars, and averaged 19.1 PPG and 4.3 APG in nine CBA games before being released due to an injury.

A report in January suggested that Cole was nearing a return to full health after battling hamstring problems, so he should be good to go for for the Thunder. According to Charania, Cole recently received clearance from the CBA to sign with an NBA club.

Although there had been some rumblings that the Thunder might use their newly-opener roster spot to bring back former OKC big man Kendrick Perkins, it made more sense for the club to add a point guard. The deal with the Bulls sent Cameron Payne to Chicago, creating some potential depth issues at the position behind Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder could technically create approximately $3MM in cap room by renouncing a trade exception, but a minimum-salary contract for Cole is likely, in which case cap space would be unnecessary. Assuming the veteran guard formally signs a minimum deal with Oklahoma City today, his cap hit for the remainder of the season would be just under $254K.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Stein’s Latest: Cousins, Dragic, Butler, Matthews

January 7th, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest piece from ESPN.com’s Marc Stein is packed full of noteworthy trade rumors and tidbits, many of which we’ve already passed along. As Stein reported, the Trail Blazers are eyeing Tyson Chandler, the Nuggets are “openly shopping” Jusuf Nurkic, the Hawks are seeking at least a “quality” first-round pick to headline a Paul Millsap trade, and the Nets are looking for two first-rounders in any deal for Brook Lopez.

That’s not all though. Here’s a round-up of several more interesting notes from Stein:

With the new designated player extension set to become available when the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement goes into effect in July, the Kings are preparing a summer extension pitch for DeMarcus Cousins, according to Stein. Given the opportunity to present Cousins with a strong extension offer, and the fact that they remain in the playoff hunt in the West, the Kings would require a “monster offer” to consider changing their plans and considering a Cousins trade.
The Heat‘s asking price for Goran Dragic remains “too high to encourage any serious trade discussions,” according to Stein.
Sources with knowledge of the situation have emphatically denied that the Bulls have made Jimmy Butler available, despite recent speculation to the contrary, Stein reports.
Stein is also told that Mavericks swingman Wesley Matthews isn’t currently on the trade block. Sources tell Stein that Dallas has been “batting away pitches” for Matthews.
While the Warriors are relatively short on trade options, they’re a strong candidate to add a player who gets bought out of his contract later in the season, says Stein.
Stein also relays a report from ESPN colleague Chris Haynes, who says that Norris Cole is nearing a return to full health after battling a hamstring issue. Cole could draw interest from teams seeking point guard help, such as the Cavs.

Cavs Remain Likely To Address Backup PG Spot

January 5th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

With Kyrie Irving out of action on Wednesday night and Iman Shumpert needed off the ball, the Cavaliers’ point guard duties fell to Jordan McRae, Kay Felder, and LeBron James during the team’s loss to Chicago. Asked after the game about the point guard spot, James acknowledged that it has been “obvious since day one” that the team lacks a “reliable veteran” to back up Irving.

“Kay’s in the process of learning on the fly,” James said, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He’s a rookie and is going to have his mistakes and things of that nature. It’s tough on him because we’re a franchise trying to win a championship. He has to have a fast-track mind. But we don’t have a backup point guard.”

As LeBron noted last night, the Cavs’ hole at point guard has been a topic of discussion all season. Still, the team’s injuries lately have further depleted that spot. At the start of the season, James, Shumpert, and J.R. Smith all assumed some ball-handling duties when Irving was on the bench, but with Smith sidelined and Shumpert playing on the wing, Cleveland has been forced to explore other options, with McRae and Felder getting more reps.

The Cavaliers have kept their eyes open all season long for a veteran backup point guard, but there are reasons to believe the team will address the issue soon. Teams can sign players to 10-day contracts as of today, and James’ comments may spur the Cavs to seek out a short-term fix.

Additionally, as ESPN’s Marc Stein details, several veteran point guards on the free agent market – including Jarrett Jack, Mario Chalmers, and Norris Cole – are getting healthy and will be looking to land NBA jobs. Vardon mentions Chalmers as someone on the Cavs’ radar, and notes that the team is also keeping an eye on the Rajon Rondo situation in Chicago. The Cleveland.com scribe isn’t sure either player is a fit for the Cavs, but it’s clear the club is considering all its options.

According to Sam Amico of NEO Sports Insiders (Twitter link), the Cavs are “highly likely” to add a veteran point guard soon enough.

Norris Cole Released By Chinese Team

December 1st, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After starting the 2016/17 Chinese Basketball Association season with the Shandong Golden Stars, Norris Cole has been released by the team, according to LI Shuangfu of Lanxiong Sports (Twitter link). Zhang Duo reports that the Chinese club has signed former NBA guard A.J. Price to take Cole’s spot on its roster (link via Sportando).

The timing is interesting for Cole, who reached a deal with Shandong nearly two months ago. That contract was believed to include an NBA out, and a report surfaced this week – in the wake of Mike Conley‘s back injury – suggesting that the Grizzlies had expressed interest in bringing Cole back to the NBA. There’s no indication yet that Cole and the Grizzlies have an agreement in place, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see the veteran point guard sign with Memphis within the next few days.

Cole averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG and 3.7 APG last season in 45 games for the Pelicans, but was unable to land a deal with an NBA team as a free agent this offseason. The 28-year-old point guard, who started his career with the Heat when Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale was an assistant in Miami, played in nine games for the Golden Stars this season, averaging 19.1 PPG and 4.3 APG.

If the Grizzlies do intend to sign Cole, they’ll either have to waive a player from their 15-man roster, or wait until they’re eligible to apply for a hardship exception. Teams can become eligible to add an extra player to their roster if they have at least four players who are sick or injured. For a hardship exception to be granted, those four players must have missed at least three consecutive games apiece and must continue to be unavailable.

Currently, Memphis is without Conley, Chandler Parsons, James Ennis, and Brandan Wright, so the team will be eligible to apply for the hardship exception on Saturday, after Conley misses his third consecutive game.

As for Price, the 30-year-old guard started his NBA career with the Pacers back in 2009/10, and ultimately appeared in 261 regular season games for a total of five teams. He spent last season with the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks.

Grizzlies Express Interest In Norris Cole

November 29th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

3:17pm: In his full report on the Grizzlies’ point guard options, Scotto confirms Cole has an NBA out in his contract with the Golden Stars, and identifies Chalmers and Xavier Munford as other potential options for Memphis.

2:50pm: With Mike Conley expected to be sidelined until sometime in January, the Grizzlies appear to be exploring ways to fortify their point guard spot. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter), Memphis has expressed interest in veteran point guard Norris Cole.

Cole, 28, averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG and 3.7 APG last season in 45 games for the Pelicans, but was unable to land a deal with an NBA team as a free agent this offseason. The point guard, who started his career with the Heat when Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale was an assistant in Miami, ultimately signed with China’s Shandong Golden Stars.

There have been conflicting reports about whether or not Cole’s contract in China includes an NBA out. The fact that the Grizzlies have expressed interest in him suggests the deal may feature an out after all, since Memphis is looking for immediate help. The Chinese Basketball Association season runs through February, so Cole won’t be available until late in the NBA season if there’s no opt-out available in his deal.

With Conley sidelined, Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin are the Grizzlies’ go-to options at the point, and neither player has a whole lot of NBA experience. If Memphis is eyeing veteran point guards with connections to Fizdale, Mario Chalmers could also be an option, but he’s still recovering from an Achilles injury and may not be ready to play quite yet.

The Grizzlies currently have a full 15-man roster, but may not need to waive anyone to add a new player — with Chandler Parsons, Brandan Wright, and James Ennis also on the shelf, the team will soon be eligible to apply for a hardship exception to add a 16th man.

Central Notes: Cole, Butler, Parker

November 19th, 2016 at 3:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Cavs will likely examine the trade market if they are going to make an upgrade at their back-up point guard slot, Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Vardon adds that Norris Cole is no longer on the team’s radar since he may not be available to come back to the NBA until February or later, depending on how far his team in the Chinese Basketball Association advances in the playoffs. It has been reported that Cole does indeed have an NBA opt-out clause in his deal, though Cleveland believes he will not truly be available until after his season in China.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

If the Cavs trade for a point guard, it likely won’t occur until December 15, the date in which offseason signings are first eligible to be traded, Vardon speculates in the same piece. The scribe names Deron Williams and D.J. Augustin as possible targets.
Jimmy Butler is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and steals per game while ranking among the top-10 in player efficiency rating this season and Sam Smith of NBA.com wonders if the 27-year-old could realistically win the MVP award. The Bulls are 8-4 this season with impressive wins over the Jazz and Blazers this past week.
Keith P. Smith of RealGM chronicles Jabari Parker‘s first couple seasons in the league and details what the forward has done to reach his potential this season. The Bucks have relied heavily on Parker so far this season, as his 26.5% usage rate indicates.

Cavs Looking To Trade For Backup Point Guard

October 21st, 2016 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 21, 12:32pm: The Cavs are at an impasse with Williams and are trying to attach his contract to McRae in a trade in order to reduce their tax penalties, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Windhorst also confirms that the Cavs were essentially showcasing McRae during the preseason.

OCTOBER 20, 3:31pm: After waiving Toney Douglas last week, the Cavaliers remain in the market for a veteran point guard to back up Kyrie Irving and complement rookie Kay Felder, reports Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. According to Vardon, the Cavs have engaged in “advanced discussions” with at least one team and hope to make a deal before the start of the regular season next week.

While Vardon doesn’t offer specifics on the Cavs’ negotiations, he points to a couple players who could be moved in potential deals. Jordan McRae had a strong preseason, but doesn’t have a clear role in the Cavs’ rotation, and could appeal to trade partners. Additionally, Mo Williams intends to retire, but hasn’t formally filed his papers and remains on Cleveland’s books — his contract could be used to help match salaries.

According to Vardon, the Cavs have explored the free agent market for a potential solution at the point, participating in contract discussions with Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, and Kirk Hinrich. However, Cole signed a deal with a team in China, and Cleveland doesn’t believe Chalmers will be fully health until the new year.

If the Cavaliers do make a trade, they could put one or more of their traded player exceptions to use. Cleveland is one of just four NBA teams to currently hold a TPE, and their biggest exception is worth $9,638,554, which would accommodate a majority of the contracts around the league. Still, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes in a piece about waiver claims, the club will have to be careful about adding too much extra salary. Based on their current position in the tax, the Cavs would be penalized $3.25MM for every $1MM they add to their 2016/17 salary total.

Cavs Notes: James, Point Guards, Thompson

October 7th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dwyane Wade doesn’t believe it’s possible for LeBron James to surpass Michael Jordan’s legacy, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com passes along. “The only thing you can do is tie it,” Wade said. “You can’t go past it. How can you? That’s as great as it gets, man. The only thing you can do, like I said, is be A-1, A-B. There’s no way higher.” Wade added that he and James have never discussed the legacy comparison.

Here’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavs needs to improve their backup point guard position in order to give themselves a better shot at repeating as champs, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines. Kay Felder and DeAndre Liggins are currently backing up Kyrie Irving.
With the Cavs in need of point guard depth, Norris Cole could be an option, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group speculates. The Cavs like Felder, but they are hesitant to give the rookie a major role too soon, which could open up the door for Cole. Vardon also names Mario Chalmers as a possibility.
Tristan Thompson will miss the next two preseason games because of a sore left foot, freelance journalist Chris Haynes reports. Thompson has played in 370 straight regular season games, which currently leads the league.