Pablo Prigioni Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Waive Pablo Prigioni

July 20th, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 20TH, 4:26pm: The Nuggets have waived Prigioni, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein tweets. Denver confirmed the move in its press release on the Lawson trade.

JULY 19TH, 9:13pm: The Nuggets intend to waive newly acquired point guard Pablo Prigioni, TNT’s David Aldridge reports (Twitter link). Prigioni is being sent to Denver as part of the Ty Lawson deal. The Nuggets appear to be committing to turning the team over to 2015 first-rounder Emmanuel Mudiay with today’s moves.

Prigioni’s salary of $1,734,572 is set to become fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster past Monday, as is shown by our schedule of contract guarantee dates. Denver would only be on the hook for $440K, the amount of Prigioni’s partial guarantee, by waiving him.

What’s next for the 38-year-old from Argentina is unclear. He’ll likely draw offers from overseas, and the Cavaliers, who were reportedly trying to acquire Prigioni at last season’s trade deadline, could potentially look to him as an alternative to Matthew Dellavedova, who is still unsigned, though that is merely my speculation.

In three NBA seasons Prigioni has averaged 3.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists to go with a slash line of .437/.398/.872.

Rockets Acquire Ty Lawson

July 20th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 20TH, 4:25pm: The Nuggets have waived Prigioni, and the deal is official, Denver announced in a press release. In a condition of the trade, Lawson has agreed to make the 2016/17 season, the final year of his contract, non-guaranteed, sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). As part of the deal, the Nuggets receive cash considerations, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets. The press release from the Rockets notes that it’s their own lottery-protected 2016 pick going to Denver.

SUNDAY, 8:16pm: The Rockets have reached a deal with the Nuggets that will send Ty Lawson to Houston, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com had tweeted just moments earlier that the sides were deep in talks. Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson and a protected 2016 first-round pick go to Denver, Wojnarowski adds (All Twitter links). Houston will receive a 2017 second-round pick in addition to Lawson, as Wojnarowski also reports (on Twitter). The first-rounder going to Denver is lottery-protected, and the second-rounder headed to Houston is unprotected, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The move, when it becomes official, will bring an end to Lawson’s tenure with the Nuggets even though GM Tim Connelly and coach Michael Malone both expressed their support for the troubled point guard in recent days.

Chris Mannix of SI.com last week identified the Rockets as a team with interest in the point guard even in the wake of his latest DUI-related arrest, which came Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. It was his second such arrest in six months. Lawson entered a 30-day residential treatment program on Saturday.

Houston made more sense as a Lawson suitor than the Pistons or the Lakers, the two other teams Mannix identified in his report from last week, since both Detroit and L.A. made major investments in point guards this summer. The Pistons agreed to re-sign Reggie Jackson for $80MM and the Lakers drafted D’Angelo Russell No. 2 overall. The Lakers indeed made a determined push, but the Nuggets preferred what Houston offered, Stein reports (on Twitter). Rockets re-signed Patrick Beverley, but only for $23MM over four years. Beverley and Lawson now figure to compete for minutes.

The Kings and Nuggets reportedly spoke about Lawson prior to the draft, but Sacramento apparently wasn’t willing to give up the No. 6 pick in exchange for him in large measure because of the 27-year-old’s off-court issues. By contrast, Lawson’s talent appears to have convinced Houston it’s worth taking a shot on him, as he’s coming off a career-high 9.6 assists per game.

The trade nonetheless carries financial consequences for the Rockets. Lawson’s contract calls for him make more than $12.404MM this season and in excess of $13.213MM in 2016/17, and the exchange as reported so far will push Houston over the $84.74MM luxury tax threshold by about $500K, according to former Nets executive Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The Rockets have until the end of the regular season to go under that line and avoid paying the tax. Houston faces a hard cap of $4MM above the tax line if it signs No. 32 pick Montrezl Harrell to a contract that covers more than two seasons at the minimum salary, as Marks also points out (on Twitter). The swap also means the Rockets aren’t in line to open cap space next summer, Marks adds (Twitter link).

The Nuggets meanwhile go under the cap with the deal and are set to open an estimated $46MM in cap space next summer, Marks tweets. Papanikolaou’s salary of nearly $4.798MM for this coming season is non-guaranteed, and Prigioni’s salary of almost $1.735MM carries only a $440K partial guarantee. Dorsey’s pay of about $1.015MM and Johnson’s approximately $845K salary are fully guaranteed, but they don’t make much of a dent in the Nuggets payroll.

The most significant on-court effect for Denver is that No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, also a point guard, has a clear shot to lead the team. The Nuggets re-signed Jameer Nelson, who seems to have a decent shot to begin the coming season as a starter, but Mudiay is clearly the team’s future at the position, and Malone had no shortage of enthusiasm about his play during summer league, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Did the Nuggets get a fair return for Lawson, considering the circumstances? Leave a comment to have your say.

Fallout From/Reaction To Ty Lawson Deal

July 20th, 2015 at 1:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ty Lawson‘s drinking habit had concerned teams even when he entered the NBA, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who hears from several sources who say that it helped dissuade the Celtics from trading for him while they were in talks with the Nuggets before the February deadline. The video that depicts him smoking from a hookah and predicting that the Nuggets would trade him to the Kings as he watched Denver select Emmanuel Mudiay in the draft was a turn-off for potential suitors, too, Lowe writes. Lowe and others have more on the trade agreement, as we’ll pass along here:

The Lakers were the only team other than the Rockets to express interest in Lawson shortly before the deal, according to Lowe, though Chris Mannix of SI.com heard the Pistons also did.
Nick Johnson, one of the players heading to the Nuggets, didn’t get along with the coaching staff at the Rockets D-League affiliate while on assignment last season, several league sources told Lowe.
The Nuggets face a scramble to complete the trade before the close of business today so that they can waive Pablo Prigioni, as they reportedly intend to do, before his partial guarantee of $440K becomes a full guarantee of nearly $1.735MM, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks details. Teams can waive physicals and the requirement that the players report, but it would be up to the Rockets to do so with Lawson, Marks notes. Also, players in the final year of their respective contracts must certify a trade before it goes final, so Denver has to get in contact with Prigioni, Kostas Papanikolaou and Joey Dorsey, Marks explains (All four Twitter links).
Lawson is on board with the trade, agent Happy Walters told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “He’s excited,” Walters said. “I spoke to him once about it. He’s close with James [Harden], tight with Corey [Brewer], knows Trevor [Ariza] and Dwight [Howard] and is real excited. It’s an opportunity for him. He’s been deep in the playoffs before, but this is something he feels really good about.”
Houston’s new point guard has his baggage, but the Rockets didn’t relinquish much in the deal, making it a risk that the rigors of the Western Conference demand that they take, opines Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Lawson might not be the third star the Rockets have been seeking to complement Harden and Howard, but Michael Lee of The Washington Post points out that he’s the sort of facilitator that Harden has said he’d welcome.
What’s your reaction to the deal? Leave a comment to let us know.

Central Notes: Prigioni, Bucks Arena, Draft

June 8th, 2015 at 11:28am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers made an aggressive play at trading for Pablo Prigioni at the deadline, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Instead, the Knicks sent him to the Rockets instead, leaving Cleveland’s backup point guard duties to Matthew Dellavedova. That worked out just fine for the Cavs on Sunday, when Dellavedova, set for restricted free agency this summer, started in place of the injured Kyrie Irving and hit the game-winning free throws. There’s more on the Cavs, who’ll look to take the lead in the Finals on Tuesday, amid the latest from the Central Division:

The deal that state, county and city leaders struck last week for a new Bucks arena must still meet Wisconsin Legislature and Milwaukee Common Council approval, so construction remains far from assured, as Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out. Still, the Bucks have promised to pay for operating and maintenance costs by selling naming rights, as Daykin examines. The NBA is pressuring the sides to ensure a new building, lest the league exercise its right to buy the team and move it to another city.
UNLV power forward Christian Wood will be among those working out for the Cavs today, league sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link).
Scotto also hears that Syracuse big man Rakeem Christmas will show off for the Pistons today (Twitter link). North Carolina shooting guard J.P. Tokoto, Virginia power forward Darion Atkins, Georgetown small forward Greg Whittington, and point guards Marcus Thornton from William & Mary and Pierria Henry of Charlotte will be in Detroit’s workout, too, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter links).

Western Notes: Batum, Parsons, Rockets

May 4th, 2015 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers could move Nicolas Batum as he enters the final year of his contract, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com speculates. Batum, who will make approximately $12.2MM next season, may be shopped since GM Neil Olshey expects to actively reshape his roster this summer, Young continues. Wrist, knee and back injuries led to a disappointing 2014/15 season for Batum, as he indicated in his exit interview, the story adds. “I didn’t play the way I used to play,” he said. “I’ve been thinking too much.” If the Blazers trade Batum, they could make a run at Mavericks forward Al-Farouq Aminu, who has declared he will opt out of the final year of his contract and seek long-term security.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Chandler Parsons will take an active role in recruiting free agents for the Mavericks this summer, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Parsons, who underwent knee surgery last week, feels obligated to help the team land its free-agent targets and has developed plenty of contacts and relationships around the league to make that happen, Sefko continues. Parsons is sold on the organization and has a sales pitch ready when the time comes, Sefko adds. “We have a great organization,” Parsons said to Sefko. “We have high expectations. We have the best owner in sports. We’re definitely moving in the right direction, and we have a lot of pieces that would fit well with the free agents out there right now. And we have a great coach, so I think we’re moving in the right direction. We’re a championship-caliber team.”
Clippers coach Doc Rivers believes the Rockets became a better defensive team with the additions of Josh Smith, Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni, according to Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. Smith was signed by the Rockets after the Pistons released him in December during the second year of his four-year contract. Brewer was acquired from the Timberwolves in a three-team trade during the same month, while Prigioni was dealt by the Knicks in February. “They have added great personnel,” Rivers said to the media covering the Clippers-Rockets playoff series. “When you think about the guys they added, Prigioni is a tough defensive guard and Corey Brewer has been amazing for them. Josh Smith has really been big, too.”

Atlantic Notes: Turner, Prigioni, Draft

April 30th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Evan Turner said this year, his first with the Celtics on a two-year deal, has been his most satisfying in the NBA so far, as he tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, and he’s sold on Boston as an attractive place for free agents to go. “Regardless, Boston is always a destination team,” Turner said. “Somebody will always come, whether we make the playoffs or not. It’s the energy and emotion. I’ve talked to some friends who have come here and played: They see that the crowd is crazy, the fan base is crazy, even when we weren’t in the playoff race at the time. People still show up. It’s about basketball, not other gimmicks. There’s certain organizations. The people who work here are classy people. The city is like that. There aren’t many people walking around parading other sports teams. It’s all Boston, compared to some of the places I’ve played in. It’s been fun.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Pablo Prigioni admitted that he had requested that the Knicks trade him prior to February’s deadline, and he is grateful to have ended up in Houston, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “When I saw how things were going, it was so clear they were looking more to next season, the summer,’’ Prigioni said. “I felt myself at 38, I have no future on the team. I talked to Derek [Fisher] and told him my desire to send me somewhere so I can enjoy probably my last year in the league. At the deadline it was good for me and the team because they’re looking for young guys to build for the next five years.’’
The veteran point guard indicated that he may play professionally for one more season, though it would most likely be in Europe if he does, Berman notes. Prigioni also said that he wants to try his hand at coaching once his playing career ends, the Post scribe adds.
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford (hat tip to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com), if the Knicks end up with the No. 1 overall pick this June, the franchise would use it to select Karl-Anthony Towns. Following Towns, New York’s top five ranked players in descending order are Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, D’Angelo Russell, and Justise Winslow, Ford notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Ellis, Rockets, Leonard

April 7th, 2015 at 10:53pm CST by Will Joseph

Monta Ellis, who has a player option for the 2015/16 season, has “contract numbers for next year in his head” and he’s “very replaceable,” Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes in a chat. Ellis has seen a decline in points per game, assists per game and field goal percentage since the All-Star break. Still, he’s a proven scorer who can carry a team on any given night. If he opts out of the final season of his contract, his Early Bird rights allow the Mavericks to make an offer with a starting salary of up to $14.63MM. If Rajon Rondo flees via free agency, locking up Ellis would be a decent fallback plan. If the Mavs kept Rondo, Sefko adds he would be stunned if Ellis also wound up back with the team as well.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

A more experienced and mature roster seems to be making a difference for the Rockets as they head into the playoffs, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. In the offseason, the Rockets added Jason Terry and Trevor Ariza. Then, Corey Brewer, Josh Smith and Pablo Prigioni were each acquired during the season and have added strong work ethic and sound basketball knowledge, Creech notes.
Kawhi Leonard, who is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, continues to get overlooked as a star, but with him back in the lineup after the All-Star Break, the Spurs are playing very similar to the way they did last season, which, of course, bodes well for a deep playoff run, Ben Golliver of SI.com writes. San Antonio is 27-10 since Leonard returned from a hand injury in mid-January.

Western Notes: Bryant, Anderson, Prigioni

February 21st, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Lakers don’t intend to focus on building around the aging Kobe Bryant, and won’t mortgage their future to give Bryant one final shot at a championship, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. “To jeopardize the next five or seven years,” GM Mitch Kupchak said, “To bring in old veterans that make a lot of money, just to win one more year, because that’s Kobe’s last year or could be his last year, I’m not sure that fits into doing it the right way.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In two trips to Austin this season, Anderson has appeared in 10 games, averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.10 blocks in 41.0 minutes per contest.
The Timberwolves used a tiny portion of their mid-level exception rather than the minimum-salary exception to sign Lorenzo Brown to his two-year deal, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Brown makes $283,367 this season and a non-guaranteed minimum salary next year, as Pincus shows on his salary page for the Wolves.
There’s a very good chance that Pablo Prigioni, who was acquired by the Rockets on Thursday, will play in Spain next season, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Prigioni is under contract for 2015/16, but only $290K of his $1,734,572 salary for next season is guaranteed, making him a candidate to be waived or reach a buyout arrangement, though that is merely my speculation.
The Suns‘ deadline deals were made in an effort to improve the team’s chemistry, Matt Petersen of NBA.com notes. “This is a team sport,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said. “We’re looking for team-first guys. This isn’t singles tennis. The guys who will be here are the guys who will buy in and play the right way. Those that don’t will be gone.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Rockets Acquire Pablo Prigioni

February 19th, 2015 at 8:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:36pm: The trade is official, the Knicks have announced. The 2017 and 2019 second-rounders going to New York are Houston’s own, according to the Rockets announcement.

3:15pm: New York is getting Alexey Shved and two second-round picks, but not Canaan, according to Wojnarowski. The second-rounders are for 2017 and 2019, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

2:06pm: The Knicks are trading Pablo Prigioni to the Rockets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Isaiah Canaan is headed to New York in the deal, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (on Twitter).

Eastern Notes: Gibson, Prigioni, Muscala

February 7th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have made no calls to other teams about trading Taj Gibson , a source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who indicates that the team is especially reluctant to part with Gibson given health concerns surrounding Joakim Noah. The Raptors, Suns, Pistons and Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in the sixth-year veteran.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni, whom the team has reportedly been trying to trade for a second round draft pick, says that he is extremely focused on staying in New York, and doesn’t wish to be dealt, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports (Twitter link). Prigioni also revealed that he recently injured his hip during a workout, Berman notes. The full extent of his injury, nor its impact on the Knicks’ efforts to find a taker for Prigioni, isn’t yet known.
Steve Kerr was Knicks team president Phil Jackson‘s first choice to replace Mike Woodson as head coach this past offseason, but Kerr accepted the coaching job in Golden State instead. Kerr’s Warriors currently possess the NBA’s second best record, while the Knicks have floundered to a 10-40 mark. When asked if he has thought about what might have been if he had come to New York instead of heading to Oakland, Kerr said, “Sometimes I lie when I say I haven’t thought about stuff. But I’m not lying this time. I haven’t thought about the Knicks at all,” Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group relays (Twitter link).
The Hawks have assigned Mike Muscala to the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Muscala’s fourth trek of the season to Iowa.
Marcus Thornton knows that his expiring contract makes him a likely candidate to be dealt by the Celtics, but the veteran would love to remain in Beantown, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 FM writes. “No, I’m not thinking about that,” Thornton said regarding the February 19th trade deadline. “Whatever happens, happens. I would like to stay here. Who wouldn’t? We’ve got a good thing going, but like I said, it’s not controllable. I can’t control it, so whatever happens, happens.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.