Paul Millsap Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Nurkic, Millsap, Gay, Tucker

January 20th, 2017 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The latest column from ESPN.com’s Marc Stein is filled with fresh rumors as next month’s trade deadline approaches. We’ve already shared the Bulls’ interest in Chris Bosh and the Magic’s offer for Goran Dragic. Here are some more intriguing trade tidbits:

Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic is almost certain to be traded before the February 23rd deadline. Denver officials admitted that pairing Nurkic with Nikola Jokic didn’t work, and they want to ship him to a team where he has a chance to be a starting center.
Teams are very skeptical about the Hawks‘ assertion that All-Star forward Paul Millsap has been pulled from trade consideration. The 31-year-old has a player option worth nearly $21.5MM for next season and is expected to test the free agent market.
The Kings had numerous offers for Rudy Gay, mostly during the offseason but also more recently, but elected to keep him in hopes of earning a playoff spot. The Thunder, Heat and Blazers were the most interested teams last summer. Gay is out for the season after tearing an Achilles tendon Wednesday night.
The Kings would like to find teams willing to take Ben McLemore and Arron Afflalo.
The Clippers offered the Suns a future second-round pick for P.J. Tucker, but Phoenix is holding out for a first-rounder. The Clippers owe their first-round pick this year to Toronto and in 2019 to Boston, so the next first-rounder they could offer would be in 2021.
Tucker and Brandon Knight are considered the most available Suns. Coach Earl Watson said this week that the team will not trade veteran center Tyson Chandler.
The Nuggets would like to sign Alonzo Gee to another 10-day contract once Mo Williams clears waivers. Gee’s first 10-day contract expired Wednesday, the same day Williams was waived after being acquired in a trade with the Hawks.

Hawks Notes: Millsap, Dunleavy, Williams, Wilcox

January 12th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Paul Millsap is reportedly off the trade block in Atlanta, but with six weeks to go until this year’s trade deadline, several NBA.com writers and reporters remain unconvinced that the team’s decision is final. David Aldridge, Steve Aschburner, Scott Howard-Cooper, and John Schuhmann are among the scribes who believe there’s still a chance Millsap could be moved by February 23, with Howard-Cooper writing that the phrase “taken off the market” will mean nothing if a team calls the Hawks with an offer that Atlanta likes.

I would have agreed with that view of the Millsap situation after a report surfaced suggesting that the Hawks were telling other teams the big man was unavailable. Telling clubs that Millsap isn’t available is a move that could be used as leverage later, in an effort to get those same teams to improve their offers. Still, Atlanta also reportedly informed Millsap himself that he won’t be dealt, and NBA teams don’t often reverse course on that sort of promise in a matter of weeks — I’d be somewhat surprised if the Hawks move Millsap, though it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Here’s more from out of Atlanta:

Mike Dunleavy Jr., who reported to the Hawks and passed his physical earlier this week, expects to make his debut for the team on Friday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) spoke to the other veteran acquired in last weekend’s trade by the Hawks, though Mo Williams isn’t expected to report to or play for the club. As Kennedy details, Williams is focused on coaching younger players, and doesn’t seem interested in coming out of retirement as an NBA player anytime soon.
In the wake of a report that Wes Wilcox made a “racially charged joke” at a recent season-ticket holder event, the Hawks general manager has received an undisclosed discipline from the team, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
According to Spears, this is what Nzinga Shaw, the Hawks’ diversity and inclusion officer, had to say about Wilcox’s comments: “After hearing multiple sides of the story and getting multiple eyewitness accounts of what took place, I am not convinced that what we heard and read in Deadspin is a direct quote that was used. Wes, however, certainly did make his off-color statement, which included elements of describing his wife’s race. People that were in the room could make the assumption that he was using her race for the reason of the comments that followed. We certainly do not approve of this behavior and we are going to handle this manner internally.”

Lakers Rumors: Young Core, Millsap, Noel, Odom

January 11th, 2017 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak indicated last month that he’d be perfectly happy not to make a trade this season, since he’s pleased with the young talent on his roster. So far, the Lakers’ discussions with teams have reflected that stance. League sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Los Angeles hasn’t included Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, or D’Angelo Russell in any trade talks, and that isn’t expected to change in the coming weeks. According to Deveney, young role players like Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson are also unlikely to be moved.

While the Lakers aren’t eager to break up their young core, there are indications that the team is still exploring possible trade options. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers were among the clubs to express interest in Paul Millsap before Atlanta pulled him off the market. L.A. would also have interest in Nerlens Noel if and when the Sixers get serious about moving him, Deveney writes. For now though, the club appears content to exercise some patience and move forward with its current roster.

Here’s more from out of L.A.:

One Western Conference scout who spoke to Deveney had high praise for the Lakers’ young trio of Ingram, Randle, and Russell. “If you made a list of the 20 best players who are 22 or under, I think you’d have to have all three of the Lakers’ young guys on there,” the scout said. “They’re three of the best young guys in the league. There’s really not a lot of teams can say that, and I think a lot of mediocre teams would like to swap rosters with the Lakers right now.”
Asked by TMZ about whether he had any interest in returning to the NBA as a coach, former Lakers forward Lamar Odom admitted that he has thought about it, acknowledging that he even contact head coach Luke Walton to convey his interest.
The idea of Odom joining the Lakers’ staff under Walton probably isn’t a realistic one at this point, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register, who notes that the team is mindful of Odom’s continuous recovery. Nonetheless, Walton isn’t shutting that door. “Lamar would be great,” the Lakers’ head coach said of his former teammate. “Anyone who knows Lamar, when he’s right, he is one of the most likeable people they’ve been around. He has a great knowledge of the game and has a great way of communicating with people.”

Hawks Tell Paul Millsap He Won’t Be Traded

January 10th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have informed Paul Millsap that he won’t be dealt before February’s trade deadline, Millsap himself tells Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The news comes on the heels of a Monday report that Atlanta had started telling teams Millsap wasn’t available.

“Now everybody can stop talking about it,” Millsap said on Tuesday. “I can stop thinking about it and just focus on basketball.”

Last week, Millsap expressed a desire to remain in Atlanta with the Hawks, and that’s a stance he reiterated today, according to Youngmisuk. Although the veteran big man can opt out of his contract at season’s end, and there’s no guarantee he’ll remain a Hawk for the next several years, Millsap says he had hoped to stick with the team this season.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Millsap said. “For me and my team, for us to really do something, I think that all the rumors (have) got to stop. I think we are at a good place right now during the season and our main focus is basketball and winning and winning big.”

While it’s one thing for the Hawks to tell potential suitors that Millsap isn’t available, it’s another for the team to tell the player himself that he won’t be moved before next month’s deadline. Even after brushing off teams’ trade offers for Millsap, the Hawks could have revisited those discussions sometime in the next few weeks, perhaps leveraging their reluctance to deal their All-Star into a more appealing trade package. Telling Millsap that a trade won’t happen is a stronger signal that he’s not going anywhere.

The Hawks have a 21-16 record, good for first in the Southeast division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Still, the club just traded away former All-Star sharpshooter Kyle Korver, and isn’t viewed as a significant threat to make a deep postseason run. That makes Atlanta’s about-face on Millsap a little surprising, particularly since the club has some recent experience with losing a big-name free agent, having seen Al Horford walk in July. The Hawks’ decision may suggest that the team is more confident about retaining Millsap beyond this season.

Paul Millsap Off Trade Market

January 9th, 2017 at 5:05pm CST by Will Joseph

After receiving interest for a couple of weeks and forcing the rumor mill to churn with hypothetical trades, the Hawks are informing teams that Paul Millsap is no longer on the trade market, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). This is a sign, at least for now, that Atlanta is determined to compete in the Eastern Conference instead of unloading assets, as Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter).

The Hawks definitely contemplated the move, however, and gave it considerable thought before arriving at the belief that Millsap was ultimately too valuable to the franchise, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. This decision may have come from ownership, Vivlamore adds.

Millsap, who has a player option for next season and can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, expressed happiness about the situation, per Vivlamore, and wanted to stay in Atlanta. Millsap has not said he will become a free agent, but that would make sense considering he would maximize his money that way.

Several teams were linked to Millsap, an All-Star forward who would be viewed as a solid addition to virtually any team. The Nuggets were interested, according to Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter link), and Vivlamore reported that the Kings were a serious contender for Millsap’s services as well. Millsap was also thought to be the missing piece for the Raptors.

The decision on Millsap comes only a couple of days after the Hawks traded Kyle Korver to the Cavs this weekend in in exchange for a protected 2019 first-round draft pick and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Atlanta, however, never claimed to be moving in a rebuilding direction with the move, and judging from the way it has played, perhaps it makes sense that it shouldn’t. The Hawks are atop the Southeast Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 21-16 record and Millsap is a significant reason why. Millsap leads the Hawks in scoring, and is second in rebounds, assists and blocks.

Latest On Paul Millsap

January 9th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks officially traded away one veteran player on an expiring contract this weekend, sending Kyle Korver to Cleveland in a deal that netted them a future first-round pick. Moving Paul Millsap would net an even bigger haul, but it’s not clear yet whether the Hawks are ready to trade their standout big man. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Hawks haven’t yet been aggressive in fielding offers for Millsap, though they’ve suggested to rival teams that they could be serious about moving him.

A Saturday report from ESPN’s Marc Stein indicated that Atlanta would be seeking at least one “quality” first-round pick to headline a trade package for Millsap. Stein didn’t specify how many other pieces would be required in such a deal. Meanwhile, other reports identified the Sixers, Nuggets, Raptors, Pelicans, and Kings as teams that have expressed some level of interest in Millsap. The Trail Blazers have also been “sniffing around,” per Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

In addition to those clubs, the Magic can be added to the list of potential suitors, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. While O’Connor doesn’t say that Orlando has conveyed interest in Millsap recently, he writes that GM Rob Hennigan “has a long-standing infatuation” with the three-time All-Star. A league source tells O’Connor that the Magic made a push to trade for Millsap last summer before acquiring Serge Ibaka and signing Bismack Biyombo instead.

With Ibaka and Biyombo now in the mix, along with Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, the Magic’s frontcourt situation is crowded, making them an unusual fit for Millsap. Still, if Hennigan and the front office decides to shake things up by moving more than one of those frontcourt players, a Millsap deal would make more sense. So far, the club’s new-look frontcourt hasn’t been a success — Orlando is 16-23, good for 12th in the East.

The Hawks nearly dealt Millsap on two separate occasions in 2016. Atlanta had a deal lined up with the Nuggets at the trade deadline, but opted against trading him away. The Hawks were later prepared to deal him to the Raptors in July if Al Horford had re-signed with the team. Millsap can opt out of his current deal and become a free agent at season’s end, and he’s expected to do so, though there are conflicting reports about whether or not he has already made that decision.

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, LeVert, Millsap, Smart

January 8th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have liked their early returns on Spencer Dinwiddie enough to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn signed the third-year guard last month to a three-year deal with a partial guarantee. He has responded by averaging 5.5 points and 1.8 assists through 12 games and earning a spot in the rotation. He made his first start with the team, and just the second of his NBA career, on Friday. After being traded by the Pistons in June and waived twice by the Bulls during the offseason, Dinwiddie likes the prospect of having a shot at stability. “They say bet on yourself,” Dinwiddie posted Saturday on his Instagram account. “Sometimes in the face of adversity you have to double down. Thank you to the Nets organization. Happy to have a home.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Rookie guard Caris LeVert appears to be another gamble that’s paying off, Lewis states in a separate piece. In just his 15th NBA game, LeVert scored 19 points and was a team-best plus-10 against the champion Cavaliers on Friday. The Nets have been happy with the progress of LeVert, who slipped to 20th in the draft after his college career was cut short by a foot injury. “We saw a glimpse of who he can be, who we project him to be,” said coach Kenny Atkinson. “The defensive part of it is obviously the most important, especially on that wing position. We can throw him out there against the Paul Georges and the LeBrons [James], and he did a pretty decent job. The offensive part was a bonus.”
The Celtics might be interested in Hawks forward Paul Millsap, but only if he guarantees not to opt out of the final year of his contract, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Atlanta is reportedly listening to offers for the 31-year-old power forward and wants a “quality” draft pick in return. Millsap can opt out of his nearly $21.5MM salary for next season and become a free agent this summer. Washburn speculates that any deal would involve one of the Nets‘ picks that Boston owns plus Amir Johnson and another starter to match salaries. A trade would reunite Millsap with Al Horford, but it would push Horford to center, where he would prefer not to play.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is emerging as more than just a defensive force, writes ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Boston has already exercised its 2017/18 option on the 22-year-old.

Hawks Seek ‘Quality’ First-Round Pick For Millsap

January 7th, 2017 at 11:40am CST by Austin Kent

The Hawks are looking to acquire at least one “quality” first-round pick for Paul Millsap, writes Marc Stein of ESPN. Such a deal, however, may be difficult to come by given the amount of big money that the pending free agent will attract this summer.

Considering that the Hawks recently turned 35-year-old Kyle Korver into a first-round pick from Cleveland, all eyes will be on what they can yield in return for their three-time All-Star given that there’s no guarantee he’ll remain with the team that acquires him.

Expect clubs like the Raptors to think long and hard about the Hawks veteran’s contract situation and what they would have to sacrifice in order to retain the 31-year-old long-term.

Millsap, the last remaining starter from the Hawks’ 60-win, 2014/15 squad, is averaging 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Latest On Paul Millsap

January 6th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

12:42pm: The Sixers, Nuggets and Raptors have also expressed interest in Millsap, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

9:01am: Add the Pelicans to the list of teams that have expressed interest in trading for Paul Millsap, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The Hawks are in active trade talks with several teams including the Kings.

Atlanta would like to move Millsap “sooner rather than later,” according to an earlier report by Shams Charania of the Vertical. It was reported earlier in the week that if the team dealt the power forward, it would be looking to add players who would help the team win this season. However, the team’s Kyle Korver trade may indicate that the organization is willing to take on draft picks and enter into a rebuild.

The Hawks nearly dealt Millsap last year on two separate occasions. They had a deal lined up with the Nuggets at the trade deadline, but opted against trading him away. They were set to deal him to the Raptors over the summer had Al Horford re-signed with the team. Horford signed with the Celtics, which prompted the team to keep the Louisiana native. Millsap can opt out of his current deal and become a free agent, though there are conflicting reports about whether or not he will take that route.

Kings Very Interested In Paul Millsap

January 5th, 2017 at 10:31pm CST by Austin Kent

JANUARY 5, 8:31pm: Sources have confirmed Vivlamore’s tweet that the Kings have expressed interest in Millsap, tweets Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy.

JANUARY 5, 8:11pm: The Kings are “very interested” in Paul Millsap tweets Hawks beat reporter Chris Vivlamore. The reporter’s comments come in light of the Wednesday night Kyle Korver trade and the ensuing comment from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Hawks are in active trade talks with several teams.

In an article about the Korver trade, The Vertical’s Shams Charania echoed the sentiment:

Atlanta is engaged in discussions with several teams on forward Paul Millsap, and the organization is motivated to move him sooner rather than later, sources said. Toronto, Denver, Sacramento and Philadelphia have expressed an interest in Millsap, who can become a free agent in July.

Millsap’s name has been a staple in rumors this season, but the Korver deal proves to be the biggest indication that the team is ready to officially begin their rebuild. Jeff Schultz, also of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, suggested as much in a feature Wednesday night.

In a separate article from Tuesday, Vivlamore wrote that Atlanta was doing its due diligence on all of Millsap, Korver, Thabo Sefalosha, Kris Humphries and Tiago Splitter so as to gauge their trade value.

Still, the Korver trade is notably significant because it represents a deviation from the path the team was publicly said to be pursuing. Per Vivlamore in a third feature, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told Millsap as recently as Tuesday that the team’s main focus was on winning games now.