Paul Millsap Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Silver, Wafer, Restricted Free Agents

July 31st, 2016 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

NBA commissioner Adam Silver doesn’t believe the one-and-one contracts that LeBron James and Kevin Durant have signed are good for the league, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The arrangements give the players one guaranteed season with the chance to opt out and sign a bigger deal the following year. Durant did it to gain the benefits of being a 10-year veteran when he hits free agency again next summer. James is also maximizing his earnings, while giving the Cavaliers incentive to put the best possible team around him each season.

“One of the unintended consequences I feel on behalf of the players is the fact that they end up putting themselves in this position where they’re taking enormous financial risk,” Silver said. “The system is designed for guys to enter into long term contracts, so, and you can only get so much insurance. So one of the unintended consequences is they take risk beyond what we would like to see them take.” After a month that saw several stars change teams, the commissioner said he would like to work with the union to modify the system to give franchises a better opportunity to keep their own players.

There’s more NBA-related news this morning:

Von Wafer, who last played in the NBA in 2012, is campaigning for another shot on social media, relays Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com. Wafer, who just turned 31, had short stints with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets, Celtics and Magic, but never lasted more than one season in any location. In a series of tweets, Wafer says he has a different mentality now and warns younger players not to follow his example.
Restricted free agency typically sours the relationship between players and their teams, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Because teams are reluctant to tie up cap space for three days while waiting to see if offer sheets are matched, restricted free agents are typically at the end of the line when it comes to getting paid. Also, they often build up resentment toward their original franchise if their offer sheets are matched. As examples, Lang cites Jeff Teague, Nicolas Batum, Paul Millsap, Eric Gordon, Roy Hibbert, Marcin Gortat and DeAndre Jordan.

Eastern Notes: Okafor, Simmons, Millsap, Young

July 17th, 2016 at 10:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Life in the NBA hasn’t been what Jahlil Okafor expected, but he tells Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he wants to change that, and he hopes to do it with the Sixers. Okafor’s rookie season was plagued by off-court incidents and injuries that limited him to 53 games. He has spent the offseason listening to trade rumors, along with talk that his style of play doesn’t fit the modern NBA game. “[The trade talk] is definitely all stupid with a lot of speculation,” Okafor said. “I see where people will write what I’m feeling and I haven’t even spoken to them. A lot of stuff is made up and it’s annoying. But for the most part, it’s fine. For me, at a certain point, I got upset when another story came out that said we were upset with the team and that just wasn’t the case. But I’m just looking forward to the season now.” Okafor is still rehabbing from surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus, but he hopes to be cleared for five-on-five play soon.

There’s more news out of the Eastern Conference:

After getting his first taste of the NBA during summer league, Ben Simmons plans to work on “everything” before training camp, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The No. 1 pick played six summer league games, averaging 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. But there were concerns about his turnover rate — 3.8 per game — and a habit of standing around when he didn’t have the ball. “It’s just everyday education,” said Sixers summer league coach Lloyd Pierce. “It’s just learning the NBA, basic timing, position, execution. I can throw out every basketball term in the book. He’s just got to learn the game.”
The Magic should take another shot at Hawks power forward Paul Millsap next summer, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando talked to Millsap in 2015 before he decided to re-sign with Atlanta, and with a player option for 2017/18, he might be a free agent again in 12 months. Millsap tops a list of potential 2017 free agent targets Schmitz listed for the Magic. Others mentioned are Gordon Hayward, J.J. Redick, Jeff Teague and Kyle Lowry.
Whispers about James Young‘s commitment to the game continue to haunt him as he battles for a roster spot with the Celtics, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Young came into the league with people doubting his work ethic, and now there are concerns that he hasn’t developed as much as he should. “I’ve seen that for 35 years in the NBA,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who wasn’t specifically talking about Young. “They don’t understand the urgency. They feel like they’ve made it, and they don’t understand that staying in the NBA should be their objective and not just making it here.”

Eastern Rumors: Hawks, Millsap, Wade, Jennings

July 7th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

In an interesting piece on the Hawks, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com explains that Atlanta’s original offseason plan was to re-sign Al Horford to pair him with Dwight Howard, and to move Paul Millsap in exchange for young players and/or draft assets. That plan ultimately fell apart, but before it did, the Hawks spoke to the Nuggets, Suns, Raptors, and Rockets about a Millsap deal, according to Lowe, who adds that Denver had been ready to move a “players-and-picks package” led by Kenneth Faried.

Before the Hawks could move Millsap though, the team needed to be sure it could re-sign Horford, and when the longtime Hawk chose the Celtics instead, Atlanta decided to hang onto Millsap. Per Lowe, there was some debate about how much the Hawks offered and how much Horford demanded, but the gap between the two sides may have only been about $5MM in total.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Hornets general manager Rich Cho confirmed that his team, which officially acquired Marco Belinelli in a trade today, tried to sign the Italian sharpshooter in free agency a year ago (Twitter link via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer).
During Dwyane Wade‘s free agency saga, Heat president Pat Riley never called Wade directly, per Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter), Riley and Wade had a meeting after last season ended, but it was owner Micky Arison who was in touch with the former Finals MVP during this past week’s negotiations.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Brandon Jennings was seeking a one-year contract from the Knicks in the hopes of proving himself and boosting his stock for 2017’s free agent period. New York, which wanted to maintain cap room for ’17, was happy to oblige.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders spoke to Courtney Lee about the veteran shooting guard’s decision to sign with the Knicks, and being recruited by Joakim Noah.

And-Ones: Durant, Gasol, Crawford

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:39pm CST by Will Joseph

Kevin Durant has told teams he is meeting with that his decision will be made within the next 24-36 hours, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Durant’s meeting with the Celtics, one that reportedly featured Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, ended just after 6:30pm, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Aldridge also tweets that Durant will meet with the Heat Sunday before meeting again with the Thunder. He is then expected to decide. According to Broussard, however, no decision has been made on whether Durant will meet again with the Thunder (Twitter link). Durant has also met with the Warriors, Spurs and Clippers.

Here’s more from a busy day around the league …

The Raptors have emerged as another suitor for Pau Gasol, who may look to make a decision after Durant finds a home, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The Wolves, Blazers and Spurs have expressed interest in Gasol, too, Stein relays (on Twitter).
Al Horford‘s four-year, $113MM deal with the Celtics includes a player option after the third year, according to his agent Jason Glushon, Shelburne reports (ESPN Now link).
The Clippers formally offered Jamal Crawford a contract on Saturday, according to Shelburne (ESPN Now link). The Wolves checked in on Crawford Saturday, but they are not close to offering, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
After losing Horford in free agency, the Hawks are expected to halt trade talks and will keep Paul Millsap, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Kings hold a team option for the second year on both of the two-year agreements for Arron Afflalo and Anthony Tolliver, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
The Pelicans have expressed interest in Raymond Felton and New Orleans could be competition for the Mavs, who would like to re-sign Felton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The Mavs, Wolves, Pelicans and Spurs are among the teams that have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent Thomas Robinson, Kennedy tweets.

Al Horford Met With Four Teams On Friday

July 1st, 2016 at 10:52pm CST by Luke Adams

10:52pm: While the Hawks remain involved in the Horford sweepstakes, they have yet to offer him the full max, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

10:30pm: The Hawks committed more than $140MM to Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard on Friday, greatly reducing the odds of Al Horford returning to Atlanta. For his part, Horford also had a busy July 1st, having held free agent meetings with four teams, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter).

Earlier in the day, we heard that the Celtics were among the teams to meet with Horford in Atlanta today, and Boston was expected to put a maximum-salary offer on the table for the free agent big man. Wojnarowski adds the Rockets and Wizards to the list of teams to meet with Horford today, though the identity of the fourth team isn’t known — it’s possible it was the Hawks, though the Thunder and several other teams are also believed to be in the hunt.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Hawks haven’t backed out of the Horford sweepstakes quite yet, even after striking $70MM deals with Bazemore and Howard. Windhorst reports that Atlanta has been involved in trade talks that would help the team clear the space necessary to bring back Horford, if he wants to return, and Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the Hawks’ contract negotiations with Horford have been ongoing.

Windhorst didn’t name any specific players as trade candidates for Atlanta, but I would think Tiago Splitter and his $8.55MM cap hit would be at or near the top of the list. A Paul Millsap deal is a possibility as well. Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reports (via Twitter) that a trade involving Millsap and Suns draft picks has been “pondered” in recent days.

Per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Celtics had apparently hoped to secure an agreement with Horford and then bring him to their meeting with Kevin Durant on Saturday. However, it doesn’t appear Horford will decide on his destination tonight — Wojnarowski says that decision will likely happen over the weekend sometime.

Atlantic Notes: Millsap, Gbinjie, Noah

June 22nd, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Here’s the latest happenings from out of the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors should look to trade away the No. 9 overall pick for veteran help rather than adding another young player to the roster, opines Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The scribe notes the lack of star caliber players in this year’s draft as a primary reason to move the pick, adding that the team has enough developing players on its bench already.
Former Syracuse swingman Michael Gbinjie completed his string of pre-draft workouts this week with a showcase for the Nets, Donna Ditota of The Post Standard relays (via Twitter).
With the Knicks dealing away center Robin Lopez as part of the Derrick Rose trade, the team is now set up for a potential pursuit this summer of big men Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News observes (via Twitter). Along with the Knicks, the Nets are also expected to have interest in signing Noah, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
As a result of the Rose trade, the Knicks‘ available cap space has decreased slightly, dropping from approximately $35.4MM to $35.1MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (on Twitter).
The Sixers are in the market for a veteran point guard and were involved in trade discussions for George Hill and Jeff Teague prior to the players being dealt elsewhere, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets.
If the Hawks are unsuccessful in their attempt to re-sign Al Horford, and end up shifting into rebuilding mode, the Raptors would be interested in acquiring forward Paul Millsap, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes (Twitter links). Toronto had inquired about Millsap at the trade deadline this season but were rebuffed, Lewenberg relays, adding that the Raptors view him as ideal fit next to center Jonas Valanciunas.

Southeast Notes: Horford, Hawks, Powell, Batum

May 8th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford will be among the most popular free agents this summer, but he didn’t sound ready to leave Atlanta after the Hawks were eliminated today, relays Chris Vivlamore of the Journal-Constitution. “My main priority tomorrow is to meet with the team and the coaches one last time [for the season] and go from there and figure out how we can be a better group,” Horford said. The Hawks are planning to offer Horford a maximum contract, and several other teams are expected to bid on him. The nine-year veteran made $12MM this season but could more than double that amount in free agency.

The Hawks are the only team Horford has played for, and he has developed a strong attachment to Atlanta. “I’ve set up here with my family,” he said. “We all live here. We live here in the summer. We live here year-round. I’m very grateful for all the people here. They have taken me in from the very first day, even though I was a [Florida] Gator. They loved me. I really love the city.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hawks need “major change and major improvement,” starting with a go-to scorer who can carry the team late in games, writes Jeff Schultz of The Journal-Constitution. Schultz says Paul Millsap disappeared too often in the playoffs, and Horford isn’t strong enough in the paint or reliable enough outside to be a dependable scorer. The writer adds that Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder are too inconsistent, while Kyle Korver is headed toward reserve status and Kent Bazemore may be leaving as a free agent.
The Wizards would have drafted Dwight Powell in 2014 and may take another shot at the Dallas big man in free agency, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington was one pick away from landing Powell when he went at No. 45 to the Hornets. The Wizards sold their pick to the Lakers after he was taken. Powell, who earned $845K this season, will be a restricted free agent and could fill a backup role in Washington.
Small forward Nicolas Batum plans to make the Hornets his top priority when free agency arrives, as the The A ssociated Press relays. Batum, who has played one season in Charlotte after being traded from Portland, is encouraged by the team’s potential. “I want to talk to [the Hornets] first, for sure,” Batum said. “July 1st will be a crazy day, but will Charlotte be my first call? Yes.” Hornets starters Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson will also be unrestricted free agents, and reserve point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to opt out.

Southeast Notes: Harris, Haslem, Millsap

March 25th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Being dealt to the Pistons at the trade deadline this season initially stunned Tobias Harris, but he harbors no feelings of resentment toward the Magic, noting that he understands that Orlando’s roster needed a shakeup, John Denton of NBA.com relays. “No hard feelings at all because the situation in Orlando was always like family to me,’’ said Harris. “Getting traded from Milwaukee to over there [Orlando in 2013], I got an opportunity to show what I could do and I got to meet some really great people throughout the city. So no hard feelings at all and I wish them nothing but the best going forward. I still have a great relationship with those [Magic] guys and I got to see a lot of them [on Tuesday], so it’s all love for them.’’

Magic coach Scott Skiles noted that his call to Harris to tell the combo forward he had been traded was an emotional one, Denton adds. “It was hard, very hard. He and I are still in communication,’’ Skiles said. “It’s always hard with any player, but Tobias and I go back even further than the Orlando Magic. Those things are very difficult and it’s the worst part of the business.’’

Here’s more from out of the Southeast Division:

Udonis Haslem has seen his role markedly diminished for the Heat this season, but teammate Dwyane Wade stuck up for his teammate and noted that the veteran can still play and would be a rotation player on quite a few other teams, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “Just look at Udonis,” Wade said. “He’s a three-time champion. There’s guys on other teams playing around this league that I would put him against any day, and here he’s not playing and not getting minutes. Think about the pride that takes and the ego that he doesn’t have to still be here and not be asking to get out of here, to not be tearing up the locker room every night. I get it. It’s tough. Special guys like that come around and when an organization has those guys, they try to keep them as much as they can.”
Paul Millsap spurned other suitors last summer and re-signed with the Hawks because he believed that the franchise was on the cusp of becoming a perennial contender in the East, Michael Lee of the Vertical writes. While the team won’t equal its 60 wins of a season ago, the power forward still believes Atlanta has what it takes to reach the Conference Finals, Lee adds. “I think we do. Record says otherwise. But we don’t care about the record,” Millsap told Lee. “I think the main thing we have to do is stay focused on winning as many as we can. I don’t think we care where we fall. As long we’re in and we have an opportunity to play for a title, it doesn’t matter where we fall. Because at the end of day, we’re going to have to go through everybody. And whoever it is in the first round, hopefully, we’ll be ready.“

Eastern Notes: Mayo, Millsap, Jackson

March 11th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bucks have suffered a rash of injuries this season and the team is currently down to just 10 healthy bodies, though center John Henson is getting closer to making his return from back woes. Despite his team being depleted, coach Jason Kidd indicated that Milwaukee has no immediate plans to add a player via hardship allowance, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel relays. “We’re going to play with the group we have,” Kidd said. “We have plenty of guys still; we’re not down to eight.” The Bucks are without O.J. Mayo, Michael Carter-Williams and Steve Novak, who are lost for the season, and Greivis Vasquez is out until at least March 25th with an ankle injury.

Kidd also noted that Mayo went to the doctor on Wednesday, the day prior to the announcement that he broke his right ankle walking down a flight of stairs at his home, because he we sick, Gardner relays. While the timing may raise eyebrows, Kidd indicated that the organization was taking the veteran shooting guard at his word, Gardner adds. “Anytime someone is sick, unless you’re going to play, we keep you home,” Kidd said. “Then the next day we get the call that he tripped and hurt himself, that he was going to the hospital. There are going to be stories. Everyone is going to have their opinion. But we can only go on what O.J. told us, and that’s what he told us.”

Here’s more from the East….

Knicks team president Phil Jackson downplayed the notion that he would leave the team prior to the expiration of his five-year deal, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “I’m still in it,” Jackson said. “I’m in it to win it.” Jackson didn’t deny his fondness for the West Coast, but noted his job in New York isn’t complete yet, Medina adds. “The energy that I have is directed toward turning this team around,” Jackson continued. “That’s taken my full effort.”
Returning to Utah this week brought back memories for Paul Millsap, who spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Jazz, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays. Millsap said he had fond regards for his time in Utah, while Atlanta coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said he’s thrilled the talented big man is a member of the Hawks organization, telling Genessy, “He means so much. He fits us well. He’s a great teammate. He plays both ends of the court at a high level. He’s very unique in how talented he is with some of the things he does. I’m just very thankful that he’s with us.”

Nets Interested In Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap

February 11th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets have reached out to the Hawks regarding power forward Paul Millsap and point guard Jeff Teague, Alan Hahn of ESPN Radio and MSG Network told the Michael Kay Radio show (h/t NetsDaily). Brooklyn is said to “covet” Teague, who would fill a major void at point guard for the franchise, Hahn noted. Pulling off a trade for either player will be difficult, as the Hawks’ asking price for Teague is reportedly “extremely high” and the Nets are slim on tradeable assets. Plus, Brooklyn is still without a GM heading into All-Star week, though the team has reportedly indicated that it wants to hire someone by the February 18th trade deadline.

Teague has been generating quite a bit of interest as the deadline approaches. Orlando and Atlanta have reportedly spoken about a potential trade involving Victor Oladipo and Teague, with the Hawks seeking an equal exchange of talent that helps them get younger. This would be a tall order for Brooklyn to fill given the state of its roster. Also in the mix for the point guard are the Jazz, Knicks, Pacers, Celtics and Sixers. Teague is making $8MM this year and is set for the same next season on the four-year offer sheet he signed with Milwaukee in 2013, which Atlanta matched in order to retain his services. In 52 appearances this season, Teague is averaging 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 43.2% shooting.

Millsap’s name hasn’t been popping up in trade rumors for the Hawks, with most of the chatter around Atlanta focusing on Teague and center Al Horford. The 31-year-old is earning $18,671,659 this season and is inked for two more seasons beyond this one. Millsap is scheduled to pull down $20,072,033 in 2016/17 and possesses a player option worth $21,472,407 for the 2017/18 campaign. In 54 contests this season, Millsap has notched averages of 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.