Rajon Rondo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Walton, Rondo, Cousins, Clippers

June 19th, 2016 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Walton has managed to stay focused on his duties as lead assistant with the Warriors, even as his head coaching job with the Lakers awaits, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton had his first interview on April 18th — more than two months ago — when he had a phone conversation with Knicks president Phil Jackson. “Luke is a real loyal guy,” said fellow Golden State assistant Ron Adams. “And he’s real loyal to the Golden State Warriors — has been since he was named coach of the Lakers. It might be hard for people to understand that. I would say he’s atypical in that regard. A lot of people, if a team would’ve allowed what the Lakers allowed, I think [the person] would’ve been more fixated on that team than this team. That’s not Luke. That’s not what Luke has been.” Walton will coach his final game with the Warriors tonight, then will likely be introduced as the Lakers’ new coach later this week.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kings point guard Rajon Rondo pronounced himself fully healthy as he prepares for his second straight year of free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rondo signed a one-year deal with Sacramento last summer, which gave him a first-hand view of the turmoil in the organization, especially between DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it as an exit [missing the playoffs], but I was able to bounce back, I believe,” Rondo said. “I am very healthy. I’ve been working extremely hard on my body and my game. I’m 30 years old and I feel great.” Rondo’s numbers had declined since tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2013, but he bounced back to average 11.9 points and 11.7 assists per game this season.
Cousins’ younger brother, Jaleel, worked out for the Kings on Saturday, according to James Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The 6-11, 250-pound center was a senior this season at South Florida.
Dee Brown and Pat Sullivan have emerged as assistant coaching candidates with the Clippers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kevin Eastman, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, announced his retirement earlier this week.
The Clippers will hold two workouts Monday, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The morning session will feature Alabama’s Retin Obasohan, Miami’s Sheldon McClellan, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Maryland’s Jake Layman, Villanova’s Daniel Ochefu and UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman. Working out in the afternoon will be Tulsa’s James Woodard, West Virginia’s Jaysean Page, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisiana’s Alex Hamilton, SMU’s Markus Kennedy and Iowa’s Jared Uthoff.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Eastman, Lakers, Kings

June 14th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo is eligible for free agency this summer, and while there’s a chance he’ll return to Sacramento, it sounds like those odds would have been very slim if George Karl hadn’t been replaced by Dave Joerger as the team’s head coach. In an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Rondo said that the tension between the Kings‘ coaching staff and DeMarcus Cousins was unlike anything he’d seen in his NBA career.

“There were too many distractions on and off the court,” Rondo said. “The organization as a whole, I don’t think was together completely. I think as a team you have to want the best for the next man beside you, and that wasn’t the case with the Sacramento Kings.”

Asked about his free agency, Rondo didn’t rule out a return to the Kings, but suggested he’ll explore his option. The point guard will be prioritizing a landing spot where his teammates are willing to work hard to grow and get better. “I don’t want to be the hardest-working guy in the gym,” Rondo said.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Longtime basketball coach Kevin Eastman has decided to call it a career, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Eastman, who was an assistant on Doc Rivers‘ staff in Boston before joining him with the Clippers, was named L.A.’s vice president of basketball operations in 2014. In his newsletter, he explained his decision to retire from coaching and outlined what he’ll do next.
There’s coaching news on Los Angeles’ other squad as well. According to analyst Dave Miller (Twitter link), Jesse Mermuys will join Luke Walton‘s coaching staff with the Lakers. Last season, Mermuys served as the coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s D-League affiliate, so the Raps will have to fill that role for 2016/17.
Colorado State guard Antwan Scott, who previously worked out for Denver, will be part of a group workout on Wednesday for the Kings, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.

Knicks Notes: Lin, Lawson, Hornacek, Jackson

June 5th, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will be looking for a point guard in free agency, but won’t consider Jeremy Lin or Ty Lawson, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman the team isn’t impressed with Lin’s defense and thinks Lawson’s off-court problems, which include two DUI offenses, make him too much of a gamble. Mike Conley is considered the best free agent point guard on the market and will probably be the Knicks’ first target. Berman writes that Carmelo Anthony prefers Rajon Rondo, but many in the team’s front office believes he dominates the ball too much. Some other possibilities are Brandon Jennings, D.J. Augustin and Tyler Johnson.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

New coach Jeff Hornacek, who was officially hired this week, said his three-year contract was timed to coincide with team president Phil Jackson’s deal, Berman writes in the same piece. “He had three years left, so he wanted to make it as mine,’’ Hornacek said. “Phil wants to bring winning basketball back to New York. I’m excited he brought me along to help do that.’’
Another possible answer at point guard is Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead, Ian Begley posts on ESPN Now. Whitehead worked out for the Knicks Saturday and reportedly had an impressive showing. Jackson prefers tall points guards, and Whitehead qualifies at 6’5″, plus he grew up in the New York area, so the pressure of playing in the city shouldn’t affect him. The Knicks are hoping to acquire a draft pick, and Begley speculates that they may have to trade into the late first round to land Whitehead.
Former Knick J.R. Smith, now in the NBA Finals with the Cavaliers, says he feels bad that Anthony is stuck in an unstable situation in New York, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Hornacek will be Anthony’s fifth head coach in nearly seven seasons with the Knicks. “When he first got there, I’m sure he felt they were going to work toward something, which he did being the second team in the Eastern Conference at one point and then the drop-off,” said Smith, who was traded to Cleveland midway through the 2014/15 season. “I’m sure it was disappointing for him. But he’s a soldier. I’m sure he’ll get through it.”
The development of Kristaps Porzingis will determine how successful Hornacek is in New York, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro says the new coach’s biggest challenge will be to ease Anthony into a second-fiddle role while building the team around Porzingis.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Teletovic, Workouts

May 19th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While the Kings would like to have Rajon Rondo return next season, the team is prepared to move on from the point guard rather quickly if the bidding for his services escalates, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. The scribe doesn’t cite a specific dollar figure that would be the cut off point for Sacramento, but does note that it is lower than many might think. Rondo earned $9.5MM this season and is likely to command more than that in unrestricted free agency this summer given the amount of teams in need of help at the point guard position, though that is merely my speculation. The 30-year-old made 72 appearances in 2015/16, averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 11.7 assists in 35.2 minutes per outing.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers may not have a choice in the matter, given that the Sixers select ahead of them in this June’s draft, but team officials prefer LSU forward Ben Simmons over Duke’s Brandon Ingram, Chad Ford of ESPN. com tweets. Ingram is a better fit for the team, but many in the front office are enamored with Simmons’ star potential, Ford adds.
The Suns held a workout on Wednesday for Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Codi Miller-McIntyre (Wake Forest), Adam Smith (Georgia Tech) and Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), the team announced.
Working out for the Kings today will be Josh Hagins (Arkansas Little Rock), Gabe York (Arizona), Brannen Greene (Kansas), Max Hooper (Oakland), Mike Bryson (UC Santa Barbara) and Jordan Loveridge (Utah), the team relayed.
Mirza Teletovic is expected to be in high demand this summer as an unrestricted free agent, but the power forward said that the hiring of Earl Watson as head coach significantly increases the chances that he will re-sign with the Suns, Matt Petersen of NBA.com relays.
The Lakers may entertain dealing away the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but doing so may compromise the team’s current plan build around its young core, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. The scribe adds that Los Angeles will have ample opportunities to add veterans via free agency instead, given its ample cap flexibility this summer.

New York Notes: Conley, Rambis, McCullough

May 8th, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets will be shopping for a point guard this summer and may have a better shot at landing Mike Conley now that coach Dave Joerger has been fired in Memphis, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Conley, who averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists this season and led the NBA in assists-to-turnovers ratio, has said he wants to see how the Grizzlies’ offseason plays out before deciding to re-sign.

Lewis foresees a point guard shakeup in Brooklyn even if the Nets can’t lure Conley. He expects Jarrett Jack, who started 32 games before tearing his ACL, to be released, allowing the Nets to save all but $500K of his $6.3MM salary. Shane Larkin has a June 29th deadline to decide whether to exercise a $1.5MM option for next season. New coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation for developing point guards and worked closely with Jeremy Lin when both were with the Knicks. Lin could be an option if he opts out of a deal with Charlotte that would pay him only slightly more than $2.2MM. Lewis writes that Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Seth Curry and Jordan Clarkson could be other targets, along with overseas players such as Milos Teodosic, Nando De Colo, Malcolm Delaney and Sergio Rodriguez.

There’s more out of New York:

The Knicks also have interest in Conley and might see their chances improving because of the events in Memphis, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. That’s especially true if GM Chris Wallace, a huge supporter of Conley, leaves the Grizzlies as well, Berman writes.
Knicks president Phil Jackson may be repaying Kurt Rambis after costing him the head coaching job with the Lakers 17 years ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Rambis took over on the Lakers’ bench after Del Harris was fired in 1999 and expected to be named head coach after the season ended. However, late owner Jerry Buss hired Jackson, and Rambis’ coaching career was put on hold. Now the interim coach with the Knicks, Rambis is believed to be Jackson’s choice to lead the team next season.
Nets rookie Chris McCullough showed a lot of promise late in the season, but he will probably be brought along slowly next year, according to NetsDaily. McCullough, the 29th pick in last year’s draft, missed most of the season while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered at Syracuse. A 6’11” power forward with an impressive vertical leap and 3-point range, McCullough gives Brooklyn hope for the future, but the author speculates that Atkinson will phase him in gradually and may even send the 21-year-old to the team’s new D-League team for occasional seasoning.

Southwest Notes: Alexander, Gentry, Aldridge

April 16th, 2016 at 3:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander plans to be more active in the team’s offseason moves, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Alexander gave GM Daryl Morey a vote of confidence this week but said he will take a more hands-on role in overhauling a roster that produced a disappointing 41-41 record and the eighth seed in the West. “I think I will change a little bit,” Alexander said. “More scrutiny and what they’re doing. I was thinking about doing it anyway but after this season, definitely.” Among Houston’s decisions will be whether to retain interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who posted a 37-34 record after taking over for Kevin McHale in November. Alexander didn’t commit to keeping Bickerstaff, but did toss a compliment his way. “He’s got a winning record,” Alexander said, “which is good from where he started.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry is hoping for a fresh start next season after a disastrous first year in New Orleans, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Gentry was hired to take the next step with the Pelicans after they claimed the final playoff spot in 2014/15, but the team was slowed by a long string of misfortune. New Orleans players ended the season with 351 games missed due to injuries and illness, the second-highest total in the past decade. Looking ahead, Gentry has a vision for the type of player he wants to acquire in the offseason. “I think we need that 6’7″ athletic guy that can also be somewhat of a facilitator,” he said. “As to names, I have no idea who that is, but I know that he’s out there. And so that would be obviously a priority for us.”
The Spurs became a better defensive team after trading Tiago Splitter and signing LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Matthew Tynan of RealGM. Splitter is considered the better defender, but Aldridge has more range and mobility, Tynan notes, which gives Tim Duncan the more natural role of rim protector.
Jae Crowder, who has emerged as a star in Boston, couldn’t wait to get out of Dallas, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Before being included in the 2014 trade that brought Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks, Crowder was frustrated by a lack of playing time, two trips to the D-League and Dallas’ signings of Al-Farouq Aminu, Chandler Parsons and Richard Jefferson.

Knicks Rumors: Rondo, Karl, Anthony, Galloway

March 21st, 2016 at 12:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free-agent-to-be Rajon Rondo said he wants his next team to be the “last stop” in his NBA career, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Knicks are hoping they might be the destination for the Sacramento point guard, who leads the league in assists with 11.8 per game. New York will have at least $18MM in cap space to use this summer.

Lewis notes that Knicks GM Steve Mills spent 30 minutes talking with Rondo’s agent, Bill Duffy, last week in California. Carmelo Anthony has openly pushed for Rondo to join the team, and interim coach Kurt Rambis has expressed confidence that the 30-year-old can adapt to the triangle offense. After the Kings defeated the Knicks Sunday, Rondo brushed aside concerns that he might not be comfortable in the triangle. “I’m not against anything,” he said. “I’m pretty smart. I can figure out anything I need to figure out.’’

There’s more out of New York today:

Anthony, who has been the focus of rumors saying he might ask to be traded this summer, received support from Kings coach George Karl, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I’ve seen a winning ‘Melo over the last two years,” Karl said. “I’ve seen him sacrifice his game to try to figure out the team.” Anthony didn’t play Sunday because of a migraine and wasn’t available to speak with reporters, but he has repeatedly voiced his frustrations over the Knicks’ collapse during the second half of the season, which will leave the team out of the playoffs for the third straight year. “He doesn’t want the season to be over April [13th],” Karl said. “I think Melo’s had a Hall of Fame career, and I just know right now, just kind of looking at his body language, he wants to win.”
With restricted free agency looming, Langston Galloway has picked an unfortunate time to fall into a shooting slump, writes Ryan Lazo of The New York Post. Galloway’s 3-point marksmanship was an important weapon for the Knicks during the first part of the season, but teams have begun challenging his shots and daring him to drive. As a result, he’s shooting just 31% from the field in March. His two-year contract expires this summer, and the Knicks have to decide whether he can be a long-term effective scorer. “[Staying in New York] would mean a lot,” Galloway said. “I think they are going to show interest after the season, and I’m hoping I get to stay here.”

Atlantic Notes: Early, Rondo, Embiid, Scola

March 20th, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks activated small forward Cleanthony Early today for the first time since he was shot in the right knee during a December 30th robbery, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Early told police he was robbed and shot when four to six men stopped a taxi he was riding in. The Knicks assigned Early to the D-League two weeks ago to help him prepare for his NBA return.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Kings point guard and impending free agent Rajon Rondo said former Knicks coach Derek Fisher “might have blacked out a couple of times” when he questioned Rondo’s ability to run the triangle offense, Begley relays. Rondo made some comments questioning the triangle earlier this season, and many interpreted them as a sign that he wouldn’t consider New York in free agency. But Rondo sounded different before Sacramento’s game tonight at Madison Square Garden. “I’m not saying I couldn’t master [the triangle]. I think I can put my mind to it, break down a lot of film if that was the case to be,” Rondo said. “I don’t play in the triangle. I can only speak on what I do know and that’s under George Karl’s system. We’re pretty good offensively. We don’t want to talk about the defense.”
The Sixers sent Joel Embiid back to the Aspetar medical facility in Qatar because they were happy with the results of his first visit, according to Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly. Coach Brett Brown said the first trip to Aspetar provided positive results for Embiid in the areas of body weight, sleep, body mass assessment and healing. “Maybe more important than anything, Joel bought in, in a large way, and the results were starting to show,” Brown said. “We test drove it, we liked what we saw a lot, led by a group of us that assessed it and Joel’s reaction to it.”
Veteran power forward Luis Scola, who signed with the Raptors in free agency over the offseason, has become a valuable contributor in Toronto, writes Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com. Scola raised some eyebrows around the league with a 17-point first quarter against the Celtics this week. “This is a team that we have a bunch of pieces and they all have their role,” Scola said.

Knicks Notes: Afflalo, Rondo, Point Guards

March 20th, 2016 at 11:23am CST by ChrisCrouse

Arron Afflalo is looking for at least one more big contract in the league, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Afflalo has a player option worth $8MM for next season and after playing well for the Knicks this season, he will likely command a higher annual salary on the open market should he opt out, Bondy speculates. The 30-year-old said he hasn’t thought much about his looming decision, but added that his priorities are “team opportunity and finances.”

Here’s more from New York:

Rajon Rondo has been critical of Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense, but it appears the point guard is willing to accept the Knicks‘ offense, Ryan Lazo of the New York Post writes. “I had a [negative] comment earlier about [the offense], but if I put my mind at it, I think I can be good at anything,” Rondo told Lazo.
It’s no secret that Carmelo Anthony would like to play with Rondo, Lazo adds in the same piece. “We have a lot of respect for each other,” Rondo said of Anthony. “He competes every night and plays extremely hard and I think I do the same.” Rondo will be a free agent at the end of the season and Knicks coach Kurt Rambis recently said he believes the point guard would be a good fit for the team.
The Knicks‘ struggles this season have highlighted the need for a top point guard, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders opines.

Atlantic Rumors: Calderon, Rondo, Embiid, Karasev

March 19th, 2016 at 8:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jose Calderon would like to return to the Knicks next season, even if it means giving up his role as starting point guard, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. If he comes back, Calderon will earn $7.6MM in the final year of his contract. However, the Knicks have made no secret of their desire to find a new point guard, and it’s possible that Calderon could be traded or even waived through the stretch provision, which would allow the team to open about $5MM in extra cap space for this summer. That would leave the Knicks with less cap flexibility for 2017 and 2018, however. “I’ll figure it out when the season is over,” Calderon said. “There’s still a few games left, still a year left on my contract. I always say you’re one call away. You never know what’s going to happen. We’ll figure it out after the season.”

There’s more news tonight regarding the Knicks and the Atlantic Division:

Interim Knicks coach Kurt Rambis believes Kings point guard Rajon Rondo could be successful in the triangle offense, Berman writes in the same piece, citing an unidentified source. Rondo signed a one-year deal with Sacramento in free agency last offseason and is expected to be highly sought after this summer.
Injured Sixers center Joel Embiid is making a second trip to the Aspetar medical facility in Qatar, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Several team officials accompanied him on this visit, as Embiid undergoes more treatment for his surgically repaired right foot.
The twice-delayed right knee surgery for Sixers rookie center Jahlil Okafor has been scheduled for Tuesday, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports.
The Nets are apparently taking a long look at Sergey Karasev before the season ends, according to NetsDaily. The fourth-year swingman made his first start of the season Thursday and his minutes have been increasing this month. It’s possible that new GM Sean Marks is auditioning Karasev after Brooklyn elected to decline the option for next season on his rookie contract. The option would have eaten up $2,463,754 in cap flexibility this summer, when the Nets are hoping to make a strong push for free agents.