Raul Neto Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Mudiay, Jazz

June 30th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder want a first-round pick to part with Perry Jones, according to two execs who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI. Unfortunately for OKC, however, that doesn’t seem to be a realistic demand. Here’s more from the Northwest Division..

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke with Mannix about the chaos of draft night and the events leading up the selection of Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay did not work out for Denver, but the Nuggets did watch a great deal of film on him. Despite the uncertainty, Malone said that he trusted his front office and wasn’t hesitant about the pick.
The Jazz will have a conversation with Raul Neto, the Brazilian point guard they drafted two years ago, to gauge his interest in playing in the NBA next season, according to Aaron Falk, Tony Jones, and Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. The sense is that the Jazz want the 2013 second round pick to join them sooner rather than later. However, it’s not clear where he’d fit in given the team’s current logjam at point guard.
The Raptors never considered Tomislav Zubčić, a late second-round pick in the 2012 draft whose rights Toronto sent to the Thunder today, to be an NBA prospect, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter). Apparently, the Raptors drafted him mostly as a favor to help speed up the team’s buyout for Jonas Valanciunas, Wolstat writes.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey is prepared for what’s ahead, regardless of whether LaMarcus Aldridge stays or goes, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes.
The Thunder announced that they have named Monty Williams, Maurice Cheeks, and Anthony Grant as assistant coaches.

Western Notes: Lee, Durant, Jazz

March 12th, 2015 at 7:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Some around the Warriors think David Lee‘s return from injury in December disrupted the team’s rhythm, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group hears, and the team has essentially squeezed him out of the rotation for now. The Warriors were steadfast at the deadline that they didn’t want to simply shed Lee in a salary dump, Kawakami writes, nonetheless adding that he expects Golden State to make a push to trade him this summer.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

No one believes that Thunder GM Sam Presti would ever trade Kevin Durant, a league executive told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Presti dismissed the idea he’d make such a move after ESPN analyst and former team exec Tom Penn suggested that he would.
Jay Yeomans of the Deseret News reviews how Jazz draft-and-stash picks Ante Tomic, Tibor Pleiss, and Raul Neto are faring overseas this season.
Jazz rookie Rodney Hood is providing some much needed scoring from the wing for the team, which was a big reason why Utah drafted him last June, Kareem Copeland of NBA.com writes. “He makes shots and has the ability to space the floor. He’s also gets to the rim, too,” coach Quin Snyder said of Hood. “The plan, really in the beginning, Rodney was going to play. Whether he was going to start or how many minutes, you never know. He’s good enough and we need him.“
Though Enes Kanter is receiving similar playing time with the Thunder as he did with the Jazz, the big man is more content thanks to being on a more successful team, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman relays. “Well, the thing is we are winning here,” Kanter said. “We are playing for something. We are playing for playoffs, we are playing for ring. There [in Utah], I still respect them and I don’t want to say nothing bad about them. But this is just way different than what I’ve been seeing. It’s a whole different level. This is like I realize what NBA is when I came to Oklahoma City.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Exum, Douglas-Roberts, Levenson

September 7th, 2014 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Scouts are still evaluating Dante Exum, one of the bigger gambles taken in the NBA Draft lottery. The Jazz selected him without having seen him play against top-level competition and the jury is still out on Exum as a player as he shows his stuff in the World Cup, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. When asked what he’s learned about Exum so far, one Eastern Conference scouting director said, “Not much. He’s not ready for the NBA, that is for sure. But a lot of guys are not ready for the NBA and they have got to learn on the fly. He is no different. But he is not going to jump into the league and all of a sudden average 20 points a game. There’s just no way.” Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA..

Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ deal with the Clippers is fully guaranteed, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). That doesn’t come as a huge surprise since Ekpe Udoh‘s minimum salary deal is also fully guaranteed for the 2014/15 season. CD-R averaged 6.9 points in 20.7 minutes per game and shot a career-high 38.6% from downtown last season.
Even before the Donald Sterling situation erupted, there was some talk that Bruce Levenson would explore selling his controlling interest of the Hawks, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Whether Levenson’s fate is well-deserved or Orwellian is up for debate, but it’s clear this is a different world in the post-Sterling NBA, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Supply and demand could keep Reggie Jackson with the Thunder, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Only four teams – the Mavs, Lakers, Knicks, and Heat – currently have a clear need and the necessary cap space to make a run at him next summer. Jackson is after a sizable payday and a starting role, but that could be hard to find in the middle of an extremely talented free agent class.
The Jazz have several players in the World Cup, including Exum and stashed Brazilian talent Raul Neto, and Dennis Lindsey admits that he is somewhat worried about injuries and fatigue, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. At the same time, he feels that his younger players are also gaining valuable experience in international play.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Hinkie, Anthony, Jazz

June 28th, 2014 at 11:50pm CST by Cray Allred

Many NBA stars are having discussions of teaming up now and in the future, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer details how Sixers GM Sam Hinkie pounced on the Magic‘s needs by drafting Elfrid Payton at No. 10 and then trading him to Orlando, receiving back the 2015 first-rounder Philadelphia owed to the Magic.
A Knicks player that recently spoke with Carmelo Anthony told Marc Berman of The New York Post that the star forward gave no indication of leaving New York.
The Jazz will most likely let 2013 draft pick Raul Neto spend another year developing overseas, reports Jody Genessy of Deseret News.
Utah has yet to decide what to do with 2008 draft selection Ante Tomic, per Genessy. The Jazz could buy out his overseas contract and bring the center over to contribute this season, trade his rights, or simply wait another year.
Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald tweets that Ray Allen is still in the Heat‘s plans going forward. Allen has been leaning toward returning to play another year alongside LeBron James.

Western Notes: Jazz, Gortat, Bogut, Ebanks

October 14th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Trey Burke is set to have surgery on his broken right finger tomorrow, and Jody Genessy of the Deseret News hears from the rookie’s agent that the injury could sideline Burke for more than eight weeks. It’s bad news for the Jazz, who don’t have a ton of point guard depth, but the team isn’t rushing to find a replacement, and is still in info-gathering mode, according to Genessy (via Twitter).

One option that doesn’t appear to be on the table for Utah is bringing over second-round pick Raul Neto. According to GM Dennis Lindsey, via Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune, Neto’s team in Spain (Lagun Aro) is in a similar building process to the Jazz, so Utah wouldn’t try to lure away one of its best players (Twitter links).

Here’s more on the Jazz and a few other Western teams:

Luhm adds in another tweet that Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said today there are a couple of free agents who are looking for more than what the club is willing to pay.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic spoke to Marcin Gortat about entering a contract year and the possibility of remaining with the Suns long-term.
Andrew Bogut reiterated to Sam Amick of USA Today that he likes playing for the Warriors and wants to stay in Golden State beyond this season, but noted that Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry probably felt the same way before they signed elsewhere. In other words, Bogut hopes to remain with the Warriors, but recognizes anything could happen next summer in free agency.
On the heels of a report indicating Corey Maggette figures to retire if he’s waived by the Spurs, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld notes (via Twitter) that the veteran has long been interested in an executive job. Maggette participated in the NBPA’s Leadership Development Program, which prepares players for front office roles.
The NBA announced today that Devin Ebanks has been suspended two games for pleading nolo contendere to driving under the influence of alcohol. Ebanks is currently trying to earn a spot on the Mavericks‘ regular-season roster — he was already a long shot, but his suspension certainly doesn’t help his chances.

Extension Talks Ongoing For Favors, Hayward

August 16th, 2013 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are one of six NBA teams with multiple players eligible for rookie-scale extensions this offseason, and Utah has begun discussing potential deals for both Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, according to GM Dennis Lindsey. Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Lindsey appeared on 1280 AM in Utah today and confirmed that extension talks for both players are ongoing.

According to Oram (via Twitter), Lindsey suggested that Utah's preference would be to extend Favors and Hayward this offseason, but the team is also comfortable with letting one or both guys play out the 2013/14 season. In that scenario, the market would dictate their value next summer, and the Jazz would still have the opportunity to match any rival offers. Given how little long-term money the club has on its books, matching an offer sheet wouldn't be an issue.

When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors took an early look at this year's extension candidates back in March, he predicted that Favors would receive a new long-term deal while Hayward would eventually hit restricted free agency. Because both players are entering the last year of their rookie-scale contracts, they'll have until October 31st to work something out with the Jazz.

Oram adds in a series of tweets that Lindsey also addressed a few other Utah-related topics during his radio appearance. The GM hinted that the Jazz may not end up using all the future draft picks they've acquired, and indicated that there should be an announcement about Justin Zanik's role in the front office coming soon. Lindsey also added that he hopes Raul Neto will be a long-time member of the Jazz — when I examined 2013's remaining unsigned draft picks yesterday, I noted that Neto is one of the second-rounders whose future is still up in the air.

Northwest Notes: Pekovic, Neto, Jazz, Blazers

July 18th, 2013 at 9:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder's courtship of Mike Miller is the dominant headline among Northwest Division teams this evening, but it's not the only news. Here's more on some of the teams who've spent the last two seasons looking up at Oklahoma City in the standings:

Nikola Pekovic has yet to receive an offer sheet from any team trying to pry him away from the Timberwolves, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Wolves reportedly have offered a four-year deal worth as much as $50MM, and Walters figures he'll wind up signing it.
Soon after the draft, it seemed unlikely 47th overall pick Raul Neto would join the Jazz for this season, and the Brazilian point guard recently told Basketeria that he'll probably spend 2013/14 playing in Spain (translation via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News). That appears to be the Jazz's preference, as Neto said last week that his choice is to play in the NBA, while Genessy notes that Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey wouldn't mind if he got more experience overseas.
Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune believes that it's premature to declare the Jazz winners of the Deron Williams trade, in spite of the collection of assets Utah received.
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey noted his preference to keep the team's roster at 14 players for now as he spoke on video with Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com. Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge has a transcript of the conversation, which touched on a range of topics.
Timberwolves 2012 second-round pick Robbie Hummel is with Minnesota's summer league squad as he attempts to find a way to the NBA. If he falls short, Spanish club Obradoiro CAB, with whom he played this season, and Pallacanestro Cantu of Italy are pursuing him, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

Jazz Rumors: Mo Williams, Tinsley, Watson

June 29th, 2013 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Many players who spent 2012/13 with the Jazz are clients of agent Mark Bartelstein, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News points out (Twitter link). Mo Williams, Gordon Hayward, DeMarre Carroll, Jeremy Evans and Earl Watson are all Bartelstein clients, and four of those five are either free agents or eligible for a contract extension this summer. Bartelstein spoke with Genessy, revealing much about the critical summer ahead for Utah. We've got the highlights here, along with other news on the Jazz:

Bartelstein is disputing a report last night that indicated Williams would not return to the Jazz unless he retains his starting position, Genessy reports (Twitter links). "That is 100% not the case," Bartelstein said. "We would never make a demand of the Jazz or any team."
Bartelstein says to Genessy that Williams will keep an open mind in free agency, with the Jazz among the teams he'll consider. "Mo's proven to be a starting caliber point guard in the league," the agent said. "(But) nothing is given to anyone. You earn your minutes" (Twitter links).
Whether or not Williams will take a back seat to Trey Burke, fellow Jazz free agent point guard Jamaal Tinsley wouldn't mind re-signing with Utah to mentor the rookie point man, a source tells Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).
Watson, who played through multiple injuries last season, envisions signing with an NBA team again, while Carroll "would love to come back" to the Jazz, Bartelstein tells Genessy (Twitter links).
As expected, the team will discuss rookie-scale extensions for Hayward and Derrick Favors later in the summer, after most free agents have signed, Genessy tweets.
It sounds unlikely that 47th overall pick Raul Neto will be on the Jazz roster this season, Oram tweets.

Jazz Acquire Raul Neto

June 27th, 2013 at 11:35pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:38am: Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey has confirmed the deal, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.

THURSDAY, 11:35pm: The Hawks will receive a future second-round pick from the Jazz in exchange for this year's 47th overall pick, Raul Neto, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

It was a busy night for the Hawks, who also agreed to send James Ennis to Miami for a future second-rounder and consummated a deal with the Mavericks that landed them an extra pick and Jared Cunningham.

International Prospects’ Draft Decisions

June 17th, 2013 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for international early entrants to withdraw from the 2013 draft arrives today at 4:00pm central time, so plenty of updates are trickling in on players deciding whether they're in or out. We'll track all of those decisions in this post throughout the day, with new updates being added to the top of each list:

In:

Lucas Nogueira and Raul Neto are staying in the draft, agent Aylton Tesch tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (on Twitter).
Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain eligible to be drafted, his agent announced today on Twitter.
German power forward Daniel Theis will be keeping his name in the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Sergey Karasev will remain in the draft, agent Justin Zanik tells Givony (Twitter link).
Givony reports (via Twitter) that Alex Abrines and Marko Todorovic are staying in the draft, with agent Igor Crespo saying, "That was the plan all along."
French forward Livio Jean-Charles will remain in the draft, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Rudy Gobert will also remain in the draft, according to Ford (Twitter link), which is no surprise, considering he projects as a potential lottery pick.

Out:

Mouhammadou Jaiteh has decided to withdraw his name from the 2013 NBA Draft, his agent tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). He'll return to France for the season.
French prospects Louis Labeyrie and Axel Toupane have withdrawn their names from the draft, their agent told Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (on Twitter).
Greek small forward Linos Chrysikopoulos has removed his name from the draft pool, agent Mike Main tells Givony (Twitter link).
Big man Walter Tavares has withdrawn his name, agent Guillermo Bermejo tells Givony (Twitter link).
Adin Vrabac, Artem Pustovyi and Bogdan Bogdanovic have also pulled out of the draft, reports Givony (via Twitter).
Philipp Neumann has withdrawn his name from consideration, tweets Givony.
Francois Affia Ambadiang has pulled out of the draft, agent Alex Saratsis tells Givony (Twitter link).
Givony adds four more names to the list of players exiting the draft: Nemanja Besovic, Matias Bortolin, Djordje Drenovac, and Marko Ramljak (Twitter link).