Reggie Bullock Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Bullock, Caldwell-Pope, Drummond

December 1st, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Reggie Bullock is still mulling his surgical options after tearing meniscus in his left knee, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Bullock will have the knee re-examined this weekend in Detroit before he makes his final decision, Ellis continues. He will either undergo arthroscopic surgery, which would allow him to come back within a month, or undergo more extensive surgery, which could potentially sideline him the rest of the season, Ellis adds. This refutes a report by The Vertical that Bullock had opted for surgery that would keep him out 2-4 months. Bullock, who suffered the injury November 23rd against the Heat, has already received a second opinion. Bullock, who failed to reach a rookie extension with the club prior to the deadline a month ago, said his decision will not be influenced by becoming a restricted free agent (if he receives a qualifying offer) after the season. “My mind-set is pretty much trying to save my career longevity-wise, not really thinking about free agency and all that come this summer,” he told Ellis.

In other Pistons developments:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has enhanced his value with his recent play, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Coach Stan Van Gundy is running more of his offense through Caldwell-Pope and the shooting guard has responded well. He’s averaging 19.5 points over the last six games and has racked up 21 assists over the last four outings. “It’s all about what he sees and the progress I’m making on offense,” Caldwell-Pope told Beard. Caldwell-Pope and the club also couldn’t agree on a rookie extension this fall, which will make him a restricted free agent in the summer. Some projections have Caldwell-Pope’s value at upwards of $18 million per season, Beard adds, and it’s unclear if the Pistons are willing to go that high.
Andre Drummond was fined $15K but averted a suspension for elbowing Hornets center Roy Hibbert in the back of the head on Tuesday, the league announced via press release. Drummond was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected for the incident.
Bullock’s injury status has not helped Stanley Johnson regain his rotation spot. Johnson did not play in the team’s 121-114 win over the Celtics on Wednesday, the second time this season he has been benched by Van Gundy. The 2015 lottery pick also missed a game last week when he served a one-game suspension for violating team rules. Darrun Hilliard, the team’s 2015 second-round pick, is currently serving as Caldwell-Pope’s backup.

Reggie Bullock Expected To Miss 2-4 Months

November 30th, 2016 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Reggie Bullock will undergo surgery to repair his torn left meniscus, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Charania, Bullock is expected to be sidelined for two to four months following the procedure.

Bullock’s torn meniscus was first confirmed last Friday by the Pistons, though at the time the team didn’t provide a timeline for the fourth-year veteran’s recovery, suggesting further evaluation was required. As I observed last week, players who suffer a torn meniscus are typically sidelined for at least a few weeks, and occasionally end up missing several months depending on the severity of the tear, as well as how the injury is treated and rehabbed. With Bullock set to go under the knife, it looks like he’ll miss most of the 2016/17 season.

The 25th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Bullock spent time with the Clippers and Suns before arriving in Detroit. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11.6 minutes per game for the team, and while his numbers (3.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG) were modest, he played solid defense. Bullock was extension-eligible this offseason, but didn’t ink a new deal with the Pistons, so he remains on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. The 25-year-old, whose 2016/17 debut was delayed by back and hip problems, has appeared in just four games this season.

In Bullock’s absence, the Pistons have struggled to find a reliable backup for starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Stanley Johnson, Darrun Hilliard, and Michael Gbinije are all in the mix, but no one has stepped up and grabbed hold of the role so far, as we noted on Tuesday.

Central Notes: Reggie Jackson, Pistons, Dellavedova

November 29th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will need Reggie Jackson to be at his best when he returns from knee and thumb tendinitis, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is hoping to have his starting point guard back in the lineup in another week or two, just in time to face a challenging schedule. Ten of Detroit’s 16 games through the end of December are against teams with winning records. “Reggie will help our offense be a little better,” Van Gundy said. “We’re the only team in the league that’s played without their leading scorer every single game — that tends to affect your offense a little bit.”

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Van Gundy continues to search for a reliable backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooting guard, relays Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The original plan was to use second-year player Stanley Johnson, but the coach didn’t like his inconsistent performance. Reggie Bullock got the next shot, but he suffered a torn meniscus and is sidelined indefinitely. Darrun Hilliard took the spot in the Pistons’ last game, and rookie Michael Gbinije is another candidate. “Nobody’s been bad,” Van Gundy said. “Everybody’s sort of been OK, but not great. You’d like to have somebody step up and really grab that spot and say, ‘Hey, give me the minutes.’”
Matthew Dellavedova, an important reserve on the Cavaliers‘ championship team, is settling into his new role as a starter with the Bucks, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland entered the summer planning to match any offer to the restricted free agent, but decided the four-year, $38MM agreement he reached with Milwaukee would have placed too great a strain on the salary cap. “It was tough to decide to leave because you’re coming off the highest of highs and I loved my time in Cleveland,” Dellavedova said. “Fun team, great group of guys, great organization and fans, obviously. But I had an opportunity here that I couldn’t pass up to see how good I could be as a starting point guard and really challenge myself. You never know if or when that opportunity will come along again.”
Bulls forward Doug McDermott met with doctors Monday, but still hasn’t been cleared for contact, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. McDermott participated in the non-contact portion of today’s practice, but will miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday. He hasn’t played since suffering his second concussion of the season November 12th.

Eastern Notes: House, Whiteside, Pistons

November 26th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards rookie Danuel House suffered a right wrist injury which could sideline him for an extended stretch, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets. The 6’7” forward out of Texas A&M has only appeared in one game with Washington but has also seen action with Delaware in the D League. This could present a roster decision for the Wizards, who currently are at the 15-man limit. House’s $543,471 salary for the season becomes guaranteed on January 10th. The injury may increase the possibility that Washington will shed House, who was signed after a solid showing in summer-league play, to free up a spot.

In other developments around the Eastern Conference:

Heat center Hassan Whiteside‘s winding road to NBA stardom provides hope for other players scrapping to make the league, Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy told the media earlier this week. Whiteside played 19 games for the Kings his first two seasons and wound up in the D League, China and Lebanon before resurfacing with the Heat, where he emerged as one of the league’s top centers. Whiteside, who re-signed with the Heat for four years and $98MM over the summer, is averaging 16.9 points and a league-best 15.1 rebounds. “Hassan Whiteside is a great lesson for other players and a great lesson for those of us making personnel decisions in the league, especially with big guys,” Van Gundy said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. Hassan Whiteside right now is playing as well as any big man in the league. His numbers are mindboggling.”
Pistons forward Stanley Johnson served a one-game suspension for violating team rules on Friday, just the latest setback for the 2015 lottery pick. Johnson was benched for a game during Detroit’s four-game homestand this week, though he’ll likely rejoin the rotation with Reggie Bullock sidelined indefinitely by a knee injury. Johnson is averaging 4.4 points on 40.7% shooting. “He’s off to a rough start,” Van Gundy said. “He’s hasn’t shot the ball well at all. He’s still competing hard defensively but he’s really struggling to get the ball in the basket. It’s hard when perimeter players aren’t getting the ball in the basket, no matter what else you’re doing.”
Bullock will get a second opinion on his knee injury early next week, Van Gundy said on Friday. Bullock, who will be a restricted free agent next summer if Detroit extends a qualifying offer, suffered a left knee meniscus tear in the first half against Miami on Wednesday. There are several options being mulled, according to Van Gundy. “Not all surgeries are created equal,” he said. “There is a couple of different ways we can go with that.”

Pistons’ Reggie Bullock Suffers Torn Meniscus

November 25th, 2016 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

After hip and back issues delayed his season debut, Pistons guard Reggie Bullock appeared in just four games this season before being sidelined with another injury. The Pistons announced today in a press release that Bullock suffered a left knee meniscus tear during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Heat.

According to the announcement from the team, Bullock will be further evaluated by team doctors and other medical experts to determine the next course of action, and there’s no timetable yet for his potential return to the court. Bullock’s recovery timeline will be affected by whether or not he undergoes a procedure to remove or repair the meniscus. Typically, players who suffer a torn meniscus are sidelined for at least a few weeks, and occasionally end up missing several months depending on the severity of the tear, as well as how the injury is treated and rehabbed.

The 25th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Bullock spent time with the Clippers and Suns before arriving in Detroit. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11.6 minutes per game for the team, and while his numbers (3.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG) were modest, he played solid defense. Bullock was extension-eligible this offseason, but didn’t ink a new deal with the Pistons, so he remains on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017.

Reggie Jackson is on track to return to the Pistons’ lineup in early December, but until then, the team will be somewhat shorthanded in the backcourt with both Jackson and Bullock out of action. Ish Smith and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will continue to play significant roles for Detroit in the interim, with Stanley Johnson, Beno Udrih and Darrun Hilliard among the bench players who could see a little extra playing time.

Central Notes: Pacers, MCW, McDermott, Pistons

November 24th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pacers made several offseason additions and they are still figuring out how all the pieces fit together, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “We try to get out of each other’s way instead of cutting and moving,” said Jeff Teague, whom the team traded for in the offseason. “Once our first option isn’t there we just try to get out of each other’s way and let people play. We were just talking in here, we’ve got to figure out some way to keep us all moving and playing together instead of trying to get out of each other’s way.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls could have Michael Carter-Williams back on the court next week, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times reports. “I’m definitely ahead of schedule,’’ Carter-Williams said. “My knee feels great. I just got to find the measure between how hard I can go without hurting it furthermore, so I’m just testing the limit right now. Just trying to get back to 100 percent.’’
Doug McDermott remains in the concussion protocol and he’ll continued to be monitored, Cowley adds in the same piece. “He’s starting to make progress,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said. “There’s no doubt about that, but he’s still a ways away.” McDermott has suffered two concussions this season and has missed six games so far as a a result.
Reggie Bullock is dealing with a leg injury and his absence from the lineup could mean that the Pistons’ will have to call upon their rookies, Aaron McMann of Mlive.com writes. Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije both were sent to the D-League on Wednesday, but their latest stint could be cut short, as the team may need the players to suit up against the Clippers on Friday.

Pistons Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Bullock, Van Gundy

November 2nd, 2016 at 7:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will look ahead to summer to resolve the contract situations of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Detroit failed to reach extensions with either player by Monday’s deadline, so they will both become restricted free agents on July 1st. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the team had hopes of striking a deal with Bullock almost up to the cutoff point at 11:59pm Eastern Time. “We knew with [Caldwell-Pope] a little bit earlier in the day, Bullock went pretty much through the day, but we just didn’t get either one done,” Van Gundy said. “From our perspective I would say it’s disappointing, but not in any way frustrating or crippling in any way, but we would have liked to have gotten them done and we didn’t.” There is speculation that Caldwell-Pope, who has been Detroit’s starter at shooting guard the past two seasons, could get more than $20MM per year on the open market.

There’s more tonight out of Detroit:

Bullock is eager to get a taste of free agency after watching the huge contracts that were handed out this summer, relays Aaron McMann of MLive. The 6’7″ swingman could be on the move again after playing for three teams in his first three NBA seasons. He got into 37 games with the Pistons last season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per night. Bullock sees free agency as a chance to earn a nice raise from the $2,255,644 he’s making this year. “We didn’t come to a decision, and I’m just continuing to look forward to this season,” Bullock said. “Obviously playing more games, trying to do the right things when I’m out on the floor and allow myself to have another chance to sign another contract.”
Van Gundy isn’t a believer in resting players who are physically able to play, McMann writes in a separate piece. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has announced that he plans to give members of his rotation a night off during intense parts of the schedule, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has taken heat for doing that in the past. “That’s up to each coach, I guess, in each organization,” Van Gundy said. “Look, I’m not one to do it. Our guys get paid to play 82 games. Everybody that’s healthy for us will play for us every single night. But that’s just us.”
Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel believes the Pistons’ move to downtown Detroit “does appear inevitable,” but he tells Benjamin Raven of MLive that he’s looking on the bright side. The Palace, which has been the team’s home for nearly 30 years, may be converted into a commercial mixed-use facility, which may create even more revenue.

Extension Rumors: Plumlee, Hardaway, Zeller

October 31st, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers big man Mason Plumlee doesn’t expect to get a new deal done today, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (Twitter link). “Unless I go to my phone and my agent has something unexpected for me, there’s not going to be an extension,” Plumlee said. Agent Mark Bartelstein said earlier today that there was “no news” on the Plumlee front, Freeman notes (via Twitter). Still, the 26-year-old would like to remain in Portland long-term (Twitter link via Freeman).

Here are a few more updates and rumors on extension talks around the NBA, with tonight’s deadline looming…

Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Hawks continue to discuss a possible extension, but an agreement remains unlikely, several people familiar with the situation tell Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to Vivlamore, both sides have interest in working something out, but may wait until 2017 to attempt to finalize a deal.
It doesn’t appear as if Cody Zeller and the Hornets will complete a new deal before today’s deadline arrives, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Stan Van Gundy continues to express pessimism about reaching an agreement with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Reggie Bullock. Van Gundy said this afternoon he’d be “surprised” if the Pistons lock up either player today, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves and Shabazz Muhammad are “far apart” in negotiations, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Olynyk, Teague, Arenas

October 30th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t rule out the possibility of extensions for the Pistons‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock before Monday’s deadline, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said today that he doesn’t expect the deals to get done, but GM Jeff Bower remains in contact with the agents for both players in hopes of getting something in place under the wire.

There’s more tonight out of the Eastern Conference:

Kelly Olynyk is hoping to be cleared for practice without restrictions this week in his return from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The Celtics‘ fourth-year center plans to be ready for game action within two weeks.
New Pacers point guard Jeff Teague is trying to figure out the cause of his disappointing start, relays Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana was counting on a spark from Teague when it unloaded George Hill to get him from Atlanta in a three-way trade. But Teague has shot just 20% from the floor in his first three games and has allowed opposing point guards Deron Williams, Jeremy Lin and Rajon Rondo to combine for 52 points and 29 assists. “It’s way different than any team I’ve played on in the past,” Teague said. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but it’s just different. It just is. Everything is different, the concepts; everything is totally different. I’m just trying to get used to it.”
The Magic will make their final payment on Monday to former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The high-scoring guard was waived by Orlando in 2011, but the franchise has continued to pay on his $111MM contract. Arenas no longer counts against the Magic’s salary cap.

Caldwell-Pope, Bullock Extensions Seem Unlikely

October 30th, 2016 at 4:43pm CST by Will Joseph

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters, including our own Dana Gauruder, that extensions for swingmen Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock seem unlikely with the Monday deadline looming.

“We haven’t been able to reach an agreement with either guy right now,” Van Gundy said, per Gauruder. “We’ll see what happens. I don’t think it’s a make or break thing for us. Obviously last year for other reasons, we chose to forego it with Andre and he made the sacrifice not to do it. I don’t look at it as necessary but we would like to get something done.”

Caldwell-Pope and Bullock would become restricted free agents next off-season if they don’t sign agreements by 5 p.m. Monday. Pistons owner Tom Gores will likely face a luxury tax bill for being over the league’s tax line next year, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Regarding Caldwell-Pope, Gores has said he wants the Pistons to retain the defensive stalwart and has indicated he will willingly pay the tax, Ellis adds.

“We like both guys and we’d like to have them around a long time,” Van Gundy said. But it has to be something that works for both sides and at this point, we don’t have that.”