Reggie Bullock Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Cavs, D-League, Bullock

October 30th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons owner Tom Gores is excited about the culture change that executive/coach Stan Van Gundy has executed in Detroit, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Gores noticed how different the mood around the team was this season during a team event prior to the regular season opening, Langlois notes. “They were interacting in a way that I haven’t seen players interact before,” Gores told Langlois. “They wanted to be here. They were enjoying each other. And if they didn’t have a game in a couple of days, they would’ve stayed late, late, late. There’s something special going on. I give so much credit to Stan Van Gundy on this. I could speak about culture, I could speak about chemistry. But that has to get done every single day and that has to get done on the floor. It’s really kind of walking the talk and I feel like, right now, my vision is able to walk the talk because of the people on the ground.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls are looking to start up their own D-League affiliate that would play in the Sears Center, which is located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, team officials have informed Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald (via Twitter). “A Bulls NBADL team will create tremendous opportunities to promote the game of basketball in our surrounding communities,” the Bulls noted in their official statement, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays (Twitter link). Chicago is currently one of 11 NBA teams without its own D-League affiliate.
The Cavaliers have taken up a two-tiered approach to team-building, not only concentrating on securing an NBA title this season, but also focusing on constructing the roster to maintain success in the seasons ahead, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes. “We’re very cognizant of that fact that you don’t get these opportunities very often and you need to capitalize while you can,” said GM David Griffin. “But we also want to win in a way that is sustainable [for the next few seasons].“
When the Pistons exercised their 2016/17 option on Reggie Bullock it created a logjam at shooting guard with four players at the position possessing fully guaranteed pacts for next season, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. “The way that he played and the fact that it’s really a value contract,” Van Gundy said about picking up the option on Bullock. “It’s low-cost and the whole thing. We really like him. It’s always hard to be making decisions for down the road based on the preseason. But we just like everything about him, what we’ve seen in practice, his whole approach, his attitude, so we’ve been really, really happy with him.“

Eastern Notes: Sefolosha, George, Pistons

October 26th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha will file a civil lawsuit against New York City, its police department and the officers involved for injuries suffered during his arrest outside a Manhattan night club in April, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Hannah Storm of ESPN.com report. In an interview with Storm — who broke the story — Sefolosha expressed concern about long-term effects from the fractured right tibia and ankle ligament damage he suffered during the arrest. “There is a lot of unknown about how this will affect me two years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now,” Sefolosha said in the television interview. “Also because I think it’s the right approach to put lights on a situation like this and be able to fight back in a legal way and in a way that can empower, hopefully.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Paul George is getting comfortable with the idea of moving to power forward after initial resistance, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Pacers coach Frank Vogel told Aschburner that George won’t be a prototypical power forward; he’ll just have more space to utilize his skills. George has gained a greater understanding of his new role after talks with Vogel and team president Larry Bird. “At one point, it was hard to wrap [my head around] everything,” he told Aschburner. “Here I am coming back from a big-time injury and wanting to get back to what I used to be, playing the three. Then I come back playing a stretch four — it took a toll on me mentally. But the more we’ve had practice time and I’ve had sit-down moments with coach and with Larry, the more at ease I’ve felt about the situation.”
Reggie Bullock wowed Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy during the preseason, which secured not only his place on the roster but also his 2016/17 team option, which Detroit exercised Sunday. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press has the details. “If you really look at the whole thing and you look at consistency game in and game out he was our best player in preseason,” Van Gundy said of the small forward. “I mean, certainly our most consistent guy in the preseason. Really, I mean it would be hard to really find any fault with what he did in the preseason. He’s certainly gained our confidence and by ours, I mean coaching staff and teammates. I think he’s got everybody’s confidence heading into the season.”
Point guard Marcus Smart, rookie shooting guard R.J. Hunter and power forward Kelly Olynyk are among the players who excelled during the Celtics’ training camp, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports. Smart is emerging as a team leader, Hunter has opened eyes with his playmaking skills and Olynyk is shooting with more confidence, Washburn continues. But power forward Jared Sullinger reported to camp overweight and small forward James Young is still another season away from cracking the rotation, Washburn adds.

Pistons Exercise Options on Caldwell-Pope, Bullock

October 25th, 2015 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have exercised team options on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock, the team announced today. The moves will affect both players’ contracts for the 2016/17 season.

Caldwell-Pope, a 6’5″ guard, was the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft. He has played in 162 games in Detroit, starting 123, and has averaged 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He was part of the Rising Stars Challenge during the 2015 All-Star Weekend.

The Pistons acquired Bullock, a 6’7″ forward, in a July 9th trade with the Suns. He had a productive preseason, averaging 10.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.3 minutes of playing time. He was taken by the Clippers with the 25th pick in 2013.

Bullock’s place on the roster for this season wasn’t assured at the start of camp, but a strong preseason sold the Pistons on him and brought the idea of picking up his 2016/17 option into play, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote last week. His option is worth $2,255,644, while Caldwell-Pope’s calls for him to make $3,678,319. That adds about $5.9MM to the Pistons’ salary commitments for 2016/17, bringing the total to nearly $48.3MM against a projected $89MM cap.

Pistons Waive Martin, Thomas, Bachynski

October 23rd, 2015 at 9:49am CST by Chuck Myron

9:49am: Bullock has indeed won a regular season roster spot, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

9:21am: The Pistons have waived Cartier Martin, Adonis Thomas and Jordan Bachynski, the team announced via press release. The moves leave Detroit with 16 players, all of whom are on fully guaranteed contracts, but they nonetheless provide a strong indication of what the opening night roster will look like. Danny Granger has been away from the team rehabilitating his knee trouble, and indications surfaced even when the Pistons traded for him this summer that they would waive him, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press recently explained to Hoops Rumors. That, plus the three players hitting waivers today, puts Reggie Bullock in a strong position to make the regular season roster. Martin also has a fully guaranteed salary, so the Pistons will swallow $1,270,964 assuming he clears waivers, and they’ll eat the $60K guarantee for Thomas if he passes through waivers, too. Bachynski’s deal is non-guaranteed.

Martin, 30, picked up a player option after teammates reportedly encouraged him to do so despite his apparent dissatisfaction with his playing time. He appeared in only 23 games last season, averaging 8.6 minutes per contest, even though Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy committed a two-year deal to him on the first day of free agency in 2014.

The 22-year-old Thomas said that Van Gundy assured him he had a shot to make the regular season roster when the Pistons signed him this summer, but Thomas has dealt with Achilles tendon issues that limited him to a single preseason appearance of about 10 minutes. He spent last season with Detroit’s D-League affiliate, making the All-D-League Third Team, and the Pistons still own his D-League rights.

Bachynski scored six points in about six minutes of action spread over two preseason games. The 26-year-old center who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2014 joined the Pistons on his first NBA contract this summer after having split last season between the D-League affiliate of the Knicks and Turkey’s Ekishehir Basket.

Bullock already had a line on a regular season roster spot because of his strong preseason play, and the Pistons are thinking about picking up Bullock’s $2,255,644 team option for 2016/17, Ellis reported. A decision on the option, part of the rookie scale contract for the former 25th overall pick, is due November 2nd. The Pistons acquired him from the Suns in the same trade that brought in Granger and Marcus Morris.

Central Notes: Bullock, Cunningham, Cavaliers

October 18th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Reggie Bullock is very likely to make the Pistons‘ roster, and the team is considering picking up his option for 2016/17, reports Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Detroit has until November 2nd to decide on the option, which is worth $2.2MM. Ellis cites an unidentified source with “firsthand knowledge” who says the move is being considered.

“If they pick this up, I know that I will be here at least still getting paid NBA money,” Bullock said. “I’m just trying to find a place, and Detroit would be the perfect place for me to be able to start my young career and actually be here and actually learn things as part of this system and organization.”

Bullock came to the Pistons in a July 9th deal with Phoenix that also brought Marcus Morris and Danny Granger. He didn’t earn much playing time in his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Suns, but has impressed Detroit’s coaches with a strong preseason performance. Bullock is averaging 12.3 points per game and has shot 8-of-16 from three-point range, along with providing a strong defensive presence on the wing.

There’s more this morning from the Central Division:

Jared Cunningham is making a strong push for a Cavaliers roster spot, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He has been Cleveland’s leading scorer during the preseason, averaging 13.6 points per game. Cunningham has bounced around the league since being drafted in the first round in 2012, spending time with the Mavericks, Hawks, Kings and Clippers. Washburn notes that the 24-year-old would give the Cavs an athletic presence in the backcourt.
Kevin Love is expected to make his preseason debut today, but that only offers a little relief for the Cavaliers‘ injury woes, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Love will return to the court for the first time since having surgery to fix a dislocated left shoulder. Five Cleveland rotation players have undergone surgical procedures in the past 10 months.
The Bucks are being cautious with Jabari Parker as he comes back from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season after 25 games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “If you were able to watch practice, I’m sure you guys would probably question why he’s not playing,” said coach Jason Kidd. “Because he’s done everything. He looks great. But again, he hasn’t been cleared by the doctors.”

Central Notes: Butler, Jack, Cook, Bullock

October 8th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The relationship between stars Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose has reportedly been a bit rocky at times, and the discord between the two is a result of Butler not being satisfied with Rose’s work ethic, an unnamed former member of the Bulls tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Personally, the two are great. Professionally is where they have a difference of opinion,” said the source. While Butler does consider Rose a friend, Butler doesn’t have a lot of respect for Rose’s practice habits, and he feels that if Rose is supposed to be the face of the franchise, he should also be one of the hardest workers on the team, Cowley hears. The source also noted that Butler took offense to a comment Rose made during the playoffs last season, when the point guard was asked if Butler had reached superstar status. “I think it’s going to take a little minute for Jimmy to get there,’’ Rose said, according to Cowley.

There are no such concerns regarding Butler’s work ethic from his other teammates and coaching staff, writes Cowley, with new head coach Fred Hoiberg raving about the swingman, saying, “I’m telling you, the amount of work he puts in … even during two-a-days, he would still come in a third time. I mean the guys is unbelievable how much energy he has. He’s just so dedicated to putting the right things in his body, his training, and he wants to continue to add to his game every year. I take my hat off to him. It’s been fun to see everything he’s been able to do out there on the floor.’’

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers‘ signing of power forward Kadeem Jack to a minimum salary, non-guaranteed deal was a developmental move, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Indiana intends for Jack to play for its new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, this season, Buckner notes.
With six players vying for the Cavaliers‘ final regular season roster spot, point guard Quinn Cook is making a strong impression on the coaching staff, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve been fighting my whole life,” Cook said. “Fighting to get in a position to be in high school. Fighting to get playing time at Duke and fighting now for a roster spot. I’m used to fighting, and I’m just happy to be at this point, happy that the Cavaliers are giving me this opportunity.”
In Detroit, Reggie Bullock has made a strong case to secure himself a roster spot on the Pistons with his hard-nosed defensive play, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “He’s done everything he can possibly do for us to think about him because he really goes out and defends,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “He plays with high energy. I think he stepped up last night and did a good job.”

Eastern Notes: Bullock, Pistons, Pacers

September 13th, 2015 at 9:13pm CST by Will Joseph

Reggie Bullock, a solid shooter who was traded to the Pistons during the summer, believes it will be his defense that helps him stick with Detroit, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Bullock is one of 17 players with a fully guaranteed deal with the Pistons, as our roster count shows. In a crowded wing field, Langlois adds, Bullock is likely the best shooter of those on the bubble for the last spot or two.

Here’s more news from around the Eastern Conference:

Speaking of Detroit, the Pistons, after some decisions during the summer, now resemble the team coach/executive Stan Van Gundy wanted to create when he took over two years ago, Shaun Powell writes in his 30 teams in 30 days series for NBA.com. By subtracting Greg Monroe and, perhaps, overspending on Reggie Jackson, the Pistons have a very athletic and young core. With that, Powell believes the Pistons are in position to make a decent playoff run this season.
Continuing his series with a look at the Pacers, Powell writes that Indiana is likely in what’s considered no-man’s land in the league: in between good and really bad. While the Pacers’ addition of Monta Ellis should help, Powell writes that Ellis is only a temporary solution. That’s because, as Powell points out, Ellis is not the most efficient shooter and he’s with his third team in four years.

Pacific Notes: Chandler, Young, Barnes

July 24th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Most teams chasing top-tier centers thought it better to go after the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe before circling back to Tyson Chandler as something of a fallback option, but the Suns found it wise to chase Chandler before pursuing Aldridge, as Rob Mahoney of SI.com examines. Chandler quickly committed to Phoenix, and he helped them become a finalist in the Aldridge sweepstakes.

“I think when you have a guy like that that you target, you go aggressively after him. And that’s what we decided to do with Tyson,” GM Ryan McDonough said to Mahoney. “It did help us that there were so many free agent big men on the market, especially high-level players — guys who have been All-Stars, All-NBA, and all that stuff. I think a few teams wanted to kind of talk to each of the guys and get a feel for them. Some of the players wanted to do visits with multiple teams, and be wined and dined a bit. Tyson really didn’t want any of that.”

There’s more from Phoenix amid our latest look around the Pacific Division:

The Suns seemingly made their three-player trade with the Pistons in an effort to clear cap room for Aldridge, but McDonough told Mahoney that the deal that sent out Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger is one the team would have done regardless, citing a desire for more roster balance and future flexibility.
Nick Young feels more confident that he’ll begin the coming season with the Lakers after a recent meeting with GM Mitch Kupchak, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. That jibes with a dispatch last week from Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, who heard that the Lakers had stopped looking for trade partners who’d take Young.
Harrison Barnes confirmed Thursday that he wants a long-term future with the Warriors, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group details. He and the team reportedly share a mutual interest in a rookie scale extension. “I mean, we just won a championship,” Barnes said. “Of course I’d love to keep this group together for many years to come, you know what I’m saying? So that’s obvious.”

Pistons Acquire Marcus Morris, Bullock, Granger

July 9th, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 9TH, 11:35am: The deal is official, both teams announced. It’s Morris, Bullock and Granger to Detroit for a 2020 second-rounder.

3:31pm: Detroit hasn’t made a final decision on Granger yet, but he’ll most likely be waived, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets.

JULY 2ND: 2:34 pm: The Suns and Pistons have agreed to a trade that sends Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger to Detroit in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The deal would clear nearly $8.423MM in additional cap flexibility for Phoenix as it chases LaMarcus Aldridge.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports images

However, the Suns still have about $57MM in commitments against a cap projected between $67.1MM and $69.1MM, and with Aldridge, for whom Phoenix reportedly emerged as a strong contender, in line to make some $19MM on a max deal next season, it appears as though Phoenix still has more cap clearing to do, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe and Wojnarowski point out (Twitter link). Wojnarowski mentions Markieff Morris, who’ll make $8MM next season, and P.J. Tucker, who’s set for $5.5MM, as possible targets for other cap-clearing moves.

The trade with the Pistons by itself breaks up the Morris twins just months after they signed rookie scale extensions with designs on staying together. Marcus Morris instead ends up in Detroit’s frontcourt, as the Pistons use more of their cap space on complementary players after reaching agreement with Aron Baynes earlier today. The deal was made by Detroit to land Morris, who is expected to be the starting small forward next season, Ellis tweets. Morris appeared in 81 games last season for the Suns, including 35 as a starter, averaging 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. His slash line was .434/.358/.628.

Bullock will compete for a roster spot with Cartier Martin, Quincy Miller, and Adonis Thomas, relays Ellis (Twitter link). He has never made more than 43 appearances in a season since entering the league with the Clippers, who selected him with the No. 25 overall pick back in 2013. Bullock appeared in 11 games for Phoenix after arriving via trade from Los Angeles, averaging 0.4 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per contest.

Granger may not be thrilled with the trade, especially since it takes him away from the Suns’ vaunted training staff, who have been working 16.8 to get the veteran healthy and back on the court. The 32-year-old managed 30 appearances for the Heat last season, and zero with Phoenix after it had acquired him via trade. Granger’s career numbers are 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, with a shooting line of .434/.380/.848.

Pacific Notes: Robinson, Bullock, Ellington

April 3rd, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers are keeping close tabs on the health of guard Nate Robinson, and if he is healthy enough to play by next week the team will consider re-signing him, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets. Robinson has already had two 10-day contracts with the team, so any new deal would need to cover the remainder of the season. Los Angeles currently has 15 players on its roster, so a corresponding personnel move would be required. The most likely candidate to go would be Lester Hudson, who is inked to a 10-day pact that expires on Tuesday.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Reggie Bullock is finally getting some playing time for the Suns, and the swingman is using the exposure to show Phoenix why he should be part of its plans for next season, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I wanted to play when I first got here but I’m still a young player in this league,” Bullock said. “The coaches know what I’m capable of, defending and shooting the ball. I’m just staying ready for when my name is called and continue to build and take this confidence to next season.“
Injured Lakers guard Wayne Ellington is done for the season courtesy of a separated right shoulder, and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Los Angeles’ coach Byron Scott says that the team’s rebuilding plan hinges on the NBA draft and pursuing marquee free agents, but the Lakers’ front office would “absolutely” consider re-signing Ellington, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes.
When Sim Bhullar signed his 10-day deal with the Kings he made history as the first NBA player of Indian descent, the significance of which is not lost on the big man, Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press writes. “It’s a big moment in the history of the NBA and the history of my country in India,” Bhullar said. “I know my family’s going to be proud of me and everybody’s going to be proud of me and cheer me on the court.”