Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Dinwiddie, Davis, RHJ, Carroll

December 12th, 2018 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie became eligible for an extension on Saturday but there doesn’t seem to be much progress between the two parties. Dinwiddie’s agent, Raymond Brothers, indicated that to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “No news. Nothing to report,” Brothers said.

Dinwiddie can receive as much as $47.5MM on a four-year extension and has said he’d be willing to sign for that amount. Several NBA sources told Lewis that Dinwiddie could get more as an unrestricted free agent next summer. Dinwiddie is currently making just $1.65MM this season, a huge bargain for a productive rotation player. He scored a career-high 39 points on Wednesday.

We have more on the Nets:

Big man Ed Davis knows changes could be on the horizon if the team doesn’t start winning games in bunches soon, as he told Michael Scotto of The Athletic. “It’s not just a coaching job that can change, they start trading people. It gets crazy when you lose and how you’re losing,” Davis said. Dinwiddie is also aware that the pressure is building on the current roster to start producing. “I’d venture to guess that if we continued to lose trades would happen, as they should. That’s (GM) Sean (Marks’) job,” he said.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson‘s return to the lineup has helped the Nets crack down defensively, Lewis writes in a separate story. Wins over the Raptors and Knicks this past weekend were facilitated by Hollis-Jefferson’s versatility. He recently returned from an adductor injury. “He can guard a 2, a 3, a 4, a 1. Its just huge for us. And he wants that responsibility. He’s embracing it more now that he’s feeling better physically,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. Hollis-Jefferson will be a restricted free agent in the summer if the team extends a $3,594,369 qualifying offer.
DeMarre Carroll has struggled since returning from ankle surgery last month but Atkinson will remain patient with him, Lewis details in another story. The small forward becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. “It’s a little bit him, it’s a little bit me trying to get that confidence back in him that he’s fully healthy and can contribute,” Atkinson said. “He’s not near where he was last year, that’s my estimation. But DeMarre’s DeMarre: That guy’s the ultimate professional, great team guy. We have an understanding where he is.”

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Knicks, Hollis-Jefferson, Sixers

November 29th, 2018 at 10:38pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie will be eligible to sign a contract extension with the team on December 8, and the 25-year-old took time Thursday to address the situation with reporters. Dinwiddie, in his third season with the team, assured he would love to stay long-term.

“I would love to have an extension,” Dinwiddie said, according to The Athletic’s Michael Scotto. “I would love to be here for a long time. If I don’t get an extension, then I’ll be looking forward to unrestricted free agency and going through the season and trying to help the Nets win games as much as possible.”

Dinwiddie’s “official statement” came as part of a larger quote posted by Scotto, with Dinwiddie acknowledging that the decision is largely in general manager Sean Marks‘ hands.

“The ball is very much in Sean Marks’ and the Nets’ court,” Dinwiddie said. “Everybody knows my extension number is four (years) for $47.5 million.”

The Nets are projected to have $50-70MM in cap space next summer, and it remains to be seen whether the team is interested in keeping Dinwiddie long-term and cutting into the space. He’s averaged 16 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 22 games off the bench this season, shooting 48% from the floor and 38% from downtown.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

The Knicks have to make a roster cut in the next couple of weeks, with Allonzo Trier‘s 45-day limit on a two-way deal set to end around December 15, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Ron Baker and Luke Kornet are two possible candidates to be waived. Trier has averaged 11.8 points per contest in 23 games this season, shooting 49% from the field.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been given the starting nod at power forward this week, leaving some to wonder if the change will become permanent again, writes Tim Dowd of Nets.com. The Nets enjoy using Hollis-Jefferson’s defensive capabilities against players at each position, primarily at the four spot. “We can put him on a point guard, we can put him on a four, we can put him on a five,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s just a huge advantage, his defensive versatility.”
The Sixers‘ next moves are even more important now that they’ve acquired a third All-Star in Jimmy Butler, Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes. Philadelphia must convince Butler that this should be his long-term home before he reaches free agency in July, and the team could package Markelle Fultz in a trade for talent that can help the club compete now.

Nets Rumors: Butler, LeVert, Allen, Russell, RHJ

November 12th, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Nets internally view Jimmy Butler as a top-10 or top-15 player in the NBA, the team resolved not to give up any of its prime assets for him once he became available, writes Michael Scotto of The Athletic. When Brooklyn briefly discussed the possibility of acquiring Butler in a trade, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and the team’s first-round pick were off-limits.

As Scotto details, general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have talked throughout their tenures about not “skipping steps” in the Nets’ rebuilding process. Sacrificing one or two of the club’s top young players or draft picks would have meant going for a quick fix, with no assurances that Butler would have stuck around beyond 2019.

Here’s more out of Brooklyn:

The Nets did kick the tires on Butler before the Timberwolves sent him to Philadelphia, having discussed a deal involving D’Angelo Russell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and salary filler, league sources tell Scotto. However, those talks didn’t gain any traction.
Scotto identifies Nikola Mirotic and Tobias Harris as two veteran forwards who may receive interest from the Nets during the summer of 2019. Brooklyn has long coveted a reliable stretch four, and Mirotic and Harris, who will both be unrestricted free agents next year, are capable of playing that role.
As he approaches restricted free agency, D’Angelo Russell is showing a little more consistency, particularly on the defensive end, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “His maturity, his consistency, that’s what we’re starting to see,” Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the challenge for him. It’s not on-again, off-again. We need more on from him, and I think he’s starting to get over that hurdle. He looked really good physically, too, against Denver (on Friday). He really got after it.”

Nets’ Treveon Graham Expected To Miss Two Months

October 23rd, 2018 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Treveon Graham‘s first season in Brooklyn is off to an unfortunate start. After leaving Friday’s game with a leg injury, Graham has been diagnosed with a torn left hamstring and is expected to be sidelined for the next two months, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Graham, who signed a two-year minimum salary contract with the Nets over the summer, was set to provide some depth on the wing on the club, playing 17 minutes in the first game of the season on Wednesday. However, with his hamstring injury expected to keep him out of action for at least a couple months, the soon-to-be 25-year-old may have to wait until the new year to reclaim a regular role in Brooklyn’s rotation.

Graham’s injury won’t create any spending flexibility or open up an extra roster spot for the Nets, since it’s not a season-ending ailment and the club doesn’t have enough injured players to apply for a hardship exception.

Although Graham won’t be available, the Nets will get a boost at the small forward spot this Wednesday, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson set to make his 2018/19 debut after missing the club’s first three games due to an adductor strain and the birth of his son. Tom Dowd of BrooklynNets.com has the details on Hollis-Jefferson’s return.

Extension Roundup: Rozier, Portis, Jones, Russell

October 15th, 2018 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics point guard Terry Rozier turned down a rookie scale extension offer prior to Monday’s deadline and will become a restricted free agent next summer, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports. Boston offered Rozier approximately $12MM annually, according to Blakely, but chose to take his chances in free agency. Talks were cordial and the two parties will revisit each other when Rozier hits the market, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

“I’m in a great situation,” Rozier told Blakely. “My team (representatives) felt it wasn’t good for me to sign an extension right now. It opens my options a little bit, but I’m focused on what’s happening right now.”

Rozier is expected to have multiple suitors even as a restricted free agent, since Kyrie Irving recently announced that he plans to re-sign with the Celtics next summer, Blakely notes. Rozier broke out last season, particularly after Irving went down with a knee injury. He was especially potent in the playoffs, averaging 16.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 5.7 APG.

We have more extension decisions:

The Timberwolves and point guard Tyus Jones did not reach a rookie scale extension agreement. Jones will be a restricted free agent, and that’s been the expectation all along, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Minnesota would have to make a $3,573,205 qualifying offer before free agency next summer, otherwise Jones would be unrestricted. Jones saw action in all 82 regular-season games last season, including 11 starts, and averaged 5.1 PPG and 2.8 APG in 17.9 MPG.
The Bulls and forward Bobby Portis couldn’t come to an extension agreement before Monday’s deadline, Wojnarowski tweets. Agent Mark Bartelstein and Chicago GM Gar Forman had lengthy negotiations as the deadline approached, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets, but couldn’t close the financial gap. “We had very positive talks,” Bartelstein told Johnson. “These are hard extensions to get done.” (Twitter link). Portis will be a restricted free agent if Chicago gives him a $3,611,813 qualifying offer. He averaged 13.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 73 regular season games after returning from his eight-game team suspension following his well-publicized dust-up with former teammate Nikola Mirotic.
Nets guard D’Angelo Russell and forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson did not receive extensions, Michael Scotto of The Athetic tweets. Neither player was aware of Monday’s deadline, according to Scotto, suggesting that the Nets never made a serious pitch to lock them up before free agency. The Nets would have extend a $9,160,706 qualifying offer to Russell to make him a restricted free agent. Hollis-Jefferson’s qualifying offer would be $3,594,369.

New York Notes: Lee, Porzingis, RHJ, Kurucs

October 15th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

While Courtney Lee would prefer to have the Knicks enter the season with serious playoff – or championship – aspirations, he’s willing to play the role of the veteran mentor on a young, rebuilding club, as Howie Kussoy of The New York Post details.

“When I first came in, I had guys like Mickael Pietrus, Keith Bogans, J.J. Redick, they did what I’m doing right now, they helped me a lot, they passed the torch to me, and it’s only right for me to do the same thing,” Lee said. “If that’s what’s asked of me, I gotta do that. Would I want to win right now? Of course. Everybody wants to win, but you gotta go through something to get to something, and that’s where we’re at right now.”

Lee also acknowledged that, at 33 years old, he’s not really a part of the Knicks’ young core and won’t have a guaranteed role if the team focuses on developing its young players. However, he believes he can still make an impact by being a “vocal leader” and a “player’s coach on the court.”

Here’s more on the two New York clubs:

Echoing what we heard in September, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets that the Knicks are not expected to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Kristaps Porzingis in advance of today’s 5:00pm CT deadline. Assuming that doesn’t change at the 11th hour, Porzingis will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
Although the Nets didn’t gain traction in Jimmy Butler talks with Minnesota, they’ve already been “active in their pursuits of trades” this fall, as Shams Charania of Stadium details (link via NetsDaily).
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson‘s status for the Nets‘ first game of the season on Wednesday has been up in the air, but the forward is “trending in the right direction,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Sunday, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post. “I’ll definitely listen to the medical team and the performance team,” Atkinson said. “We can’t play him 40 minutes that first night, obviously.”
In a separate piece for The New York Post, Joyce takes a closer look at Nets second-rounder Rodions Kurucs, who is making a case for regular minutes to start his rookie season.

Nets Notes: Pinson, Musa, RHJ, Jefferson, Crabbe

September 18th, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Theo Pinson currently has a standard NBA contract with the Nets, but it sounds like he’ll end up being the team’s second two-way player for the 2018/19 season, along with Alan Williams. As Michael Scotto of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), Nets GM Sean Marks said today that the rookie guard out of UNC “is going to be our (other) two-way guy.”

While Brooklyn’s plans could change between now and the start of the regular season, it wouldn’t be hard for the club to shift Pinson into one of its two-way slots — his contract includes an Exhibit 10 clause, which allows the Nets to convert his deal into a two-way pact before opening night.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Marks isn’t concerned about offseason injuries sustained by Dzanan Musa and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, indicating today that both players should be cleared for training camp, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Speaking of training camp, the Nets still have one opening on their 20-man roster for camp. According to Lewis (Twitter link), former Baylor standout Nuni Omot is one of multiple candidates for that spot.
After Andrew Marchand of The New York Post reported last week that Richard Jefferson was drawing TV interest, NetsDaily hears from league sources that Jefferson seems likely to join the YES Network for Nets broadcasts unless he gets an NBA contract offer. Jefferson told Marchand that his goal is to “play basketball this season,” but if that doesn’t happen, Nets fans may see Jefferson on YES broadcasts doing game analysis and/or studio work.
Speaking to D.J. Sixsmith of CBS Local, Allen Crabbe referred to the Nets as a “match made in heaven” for him. Crabbe had to waive his trade kicker to accommodate a deal to Brooklyn last summer, and seemingly has no regrets about doing so.

Northwest Rumors: Butler, Porter, Thunder, Aminu

September 17th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets, Knicks, Nuggets, Sixers and Lakers are potential landing spots for Jimmy Butler if the Timberwolves decide to trade him before he hits free agency next summer, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype opines. Butler is reportedly meeting with Minnesota’s brass on Monday to discuss his future with the organization. The Nets could offer a package featuring the Nuggets’ top-12 protected 2019 first-round pick, as well as defensive-minded wing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, while Denver could make either Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr. the centerpiece in a deal for the All-Star wing, Urbina adds.

We have more from around the Northwest Division:

Porter is trying to return to full strength after two back surgeries and there’s no guarantee he’ll play this season, Christopher Dempsey of the team’s website writes in a player profile. The Nuggets will keep him on the sidelines until they’re convinced the rookie forward won’t have any setbacks. There’s no timetable on when he will be ready to make his debut, Dempsey adds.
Defense will be the Thunder’s biggest strengths this season, according to Basketball Insiders’ season preview of the team. The return of Andre Roberson from his knee injury and the subtraction of Carmelo Anthony give the Thunder five above-average-to-elite defenders in their lineup. Oklahoma City’s biggest issue is closing out games but without the chemistry issues caused by trying to fit Anthony in with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, its performances in the clutch should also improve this season.
Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu and center Jusuf Nurkic have returned to Portland after competing in regional FIBA World Cup qualifiers last week, according to Casey Holdahl of the team’s website. Aminu helped Nigeria go 3-0 during the tournament but Bosnia and Herzegovina went winless in two games despite the efforts of Nurkic.
Shooting guard Darius Johnson-Odom has remained in Minnesota to work out following his recent tryout with the Timberwolves, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. He could still be added to the training camp roster, Wolfson adds.

Nets Notes: Hollis-Jefferson, Harris, Creek, Atkinson

August 8th, 2018 at 9:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The injury that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson suffered in an exhibition game in China over the weekend has been diagnosed as a left adductor strain, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis provides no details on a prognosis for Hollis-Jefferson, but he adds that the 23-year-old forward will begin rehab work right away.

Hollis-Jefferson was playing in Jeremy Lin‘s “Hoop for Hope” game on Saturday when he felt pain after landing on a dunk attempt. He immediately went to the locker room and returned to the United States later that day.

There’s more news out of Brooklyn:

Joe Harris is grateful to the Nets for helping him revive his career after being waived in 2016, but his decision to re-sign with Brooklyn last month wasn’t made out of sentiment, Lewis writes in a full story. Harris accepted a two-year, $16MM deal when he might have gotten better offers elsewhere, but he says familiarity with the organization played a role in his decision. “Everybody knows what you’re about and what you bring,” Harris explained. “It’s hard to duplicate that. It takes a lot of time. … If you go somewhere else it’s difficult. You’re not going to get that instantly. Then factor in I have comfort with the system. I just felt like although it was a two-year deal versus a longer deal this was the best case for me.”
Mitch Creek wants to sign with the Nets, but his Australian team won’t let him go without compensation, according an article on NetsDaily. The Adelaide 36ers have filed an injunction in an Australian court and are seeking $75K in U.S. dollars before they will release Creek. The Adelaide Advertiser reports that the team is hoping to resolve the situation within 24 hours so Creek can finalize a training camp deal with Brooklyn. “We are ensuring in the event that he gets a spot on the final roster that there is some sort of compensation [for Adelaide],” 36ers chief executive Ben Kavenagh told the newspaper. The Nets’ interest in Creek was first reported by Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia (Twitter link).
Respect around the league for Nets coach Kenny Atkinson could serve as a “secret weapon” for the organization in free agency next summer, suggests Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.

Atlantic Notes: Knox, Sixers, Vegas Odds

August 5th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by clarkcrum

Former Knicks guard Charlie Ward, a Florida State football teammate of the father of rookie Kevin Knox in the early ’90s, believes New York’s 2018 first round pick has the mentality to become the Knicks’ next superstar, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.

“I’m grateful he’s a Knick,” Ward said. “I think he has the right mentality to be successful in New York. He seems to have a mature approach and great understanding of where he is in his development. The kid is well-balanced, with an inner confidence and swagger to him while having a quiet demeanor — which you need, especially being in New York.”

Ward, who now coaches high school basketball in Tallahassee, reiterated that in order to succeed in New York City, one must not only be mentally tough and hard-working, but also unassuming and humble.

“That’s the kind of superstar you want — a guy who will go about his business, not going to be talking much, but learning the ropes on how to get better each day. New York is a tough place to play, but you have to have thick skin. He’s willing to listen and be coached. His whole mentality and attitude is one that will help him become a superstar in the league at some point.”

In order to become that superstar, Knox will likely need to help lead the Knicks to the playoffs eventually. The Knicks haven’t made the playoffs for five straight seasons and have only won a single playoff series since 2001.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has set its initial win totals for NBA teams during the 2018/19 regular season. The Atlantic Division looks like this: Celtics – 57.5; Raptors/Sixers – 54.5; Nets – 32.5; Knicks – 29.5.
Despite still not have a general manager, the Sixers have made some changes in their scouting department, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers recently hired J. R. Holden as an international scout and are making a push to hire a female scout in the near future.
As we relayed last night, the Nets are cautiously optimistic that the injury suffered by forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in a Chinese charity game hosted by former teammate Jeremy Lin is not serious.