Sean Kilpatrick Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Allen, Atkinson, Kilpatrick, Lin

April 11th, 2018 at 8:11pm CST by clarkcrum

As pointed out by Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders, not a lot of people inside or outside of the Nets organization could have anticipated the season put together by rookie big man Jarrett Allen. In fact, many thought Allen may actually spend a good chunk of the season in the G-League.

Yet Allen, the sixth youngest player in the NBA and thought to be a project when drafted 22nd overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, found himself a regular member of Brooklyn’s starting lineup by season’s end.

“I defied some people’s expectations,” Allen said. “A lot of people thought I was going to be a G-League guy, and that they were going to have to develop me before I’d be ready to play at the NBA level, but I came in and played well enough to be a starter. I’m playing starter’s minutes now and putting up pretty good numbers. I think I’m doing pretty well.”

When asked what he needs to improve upon most, Allen wouldn’t limit his response to only one area – explaining that he needs to get stronger and work on his offensive game.

“This offseason definitely is going to be when I add a lot of muscle. I want to add strength, shooting, and offensive game stuff. [Defensively], I think I’ve done pretty well, and I know I’ll get even better with time, but I need to work on offensive skills, dribbling, shooting, and post work.”

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

Despite having a lesser overall record than some head coaches on the hot seat, Kenny Atkinson isn’t likely to be let go after the season, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. One reason? Approval from legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
Former Nets and current Bulls guard Sean Kilpatrick was surprised to be released by the team earlier this season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “Absolutely (I was surprised by the move). And I’m pretty sure the coaches were surprised as well. When the news broke, my teammates, some of them cried. They were shocked … But you have to move on in this league.”
Nets injured point guard Jeremy Lin worked out in front of Atkinson yesterday, leaving his head coach impressed but cautious, tweets Lewis. “We’ve just got to be really super, super-cautious. We don’t want to rush this in April, May. But I was blown away at how well he was moving, and the stuff he did yesterday.”

Bulls Notes: Kilpatrick, Valentine, Dunn, Blakeney

April 5th, 2018 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sean Kilpatrick has shown the Bulls he can score in bunches and he hopes that will be enough to secure a roster spot next season, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Kilpatrick is averaging 13 points per night in five games since signing with Chicago last week, including a 19-point fourth quarter in Tuesday’s win over the Hornets. His deal pays $6.2MM over three years, but nothing is guaranteed beyond this season.

“He fits well with what we try to do as far as creating long closeouts and getting into the paint,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He’s not afraid of any moment. He’s hitting big shots. He competes at the other end as well. He’s getting to the rim. He’s getting to the free-throw line. We’re spacing the floor and he’s driving and attacking.”

There’s more news from Chicago:

Second-year guard Denzel Valentine underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday and expects to recover quickly, tweets Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago. Valentine, who averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 77 games, is focused on regaining the starting spot he lost when Zach LaVine was activated, telling reporters that he has earned a bigger role and should “definitely” be a starter heading into next season. ‘‘I think I can be a consistent player at this level,” he said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Be somebody they can rely on, somebody who defends, makes shots, makes plays for others, plays the game the right way and is a competitor. So I definitely think I’m a starter in this league.’’
Kris Dunn is also focused on next year after a toe injury ended his season in mid-March, relays Sam Smith of NBA.com. Dunn played 52 games in his first season with the Bulls, averaging 13.4 points and 6.0 assists, and believes he can become one of the league’s best at his position. “I’m trying to be an elite point guard,” he said. “I have the intangibles for it. I’ve got the work ethic. It’s all about putting it together and doing it the right way. I want to be an elite point guard, but a guard who wins games. That’s the big thing for me, try to make everyone better.”
Bulls’ two-way player Antonio Blakeney has been named Rookie of the Year in the G League, tweets Adam Johnson of Two Ways and 10 Days. The former LSU guard averaged 32.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 32 games with Windy City. He has appeared in 19 games with Chicago, averaging 7.9 points per night.

Central Notes: Booker, Green, Kilpatrick, Hoiberg, LeBron

March 28th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite playing a limited role – only 16.0 minutes per game – the Pacers believe that recently-acquired forward Trevor Booker is an important piece of Indiana’s chances come playoff time, reports Mark Montieth of Pacers.com, especially with big man Domantas Sabonis missing six of the team’s last seven games with an ankle injury.

Booker was brought in to back-up Thaddeus Young at power forward, but has filled in admirably for the Pacers while Sabonis has been out.

“He brings a physicality to the floor,” Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. “With these injuries and teams playing smaller fives, we’ve had to play him there some, and he’s done a good job for us. It allows us to make adjustments. He’s a power forward, but he plays bigger than that.”

“He’s a hard-nosed guy who’s going to go out and rebound the basketball,” says Young, the Pacers’ starting power forward who Booker backs up. “He has the ability to score on the block. To make a few jumpers here and there — not consistently, but he gives us the energy and the poise and the passion that we need. When he’s stepping out there with that second unit he does a really good job of carving out space and putting guys in the right place.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jeff Green has been starting for the Cavaliers lately while the team has been dealing with injuries to Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., and Tristan Thompson, but Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer wonders whether he has a place in the lineup once playoff time comes and the bench shortens.
Despite recently receiving a three-year, $6.2MM contract from the Bulls, guard Sean Kilpatrick still views every game in the NBA as an audition, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s how I looked at things, and that’s how I viewed things since I got into this league, and that’s why I think I’ve had some type of success in that area.” Kilpatrick said.
It appears as though the Bulls plan on keeping head coach Fred Hoiberg around for a fourth season, Cowley opines in another piece. “I’ve gotten unbelievable support from everybody throughout the year, going back to what I thought was a great offseason and training camp,” Hoiberg said.
The Rockets’ James Harden is far and away the favorite to win MVP this season, but he wouldn’t get a vote from Cavaliers‘ superstar LeBron James, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Asked who he’d vote for, James unabashedly said himself. “I would vote for me. The body of work, how I’m doing it, what’s been happening with our team all year long, how we’ve got so many injuries and things of that nature, guys in and out, to be able to still keep this thing afloat, I definitely would vote me.”

Bulls Sign Sean Kilpatrick To Multiyear Contract

March 26th, 2018 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed veteran guard Sean Kilpatrick to a three-year, $6.2MM contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. According to Charania, the deal – signed using the mid-level exception – isn’t guaranteed for the second and third years.

It has been an eventful season for Kilpatrick, who opened 2017/18 with the Nets. Waived by Brooklyn in December, Kilpatrick signed a two-way deal with the Bucks, which was eventually converted into a standard NBA deal in January. The 28-year-old was cut by Milwaukee in March and then signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Clippers. After those deals expired, Kilpatrick appeared poised to sign with the Celtics, but that deal fell through over the weekend when he received a more appealing offer from the Bulls.

Kilpatrick’s nomadic existence this season comes on the heels of his best year as a pro. In 2016/17, he averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 70 games for the Nets. Perhaps hoping he can repeat that level of production in the right environment, the Bulls are taking a very low-risk flier on Kilpatrick.

Because the Bulls remain below the NBA’s minimum salary floor, the deal essentially won’t cost them anything this season — the gap between a team’s total salary and the league-mandated minimum (90% of the cap) must be paid out at the end of the season to the club’s players, so the money given to Kilpatrick won’t add anything to the team’s year-end bill. The Bulls are believed to still be about $2MM below the salary floor after adding Kilpatrick.

Chicago’s 15-man roster was full after Sunday’s C.J. Fair signing, so Fair – like Jaylen Johnson before him – figures to be the player waived to make room for Kilpatrick.

Celtics No Longer Expected To Sign Sean Kilpatrick

March 24th, 2018 at 3:35pm CST by marksuleymanov

3:35pm: Murphy is now hearing that another, unnamed team has stepped in and provided a better offer to Kilpatrick (Twitter). Accordingly, it is unlikely that the Celtics will sign him to a 10-day deal after all.

11:38am: The Celtics are expected to sign Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract later today, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.

Keith Smith of RealGM tweeted last night that sources expected Boston to utilize the NBA’s roster hardship exception to sign another player.

The team is currently without Gordon Hayward (dislocated left ankle), Daniel Theis (torn left meniscus), Marcus Smart (right thumb), and Kyrie Irving (left knee). Irving will undergo a “minimally invasive” procedure today on his left knee and his timetable to return should be clearer post surgery.

To qualify for the exemption, at least four players must miss a minimum of three consecutive games, and later be deemed to be out for an additional two weeks.

It has been a well-traveled 2017/18 campaign for Kilpatrick, who started the season with the Nets followed by cameos with the Bucks and Clippers. Kilpatrick suited for the Clippers on a pair of 10-day contracts recently, averaging 4.8 PPG in four games. He was not signed to a deal for the rest of the season after the second contract expired.

In 43 total games this season, Kilpatrick has averaged 4.4 PPG and 1.4 RPG.

Clippers Sign Sean Kilpatrick To Second 10-Day Deal

March 14th, 2018 at 4:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:06pm: The Clippers have made their second 10-day agreement with Kilpatrick official, per the NBA’s transactions log. Kilpatrick will be under contract through next Friday, March 23.

9:38am: The Clippers will sign shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick to another 10-day contract, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The first 10-day deal for the 28-year-old expired overnight.

Kilpatrick has seen a combined 15 minutes of playing time in two games since coming to L.A. He was signed to provide backcourt depth while the Clippers ponder whether to sign one of their two-way players, Tyrone Wallace or C.J. Williams, to an NBA contract.

Kilpatrick has also played for the Nets and Bucks this season. He is averaging 4.3 points in a combined 41 games.

L.A. Notes: Ingram, Lakers, Clippers, Kilpatrick

March 5th, 2018 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers will be without former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram for at least the next two or three games, the team confirmed today, announcing in a press release that the second-year forward has been diagnosed with a left groin strain. Ingram, who sat out Saturday’s contest vs. San Antonio, will be re-evaluated in about a week, according to the team.

Here are a few more Lakers and Clippers notes from out of Los Angeles:

While the Lakers‘ playoff chances are extremely slim, the progress they’ve made this season is “undeniable and significant to their future,” says Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. As Oram notes, the team’s growth is important not just for its young players but for its ability to attract free agents in the offseason.
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN also examines the growth of the Lakers‘ young players, who have done well pushing through adversity.
It sounds like the Clippers haven’t entirely ruled out the possibility of signing a two-way player like Tyrone Wallace or C.J. Williams to an NBA contract, but the team didn’t want to wait on those negotiations, opting to fill its open roster spot with Sean Kilpatrick, as Elliott Teaford of The Daily Breeze writes. “We’re trying to make the playoffs here,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re going to try to sign who we think is the best fit for our team. If Sean comes in and earns it, it’ll be his job. Or we’ll go back to the C.J.s or the Tys. We like them all. We just have to figure out who’s the best fit.”
The Clippers are $545K below the luxury tax line after signing Kilpatrick to a 10-day deal, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That gives the team some breathing room to eventually sign someone to a rest-of-season contract without going into the tax.

Bucks Waive Kilpatrick, Sign Shabazz Muhammad

March 4th, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by Austin Kent

MARCH 4th, 6:22pm: The Bucks have officially signed Muhammad, according to a team press release.

MARCH 1st, 11:14pm: The Bucks have formally waived Kilpatrick, the team announced tonight (via Twitter).

9:44pm: It’s official that the Bucks will waive Kilpatrick. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that they’ll do so before the deadline (11:00pm CST) so that he would be playoff-eligible should he land somewhere else this season.

9:25pm: Recently bought-out swingman Shabazz Muhammad plans to commit to the Bucks when he clears waivers, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. We wrote about the Timberwolves’ decision to part ways with the veteran earlier today.

While Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that there’s no indication what the corresponding roster move will be to make space for the signing, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eye Witness News tweets that word is it will be Sean Kilpatrick who is eventually let go. (This has since been corroborated by several writers, including ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski).

In a follow-up to his initial tweet, Charania adds that the Bucks had been interested in Muhammad back in the offseason. In September, however, the 25-year-old inked a two-year pact with the only franchise he’d ever known.

While Muhammad’s role with the Wolves has been negligible this season, he’s been a reliable source of perimeter offense at times throughout his career. Muhammad will slot in on a Bucks roster light on prototypical perimeter threats.

Clippers Sign Sean Kilpatrick To 10-Day Deal

March 4th, 2018 at 5:30pm CST by marksuleymanov

5:30pm: The Clippers have officially signed Kilpatrick, who will be active for tonight’s game against Brooklyn.

4:14pm: The Clippers will sign recently waived guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kilpatrick was waived by the Bucks on Friday, thus making him eligible for the postseason, Wojnarowski notes. The Clippers are one game behind the Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Kilpatrick, 28, has split the 2017/18 season with the Nets and Bucks. He appeared in 16 games with Brooklyn before he was waived following the Nets’ acquisition of Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas. Kilpatrick then signed a two-way pact with the Bucks that was eventually converted into standard NBA contract.

In 39 games between Brooklyn and Milwaukee this season, Kilpatrick has averaged 4.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG.

Prior to the agreement with Kilpatrick, the Clippers discussed converting Tyrone Wallace‘s deal into an NBA contract. The 23-year-old was solid for Los Angeles, posting 10.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 21 games. However, the Clippers declined to extend Wallace’s deal, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Milwaukee Bucks

February 16th, 2018 at 9:17pm CST by Austin Kent

For the first time in over a decade, the Bucks have an enviable core with an ambitious ceiling. That they’re on track for a second consecutive playoff berth with one of the game’s hottest young stars is a testament to the principles put in place under the franchise’s new regime.

Of course the Bucks didn’t win the lottery over night. The club that they’ve assembled – a merry band of overachievers who have overachieved so much they may actually just be regular achievers we’ve been underestimating all along – is deep and talented.

The small-market Bucks have committed to guys who work for them and necessarily so, but while that’s all fun and games when your team has Khris Middleton and John Henson locked into team-friendly contracts because they saw value, it stings a little when there’s $20.1MM tied up between Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic, with the luxury tax looming large.

Don’t get it twisted, the Bucks have tactfully leveraged their organization’s strength while minimizing environmental challenges outside of their control. The only downside? Now that the Bucks have a core worth hanging onto – players that they’re committed to and reliant upon – managing finances becomes that much more important.

Sean Kilpatrick, SG, 28 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $0.8MM contract in 2018
Kilpatrick showed that he could put points on the board in an extended stay with the Nets between 2015 and 2017. While he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase his scoring skills so far in Milwaukee, you can bet the organization knows what he’s capable of when given a chance to fill reserve minutes out of the backcourt. Given the team’s financial constraints, it would be wise to lock in an affordable depth piece like Kilpatrick when given the opportunity.

Jabari Parker, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $22.2MM contract in 2014
A pair of ACL injuries have cast doubt on Parker’s value as a pending restricted free agent. While once it seemed extremely plausible – if not borderline inevitable – that the forward would draw a max contract out of somebody, that’s no sure thing in 2018. We wrote earlier this month that the Bucks seemed reluctant to offer Parker any more than $18MM per year. If Parker’s play from now until the end of the 2017/18 campaign justifies more than that, the franchise would need to get creative in order to bring him back in a scenario that’s financially palatable for ownership. Expect Parker to land an offer sheet from one of the few teams with cap space this summer, and for the Bucks to shed salary in order to comfortably match it and avoid the tax, even if it costs them an asset to do so. While Parker can’t be credited for much of Milwaukee’s recent success, he’s a big reason why they have such an intriguing ceiling.

Jason Terry, SG, 40 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.3MM contract in 2017
There’s no doubt that having veteran leadership in the locker room is beneficial to young players. Still, while Terry could conceivably present as an affordable option for rounding out the depth chart next summer, his on-court value is minimal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.