Stephen Curry Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Paul, Moody, Poole, Boston Jr.

December 4th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns guard Chris Paul has missed 13 consecutive games due to a heel injury but insists he’s close to returning, he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “It’s hard,” Paul said. “That’s my happy place is hooping, but I’ve sort of learned over the years that it’s a long game. Luckily we have enough depth on our team to where I shouldn’t be forced to come back until I’m ready.” Phoenix romped past San Antonio without Paul on Sunday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors reserve guard Moses Moody said it’s been a little more challenging getting spotty minutes during his second season, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. “Last year, everything was new and I wasn’t positive about how prepared I was…Now I feel moreso that I know I’m ready,” he said. Stephen Curry said Moody has taken a positive approach to his situation, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “He comes with a great attitude just understanding the challenges of him getting in the rotation consistently and when it doesn’t happen, he stays positive, he stays engaged and then when he’s out there ready to go, he plays,” Curry said.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole isn’t sneaking up on anybody this season and Poole admits he’s adjusting to extra defensive attention, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “A lot of defenses are loaded, either sending a blitz and making me get off the ball or, it’s kind of like boxes and elbows,” said Poole, who signed a four-year extension prior to the season.
Guard Brandon Boston Jr. has posted back-to-back double-digit scoring outings for the Clippers as the 2021 second-rounder tries to establish himself in the league, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. “I want those guys (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George) back, but I feel that everybody should be ready to step up,” Boston said. “I want to show that I belong up here (in the NBA) with the regular team and contribute for the team to win.”

Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Draymond, Kerr, Klay, Lamb

November 17th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors center James Wiseman has been assigned to Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz for an “extended period” after struggling off the bench, posting a -24.4 net rating in his 147 minutes so far this season. In an in-depth article for The Athletic, Tim Kawakami breaks down why it might be time for the Warriors to consider trading the former No. 2 overall pick.

As Kawakami outlines, the team’s bench is nowhere near championship-caliber at the moment, and trading Wiseman is one way to potentially bolster the second unit. As of right now, Wiseman is essentially a sunk cost, but it would still behoove the Warriors to wait at least a couple months to see how the team performs over the next 20 or so games before potentially dealing the 21-year-old, according to Kawakami.

Kawakami notes that owner Joe Lacob is a big fan of Wiseman and the Warriors are heavily invested in his development, but a team with championship aspirations can’t afford to wait on a player who hasn’t shown he can reliably produce for a contender.

Here’s more on the defending champions:

In a Q&A session with Sam Amick of The Athletic, forward Draymond Green says he’s not overly concerned with the team’s 6-9 start to the 2022/23 regular season. “I think the struggles are real,” Green said as part of a larger quote. “Like, I don’t think our struggles are just like something we can ignore. They’re real struggles. They’re very fixable struggles. I don’t want to say they can be easily fixed, because to say something is easy in this profession is a lie in itself. But they are very fixable. Do I think we will fix those things? Absolutely. The question is, ‘How long does it take to fix them?’ It’s not something I’m overly worried about. You’d rather have them sooner rather than later. But in saying that, to build what we’re trying to build, we do understand that it takes time.”
After Wednesday’s loss to the Suns, in which the Warriors gave up 130 points and wasted a stellar 50-point outing from star Stephen Curry, head coach Steve Kerr was critical of the team’s effort, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “We lack collective grit. We’re playing a Drew League game right now,” Kerr said. “I’ve always felt the game rewards you if you commit to the game. If you really compete together, shots go in, calls go your way, breaks fall your way, and we’re not earning any of this stuff. That’s why we are winless on the road. It’s a pick-up game.” As Kerr noted, the Warriors are now 0-8 on the road this season.
Klay Thompson‘s extended shooting slump has created a dilemma for the Warriors, says Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Thompson has recorded fewer points (181) than shot attempts (185) through 12 games, and has the fourth-lowest true shooting percentage in the NBA, Slater notes. That’s a rough mix considering he’s taking the second-most shot attempts on the team. Thompson’s forced shots early in the shot clock were particularly problematic against the Suns, with Green and Curry showing obvious frustration with his shot selection, Slater adds.
Swingman Anthony Lamb, who is playing on a two-way contract for the Warriors, has performed well as a rotation member over the past five games (22.9 minutes), averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 60.6% from the field and 54.5% from three. He recently talked about his fit with Golden State, as Tom Dierberger of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “With the Warriors, I’ve just found my place,” Lamb said. “I’m trying to connect everybody together. We have different lineups, so when Steph or Klay are in, I know what I need to do for them. When Draymond is in, I know what I need to do for him. Just trying to find my spot and make everybody better is what I focus on.”

Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry Named Players Of The Week

November 14th, 2022 at 2:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers center Joel Embiid and Warriors guard Stephen Curry have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (via Twitter). Embiid was the Eastern Conference winner, while Curry won for the West.

Embiid led Philadelphia to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 blocks on .543/.167/.864 shooting in 36.3 minutes per contest. The highlight was Sunday’s mesmerizing 59-point performance (19-of-28 shooting) against Utah, a career-high outburst that also included 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks.

Golden State went 2-1 last week, with Curry averaging 38.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists on .641/.500/.842 shooting in 36.2 minutes. The highlight of the two-time MVP’s week was a 47-point showing (17-of-24 shooting) against the Kings last Monday that also included eight rebounds and eight assists.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the East were Jimmy Butler, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Franz Wagner, while Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Jerami Grant and Zion Williamson were nominated out West.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Westbrook, M. Brown, Wall

November 4th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors‘ road trip, which began last Saturday in Charlotte, has been a disaster so far. Golden State has dropped consecutive road games to the Hornets, Pistons, Heat, and Magic and is now just 3-6 on the season. Recognizing that something needs to be done to jump-start the defending champions, head coach Steve Kerr said after Thursday’s loss in Orlando that rotation changes are likely coming, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

“We’ve had nine games now, so we’ve had a decent look at combinations. It’s time to try something different,” Kerr said. “Everybody’s gonna get a chance to play. We’ve got guys who are dying to get on the floor, and we’ve got to find combinations that play. We will look at that as a staff.”

As Andrews points out, the Warriors’ starters haven’t been a problem so far this season — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney have outscored opponents by 60 points during their time on the floor, the best point differential of any five-man group in the NBA. However, things have generally gone downhill when the starters begin to check out of the game.

Kerr and the Warriors will get an opportunity to try to figure things out without their stars available on Friday. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter links) relays, the team is resting Curry (right elbow soreness), Thompson (Achilles injury management), Wiggins (left foot soreness), and Green (lower back injury management) on the second night of a back-to-back.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench has “undeniably unlocked” the best version of the former MVP, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who argues that the move could even change the course of the Lakers’ season. As Buha tweets, coach Darvin Ham said after Wednesday’s win that one of his goals is to get Westbrook into the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year, which signals that he doesn’t plan to move the point guard back into the starting five anytime soon.
Clippers two-way center Moses Brown had his best game of the season in Wednesday’s win in Houston, racking up 13 points and seven rebounds in just 12 minutes. However, an increased role for Brown may not be a long-term solution to the second unit’s struggles, since head coach Tyronn Lue wants to get more production out of the team’s small, center-less lineups, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
Although John Wall is considered one of the Clippers‘ veteran leaders, his situation is different than it was in Houston, when he was a mentor to a very young roster, says Law Murray of The Athletic. “We have so many veteran guys here, so I don’t think they need no mentoring,” Wall said, adding that he’s still willing to help out young players like Brown, Brandon Boston Jr., and Moussa Diabate if they have questions for him.

And-Ones: NBA Rosters, Barkley, Vildoza, Wembanyama

October 18th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s opening night rosters feature a total of 120 international players, including a record-setting 22 from Canada and 10 from Australia, the league announced today in a press release. All 30 teams have at least one international player, while the Raptors – the NBA’s only international team – lead the way with eight international players.

Meanwhile, the opening night rosters also include a record-setting 234 players with some G League experience, according to the NBA (Twitter link). All 30 teams are carrying at least four players with G League experience, while the Nets‘ roster features a record 12 players who have spent time in the NBAGL — Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Markieff Morris, and rookie Alondes Williams are the only Brooklyn players without G League experience.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The four members of TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show – Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal – have agreed to new multiyear contracts, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports announced this week. Barkley’s new deal covers 10 years and will be worth well above $100MM, reports Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, though Barkley said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show that there’s “probably zero chance” he’ll stay for the entire 10 years (story via Awful Announcing).
Argentinian guard Luca Vildoza, who spent parts of the last two seasons with the Knicks and Bucks, told Mozzart Sport (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops) that he didn’t get the opportunity he had hoped for in the NBA, but that he still feels like he benefited from his time stateside. “I feel better physically and stronger,” Vildoza said as he prepares to resume playing in Europe. He appeared in seven games for Milwaukee during the 2022 postseason, but has yet to play in a regular season NBA contest.
Lakers star LeBron James isn’t the NBA’s highest-paid player in terms of salary this season, but he’ll earn the most money after accounting for endorsements, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. Baenhausen pegs James’ total 2022/23 earnings at $119.5MM, putting him ahead of Warriors guard Stephen Curry ($93.1MM) and Nets forward Kevin Durant ($91MM).
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at which teams can realistically be expected to tank in 2022/23 for a shot to draft Victor Wembanyama next June.

Warriors Notes: Looney, Myers, Starters, Green

October 17th, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors starting center Kevon Looney, who signed a three-year contract worth up to $25.5MM to remain in Golden State this summer, hopes to remain with the only NBA team he has ever known for the duration of his career, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“This is the team I got drafted to,” Looney said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s podcast Dubs Talk last month. “I love living out here. I know the system, I know the players, I know the guys. It’s home for me. This is where I wanted to be. “I’ve had a lot of great vets over the years, and they always told me to stay here as long as possible. The culture like this, it isn’t like that everywhere else. All of that was in the back of my head going into free agency.”

Poole notes that Looney was finally promoted to a starting role with the Warriors during the team’s 2021/22 championship season after spending his first six years in the league as a backup big man. Looney enjoyed one of his best regular seasons last year, appearing in all 82 games for the first time in his career, while averaging 6.0 PPG on 57.1% shooting from the floor, along with 7.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG across 21.1 MPG.

There’s more out of Golden State:

Warriors team president Bob Myers is fully aware that the cost of the team’s roster next season projects to be at least $483MM in player salaries and luxury tax payments, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I cannot evaluate what we are going to do next season until we see what happens this season,” Myers said with regard to his team’s future roster-building in a Sunday press conference. “I just know this: There’s a huge commitment to winning. There always has been, and I believe there always will be. I am lucky to be in an [ownership] group that believes that. Their actions prove it.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr suggested on Monday that he will have something of a minutes cap for starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney on opening night. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area relays (via Twitter), Kerr thinks those players are not quite yet ready to play 30-plus minutes to begin the 2022/23 season. “It’s fine,” Kerr said, adding that the team will rely on its depth this week. “You just adapt and adjust.”
Warriors power forward Draymond Green, who has not been signed to an extension despite the team dishing out lucrative long-term deals for his teammates Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, is a good bet to pick up his $27.6MM player option for the 2023/24 season, posits Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter video link). Wojnarowski initially said Green will “almost assuredly” exercise that option before clarifying that it’s “probably the most likely scenario” based on his projected market.

Warriors Rumors: Poole, Green, Klay, Wiggins, Moody, More

October 14th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

If the Warriors want to sign Jordan Poole to a rookie scale extension before the October 17 deadline, it will likely require a baseline offer of $120MM over four years, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who said during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that Tyler Herro‘s deal with Miami raised the bar for Golden State and Poole.

Slater, who believes the two sides will get something done in the coming days, suggests that the incident with Draymond Green last week might’ve create some additional urgency on the Warriors’ side, since they won’t want Poole’s contract situation hanging over his head all year after what happened with Green.

Slater also observes that there are some teams who project to have cap room next year that could realistically offer Poole a maximum-salary offer sheet. In Slater’s view, the Magic and Spurs are among the rebuilding teams who could use a backcourt scorer like Poole and would have the financial flexibility to make life difficult for the Warriors if the 23-year-old makes it to restricted free agency.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors appear to be in “wait-and-see” mode on potential extensions for Green and Klay Thompson, says Slater. There’s no real urgency on the Thompson front because he’s under contract for two more guaranteed seasons. Green can become a free agent next summer, but the Warriors will likely want to see how this season plays out to get a sense of how he regains the team’s trust, what his market will be like, and whether he’ll be able to top his $27.6MM player option.
Andrew Wiggins is also extension-eligible, and Slater believes the Warriors would be interested in exploring a new deal if the former No. 1 pick is willing to take a slight pay cut (perhaps from his current $33.6MM into the 20s). But it’s unclear whether Wiggins would consider that as he comes off his best NBA season.
Slater believes Moses Moody is a better bet than Jonathan Kuminga or Patrick Baldwin Jr. to step into a rotation role immediately this season, since he’s a good fit for a three-and-D spot. While the Warriors like Baldwin’s long-term potential, Slater expects him to spend a lot of time in the G League as a rookie.
The Warriors allowed their veterans to take on a major role in the handling of the Green/Poole altercation last week, according to Slater, who points to Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala as players who were very involved. “The players are of the belief that it’s better for the team to bring Draymond back in now,” Slater said.

Warriors Notes: Green, Poole, Curry, Iguodala

October 7th, 2022 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke earlier this year about being able to move past Draymond Green‘s on- and off-court missteps because of the “built-up equity” that Green and the Warriors have established in their relationship over the years, but that equity took a major hit this week, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who says Green has to earn back to the trust and respect of his teammates after punching Jordan Poole during a practice.

As Amick writes, the consensus within the Warriors’ organization is that Green’s decision to swing at Poole was “wildly unjustified.”

As the Warriors carefully deliberate their next steps with Green, the team is also taking “every legal course of action” to investigate how video of the incident was made public on Friday, per Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

The Warriors will face more intense scrutiny now that video of the altercation has leaked and Stephen Curry‘s leadership will be put to the ultimate test, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic. Sources tell Thompson that Curry spoke to the team after Wednesday’s practice and has been in frequent communication with Myers and head coach Steve Kerr about how to handle the situation.
The fact that Poole and Green are both entering contract years further complicates how the Warriors might move forward following this week’s incident. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report spoke to multiple scouts and executives to get a sense of how comfortable they’d be signing Poole and/or Green to contract extensions.
It doesn’t sound like Andre Iguodala will see any action during the preseason, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who tweets that Golden State is slowly working the veteran wing back into game condition. It’s also doubtful Iguodala will play much early in the regular season, Slater adds, since the team wants to manage his usage to make sure he can contribute down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Video Of Draymond Green Punching Jordan Poole Released

October 7th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

A video clip of Wednesday’s altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole at a Warriors practice has been obtained by TMZ Sports.

The incident begins with trash talk between the two players, which leads Green to walk over to Poole and confront him. Poole shoves Green in the chest to push him away, and Green responds with a punch to the face that knocks Poole to the ground. He then stands over Poole before teammates and coaches break them up.

General manager Bob Myers said Thursday that he doesn’t expect Green to be suspended for the punch, although sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic that a suspension was discussed. A fine appears likely, and Slater points out that $50K is the maximum permitted under NBA rules. The league hasn’t announced any disciplinary action against Green, though that could change with the release of the video.

The Warriors won’t practice today, as the team hopes a day off will help defuse the situation, Slater adds. Green is expected to return to practice Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Lakers. It hasn’t been determined if he will meet with the media following that practice.

Several members of the organization addressed the fight on Thursday, including Stephen Curry, who shot down rumors that Poole came to camp with a sense of entitlement after a breakout season.

“JP’s (attitude has) been great,” Curry said. “There’s nothing that warranted the situation yesterday. I want to make that clear. It’s also something we feel like will not derail our season and what we’re trying to build. That’s with Draymond a part of that.”

Coach Steve Kerr echoed those sentiments about Poole, although Slater states that he was clearly upset over the fight and the fact that it become public. Golden State began the preseason with a trip to Tokyo, and Kerr didn’t want another distraction to deal with.

Hanging over the altercation are the contract situations for Green and Poole, who are both eligible for extensions. At 23, Poole could be a valuable part of Golden State’s future, and Slater hears that he’s willing to accept a long-term offer to stay with the organization. Myers addressed that possibility on Thursday, saying the team has been talking to Poole’s representatives about reaching a deal before the October 17 deadline and “(the incident) doesn’t change our feelings on it.”

Green, 32, has a $27.6MM player option for 2023/24, but he could decide to test the free agent market next summer. He has four championship rings and has been an important part of the Warriors’ success, but he has stated publicly that he doesn’t expect the team to give him an extension this fall.

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Westbrook, Curry, Gentry, Kings

September 26th, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Kawhi Leonard pronounced himself ready for training camp, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.

“For me individually, I’ll be participating in training camp,” the Clippers‘ star forward said. “Then from there, just seeing how my progression is, how I feel, what I’m not feeling, is it moving correctly, and just keep going from there, just gradually building up. But right now, I feel good, and the plan is to start camp and play.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Russell Westbrook was unusually blunt when asked on Monday if he feels the Lakers truly want him on the roster, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. “Whether they want me here or not doesn’t really matter, honestly,” Westbrook said. “My job is to be professional, show up to work, like I’ve always done. Thus far, I did my job the best way I know how to and that’s it. I mean, you all have jobs – sometimes people at our jobs don’t like us or don’t want us there.”
Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green could be on the free agent market next summer, but Stephen Curry hopes that the current group of Warriors can remain in place, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “You want that to be the spirit of how decisions are made, and we want the best chance to win every single year. And we’re proving with this squad, that’s what the results have been,” he said. “So, we want to keep that together for as long as we can. That’s the goal.”
Former head coach Alvin Gentry has been named the Kings’ VP of basketball engagement, according to a team press release. Mark Toyoda has been elevated to senior director of basketball administration. Melanie Stocking has been promoted to senior director of team operations. Saagar Sarin has been promoted to director of pro personnel and Aram Palamoudian has been promoted to basketball operations coordinator.