Terry Taylor Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Rockets, KD, Butler, LeBron, Nuggets, Kings

October 27th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming recent reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that the messaging out of Houston suggests the Rockets are unlikely to make a major in-season trade in 2024/25.

Still, Stein has spoken to multiple rival teams who are “hesitant to dismiss Houston’s trade ambitions so readily.” Those clubs believe the Rockets’ front office will continue to keep an eye out for possible deals for impact players, since they’re eager to return to the upper tier of the Western Conference.

Although the Suns aggressively shot down Kevin Durant trade speculation over the summer, Stein writes that there’s still a “strong belief” around the league that the Rockets remain interested in the star forward and would be ready to pounce if he becomes available within the next year or two.

According to Stein, rival teams also “increasingly” mention Houston as a potential suitor to watch if the Heat ever consider trading Jimmy Butler, who was identified multiple times during the offseason as a potential target of interest for the Rockets.

We have more from around the West:

The Lakers‘ hot start continued on Saturday as they pushed their record to 3-0 with an impressive comeback win over Sacramento. Four-time MVP LeBron James keyed the fourth quarter surge by becoming the first player since play-by-play tracking began in 1996 to record at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 100% shooting in a quarter (Twitter link via ESPN’s Matt Williams). “Just when you think he’s slowing down, man, he continues to show the world why he’s the greatest,” Anthony Davis said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “To go on that stretch, he actually looked to the bench and was trying to come out the game. We told him, ‘You’re not coming out.’ He comes out and hits another three. He never ceases to amaze any of us because we just know what he’s capable of and what he’s able to do.”
The sample size is minuscule, but in 21 minutes together so far, lineups featuring both Nuggets point guards – Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook – have an 82.2 offensive rating and a minus-28.9 overall net rating. Head coach Michael Malone remains confident those units can work, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Jamal’s a guard. He’s been a one. He’s been a two,” Malone said prior to Denver’s second game. “In college, he was a two. It’s just that, for his Nuggets tenure, Jamal has been a guy that can be a starting one, and he can play with a point guard in the second unit. I think Russ and Jamal have a lot of potential to be really good together.”
The Stockton Kings (Sacramento’s G League affiliate) have officially announced their training camp roster for the 2024/25 season. Veteran forward Terry Taylor, former first-round pick Skal Labissiere, NBA camp invitee Boogie Ellis, and Shaquille O’Neal‘s son Shareef O’Neal are among the notable names on the squad.

Kings Waive Terry Taylor, Brodric Thomas

October 18th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings have waived forward Terry Taylor and wing Brodric Thomas, sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento (Twitter link).

Taylor was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the G League’s Stockton Kings. Thomas’ deal didn’t include Exhibit 10 language, so he wouldn’t be eligible for the same bonus.

Taylor is a three-year veteran who has previously played for the Pacers and Bulls. In 93 regular season games, he holds career averages of 4.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.

Thomas, 27, has appeared in 44 NBA games with Houston, Cleveland and Boston over two seasons from 2020-22. He spent last season in the G League with the Clippers’ affiliate.

After waiving Boogie Ellis earlier in the day and releasing Taylor and Thomas, the Kings now have 18 players under contract, with all three two-way spots filled.

Kings Sign Terry Taylor To Training Camp Deal

September 23rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SEPTEMBER 23: The signing is official, KTXL’s Sean Cunningham tweets.

SEPTEMBER 6: The Kings are signing free agent forward Terry Taylor to a training camp contract, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Exact terms of the agreement have not been reported, but it seems likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Taylor, 24, spent parts of the last two seasons with the Bulls, where the 6’5″ vet played as an undersized small forward.

After going undrafted in 2021, Taylor began his pro career as an affiliate player for the Pacers’ NBAGL team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He inked a two-way deal that December with the Pacers, who converted his contract to a standard deal in April of that same season. Indiana eventually waived him in February 2023.

Taylor was quickly snatched up by the Bulls, on a two-way deal. Ahead of the 2023/24 season, his agreement was converted into a standard contract.

Last year with Chicago in a deep-bench role, Taylor averaged just 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds across 31 games in 2023/24.

The Kings have 14 players on their standard roster, and all three of their two-way slots occupied. Power forward/center Skal Labissiere and guard Boogie Ellis are currently signed to training camp agreements for Sacramento.

If waived and then signed by a club’s G League affiliate, players who ink Exhibit 10 contracts are eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K should they stick around with those affiliate squads for at least 60 days.

Bulls Sign Javonte Green, Waive Terry Taylor

April 4th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have signed swingman Javonte Green for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

Chicago used a hardship exception to sign Green to a 10-day contract on March 23, but needs to clear a 15-man roster spot in order to sign him to a rest-of-season deal. To make room for him, the team has waived forward Terry Taylor.

By signing a standard contract, Green is now eligible for the postseason, including the play-in tournament. Chicago is currently tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta.

Green has spent parts of three seasons with Chicago. He was limited to 32 games last season due to a knee injury, which required surgery.

Green signed a training camp deal with Golden State in October, but was waived a few days later. He also appeared in 10 regular season games with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz this season.

In his first 10 days with the Bulls, the 30-year-old appeared in three games, averaging 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per night.

Taylor has been out of the rotation most of the season. He has appeared in 31 games but only averaged 6.1 minutes in those outings. Terry had a $2MM salary this season and a $2.2MM non-guaranteed contract for next season.

Central Notes: Allen, LaVine, Taylor, Ivey

January 2nd, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With frontcourt sidekick Evan Mobley sidelined, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has pumped up his offensive production, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). He was challenged by coach J.B. Bickerstaff to make it happen.

“He knows everything that I can do,” Allen said. “He just wanted me to do it at a higher level.”

Allen is averaging 22.2 points, 15.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the last four games and has scored in double digits in each of the past eight games after doing so in just two of his first six contests in December.

“Jarrett’s one of those guys who just goes about his business that sometimes people forget how impactful and how good he is,” Bickerstaff said. “He doesn’t beat his chest, he doesn’t draw attention to himself, but we know how valuable he is to us, and I just wanted to make sure that he understood that if he wins his battle, we win the game. That’s the challenge for him.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Zach LaVine practiced once again with the Bulls’ G League team, the Windy City Bulls, on Tuesday with positive results, according to coach Billy Donovan (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago). It’s possible that LaVine will return to action with the NBA club as early as Friday but it’s too early to tell, Donovan added. LaVine, a potential major trade piece, hasn’t played since Nov. 28 due to a foot injury.
With Bulls center Nikola Vucevic also out with an injury, 6’4” Terry Taylor has seen some time at center in Donovan’s small-ball lineups. Taylor says he doesn’t mind banging with much bigger opponents, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. ‘‘I’ve actually played it my whole life, so I’m kind of used to it,’’ Taylor said. ‘‘I’m used to people not being sure about me playing center just because of my size. But I’ve got the heart and the will to go out there and compete against anybody. They’re gonna be hunting me and trying to get me to foul and make mistakes and just trying to get me off my rocker.’’ Taylor’s $2MM contract will become fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster beyond January 7.
The Pistons finally snapped their record breaking 28-game losing streak against the depleted Raptors on Saturday night. They followed that up with an embarrassing outing in Houston on Monday in which they allowed 47 points in the third quarter and lost by 23. Second-year guard Jaden Ivey was perplexed by the team’s effort, James Edwards III of The Athletic relays. “This is painful to go through. We’re in a season where we’re losing a ton of games, and it’s like … it comes down to pride at the end of the day,” he said. “The moment you step out there on the floor, ‘What can you do to help the team?’ both defensively and offensively. “In the third quarter, they were coming down and scoring. We need to wall up and chest the ball. It comes down to pride. We didn’t have that (Monday).”

Bulls Notes: Drummond, Taylor, DeRozan, Terry

December 27th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Making his first start since joining the Bulls, Andre Drummond turned in an elite performance with 24 points and 25 rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Atlanta, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Drummond’s opportunity came because of an injury to starting center Nikola Vucevic, and he delivered his first 20-20 game in nearly three years. With Vucevic expected to miss several games, the 30-year-old center will continue to start for a while.

“My mentality is that I’m not a backup,” Drummond said. “I still believe I’m a starter in this league. But the position I’m in now, I take it and play it to the best of my ability.”

Drummond knew he was accepting a reserve role when he signed with Chicago in 2022, but he showed that he still has the skills that made him a two-time All-Star. He’s only averaging 14.3 minutes per game this season, but he was on the court for 39 minutes last night, putting up a monster stat line that included 10 offensive rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an 11-of-13 shooting performance.

“I’m really happy for him just because every day he comes in, he works,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s about the team. And a guy of his caliber and what he’s done in his career, he’s probably a guy, like he said, who deserves more minutes and could have played more minutes. But he always does what’s best for the team.”

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls will use some small-ball lineups to help get through Vucevic’s absence, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Donovan gave 6’5″ Terry Taylor some minutes in the middle against Atlanta and indicated that Patrick Williams may also see time in that role.
DeMar DeRozan is making an effort to get his teammates involved in the offense early in games, Johnson adds. DeRozan led the Bulls with 25 points on Tuesday, but he recorded four assists before hitting his first basket. “It makes my job easier going into the fourth quarter,” DeRozan said. “Those guys look to me to close out the game. Sometimes not necessarily scoring but play-making and trying to make the right decisions. It’s fun. There’s never a game where I feel like I gotta get up X amount of shots or whatever. I trust those guys. And I know when they give me the look, it’s time for me to do my part.”
Donovan is turning to Dalen Terry to fill in for Torrey Craig while he recovers from a plantar fascia sprain, notes Annie Costabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. The second-year shooting guard was averaging 18.6 minutes per game over the last three contests prior to Tuesday. “He knows he’s got to get better,” Donovan said. “But I don’t want him totally focused on that. He’s going to play whether he’s missing or making shots. Even earlier on, when he was getting an opportunity to play, what impressed me was [that] his discipline has increased [his execution] on both ends of the floor.”

Bulls Forward Torrey Craig Sidelined For Extended Period

December 19th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Torrey Craig has been diagnosed with an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia and won’t return to action until sometime after the All-Star break, according to a team press release.

Craig will be immobilized for approximately four weeks, followed by a period of rehabilitation projected to require an additional four-to-six weeks. The injury, which he suffered in the second quarter at Miami on Saturday, was revealed following an MRI on Tuesday.

It’s a significant blow to the team’s frontcourt. Craig was signed during free agency to a two-year contract that included a player option for next season. He’s been a major part of Billy Donovan‘s rotation.

Craig, noted for his defense, is averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night through 27 games, including seven starts. Craig, who turned 33 on Tuesday, played the last two-and-a-half seasons with Phoenix.

Craig had been backing up Patrick Williams at power forward. Terry Taylor, who has only appeared in six games, and second-round pick Julian Phillips could see a significant rise in playing time. The Bulls could also go with a number of smaller lineups to make up for Craig’s absence.

Eastern Notes: Hayes, Pistons, Queen, Bulls, Skyhawks

August 18th, 2023 at 9:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Killian Hayes was Troy Weaver‘s first draft choice when he became general manager of the Pistons, having been selected No. 7 overall in 2020. Three years later, the guard’s future with Detroit is uncertain.

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag, the Pistons have drafted guards Cade Cunningham (No. 1 overall in 2021) and Jaden Ivey (No. 5 overall in 2022) since Hayes was picked. This offseason, they traded up in June’s draft to acquire former Houston Cougars guard Marcus Sasser (No. 25 overall), and sent out a future second-round pick to land veteran guard Monte Morris from the Wizards.

Where does that leave Hayes? In Edwards’ view, the Pistons will either trade the 22-year-old before the 2023/24 season starts, or they added backcourt depth in order to “light a fire” under the young guard so he’ll have to earn his minutes.

Edwards also touches on some other topics, including who might take the backup center job between James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III. For what it’s worth, Edwards thinks Bagley is a better player right now, but acknowledges Wiseman might have more upside.

Here’s more from the East:

Trevelin Queen will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Queen’s one-year training camp deal is non-guaranteed and worth the veteran’s minimum. If he’s waived before the season starts, he could earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts, and Orlando does have a two-way opening, as our tracker shows.
Re-signing forward Terry Taylor to a two-year, minimum-salary contract might be the final offseason move for the Bulls, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Having Taylor and Carlik Jones on non-guaranteed deals creates financial flexibility for the Bulls, who now have 15 players on standard deals and all three two-way slots filled, Johnson notes. It’s worth noting that Chicago is virtually certain to add some players on Exhibit 10 deals ahead of training camp, though those are often geared more toward filling out the G League roster.
The College Park Skyhawks — the Hawks‘ NBAGL affiliate — have announced Daniel Starkman as their new general manager and confirmed that Ryan Schmidt will be their new head coach, according to a team press release. Starkman, who has been with the Hawks organization since 2015, was previously Atlanta’s senior manager of basketball operations. Schmidt was head coach of the British Basketball League’s London Lions last season. He will also be an assistant coach with the Hawks under Quin Snyder.

Contract Details: Hart, T. Taylor, Mavericks

August 16th, 2023 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

Josh Hart‘s four-year extension with the Knicks, previously reported to include a fourth-year team option, has very straightforward terms, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes.

The deal, which begins at $18,144,000 (the maximum 40% raise on Hart’s $12.96MM salary for 2023/24) is fully guaranteed for the first three seasons and doesn’t include any performances bonuses.

The only detail slightly different than anticipated is that the annual raise between years one and two isn’t quite for the full 8%, so Hart’s four-year total is approximately $80.9MM instead of $81.3MM. The guaranteed portion of the contract extension comes in at $58.54MM.

Begley believes the contract will ultimately be judged based on how healthy Hart stays over the next few years and how much success the Knicks have during that time, since the forward seems unlikely to significantly improve his production in any specific area. The average annual value of Hart’s deal lands between the new contracts signed by Dillon Brooks and Caris LeVert, Begley notes.

Here are a few more details on recently completed NBA contracts:

Terry Taylor‘s new deal with the Bulls is a two-year, minimum-salary contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. It’s currently non-guaranteed, but Taylor would receive a partial guarantee worth $350K if he lasts through the first day of the regular season. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he remains under contract through December 15, Hoops Rumors has learned. Taylor would be assured of his full salary for 2023/24 if he isn’t waived by the league-wide guarantee date in January and would receive his full ’24/25 salary if he isn’t waived on or before July 7, 2024.
The trio of players signed by the Mavericks on Monday – Greg Brown, Joe Wieskamp, and Jordan Walker – all received Exhibit 10 contracts, Hoops Rumors has learned. All three will receive bonuses worth $75K if they’re waived before the season and then spend at least 60 days with Dallas’ G League affiliate.
In case you missed it, Jordan Miller‘s two-way contract with the Clippers covers two seasons, as we relayed on Tuesday evening. Miller is one of seven players to sign a two-year two-way deal this summer, as our tracker shows.

Bulls Re-Sign Forward Terry Taylor

August 14th, 2023 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have signed restricted two-way free agent Terry Taylor to a standard contract, the team tweets.

Taylor had been just one of four restricted two-way free agents who remained unsigned, as our free agent tracker shows.

The 23-year-old was waived by the Pacers after being thrown into the four-team Kevin Durant blockbuster at February’s trade deadline. The Bulls signed him to a two-way deal later that month.

Taylor appeared in 59 games with Indiana over the past two seasons, including nine starts, after going undrafted in 2021 out of Austin Peay. The 6’4” player, listed as a forward despite his height, came off the bench in five games for Chicago. Overall, he has averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.3 minutes during his 64-game NBA career. He also appeared in eight G League contests last season.

The addition of Taylor gives the Bulls 15 players on standard contracts, though Carlik Jones has a non-guaranteed contract and Taylor’s deal also seems unlikely to be fully guaranteed.