Tobias Harris Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Pistons, Maker, Munford

October 15th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Austin Kent

Only two of the Pistons‘ opening day starters are set in stone, the other three have yet to be determined, Keith Langlois of the team’s official website writes. With Avery Bradley at the two and Andre Drummond in the middle, head coach Stan Van Gundy is hard-pressed to figure out who will join them at tip-off.

“Everything’s a consideration,” Van Gundy said, before implying that Tobias Harris would probably start for the Pistons but, then, again might not. “I thought he was good off the bench last year. I’m really not locked in to anything.”

As Langlois explains, what Van Gundy decides to do with Harris will impact the other decisions he’ll have to make with the Pistons’ lineup. If the 25-year-old forward plays the three, they’ll look to somebody like Jon Leueur to fill in at the four. If they pencil Harris in at the four, they could turn to someone like Stanley Johnson to man the three.

Another decision that the Pistons will need to come to terms on ahead of opening day is who to start at the point. On one hand the idea of a healthy Reggie Jackson working in tandem with Drummond is tantalizing but there’s no guarantee it plays out that way in the first game of the season.

Langlois writes that Ish Smith could get serious consideration to start for the Pistons. “We found out last year just about anybody’s going to play pretty well with Ish,” Van Gundy said.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers will have their work cut out for them adapting to a new life without Paul George but it will be interesting to see whether their first year starts off promising or discouraging, Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star writes. The scribe notes that there’s a palpable enthusiasm in the team’s locker room but their will be plenty of questions to answer when the season begins.
With his rookie season in the books, Bucks center Thon Maker immediately set out to bulk up and add weight. The 20-year-old will use the extra muscle to stand his ground on defense and withstand contact while making moves around the basket, Lori Nickel of the Milwuakee Journal Sentinel writes.
The G League affiliate of the Bucks acquired the returning rights to Xavier Munford, Mallory Steinberg of the Wisconsin Herd’s official site writes.

Central Notes: Bucks, Williams, Drummond, Pistons

August 15th, 2017 at 5:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have a couple of options beyond making a trade to drop back below the luxury-tax line, as Gery Woelfel of WoelfelPressBox.com points out. Citing sources, Woelfel calculates the current Milwaukee payroll at $120.6MM, which would put it approximately $1.4MM over the tax threshold. The Bucks could shed some payroll by either releasing point guard Gary Payton Jr., who has a non-guaranteed $1.3MM deal, and/or waiving Spencer Hawes’ $6.5MM contract. By using the stretch provision, the Bucks could reduce Hawes’ 2017/18 cap hit by more than $4MM.

In other items involving the Central Division:

Unrestricted free agent forward Derrick Williams could wind up back with the Cavaliers, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net reports. Williams has drawn little interest in the open market but the Cavs could sign him to a one-year, $2.4MM contract once they decide whether to trade Kyrie Irving, Amico adds. Williams averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG on 51% shooting in 17.1 MPG over 25 regular-season games with Cleveland but was used sparingly in the playoffs.
Andre Drummond has already noticed a significant difference in his breathing and stamina since undergoing sinus surgery this summer to correct a deviated septum, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. Playing at a high altitude in the NBA Africa Game in South Africa, the Pistons center said he was breathing much easier on and off the court, as he told Beard. “Just being able to breathe, I can’t even explain how great it feels to sleep easier and breathe easier when I play,” Drummond said. “I’m not worried about gasping for air when I go hard.” Drummond had been breathing mainly through one nostril during his NBA career prior to the surgery.
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy will have difficult decisions on his power forward rotation, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Tobias Harris could wind up splitting his time between both forward spots and the rest of the power forward minutes will be soaked up by a combination of Jon Leuer, Anthony Tolliver and second-year man Henry Ellenson. Leuer, who signed a four-year contract last summer, could wind up as the starter despite slumping badly after the All-Star break, Langlois continues. Tolliver signed up for his second stint with the franchise this summer and brings the elements of toughness and 3-point shooting, while Ellenson put his shot-making ability on display in summer-league action, Langlois adds.

Central Notes: Rose, Parker, Mirotic, Harris

July 28th, 2017 at 7:25pm CST by marksuleymanov

Newest Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose, who signed with the club on a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum contract, is viewed by the team as a backup, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes. New Cavs general manager Koby Altman was careful in describing his new point guard, stating that the former Most Valuable Player will be an asset off the bench.

Entering free agency, Rose reiterated on many occasions that his goal was to sign a max contract in free agency. After a decent – if unspectacular – year with the Knicks in 2016/17 that ended with knee surgery, Rose’s free agency destinations dwindled, as did his salary. However, Altman noted that Rose was mostly interested in a winning environment.

“He wanted to be in a place where he can play with excellent players and a place where he can play in meaningful games,” Altman said at his introductory press conference.. “It’s funny, he uses the term, ‘I just want to hoop.’ He just wants to be here. He’s excited to be here. He’s in a great space mentally and his body looks great and we’re really excited about him. He came here for the opportunity to win. He came here for the opportunity to play with other great players.”

Rose, still just 28 years old, will focus on helping the team, even if it means sacrificing playing time.

Below are additional links around the Central Division:

Bucks‘ forward Jabari Parker is recovering from a second tear of his ACL but is recovery is going well, he tells ESPN’s Nick Friedell. The 22-year-old has previously suffered a tear in the same ACL but despite not having a return date in mind, he expects to be back on the court this upcoming season.
Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy views Tobias Harris as a starter but it will be up to the rest of the team’s performance to see if he becomes a starter, NBA.com’s Keith Langois writes.
Nikola Mirotic, who is currently in talks with the Bulls, will not play in Eurobasket 2017, according to Sportnado. Mirotic’s focus is his NBA career, the brief report states.

Central Notes: Harris, Cavs, Bucks

March 19th, 2017 at 8:23pm CST by Austin Kent

With just 2.5 games separating sixth place in the Eastern Conference from 10th, the eight-seed Pistons can’t afford to struggle down the stretch. On Friday it was announced that Tobias Harris would slide back into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.

After months tinkering with the Pistons’ first unit, head coach Stan Van Gundy has come to the conclusion that the flip-flopping might not have helped. “Tobias (is starting) and we’re going to stay with that,” he told Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “We’re going to quit juggling them — I don’t think that’s helped.”

As we touched on earlier this month, there was a growing case for Harris’ return to the Pistons’ starting five; he was the club’s most dominant scorer.

“Because of our offensive struggles, Tobias has been our best guy overall and a guy who generally gets going a little earlier,” Van Gundy explained. “We’re going to go with him.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Any implication that the Cavaliers front office isn’t doing everything within its power to help LeBron James and company win a second consecutive title is false, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The Cavs, he says, have spent by far the most that any team has ever spent over a three-year span.
This upcoming offseason will be a critical one for the Bucks, Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders writes, but if they play their cards right the squad could be a serious contender in the future. Davies talks about players the club could target in the draft and what they might want to consider regarding extra backcourt depth.
With Dwyane Wade ruled out for the remainder of the Bulls’ regular season, Sam Smith of the team’s official website took a look at what could be in the cards for the franchise. Expect more from Denzel Valentine and Nikola Mirotic, he says, which gives the team a more natural pace and space lineup.

Central Notes: Bulls, Harris, Bucks, World Peace

March 12th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will have to decide soon whether to emphasize making the playoffs or developing young talent, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. Chicago is coming off a terrible week, losing four straight games and slipping to 10th in the East. Hoiberg continues to experiment with different combinations, playing everyone but Nikola Mirotic in the first half of each game.

Last month’s five-player trade that sent Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to Oklahoma City clouded the team’s direction, Goodwill writes, with newly acquired Cameron Payne now the team’s third “point guard of the future” since Dwyane Wade signed last summer. “We’re doing everything we can to compete to win, at the same time we have some young guys we wanna get on the floor. It’s a balance,” Hoiberg said. “It’s guys, we want to get them out there and see how they play then make a decision in the second half.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons have climbed back to .500, sparked by the insertion of Tobias Harris into the starting lineup, notes Aaron McMann of MLive. Harris scored 28 points Saturday against the Knicks and helped Detroit build a comfortable early lead. “He came out really aggressive,” said teammate Marcus Morris. “It was good to have him back in the starting lineup. We know what he can do. We know how well he can score the ball. So, it’s not really surprising to us.”
The Bucks have named Steve Brandes president of their new D-League affiliate, the team announced on its website. The Oshkosh, Wisc., franchise will begin play next season.
At age 37, Metta World Peace has assumed the role of a mentor with the young Lakers. But the former Ron Artest still has strong regrets about the effect he had on the Pacers almost 13 years ago, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Artest was suspended for the season after charging into the crowd in Detroit on November 19, 2004, to confront a fan. That effectively killed Indiana’s title chances and led to the breakup of a promising young team. “We were supposed to win a ring together,” World Peace recalls. “Everything revolved around me, because I was unstable. That’s what I feel bad about to this day. That’s something I can never, ever forgive myself for. It’s something I have to recognize. We were on our way. [GM] Donnie [Walsh] put a helluva team together. I wanted to win a championship here. That was a big thing to me. And to Reggie [Miller]. At my most unstable point, it was the end of Reggie’s career.”

Central Notes: Zipser, Portis, Harris

March 4th, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Austin Kent

With Taj Gibson now a member of the Thunder, the Bulls have shifted Bobby Portis into his spot at power forward and rookie Paul Zipser into the sixth man role, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Zipser, a 23-year-old forward, has stepped up of late as a competent two-way player able to defend opposing team’s scorers while hitting the occasional big shot.

Smith isn’t the only one touting the rookie who returned to the lineup after a month’s absence. “He really kind of solidified himself as our sixth man (before the injury) and a guy who’s closing games for us,” Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg told Mark Strotman of CSN Chicago. “We missed him, there’s no doubt about that. He’s got size, he’s got length, he can put it on the floor and he can really defend.”

The change in rotation goes to show that trades aren’t always about what a team acquires, Smith writes, but also about who they open up opportunities for. Portis has averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game since stepping into the larger role with the Bulls seven games ago.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

All season long LeBron James commented that he’d like the Cavaliers‘ front office to go out and get a playmaker. Little did he know then that one would fall into their laps. In Deron Williams, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs got just what they wanted. In his first game with Cleveland, Williams became the first reserve to dish out more than four assists in a game all season (he managed seven).
The Pistons made the wrong choice when deciding to shake up their starting lineup, Stephen Shea of Basketball Analytics Book writes. A deep dive on Tobias Harris reveals that he is Detroit’s most efficient scorer and that the team performs better when he’s on the floor.
The 15-year-old son of Dwyane Wade won’t stop talking trash, Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler tells Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Zaire Wade is highly regarded as a high school player. “When he makes it to the league, every single NBA player is going to try to score 50 on him,” says Butler.

Pistons Rumors: Drummond, Jackson, Johnson

February 15th, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have “quietly explored” the trade market for Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, two of their roster’s centerpieces, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reports in his latest piece, which is a deep dive into the situation in Detroit. According to Lowe, the Pistons came away disappointed with what teams might be willing to offer for Drummond or Jackson, reducing the likelihood of either player being moved in the next eight days.

Still, while a Drummond trade remains an “extreme long shot,” a deal involving Jackson isn’t entirely off the table. Lowe suggests the Timberwolves, Magic, and Pelicans are among the potential suitors for the veteran point guard, if Detroit is willing to settle for a modest return. Per Lowe, Jackson’s value has “cratered,” and a player like Ricky Rubio is one of the few solid starters the Pistons could get in any trade package. Lottery teams seeking a long-term solution at point guard are unwilling to move their first-round picks for Jackson, and Detroit isn’t ready to simply dump him for a collection of expiring contracts.

In his attempt to find a potential trade partner for a Jackson deal, Lowe identifies the Magic and Nuggets, pointing to players like Elfrid Payton and Emmanuel Mudiay as possible trade pieces. However, while Mudiay is believed to be available, Denver doesn’t appear to have interest in Jackson. Lowe notes that Orlando is an “intriguing” possibility, since GM Rob Hennigan was in Oklahoma City’s front office when the team drafted Jackson.

Here’s more from Lowe on Jackson, along with a few other intriguing Pistons-related tidbits:

The Pelicans have kicked the tires on Jackson, but never engaged in serious talks, league sources tell Lowe.
According to Lowe, several Pistons players criticized Jackson during a December players-only meeting for his apparent lack of effort on defense. Drummond tells Lowe that the criticism “wasn’t cool,” since Jackson was coming off an injury and wasn’t yet 100%. However, both Drummond and Stan Van Gundy acknowledge that the team has struggled to adjust to Jackson’s presence on the court this year after finding a groove early in the season with Ish Smith handling the point.
According to Lowe, a fear that top free agents won’t come to Detroit has pushed the Pistons to acquire solid players on good contracts when they become available. Those players aren’t always a fit with Drummond and Van Gundy, which has contributed to some of the team’s roster issues.
Multiple teams, including the Spurs, made an effort to nab Stanley Johnson in a trade after Van Gundy publicly called out the second-year forward earlier in the season. Although the Pistons rebuffed those efforts, the team has been frustrated by Devin Booker‘s development in comparison to Johnson’s, since the draft room was “almost deadlocked” between those two players in 2015, says Lowe.
The Pistons are unlikely to make a major move until closer to the draft, since they want to make the playoffs and are reluctant to do anything that will adversely impact their odds of earning a postseason spot, says Lowe. The ESPN analyst notes that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s pending restricted free agency will be an interesting case to follow this offseason, since the Pistons may have to shed a salary – perhaps Tobias Harris‘ or Boban Marjanovic‘s – if they need to match a max offer sheet for Caldwell-Pope.

Central Notes: Dellavedova, Irving, Carter-Williams, Pistons

December 25th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes the loss of backup guard Matthew Dellavedova has been the biggest change in the defending champion Cavaliers, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Dellavedova was involved in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks this summer after agreeing to a four-year, $38MM contract with Milwaukee. Cleveland has yet to find a dependable reserve point guard to play behind Kyrie Irving. “Dellavedova’s absence jumps out,” Kerr said. “I think he’s been a big part of their team in the last couple years, so it’s a different look.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Irving says he is “naturally an Alpha,” but is willing to continue the current arrangement with LeBron James for as long as possible, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The pairing has worked out well for the sixth-year point guard as he and James joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only players to win an NBA title and Olympic gold medals in the same year. “I just got to be great in the space I’m in for as long as I’m in it until there’s a change,” Irving said. “We all understand that as basketball fans, we want to see LeBron play for 10 more years and I would love to see that. I would love to play with Bron for 10 more years.”
After missing nearly two full months with left knee and left wrist problems, Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams is expected to return Monday, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Carter-Williams has only played in three games since being acquired from the Bucks in a preseason trade. He was projected to miss four to six weeks after hurting the wrist October 31st, but had to have a cast put on it to help with healing.
Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris may alternate starts for the Pistons depending on the opponent, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Coach Stan Van Gundy has designated Jon Leuer as one starter at forward because of his defensive capabilities. Van Gundy apparently plans to use Morris as a starter when he needs better defense and Harris when he needs more offense. The coach had a talk with Harris after telling him he was coming off the bench just before shootaround Friday. “Tobias is a good man,” Van Gundy said. “He’s only 24; he seems older. He’s a mature man you can have honest conversations with and he’ll evaluate what you’re saying. There’s not a lot of excuses or anything. If you say something, he’s the kind of guy who’s going to think about it. May not always agree with you, but going to think about it and look in the mirror and try to get better. I appreciate that and I thought his character showed in his play.”

Stan Van Gundy Ready To Shake Things Up

December 19th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 19, 11:42am: While Van Gundy and the Pistons may shake things up at some point, it doesn’t appear it will happen tonight. The Detroit head coach told reporters today that there will be no lineup changes for Monday’s game, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 18, 9:44pm: A lineup change could be coming as early as Monday for the Pistons, coach Stan Van Gundy told the media after his team was blown out on consecutive nights this weekend. Van Gundy has been exasperated by his team’s inconsistent play and the return of point guard Reggie Jackson from knee tendinitis has only led to more choppy performances. “There’s no question we’ve not been as good,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve played eight games, seven of them against teams below .500, and we’re 3-5. So there’s no question we’re not as good as we were before. That’s just a fact. Now, is that all on him? No. No, we have a lot of guys not playing as well.”

While Van Gundy didn’t elaborate on the potential lineup change, he really has only two viable options:

He could reinsert Ish Smith, who started while Jackson was rehabbing his knee, at point guard. Van Gundy isn’t sure if that’s the answer. “Even before Reggie came back, that starting lineup with Ish was outscored by opponents, too,” he said. “Not by as much, but outscored by opponents. So that has not been as good a lineup. We were surviving basically because our bench was coming in and outplaying people.”
He could move power forward Jon Leuer into the starting five and have either Marcus Morris or Tobias Harris come off the bench. Leuer has arguably been the Pistons’ most consistent player, averaging career highs in points (10.8) and rebounds (6.4). However, Leuer missed the 105-90 loss to the Pacers on Saturday with back spasms.

It’s clear that Van Gundy doesn’t intend to sit back and wait for the team to come around. “We’ve definitely gotta look at some things, lineup and rotation-wise,” he said. “That unit is clearly not working. At least not right now. “

Van Gundy also criticized his team for playing too selfishly in recent outings, with players more concerned about getting shots than getting back on defense. The players held a team meeting after the Indiana game to address that, as well as other issues.

“We’ve got guys upset they’re not touching the ball, and everything else, so they’re not as engaged in the game on the defensive end of the floor,” he said. “There’s all kinds of things that have to go into the game, and the ball has to move. There has to be an unselfish offense, and a committed defense, and the last two nights, there have been neither.”

Detroit is still just one game under .500 and one of many Eastern Conference clubs trying to find a way to go on a hot streak. But heightened expectations for the Pistons, who made the playoffs last season, have led to frustration over their mediocre play through 29 games. What changes should Van Gundy make to get his team going? Take to the comments section and give us your input.

Central Notes: J.R. Smith, Harris, Ish Smith, Pacers

October 15th, 2016 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Contract length was the sticking point more than salary in the long standoff between J.R. Smith and the Cavaliers, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Smith’s impasse ended Friday night when he agreed to a new three-year, $45MM pact with a non-guaranteed fourth season. Because of the luxury tax, Smith’s $12.8MM salary for this season will cost the Cavs about $39MM. The tax is why Cleveland didn’t match Milwaukee’s four-year, $40MM offer to Matthew Dellavedova, Pluto notes, as the front office decided it was too expensive to keep both.

Pluto also casts doubt on reports that the Cavs were motivated to get a deal done with Smith because he was negotiating with the Sixers, saying that Philadelphia had plenty of cap room to make Smith an offer any time during the summer if it had been interested and that Smith doesn’t fit with the rest of the Sixers’ young roster.

There’s more tonight from the Central Division:

The Pistons are optimistic that Tobias Harris will be even better with the benefit of a full training camp, according to Lang Green of Basketball Insiders. Detroit roared into the playoffs last season with a 17-11 record after the All-Star break, and a big reason was the acquisition of Harris from Orlando at the trade deadline. “Tobias has been great,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “He came [into training camp] in unbelievable shape, worked really hard all summer and is just moving along playing two positions. Again, a guy that’s really tried to take to heart everything we’ve been talking about. He’s really been trying to work harder defensively, I mean, [he’s] exactly the kind of guy you want.”
New Pistons point guard Ish Smith says he wasn’t upset that the Sixers didn’t keep him, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Smith, who started 50 games for Philadelphia last year after a midseason deal, texted Sixers coach Brett Brown frequently during the offseason. “We were losing,” Brown said of Smith. “He gave us an injection when we needed it the most and he gave us hope.” (Twitter link)
With three new starters, the Pacers are using the preseason to help everyone get acquainted, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Two offseason trades brought in Jeff Teague as the new point guard and Thaddeus Young as the new power forward. Second-year center Myles Turner has also been promoted to the starting lineup. All five played more than 32 minutes in Friday’s game with Orlando as the players learn to adjust to each other. “We have an open offense, where every player is a playmaker and every player has the ability to make plays,” said Paul George. “It might be my shots are going to come down, because it’s more of a free-flowing offense. That’s part of what I have to figure out. Do I try to remain consistent with my shots (from last season) or go with the game flow.”