Tobias Harris Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Prince, Harris, Ainge, Mullens

January 27th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Tayshaun Prince is playing well and has helped the Celtics close to within two games of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but while Brad Stevens is clearly a fan of his game, Prince’s performance is making him a more valuable trade chip, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The C’s have reportedly been attempting to deal Prince for draft considerations. There’s more on the Celtics amid the latest from around the Atlantic Division:

A close friend of Tobias Harris told Marc Berman of the New York Post last week that the forward wants to win a championship with the Knicks, but Harris’ father disputes the notion that his son is anxious to play for New York, as Torrel Harris tells Isaiah Narciso of The Gospel Times. The Knicks apparently plan to pursue the soon-to-be restricted free agent.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge waffled about his future while the Celtics were a winning team, but he’s committed to seeing Boston’s rebuilding project through and says he’s “ready for the long haul,” as he tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Byron Mullens has changed agents, hiring Todd Ramasar of Stealth Sports, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. The center, who played briefly in China this season and saw his last NBA action for the Sixers last year, had been with Lee Melchionni of the Wasserman Media Group.

Knicks Plan Pursuit Of Tobias Harris

January 23rd, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are planning to try to attract soon-to-be restricted free agent forward Tobias Harris, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The 22-year-old downplayed Berman’s November report indicating that he’s interested in signing with New York this coming summer, though a close friend of the Long Island native told Berman on Thursday that Harris wants to win a title with the Knicks. Many around the league believe the Knicks will target second-tier free agents this summer, Berman writes, naming Harris, Wesley Matthews and Draymond Green as examples.

Harris said earlier this season that the Magic will be his first choice in free agency, even though the sides failed to reach an extension before the October 31st deadline. The Magic have reportedly told the Henry Thomas client‘s camp that they’ll probably match any offer sheet he signs, though executives around the league are split on whether the Magic would match a high-dollar offer sheet, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote last week. Orlando GM Rob Hennigan said in October that he couldn’t envision not keeping Harris around. There was some conflicting dialogue about how the sides approached a possible extension, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported in early November that Orlando raised the idea of a deal with annual salaries around $9MM in talks with Harris around Labor Day. The sides didn’t negotiate further, Kyler added.

Thomas is an agent with the Creative Artists Agency, the same group that represents Carmelo Anthony and, at least until team president Phil Jackson took over last spring, held widespread influence in the Knicks organization. Harris worked out several times together with Anthony this past summer at Anthony’s gym in New York, as Berman noted in his November report. Harris can’t receive any direct financial incentive in his shoe deal for playing with any particular NBA team, as an October report had indicated, but the NBA does allow endorsement contracts to afford bonuses based on the number of national television appearances.

The NBA moved another Knicks game off national television today with New York still carrying the league’s worst record, though Harris expressed optimism about Jackson’s regime Thursday, as Berman notes. The Knicks have about $32.7MM in commitments for next season against a projected $66.5MM cap.

Harris was a starter for his first 37 appearances with the Magic this season, but he came off the bench for the first time Wednesday after missing five contests with a sprained ankle. He’s averaging a career-high 18.0 points per game fueled in part by an increase in shot attempts and also by 40.7% three-point shooting, a drastic improvement on last season’s 25.4% rate.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Harris, Miller

January 14th, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Pistons suddenly a mere two games behind the Nets for the eighth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, the franchise’s approach to the upcoming trade deadline is changing with each victory, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “Of course it does,” Detroit’s president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said when asked whether the team’s winning ways have altered its trade outlook. “I think you make adjustments probably every week in that regard, in terms of looking at where you are, and where you want to be, and everything else. It doesn’t mean you won’t do anything but it certainly, if you’re continuing to play really well, it changes the way you look at it, yeah, no question.”

Here’s more from the East:

Van Gundy isn’t itching to make a move that could disrupt the Pistons‘ chemistry, Mayo adds, but he wouldn’t pass up the chance to add a high-character player who could add something to the team. “Look, we’re not where we want to eventually be,” Van Gundy said. “I love the way we’re playing now, and hopefully the rest of this year will go very well. But we’re not going to rest on that until we’re into contention. There’s a long way from 14-24 to being a contender and we’ve got to keep that goal in mind, and not get overly wrapped up in playing 10 good games here.“
There’s a split among executives around the league about whether the Magic would match a lucrative offer sheet for Tobias Harris this summer, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports.
Veteran point guard Andre Miller will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, but Miller says he has zero plans to retire and is looking to secure a multi-year deal with the Wizards if given the chance, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders reports. “I would like to close it out here,” Miller told Greene. “I’m just enjoying this [success] and taking it one game at a time. Putting all my effort into practices and getting the most out of myself as far as being a team player. So I haven’t really thought about my contract situation. But of course I will continue to play next year barring any injuries. So let’s see what happens this summer.”

And-Ones: Silver, Harris, Bryant, Celtics

November 13th, 2014 at 10:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Commissioner Adam Silver fired back at union executive director Michele Roberts, who held up players as the linchpins of the league while calling the salary cap “incredibly un-American.” The NBA sent remarks from Silver to media, including John Schuhmann of NBA.com, just hours after Roberts made her comments, “We couldn’t disagree more with these statements,” Silver said. “The NBA’s success is based on the collective efforts and investments of all of the team owners, the thousands of employees at our teams and arenas, and our extraordinarily talented players. No single group could accomplish this on its own. Nor is there anything unusual or ‘un-American’ in a unionized industry to have a collective system for paying employees – in fact, that’s the norm.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Tobias Harris says his first choice would be to remain with the Magic in restricted free agency this summer, according to John Denton of Magic.com. A report Wednesday indicated that Harris has strong interest in signing with the Knicks, so perhaps New York is Plan B.
Kobe Bryant has the same amount of championship rings as Tim Duncan (five), but that doesn’t stop the Lakers star from being envious of how the Spurs have kept their core together for so many years, Dan McCarney of The San Antonio Express-News writes. Bryant told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, “I’m extremely jealous of that. I don’t know if I can express to you how jealous I am of the fact that Tim [Duncan], Tony [Parker], Manu [Ginobili] and Pop [Gregg Popovich] have been together for all those years. Like, I can’t even. It would be like if me, Pau [Gasol], L.O. [Lamar Odom] and Phil [ Jackson], if we were all here still. It’s crazy.”
The Celtics were one of the teams reportedly interested in acquiring Kevin Love this past summer, but Boston wasn’t able to entice the Wolves into making a deal. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com believes that with the way the franchise’s young core is performing it may end up being a blessing that no trade came to pass. Forsberg does add that the team still needs another star player to pair alongside Rajon Rondo, and Love would have certainly fit that bill.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Griffin, Lakers, Draft, Harris

November 12th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Clippers star forward Blake Griffin was officially charged with a misdemeanor count of battery today stemming from an October incident at a Las Vegas night club, reports Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. We’re sure to hear more on this in the very near future. For now, though, let’s take a look at what else is happening around the league:

Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times provides some additional detail around the disabled player exception the Lakers were granted for Julius Randle on Monday, including a list of players that the team could pursue within the guidelines of the exception. In addition to the 15 players they could target via trade, Pincus also mentions Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor and Quincy Miller as free agents worth considering. Meanwhile, though it’s not Laker-specific, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders has compiled his own list of notable players that are still unsigned.
The crop of freshman talent in the 2015 draft class pales in comparison to last year’s group, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears. Utilizing opinions collected from various NBA scouts, Spears compiles his own top 10 prospect list which is topped by Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Kentucky’s Karl Towns and Texas’ Myles Turner.
Orlando forward Tobias Harris reiterated his commitment to the Magic tonight when asked about the New York Post report from earlier today that indicated he’d have interest in joining the Knicks this offseason, reports John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (via Twitter). Harris will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Tobias Harris Interested In Joining Knicks

November 12th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Tobias Harris has keen interest in signing with the Knicks next summer, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Harris is set for restricted free agency after the Magic failed to sign him to a rookie scale extension before last month’s deadline. Berman’s source points to the relationship that Harris, a Long Island native, has with Carmelo Anthony after the two worked out several times this past summer at Anthony’s gym in New York. Both Anthony and Harris are clients of the Creative Artists Agency.

An October report indicated that Harris would receive an “upgrade” in his shoe deal with Nike if he were to join a large-market team, though the NBA doesn’t permit players to receive any financial bonuses in their endorsement deals based on the teams that they play for. However, those contracts can give players a bump based on the number of national television appearances that their teams make.

The Magic have reportedly informed Harris’ camp that they’re likely to match any offers for the combo forward, who turns 23 in July. The same dispatch indicated that the Magic were eyeing salaries of around $9MM earlier this fall. Magic GM Rob Hennigan has said that he can’t imagine not keeping the former 19th overall pick, and Harris said at about the same time that he would like to stay in Orlando.

It’s unclear if the Knicks have strong interest in Harris. They have about $32.7MM in commitments for 2015/16, though that doesn’t count a nearly $6.34MM player option for J.R. Smith.

Southeast Notes: McRoberts, Harris, Frye

November 6th, 2014 at 3:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards haven’t won a division title since 1978/79, but they’re atop the Southeast Division standings today with a 4-1 record. Of course, the season is only nine days old, but Washington is looking strong so far even in the absence of Bradley Beal. Here’s more on the Wizards’ rivals in the Southeast Division:

Heat power forward Josh McRoberts said it was his intention to re-sign with Charlotte when he opted out of his contract to hit free agency last summer, observes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Miami made a stronger recruiting effort at the start, even though Hornets owner Michael Jordan doubled back to meet with him later, McRoberts said, adding that while he felt that some within the Hornets organization, including coach Steve Clifford, wanted him back, he didn’t think everyone did. The Hornets didn’t offer him a deal similar to the four-year, $22.652MM contract he signed with the Heat until Miami already had its money on the table, sources tell Bonnell.
Tobias Harris said the Magic never negotiated on an extension for him before the October 31st deadline, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel notes amid a piece examining the year ahead for the forward who’s poised for restricted free agency. GM Rob Hennigan said in September that he had spoken with the Harris camp, and multiple reports indicated that talks indeed took place, if only briefly. Perhaps Harris meant that the Magic didn’t budge from their initial proposals rather than that no discussions took place, though that’s just my speculation.
A fondness for the city of Orlando, the direction of the Magic‘s youthful roster, a chance for more playing time and a recommendation from Grant Hill helped influence Channing Frye‘s decision to sign with the Magic, as Frye told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The presence of Harris, Frye’s cousin, didn’t hurt, either, as Aschburner examines.

Eastern Notes: Harris, Cherry, Hawks

November 4th, 2014 at 6:48pm CST by Alex Lee

We’ve already gone out West earlier tonight. Now let’s check in on the Eastern Conference, where Wizards-Knicks and Magic-Bulls highlight the Tuesday night schedule. Here is what else is going on in the East:

The Magic raised the idea of an extension with annual salaries of about $9MM in negotiations with Tobias Harris around Labor Day, but the sides never resumed negotiations, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Harris said that left him a “little disappointed” but with the understanding that it’s “a part of the game,” as he told Kyler. The Magic have told Harris’ camp that they’re likely to match any offer for him in restricted free agency next summer, Kyler writes.
The Cavaliers‘ two-year deal with Will Cherry, agreed to on Sunday, is non-guaranteed for the minimum this season and next, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). Cherry will make the prorated amount of $495,399 this season and then the full minimum of $845,059 next season, assuming he remains on the roster.
With the ownership and front office of the Hawks in disarray — not to mention the shortcomings of the other teams of note in the Atlanta area — the ability of Mike Budenholzer and his players to keep their focus on the court has been refreshing, writes Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Rondo, Harris, Larkin, Butler

November 2nd, 2014 at 8:57am CST by ChrisCrouse

Whether they decide to keep him or trade him, the Celtics are convinced that Rajon Rondo is back to normal, reports Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Rondo, who had 4 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists Saturday in a loss to the Rockets, played in just 30 games last season because of an ACL injury. “He kind of looks like what I’d seen on film before I got here,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “I don’t think he ever looked like that at any time last year, because he was coming back. And that’s just the way it goes with that injury. But he is back to full speed.” Rondo is in the final season of a five-year, $55MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Tobias Harris faces a new challenge as he plays this season without certainty of his future status, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic and Harris did not reach an extension agreement by the October 31st deadline. “It’s business,” Harris said. “It’s a little disappointing. But at the same time, I’ll just approach it the same way.”
Shane Larkin understands the “business deal” that led the Knicks not to pick up his third-year option, but he told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com he wants to show the team he can be part of its future. “Obviously they want to build a championship team here,” Larkin said, “and they need as much money as they can next summer to be able to bring in the big free agents that they’re looking at.” Larkin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and can re-sign with New York, but only for up to $1,675,320, the amount of the option that was declined, The Knicks, who also decided not to offer an extension to Iman Shumpert, are expected to chase maximum-salary players next summer when the hefty contracts of Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani expire.
The Bulls‘ Jimmy Butler is headed toward restricted free agency, but he explained to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com that doesn’t mean he’s headed out of Chicago. Friedell adds that Butler and his agent, Happy Walters, were asking for a deal similar to the $12MM a year that the Hornets gave to Kemba Walker last week. Bulls GM Gar Forman said the uncertainty looming over the salary cap with the league’s new TV deal affected the decision not to give Butler a long-term deal.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Extension Unlikely For Tobias Harris, Magic

October 31st, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

OCTOBER 31ST: The Harris camp has tried to revive talks, but the Magic aren’t biting, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 28TH: The Magic made an offer to Harris last month and the two sides haven’t engaged in talks since, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Things can always change, but Kennedy says it’s unlikely that they will and Harris appears headed for restricted free agency (link).

OCTOBER 24TH, 5:31pm: The league doesn’t permit financial incentives in outside endorsement contracts that pertain to playing for specific teams, but it does allow for bonuses tied to the number of national television appearances a player makes, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders clarifies (Twitter link). Large-market teams usually show up more often on national TV than their small-market counterparts, though the quality of the on-court product has recently proven more influential than market size in network programming decisions.

1:19pm: Tobias Harris is eligible for a rookie scale extension with the Magic, but he doesn’t intend to sign one before the deadline to do so a week from today, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. The forward’s deal with Nike gives him an “upgrade” if he’s playing for a team in Los Angeles, New York or Chicago, according to Broussard. Harris is set for restricted free agency in the summer assuming he doesn’t sign an extension.

Harris nonetheless said recently he wanted to remain in Orlando, and Magic GM Rob Hennigan has indicated his preference to do an extension. The Henry Thomas client and the team were reportedly still in talks as of a week ago, shortly before the Magic struck a deal with fellow extension-eligible Nikola Vucevic. Hennigan said earlier this month that he couldn’t imagine the club not holding on to the 22-year-old, and Orlando will have the right to match all offers should Harris hit restricted free agency.

Vucevic’s extension pushed the Magic’s commitments for 2015/16 to about $26.1MM, though Orlando is about to add nearly $12.755MM in rookie scale team options to that figure. Still, that’s plenty of room beneath a projected $66.5MM salary cap for a Harris extension. The math gets trickier in the future, since the Magic have six players still within the first three seasons of their rookie scale contracts. Orlando’s payroll probably would escalate quite a bit if it were to retain all or most of them, forcing the team to make difficult decisions. Drastic rises in the cap tied to the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that starts in 2016 will help ease that blow, however.

I predicted in July that Harris and the Magic wouldn’t reach an extension, explaining as I looked at his extension candidacy that the team figured to prioritize flexibility and a commitment to Vucevic, who plays at a position of greater scarcity. It appears instead that the primary resistance to a deal is coming from the player rather than the Magic. The Knicks and Lakers are nonetheless the only teams set up for significant cap room next summer among the clubs that would presumably trigger the clauses in Harris’ shoe deal, and he’s not alone among potential targets for those franchises.