Trey Lyles Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Hayward, Jazz, OKC, Gibson

May 16th, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward has earned a max contract, according to Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. Hollis admits that he had been wrong about Hayward and hopes that Hayward elects to return to the Jazz in free agency in a fascinating piece that touts the budding star’s basketball brilliance.

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Northwest…

Alec Burks has had a difficult past few years as a result of injury, but he’s poised for a comeback, reports Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News. “It’s frustrating,” Burke said to Sorensen. “My (latest) injury was way more serious than I thought. But I’m a soldier and I learned a lot about my body and the game of basketball during the time out.”
While Trey Lyles suffered through a disappointing sophomore campaign, Jazz coach Quin Snyder is certainly not giving up on his forward, per Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. “I think, for Trey, like a lot of young players, it’s more about him taking stock and looking at the year, figuring out he can use it to improve,” Snyder said. “Sometimes you have to go through some things like that in order to get a good gauge on where you are. I expect Trey to have a terrific summer and look forward to him leveraging some of that adversity to make himself a better player.”
Taj Gibson would love to return to the Thunder, but he will have many suitors, writes Erik Horne of NewsOK.com. Horne’s piece discusses Gibson’s success in Oklahoma City after being traded from Chicago and names the power forward as likely the team’s best option in free agency.
Although the Thunder are locked into the 21st overall pick in the draft, Tuesday night’s lottery may very well have implications for the team, as the draft ordering could affect which players are available on the trade market, writes Brett Dawson of NewsOK.com.
Marcus Smart, who played his college ball at Oklahoma State, would fit in very well with the Thunder, writes Berry Tramel of NewsOK.com. Smart remains under contract with Boston for one more year.

Jazz Notes: Hayward, Diaw, Favors, Exum

November 5th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Four weeks after fracturing his left ring finger in practice, Gordon Hayward is expected to make his season debut Sunday, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Hayward was originally given a six-weeks prognosis after the Oct. 7 injury, but he will make it back in a little less than a month. The 6’8″ small forward, who can opt out of his current deal next summer, led the Jazz in scoring last season with 19.7 points per game.

There’s more news out of Utah:

Boris Diaw is expected to miss about two weeks with a contusion on his right leg, MacMahon posts on ESPN Now. With Derrick Favors still on a minutes restriction, that should mean more playing time for second-year forward Trey Lyles.
With Rudy Gobert‘s extension now out of the way, Utah can turn its attention to locking up the rest of its core, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hayward will be the priority, and the Jazz are expecting him to earn at least $25MM in his next deal, a hefty raise from this year’s salary of $16,736,710. They would also like to get something done with Favors, who is eligible for a renegotiation and extension through March. Utah’s front office believes he would receive a max contract on the open market and would prefer to reach an extension agreement before that happens. The Jazz may also need to find money for point guard George Hill, who is in the final year of his contract after being acquired from the Pacers in a three-team trade. At age 30, Hill wants a long-term deal and a raise from his current $8MM salary, but he would prefer not to change teams again.
Dante Exum seems fully recovered from the ACL tear in his left knee that forced him to miss all of last season, notes Nathan Harker of The Deseret News. Exum played a season-high 29 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Spurs, collecting seven points and seven rebounds. “I feel good. I feel like I’ve put a lot of work into where I am now,” Exum said. “It’s just about continuing to get better, playing those 28-plus minutes where I’m playing those late minutes trying to get the win.”

Jazz Exercise 2017/18 Options On Hood, Exum, Lyles

October 24th, 2016 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have exercised three team options for 2017/18 well in advance of next Monday’s deadline, announcing today in a press release that they’ve picked up fourth-year options for Rodney Hood and Dante Exum, as well as Trey Lyles‘ third-year option.

Hood, who turned 24 last week, took a nice step forward in his second year with the Jazz, averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.0 3PG while starting 79 games for the team. He’s expected to continue playing a major role in the rotation, particularly with Gordon Hayward out to start the season. His fourth-year option is worth just $2.387MM.

Exum’s fourth-year option is more expensive, at $4.992MM, and he’s coming off a lost season, having missed the 2015/16 campaign due to a torn ACL. However, he’s still just 21 years old, and Utah has high hopes for his future. He’ll see time at point guard behind probable starter George Hill.

As for Lyles, he’s heading into his second year, so the Jazz will have one more team option decision to make on him next year, for the 2018/19 season. In his lone season with the Jazz, Lyles averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 80 games. His third-year option for 2017/18 will pay him $2.441MM.

Check out the full list of team option decisions for 2017/18 right here.

Western Notes: Morrow, Mavs, Jazz

July 16th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Morrow‘s contract for this season became fully guaranteed today, as Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman points out on Twitter. Morrow will make slightly under $3.5MM for the Thunder during the 2016/17 campaign.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Kyle Collinsworth and Giovan Oniangue will be at the Mavericks‘ veteran camp, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Pick adds the Rodrigue Beaubois may also participate.
Joe Johnson is excited to be part of an up-and-coming Jazz team and he believes he will be able contribute for several more seasons, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel passes along. “I feel great, man,” Johnson said. “I just finished my 15th season and I feel I’ve still got a lot of basketball left. I feel like I’ve got a lot I can contribute to this team for it to be successful.”
The Jazz wanted to test Trey Lyles during summer league to see what he is capable of and the power forward has impressed, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News writes. Utah made Lyles the focal point of the offense and he responded by scoring 23.3 points per game this summer. Lyles will likely battle newly acquired forward Boris Diaw for minutes off the bench this season.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Lyles, Gallinari, Pleiss

April 3rd, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle views Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns as a “next generation” type of player with his combination of size and ability, according to The Associated Press. “There are going to be guys like him,” Carlisle said, “that have the great size and length and still can play the ‘4’ [power forward], those super athletes with super length that now are still damn quick and can do anything on the basketball court. He’s an unbelievable weapon for them.” Towns is a heavy favorite to give Minnesota its second straight Rookie of the Year winner, following Andrew Wiggins last season.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Towns has won every Western Conference Rookie of the Month award this season, but even that doesn’t reflect how dominant his first season has been, writes Eric Saar of Basketball Insiders. Towns’ player efficiency rating of 22.80 is the second highest in NBA history for a 20-year old, trailing Shaquille O’Neal by a tenth of a point. He also ranks among the best-ever 20-year-olds in win shares, scoring average, blocks per game, rebounding, true shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage and overall field goal percentage.
Towns has been impressed by the play of fellow rookie and former Kentucky teammate Trey Lyles, according to Samuel Benson of The Deseret News. Utah made Lyles the 12th overall pick of last year’s draft and eased him into its rotation. He is averaging 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds a night through 74 games but made an impact with 17 first-half points in Friday’s win over Minnesota. “[Lyles] has been a tremendous player since high school and proved in college how great he was,” Towns said. “… “He’s going to be the future of this [Jazz] team.”
The Nuggets will miss the postseason for the third straight year, and Danilo Gallinari expressed frustration to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post about the lack of progress. Gallinari has fond memories of the years when George Karl coached in Denver and the Nuggets were regular contenders. “Honestly, we didn’t make the playoffs this year,” Gallinari said. “I’m asking you; do you think that the same thing that didn’t make the playoffs this year is a championship team next year? I don’t think so.”
The Jazz have recalled center Tibor Pleiss from their Idaho affiliate in the D-League. Pleiss, who has made five D-League trips this season, has appeared in 12 games for Utah, averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds.

Jazz Sign Trey Lyles

July 7th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:50pm: The Jazz have officially signed Lyles, the team announced.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

4:06pm: Trey Lyles, this year’s No. 12 overall pick, has agreed to sign his rookie scale contract with the Jazz, reports TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). That a first-round pick would do so is not usually news, as the existence of the rookie scale usually resolves all meaningful negotiation, but the sides had been struggling to hash out details, as GM Dennis Lindsey acknowledged. The Jazz still haven’t made any formal announcement. The Jazz are giving him four years at $10.4MM, according to Aldridge, who appears to be rounding up from $10,386,049, which is 120% of his scale amount and the most Utah can pay.

Utah could have paid the Rich Paul client as little as 80% of rookie scale, but that would be highly unusual for a lottery pick. Lindsey suggested that the hangup had to do with cap holds, and indeed, many teams with the flexibility to open cap room wait to sign their first-round picks. The Jazz entered July with about $49MM in guaranteed salary and have since reportedly struck a two-year, $4.5MM deal with Joe Ingles, and apparently are poised to sign draft-and-stash point guard Raul Neto, too. The cap hold for Lyles will jump from $1,866,500 to $2,239,800 when he signs for 120% of the rookie scale, so the Jazz would retain a touch of financial flexibility if they wait.

Lyles hasn’t participated in any summer league games or practices for the Jazz so far, likely a matter of consternation as Utah revives its in-house summer league this year. It’s not uncommon for draftees to appear in summer league games even before they sign.

Just how the combo forward’s game will translate to the NBA remains a mystery, as Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors wrote in his prospect profile of one of the many University of Kentucky players in this year’s draft. Still, he has an intriguing mid-range game and was the ninth-best prospect this year, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranked him 18th. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors had him going 13th in his last mock draft.

Western Notes: Lyles, Cole, Suns

July 5th, 2015 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Trey Lyles has yet to sign his rookie contract with the Jazz and Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (on Twitter) hears that he expected to hit some road bumps on that front after being drafted No. 12 overall. Lyles is still on target to get 120% of the rookie scale, but Genessy (Twitter links) believes that the minor details/complications to be hammered out are probably bonus-related. GM Dennis Lindsey previously indicated that there some details would have to be ironed out in relation to cap holds.

Guard Norris Cole is the top remaining free agent the Pelicans are making a push to re-sign, sources tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans can match any offer the restricted free agent receives, but Reid also hears that they’re only willing to go so far.
Now that LaMarcus Aldridge has chosen the Spurs over the Suns (and his other suitors), Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic looked at what might be next for Phoenix. The Suns, he writes, are looking to add shooting, experience, frontline help, and a third point guard in free agency. Coro surmises that targets could include a free agent power forward like Brandon Bass, Jordan Hill, Darrell Arthur or Andrea Bargnani and even sentimental free agency options, like a return for Amar’e Stoudemire.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone has hired well-regarded Ed Pinckney as his top assistant, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Pinckney was previously with the Bulls.
Heat D-League head coach Phil Weber is finalizing a deal to join Alvin Gentry‘s staff with the Pelicans, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets. The two worked together with the Suns.

Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Hughes, Kanter, Durant

July 4th, 2015 at 4:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Blazers will miss LaMarcus Aldridge‘s production but not his ego, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Quick contends there was a “general exhaustion” with Aldridge in Portland, citing frequent attempts to sit out games with minor aliments and a failure to get over long-ago incidents. The columnist notes a growing rift between Aldridge and Damian Lillard caused by Aldridge’s insecurity. He also believes the Blazers are in good hands with Lillard as the new team leader.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Kim Hughes, the assistant coach who said Aldridge would leave Portland, was fired today, Quick writes in a separate story. “We can confirm Mr. Hughes is no longer with the team,” said Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations. Team officials were reportedly “enraged” by the comments from Hughes, who has served as the Blazers’ big man coach for the past three seasons.
Aldridge admired the Spurs for years before today’s decision to join the organization, according to Ben Golliver of SI.com. Aldridge accumulated a slew of individual honors during his nine years in Portland, but only advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs once. That one trip to the second round ended with a sweep by San Antonio. “They never stop playing,” Aldridge said at the time. “If you guard their first option, they’ve got a second option. If you guard their second option, they’ve got a third option. They’re persistent. They’re not going to change. They’re going to run their stuff over and over and over. Once you mess up, they’re going to make you pay.”
The Aldridge decision could have far-reaching draft implications for the Blazers, according to Mike Tokito of The Oregonian (Twitter link). Portland owes a first-round pick to the Nuggets, but the Blazers will keep that over the next two seasons if they miss the playoffs. After that, the obligation will become two second-rounders.
Thunder free agent center Enes Kanter could become a target for the Blazers, tweets Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. He notes that Portland needs a center and has the cap space to throw a big offer at Kanter.
The Thunder’s Kevin Durant is reporting progress on the foot injury that cost him most of last season, according to Andy Vasquez of The Record (Twitter link). “Going well,” Durant said of his rehab. “I’m jumping when I’m shooting. Not quite running and cutting yet but I’m almost there … I’m excited.”
The Jazz are delaying the signing of first-round pick Trey Lyles to give themselves more cap room for possible transactions, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. There are also some minor details the sides are working out (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Favors, Ingles, Lyles, Nuggets

June 27th, 2015 at 4:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Favors is not being shopped around the league by the Jazz despite the team’s reported interest in free agent Paul Millsap, a source told Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. A source had told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News earlier this week that Favors might be traded to make room for Millsap. While the Jazz are likely to gauge Millsap’s interested in returning to Utah, they like the defensive pairing of Favors and Rudy Gobert along the interior, Falk continues. That duo had a defensive rating of 92.5 points allowed per 100 possessions, fourth best in the NBA, over the last 29 games when the Jazz went 19-10, Falk notes. Favors also has a team-friendly contract averaging $11.6MM over the next three seasons, Falk adds.

In other news around the Northwest Division:

Utah will make a $1,045,059 qualifying offer to Joe Ingles, giving the Jazz the right to match all offers for the one-year veteran in free agency this summer, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links). That’s no surprise, since Tribune scribe Gordon Monson had identified mutual interest this spring between the Jazz and the Australian swingman. Utah is still planning to re-sign him, Jones adds.
The Jazz selected Trey Lyles with their first-round pick over his Kentucky teammate Devin Booker because of his playmaking ability and defensive versatility, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Lyles can not only back up Favors, he can slide over to small forward and even center on occasion, Jones continues. Booker would have come onto the team as the third shooting guard with no apparent path to playing time, Jones adds.
The Nuggets let two trade exceptions expire unused Friday — one worth $1.75MM for Anthony Randolph, who went out in the trade that brought in Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris, and the other worth $1,422,720 that was a vestige of last summer’s Evan Fournier/Arron Afflalo trade.
Former NBA point guard Sergio Rodriguez confirmed to The Oregonian’s Jason Quick that he is thinking about returning to the NBA and will gauge the market after free agency begins Wednesday. He called the buyout in his contract with Real Madrid of Spain, worth a reported 2 million euros that comes to almost $2.234MM at today’s exchange rate, a reasonable one, Quick adds. Conflicting reports of late had painted different pictures about whether Rodriguez was considering the NBA, and another report identified the Nuggets as one of three NBA teams with interest.

Knicks Rumors: Okafor, Russell, Porzingis

June 25th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Running the Knicks isn’t easy, but president Phil Jackson isn’t about to run from the challenge, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“I have a five-year contract and I just finished year one,’’ Jackson told Mike & Mike of ESPN Radio. “I anticipate it will take awhile to turn this around and I want to be here through that phase. That was my commitment with Jim Dolan. He was trying to find a brand for our franchise in which people know how we play and identify the style of ball we play. I’ve had part of that history of coaching in the NBA. It allows you to take players to fit into the system that works well and had success. As time goes on, I can allow Steve to take over the whole operation. I don’t anticipate that’s going to be a big deal.’’

Here’s the latest on the Knicks as they get set for Thursday night’s draft..

The Knicks are leaning towards taking Mudiay if they stay at No. 4, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If they move down, Kaminsky would be the likely target.
The Knicks continue to pursue deals to move out of the No. 4 spot and further back in the lottery, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

If Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell are off the board when the Knicks pick at No. 4, they would like to grab Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Kaminsky, or Trey Lyles, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets. Emmanuel Mudiay, he adds, is “hovering.”
The Knicks are unlikely to trade the No. 4 pick outside the top ten unless they’re offered a good young player and an additional pick, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
Multiple NBA insiders believe that the Knicks should take Porzingis, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes. “The kid can flat-out shoot,” a Western Conference executive said. “Now he’s really, really thin, but he’s athletic. A 7-footer who can step out and hit 3s is something.” Bobby Marks, the former Nets assistant general manager, also said he’d take him at No. 4.
Charley Rosen, Phil Jackson’s longtime confidant, wants to see the Knicks take Kentucky defensive specialist Willie Cauley-Stein, Berman writes.
Saving the Knicks will be Jackson’s ultimate test, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report writes.
The Knicks have a history of unlucky draft picks, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News writes.