Wayne Ellington Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Crowder, Johnson, Nets, Porzingis

January 18th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jae Crowder has developed into a productive player on both ends of the court since being sent to the Celtics as part of the Rajon Rondo trade, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Crowder has stepped into more of a featured role in Boston and has responded by making the league’s top 10 in both offensive and defensive plus-minus rating. “He’s gotten better virtually every game,” said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. “It’s no surprise. We loved him here. We got [Dwight] Powell back in the deal. Powell’s a good young player, too. It’s a trade that’s going to work out well for us. Probably better for them because they got some draft picks, too.”

There’s more tonight from the Atlantic Division:

Joe Johnson‘s resurgence could make him an attractive addition for a contending team, but a deal probably won’t happen, according to NetsDaily. The reason is Johnson’s salary — nearly $25MM on an expiring contract — which means the Nets would have to take multiple players in return, with at least one probably extending into next season or beyond. That would take a bite out of Brooklyn’s estimated $40MM to $45MM in cap space, which owner Mikhail Prokhorov is counting on for a “small reset.” “They have to pray to God they can get some free agents next year,” said an unidentified league source, “overpay some guys on one- to two-year deals like Sacramento did, and hope it works out better than it is there. There’s no other way.”
The Nets may want to clear out some of their bench players for next season, but don’t count on that happening either, tweets NetsDaily. Thomas Robinson, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani all have player options for 2016/17.
Sixers coach Brett Brown has joined the growing fan base of Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Porzingis posted his 16th double-double in today’s victory over the Sixers. “I think he’s going to be really special,” Brown said. “We all look at his height. I look at his competitiveness. He plays hard and appears to really love the game.”

Atlantic Notes: McConnell, Ellington, Young

November 6th, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

T.J. McConnell has delivered the most surprising performance of the season so far, as the undrafted Sixers rookie sits fifth in the league at 8.0 assists per game through four games so far, observes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Still, as Pompey notes, Sixers coach Brett Brown isn’t getting carried away and isn’t promising that the 23-year-old from the University of Arizona will keep his newfound starting spot when Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall return from injury.

“But right now, what you realize is we really tripped on a really good young player,” Brown said. “Now, it’s early days. But to say that we are not excited from what we’ve seen so far would be completely not true.”

See more from around the Atlantic Division:

The proximity of Brooklyn to his native Philadelphia “played a huge role” in Wayne Ellington‘s decision to sign with the Nets this summer, he told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News Group. The move was also thrust upon the shooting guard to a degree, since Lakers prioritized signing others instead of re-signing him, Medina points out. Ellington and his family suffered through the loss of his father, who was murdered in Philadelphia last year, as Medina recounts.
James Young isn’t discouraged about his latest trip to the D-League, an early-season assignment that’s already the 12th of his career, as the 20-year-old points to his status as the youngest player on the Celtics, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Young, the 17th overall draft pick in 2014, still hasn’t won a spot in the NBA rotation. “Ultimately to play on our team, you have to beat out the people in front of you,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And that’s the reality of the situation.”
The Knicks are just 2-3, but with the play of rookies Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant, plus the continued success Langston Galloway is having on his partially guaranteed contract, the Knicks have hope for the future, observes Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Miller, Ellington, Mickey

July 14th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers, for all their losing on the court, continue to turn a profit, and the value of the franchise has at least tripled since owner Josh Harris and his partners bought the team in 2011, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. Thus, Harris continues to appear patient with a slow, draft-focused rebuild, and even as last month’s draft was going on, the Sixers were in talks with teams in the bottom half of the lottery, seeking to acquire their picks, Lowe hears. Philadelphia is reportedly interested in Norris Cole, but it remains to be seen if that manifests into the first free agent signing of much significance in the tenure of GM Sam Hinkie. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets appeared likely to waive Quincy Miller shortly after acquiring him from the Pistons on Monday, but a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Brooklyn plans to keep him at least through the start of training camp in the fall (Twitter links). It’ll cost the Nets a $50K partial guarantee if they keep him through Wednesday.
Wayne Ellington‘s two-year deal with the Nets is worth $3,067,500, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
The Celtics and No. 33 overall pick Jordan Mickey began negotiations on Monday, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (on Twitter), and confidence about the ability to reach a deal surrounded the opening of the talks, MassLive’s Jay King hears. Still, neither side is in a hurry, Bulpett tweets. Mickey, a client of Matt Babcock, is expected to seek guaranteed money, King writes.
Gigi Datome spoke with the Mavericks, Clippers and Wizards, but those teams wouldn’t promise him that he’d be a part of their rotations, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. The former Celtics forward just signed with Turkey’s Fenerbahce Ulker.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t see deals for veterans like David Lee and Amir Johnson as antithetical to a youth-focused approach, believing that vets can serve important mentorship roles, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald details.

Nets Sign Wayne Ellington

July 10th, 2015 at 2:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 2:17pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

11:14pm: It’s a two-year, $3MM deal with a player option, reports Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That would appear to exhaust Brooklyn’s taxpayer’s mid-level, Mazzeo notes, leaving the team with only the minimum to hand out to outside free agents.

THURSDAY, 7:59am: The Nets have an agreement in principle with Wayne Ellington, the team announced via press release. Teams usually announce signings rather than agreements, so it’s unclear if a formal contract has yet been signed. Brooklyn has a portion of its taxpayer’s mid-level left over after agreeing to terms with Shane Larkin for part of it, though it’s not yet known if the team is using that or if Ellington is merely getting the minimum salary.

Ellington leaves the Lakers despite making it clear to GM Mitch Kupchak that he preferred to come back. The Lakers reportedly reached out to him on the first day of free agency, as did the Cavaliers, Warriors, Wizards, Spurs and Hawks. The Knicks also apparently had interest.

The Thaddeus Foucher client who turns 28 in October is coming off career highs of 10.0 points and 25.8 minutes per game for the Lakers. That’s in spite of 37.0% three-point shooting that was below his 38.2% career rate.

Atlantic Notes: Love, Fields, Lin, Bass

July 1st, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics would have been bigger contenders to land Kevin Love if the team’s roster wasn’t stocked with still developing players, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “Look, Kevin’s first choice is to stay with Cleveland, and I have no doubt that’s going to get worked out,” a source close to Love said. “But I think Kevin’s liked Boston for a while as a place to play. If their roster was more ready to win right now, maybe there’s a chance we’re having a different conversation. And maybe he’d be going back to Cleveland no matter what. All I know is that a lot of teams wanted in on him, and Boston was one of the only ones he spoke to.” Love announced his intention to return to the Cavaliers earlier today.

With the free agent signing period now officially underway, here’s the latest rumblings out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks have reached out to swingman Landry Fields, who is an unrestricted free agent, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays (Twitter link).
New York has also expressed interest in 2014/15 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, who is an unrestricted free agent, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets.
Free agent point guard Jeremy Lin was contacted by the Knicks, who need to add backcourt depth this summer, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The Lakers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pacers, Bulls and Clippers have also shown interest in Lin’s services.
The Celtics still aren’t sure if they will re-sign Brandon Bass, but did contact the forward today to let him know the team hasn’t forgotten him, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes (Twitter link).
The Knicks have been in contact with forward Lance Thomas regarding a return to the team, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (via Twitter). The Spurs and Nets have also expressed interest in the 27-year-old, Begley adds.
There is mutual interest between free agent forward Thomas Robinson and the Nets, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily tweets.
The Knicks have expressed interest in K.J. McDaniels, who is a restricted free agent, so the Rockets would have an opportunity to match any offer sheet the forward were to sign, Begley relays (on Twitter).
Members of New York’s front office will meet with free agent center Robin Lopez in Los Angeles this week, Begley tweets.
The Knicks are among the teams interested in guard Wayne Ellington, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News notes (Twitter link). Also interested in the 27-year-old are the the Cavaliers, Warriors, Wizards, Spurs and Hawks.
The Knicks were prepared to offer DeMarre Carroll a similar deal to the four-year, $60MM arrangement he reached with the Raptors, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports (Twitter link). Carroll felt that Toronto’s long-term outlook was better than New York’s, Zillgitt adds.

Free Agent Rumors: Gasol, Carroll, Green, Lin

July 1st, 2015 at 10:21am CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies and Marc Gasol are likely to reach a deal, as long expected, today or Thursday, as TNT’s David Aldridge hears (Twitter link). Gasol and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera are both in Spain today, working out the details on a new deal, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). While we wait for what appears to be an inevitable conclusion for the Arn Tellem client, here’s more from the first day of free agency:

The Pistons are believed to have spoken to DeMarre Carroll overnight, according to Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
New York would reportedly like to meet with Danny Green, and that interest appears mutual, as “anybody turning down a meeting with them would be crazy,” Green said to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I don’t think people are scared of the Knicks,’’ Green said. “They’re rebuilding. … Some guys want to go where they’re already winning. They get a couple of good pieces this summer, I’m sure it’ll attact more guys.’’
Jeremy Lin heard from the Lakers overnight, and the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pacers, Bulls and Clippers, a league source told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Still, Lin appears unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, Media opines on Twitter.
The Lakers reached out to Wayne Ellington overnight, and the Cavaliers, Warriors, Wizards, Spurs and Hawks also showed interest, Medina reports in a separate piece.
Willie Green and the Knicks have engaged in preliminary discussions, speaking twice since free agency began overnight, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
Mike Dunleavy had no shortage of interest from others, but he’s quite pleased about his new deal with the Bulls, as he expressed to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). “I’m thrilled to be back,” Dunleavy said. “It’s a really fair deal. I’m looking forward to playing for [coach Fred Hoiberg] and love our team.”
The Magic‘s apparent four-year, $80MM offer to Paul Millsap has executives more optimistic that Orlando won’t match offers for restricted free agent Tobias Harris, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com had speculated as much earlier.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Ellington, Lin, Cousins

April 15th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Chuck Myron

Suns GM Ryan McDonough admits the team had no intention of reshaping its roster as much as it did this season, but while he’s disappointed with the way this year has gone, he feels the Suns are still better off than they were two years ago, when he took over, as he tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

“We’ve tried to do something that’s not easy to do,” McDonough said. “We tried to turn over the roster with talented, young players who have some potential but probably aren’t ready to win yet at the highest levels. But we also tried to stay competitive in a brutal Western Conference. Usually, teams try to do one or the other. They load up on veteran guys and trade draft picks and go all in or they completely blow up and gut the team and try to acquire and play a bunch of young guys.”

Phoenix will look to achieve more roster balance, among other goals, this summer, McDonough added. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The sense is that Wayne Ellington will largely favor the Lakers in free agency this year, but he’s mindful that the market is uncertain for both himself and the team, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links), who’s identified mutual interest between the sides. Ellington backed up his end of that, referencing coach Byron Scott and GM Mitch Kupchak during his exit interview with the media Tuesday when he said, “I flat out told coach and Mitch I want to be back,” Medina notes.
Jeremy Lin seemed lukewarm to the idea of returning to the Lakers during his exit interview, saying that he has “definitely not ruled out” the possibility and that the Lakers wouldn’t be a “last resort.” He said that losing his starting job in December “hurt,” but that his respect for Scott has grown throughout the season. Medina (separate piece), Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles (Twitter link), Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding (Twitter link) and Bill Oram of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) have the details.
Trade rumors are partly to blame for the sour mood DeMarcus Cousins has been in of late, but Kings executive Vlade Divac, who’s in charge of the front office, is in awe of Cousins’ talent, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Voisin advises Cousins to get away from the noise now that the season is ending.

Medina On Lakers Offseason, Roster

April 14th, 2015 at 8:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News reported earlier today that the Lakers will explore potential trades for swingman Nick Young this summer. In a separate piece, Medina runs down where each of the players on Los Angeles’ roster stands as the team heads into the offseason. Here are some of the highlights…

Ed Davis is almost assuredly going to opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Medina notes. The Lakers are interested in inking him to a long-term deal as long as the cap hit is a reasonable amount, Medina adds.
There is mutual interest between the team and Wayne Ellington in having the player return to Los Angeles next season, Medina notes. While Ellington views the Lakers as his top choice, he desires long-term security in his next deal, Medina adds. The guard will be an unrestricted free agent when the season ends.
Los Angeles has little interest in bringing back Carlos Boozer, and the player is likely to seek out a team on which he can have a larger role, the Daily News scribe relays.
Wesley Johnson‘s potential continues to intrigue the Lakers, but the team is frustrated with his inconsistent play, Medina notes. How well the team fares in the draft and free agency will dictate whether or not the swingman is re-signed, Medina opines.
The Lakers don’t view Jeremy Lin as a great fit for the team’s system, and it’s not clear yet if Los Angeles has any interest in re-signing the point guard. For his part, Lin will consider returning to the Lakers if the team has interest, but he will place a higher priority on finding a team that runs a pick-and-roll oriented offense, the Daily News scribe notes.
Los Angeles still hasn’t made a decision regarding Jordan Hill‘s team option worth $9MM for next season. The big man’s time with the Lakers could be at an end if the team decides it wants to maximize its cap space, Medina writes.
The team expects injured rookie Julius Randle to play in this year’s summer league, Medina notes. Randle’s rookie campaign ended 14 minutes into his first regular season contest when he suffered a broken leg.
Ryan Kelly did not feel comfortable with the Lakers using him as a small forward at times this season, and the team plans to use him at power forward, his natural position, more often next season, Medina relays. Kelly appeared in 51 games and averaged 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per contest this season.

Pacific Notes: Robinson, Bullock, Ellington

April 3rd, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers are keeping close tabs on the health of guard Nate Robinson, and if he is healthy enough to play by next week the team will consider re-signing him, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets. Robinson has already had two 10-day contracts with the team, so any new deal would need to cover the remainder of the season. Los Angeles currently has 15 players on its roster, so a corresponding personnel move would be required. The most likely candidate to go would be Lester Hudson, who is inked to a 10-day pact that expires on Tuesday.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Reggie Bullock is finally getting some playing time for the Suns, and the swingman is using the exposure to show Phoenix why he should be part of its plans for next season, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I wanted to play when I first got here but I’m still a young player in this league,” Bullock said. “The coaches know what I’m capable of, defending and shooting the ball. I’m just staying ready for when my name is called and continue to build and take this confidence to next season.“
Injured Lakers guard Wayne Ellington is done for the season courtesy of a separated right shoulder, and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Los Angeles’ coach Byron Scott says that the team’s rebuilding plan hinges on the NBA draft and pursuing marquee free agents, but the Lakers’ front office would “absolutely” consider re-signing Ellington, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes.
When Sim Bhullar signed his 10-day deal with the Kings he made history as the first NBA player of Indian descent, the significance of which is not lost on the big man, Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press writes. “It’s a big moment in the history of the NBA and the history of my country in India,” Bhullar said. “I know my family’s going to be proud of me and everybody’s going to be proud of me and cheer me on the court.”

Lakers Rumors: Nash, Scott, Ellington

March 21st, 2015 at 9:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Nash‘s love of the game stood out above everything else, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The Lakers guard formally announced his retirement today at age 41, ending a long career that included two MVP seasons. Ding praised Nash for persevering through pain and becoming one of just four point guards to play in the league at age 40.

There’s more from a historic day in Los Angeles:

Nash started the NBA’s “golden age” of point guards, contends Amin Elhassan of ESPN Insider [subscription required]. Elhassan worked for the Suns for six seasons while Nash played there and writes that he gained a lot of his basketball knowledge by observing Nash on the court and watching how he prepared himself and teammates for games.
Lakers coach Byron Scott told Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com he was optimistic about Nash after watching him in training camp. “I was really excited because I did see a lot of the Steve Nash that I had played against and coached against for so many years,” Scott said. However, recurring back pain prevented Nash from ever taking the floor in the regular season, and he has had little contact with the team.
Free-agent-to-be Wayne Ellington is channeling the grief over his father’s death into basketball, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ellington’s father was murdered November 9th in Philadelphia, and Ellington took a leave of absence that saw him miss six games. He said the experience has strengthened his bonds with the Lakers, regardless of how free agency turns out. “No matter what happens in the future, I will forever have a connection and love for the Lakers,” Ellington said. “The hardest part of my life was this year. The way I was treated means a whole lot to me.”