Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Melo, Morris, Pistons, Holmes

December 10th, 2019 at 10:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Carmelo Anthony suited up against the Knicks for the first time as a member of the Trail Blazers tonight and Marcus Morris was excited for the event.

“Man, I enjoy going against ‘Melo,” Morris said prior to the game (via Steve Popper of Newsday). “Growing up he always was my favorite player. Even when I came into the draft, I was like, yeah, I’m going to be like ‘Melo. You know what I’m saying? Over the years it’s been really good to go against him. I watched a lot of film on him.

“’Melo’s been one of the best scorers in this league for a long time. He’s still doing it. I’m very happy for him, very impressed that he could come from not playing for a while and make a great impact like he has.”

Here’s more from around the league:

In the same piece, Morris spoke about how he couldn’t understand how Anthony went so long without a team. “That’s not disrespecting nobody, but there’s guys in this league that can’t really tie ‘Melo’s shoes — now. So for sure, he should have been in the league. But it always comes full circle and he’s a real one. I always say the real never lose, so he’s back and he’s doing what he did.”
Pistons draft-and-stash prospect Deividas Sirvydis is impressing overseas, as international journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Sirvydis, the No. 37 overall pick in the 2019 draft, has yet to sign his first NBA contract as he continues to play in Lithuania for now.
Everything is coming together for Richaun Holmes in Sacramento, Jordan Ramirez of NBA.com writes. Holmes, who signed with the Kings this offseason, began the season on the bench but his strong play has made him one of the team’s most reliable players in the starting rotation.

Blazers Likely To Pursue Gallinari; Love Interested In Portland

December 10th, 2019 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking of Gallinari, the Trail Blazers are expected to pursue the Thunder forward, league sources tell The Ringer. O’Connor also hears that Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love would like to play for his hometown team in Portland.

[SOURCE LINK]

Speaking of Gallinari, the Trail Blazers are expected to pursue the Thunder forward, league sources tell The Ringer. O’Connor also hears that Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love would like to play for his hometown team in Portland.

New York Notes: Hezonja, Dinwiddie, Miller, Barrett

December 9th, 2019 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Mario Hezonja wanted to return to the Knicks but they never made him an offer in free agency, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Hezonja wound up taking a two-year, minimum salary deal with the Trail Blazers.

“That free agency was ‘call me and I’m coming back (to the Knicks),'” Hezonja said. “I don’t care (that) there’s a lot of perception people make about playing in New York. But I had never had problems with you guys (media). Media was great always great. Everyone from the front office was great to me. Fans are the best in the world. … I loved every single thing about my entire time out there. It didn’t work out in the summer.”

We have more on the New York teams:

Spencer Dinwiddie has played so well as the Nets’ starting point guard that coach Kenny Atkinson will have a pleasant dilemma when max player Kyrie Irving returns to action, Brian Lewis the New York Post writes. The Nets are 9-3 with Dinwiddie in the lineup, compared to 4-7 before a shoulder injury sidelined Irving. “It’s a good [situation]. It just adds to our depth and adds to our talent, and I just see it as a good thing,” Atkinson said. “Now I’m thinking about what is that going to look like rotation-wise. What does that look like with Spencer: Start or come off the bench? So those are good problems. I’m excited — our staff is excited — about making that work.”
New Knicks coach Mike Miller focused Monday’s two-hour practice on changing the team’s defensive coverage, Berman writes in a separate piece. Miller is looking for more consistent effort from the struggling squad. “We were working on the things that we need to do and really get a good feel, continue to work with our consistency of how we play possession to possession,’” Miller said. “That’s what our focus is. … Let’s lock in these areas where we’ve shown we can be pretty good. Let’s do it for longer stretches.”
Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has to adjust a coaching change in the early stages of his career but he’s taking it in stride, Steve Popper of Newsday relays. “This is a business,” Barrett said. “We’re pros. Stuff will happen. We have a whole season to go and move on.”

Central Notes: Love, Doumbouya, Drummond

December 9th, 2019 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Suns are some of the teams that might be interested in Cavaliers forward Kevin Love but his trade value has diminished due to his health and contract, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com writes. Love is in the first year of his $120MM extension and he’s experienced back issues after missing most of last season with a toe injury, Deveney notes. He also missed significant time the previous two seasons with hand and knee injuries. Cleveland’s haul for Love would likely involve a first-round pick, salary-cap relief, and perhaps an underachieving young player, Deveney adds.

We have more from around the Central Division:

Love isn’t sure if he’ll be dealt but he understands why there’s so much speculation regarding his status on the rebuilding Cavaliers, Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays. “I imagine, in a rebuild, it’s easy to look at it, especially when it’s down and out at this point, and say, ‘Hey, we want to completely reset the deck and go young,'” Love said. “I understand that. But despite that, whether it’s five months or five years, I’m always going to be able to come back to Cleveland no matter what, and I’ll always love the fans, and be part of this organization, one way or another.”
Pistons first-rounder Sekou Doumbouya has taken a positive approach to his G League assignments, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. In 13 games with the Grand Rapids Drive, Doumbouya is averaging 17.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG while shooting 40.9% on 3-point attempts. The forward doesn’t turn 19 until December 23. “He’s coachable,” Grand Rapids coach Donnie Tyndall said. “He will look you in the eye when he’s talking to you. He doesn’t cop an attitude or have bad body language. He gets disappointed in himself a little bit, he’s pretty hard on himself.”
Pistons coach Dwane Casey is baffled when center Andre Drummond‘s energy level is criticized, as he told The Free Press this weekend. Drummond, who can become an unrestricted free agent if he opts out this summer, leads the league in rebounding by a wide margin and recorded his 37th career 20-20 game against Indiana on Friday. “If he makes a mistake, they say he doesn’t have energy,” Casey said. “To get to 20 rebounds, somebody show me how to get 20 rebounds with two guys trying to box you out. That’s energy. I struggle when people say that Andre’s not playing with energy. To do what he does takes a lot of energy.”

Anthony Excited To Feel Wanted In Portland

December 8th, 2019 at 3:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Trail Blazers starting power forward Carmelo Anthony spoke with reporters after a Tuesday shootaround at the Staples Center. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reports that Anthony was enthused about his fit with Portland, and the early returns have backed up Anthony’s sentiments. “Man, when you feel wanted,” Anthony said, “it settles a lot of things.”

Trail Blazers To Fully Guarantee Anthony’s Contract

December 5th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Fresh off his first Player of the Week award since 2014, Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony will have his partially guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract with the team become fully guaranteed. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first broke the news.

The 35 year-old Anthony will earn the full prorated veteran’s minimum of $2.15MM for the 2019/20 season. Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Portland, a taxpaying team this season, will only pay $1.36MM of the $2.15MM owed. The NBA will reimburse the Blazers for the remaining balance of that sum. With $148MM committed in salaries, the Blazers have the highest payroll for 2019/20.

After an uncomfortable 10 games with the Rockets as a bench scorer last season, Anthony was offloaded by Houston to the Bulls who subsequently waived him. The 10-time All-Star would not see hardwood action again until being conscripted as an emergency front court addition for the injury-plagued Blazers, one year and 11 days after his last NBA game.

Portland had until January 7 to fully guarantee the deal, but Anthony’s terrific recent play at a position of need made this a no-brainer for Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey and the rest of the Blazers’ front office. Blazers head coach Terry Stotts commended Anthony on ESPN Radio’s Spain and Company, according to Wojnarowski’s report: “He’s been the breath of fresh air for us that we needed.”

In eight games as the Blazers’ starting power forward, Anthony is averaging 16.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31 minutes a night. He is shooting a stellar 44.8% from the floor, including 38.7% from deep on 3.9 attempts per game. Portland is 4-4 since enlisting ‘Melo.

Anthony’s comeback has not gone unnoticed around the NBA. His fellow 2003 draftee, LeBron James (taken No. 1 to Melo’s No. 3 selection), commented to The Athletic’s Bill Oram and Jason Quick that Anthony’s resilient performance in Portland has been “a beautiful thing. Beautiful thing. Only the strong survive.”

Carmelo Anthony Was Hoping For Offer From Lakers

December 4th, 2019 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony has revived his career with the Trail Blazers, but he told reporters in Los Angeles last night that he had been hoping to join his close friend LeBron James with the Lakers, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Anthony got a warm reception from the crowd during his first visit to L.A. since his 12-month exile from the league. There was speculation this summer that the Lakers might be the next team to give Anthony a chance.

“There were a lot of teams that I thought I was going to be on,” Anthony said. “As far as LeBron goes, it’s something we’ve talked about since we were in high school. It wasn’t in his power. … I would’ve never put him in that position because a lot of times it’s deeper than that, and I started understanding the business of basketball.”

The Clippers held Anthony to his worst game since he returned, limiting him to nine points on a 2-of-9 shooting night. Afterward, Paul George, who was Anthony’s teammate for one season in Oklahoma City, urged critics to back off and let Anthony show what he can still do.

“I’m not going to be happy with [the criticism], with how they tried to shoot him down when he first started,” George said. “I am not going to be happy now that he’s playing well and they want to be on his side. He is going to have a long season. Let him play. Let him hoop. Say what you want when he’s finished, but let him hoop. It’s great that he’s getting that recognition now. When it is all said and done — people, let him play and let him hoop. It’s tough regardless when he came back; he had been out over a year, so there’s going to be some ups and downs. But let Melo hoop.”

George is the latest in a series of high-profile players to speak out for Anthony. Teammate Kawhi Leonard said Sunday that he believes Anthony was treated unfairly and never should have been away from the league for so long.

“It means a lot,” Anthony said of the support from his peers. “But also, the real ones know what’s going on. It’s not them. I never had issues with any of my colleagues saying anything about me. It’s the narratives that surround the game of basketball, the opinions that everybody has. All of these cameras have their opinion. So it’s those things that come into play, which can easily allow somebody to get down on themselves and want to give up and want to not be motivated. I was against all of that. I stayed with it. I stayed motivated. I pushed myself.”

Execs View Blazers As Potential Trade Fit For Aldridge

December 3rd, 2019 at 10:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Frank Urbina and Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype spoke to NBA executives to try to gauge what LaMarcus Aldridge‘s trade value might be if the Spurs decide to become sellers. Various execs identified the Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Suns, and Kings as possible fits.

Pau Gasol To Join Blazers’ Coaching Staff

December 3rd, 2019 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived last month by the Trail Blazers, Pau Gasol intends to join the team’s coaching staff, head coach Terry Stotts confirmed tonight to reporters, including Casey Holdahl (Twitter link). Gasol is currently in Spain, but when he returns, he’ll officially come aboard Stotts’ staff.

Gasol, who continues to rehab a foot injury, was released by the Blazers before appearing in a single game for the team. At the time of that move, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Portland and Gasol were working on a potential coaching role for the veteran big man.

Taking on a coaching role doesn’t necessarily mean Gasol has decided to retire as a player. However, between his foot issues and his age (39), the odds may be against an NBA comeback at this point. The six-time All-Star played 77 games for the Spurs in 2017/18, but was limited to 30 games last season due to injuries.

It’s not yet clear when Gasol will return from Spain, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today.

Carmelo Anthony Was Prepared To Retire Before Portland Offer Arrived

December 3rd, 2019 at 3:18pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Carmelo Anthony had spent over a year without a basketball team before the Trail Blazers gave him a call. The 10-time All-Star had been preparing himself for the retirement up until that point, as he told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (link via Nick Friedell of ESPN.com).

“I was preparin’ myself,” Anthony said of the idea of having played his last NBA game. “And I had prepared myself to kinda just walk away from the game — if the right situation didn’t come about.”

Still, Anthony always knew that he could still contribute in the league. He simply needed the right opportunity.

“So if I were just to go to a team and to a situation just to be on the team and it didn’t work out, it was gonna come back on me anyway. Like, the blame is gonna be on me anyway. So a situation like Portland, where I could just come in and just play my game and have a group of guys that really want me, and the organization that want me,” Anthony explained.

“There’s no better feelin’ than when you feel wanted. And I think that’s what kinda keeps me motivated and understandin’, like, this situation is — it is and was the best situation for me.”

Melo was named Western Conference player of the week on Monday. He’s averaging 17.7 points per game and Portland is 3-3 since Anthony arrived.

“I feel good,” Anthony said. “Just because I’m 35 years old and I’m supposed to be, you know, the book says you’re supposed to be about to retire around this time? Like — like, no, I’ve always been against all odds. … I just had a year off. … I had a year off restin’ my body.

“The most important part about that is I rested my mind right. I got my mind right. And I don’t think people understand how strong that is. When you’re able to get your mind right, everything else flows.”