Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Barnes, Stotts, Scott

January 13th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is pleased with coach Byron Scott‘s tough-love approach with the team’s younger players and takes offense at the notion that Scott is stifling their development, writes Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. “If you asked our young players, I think there would be a mutual respect, as you might expect maybe between a parent and a child,” Kupchak said. “In other words, I’m going to love you, I’m going to bring you along, but every now and then, I’ve got to teach you the right way to do things.”

Kupchak also told Bresnahan that Kobe Bryant‘s retirement tour is actually a benefit to the team’s young roster since the attention paid to the veteran deflects much of the spotlight away from the other players. “I guess there was some backlash to the comment that we can’t move on until Kobe retires,” Kupchak said. “There’s no doubt this season is in great part a tribute to him and what he’s meant for this organization. It’s what he deserves, it’s what we want to give him, it’s what the fans want and it’s a justifiable tribute to his career. Having said all that, to think that we’re not developing our young players? I mean, who’s starting? Larry Nance. Anthony Brown. And Jordan Clarkson. Who’s playing 20 to 30 minutes a game? Julius Randle. D’Angelo Russell. In fact, Kobe gives the younger guys a chance to fly under the radar a little bit. They can make mistakes. Maybe they don’t get the attention they normally get under a normal season. On top of that, they get to learn by being around Kobe.”

Here’s more news out of the Western Conference:

The NBPA has filed a grievance on behalf of Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes that appeals his two-game unpaid suspension for the off-court altercation he had in October with Knicks coach Derek Fisher, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. Barnes will lose $64,409 in salary because of the suspension if it is upheld. This appeal will ensure that Barnes is able to take the court this Saturday when the Grizzlies square off against the Knicks in Memphis.
Portland GM Neil Olshey raved about the performance of Terry Stotts and cited the coach’s improvement over his time with the Trail Blazers in an appearance on “The Vertical” hosted by Wojnarowski (audio link). Stotts has a team option on his contract for next season.
Suns power forward Markieff Morris is excited about his expanded role in the team’s rotation that’s come about because Alex Len is sidelined with a sprained right hand, though Morris is not sure if he will remain in the regular lineup regardless of how long Len is out, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays.

And-Ones: Rose, Lillard, Bazemore, Labissiere

January 12th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose has said in the past that he wants to play with the Bulls for the rest of his career, and while he raised eyebrows with his comments on media day that indicated he was looking forward to hitting free agency in 2017, he recently told Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com he still intends to stay put. The same is true for Damian Lillard, who said Friday that he plans to remain with the Trail Blazers until his playing days are over, calling his relationship with the organization “a hand-and-glove fit” for the way the Blazers have embraced him as a player and a person, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com notes. Lillard is fresh off signing a five-year extension in the summer, so the matter of his free agency isn’t as pressing as Rose’s, though Lillard’s remarks are nonetheless soothing for Portland, given its history of star defections, Quick posits. See more from around the NBA:

Rose also told Friedell for the same piece that he doesn’t have any contact with Tom Thibodeau and doesn’t even think about his former coach, despite having had a “good relationship” with him, because he’s focused on adjusting to new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg. He also spoke fondly of Jimmy Butler, despite reports of friction between the two, answering affirmatively when Friedell asked if Butler is the most talented teammate he’s ever had.
The Hawks unsurprisingly view 2016 free agent Al Horford as a building block for the long-term, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, though he’s not the only player the team will have to pay if it wants to retain this summer. Estimates of the starting salary Kent Bazemore will be able to command on his next deal range from the mid-level, which tops out at $5.628MM, to $12MM, according to a dozen league executives to whom Lowe spoke.
The top three, including LSU combo forward Ben Simmons, are unchanged in the latest 2016 draft prospect rankings from Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only), but Marquette big man Henry Ellenson is up to No. 4 from No. 6. Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere, who was Ford’s previous No. 4 and once a serious challenger for the No. 1 pick, has dropped to No. 10.

Blazers Likely To Keep Frazier, Alexander, Montero

January 7th, 2016 at 11:16am CST by Chuck Myron

The Trail Blazers expect to keep Tim Frazier, Cliff Alexander and Luis Montero past the close of business today, barring an unexpected trade, meaning their non-guaranteed salaries will become fully guaranteed, reports Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. An outside chance exists that the Blazers will use their league-high cap space of more than $20MM to absorb salary via trade and send out one or more of their trio of non-guaranteed deals in return, though that’s unlikely, Quick writes. Keeping them would give Portland 15 players with 15 full guarantees, limiting the team’s roster flexibility and bringing Frazier, Alexander and Montero one step closer to receiving bonuses of about $926K each if Portland fails to meet the $63MM team salary floor by season’s end, as Quick also points out.

Frazier has played the most prominent role for the Blazers among the three. He started a game against the Hawks last month when Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were both unavailable, and he played nearly the full 48 minutes in a performance that impressed his teammates, as Quick wrote then. I speculated in the wake of that game that Frazier was probably safe. His contract, which he originally signed in March as a deal that covered the rest of the 2014/15 with a non-guaranteed 2015/16 tacked on, calls for him to make the one-year veteran’s minimum of $845,059.

Alexander was once a highly touted prospect in college whose stock plummeted before he went undrafted last year. He’s appeared on the court for all of 50 seconds since the end of November, and a bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered during the preseason didn’t help matters. Still, the Blazers appear poised to keep him and commit to his full-season salary of $525,093, the rookie minimum. Unlike Frazier, who’s set for restricted free agency after the season, Alexander’s contract runs through next season.

Montero played in only two of Portland’s first 29 games. He’s appeared in five of the nine the Blazers have played since then, though he’s yet to log more than six minutes in any single contest. The undrafted rookie shooting guard from the Dominican Republic, by way of Westchester Community College in New York, was a surprise offseason signing. His contract has him at the rookie minimum salary this season, with non-guaranteed minimum salaries for 2016/17 and 2017/18 also part of the deal. Like Alexander, he started the season with a $100K guarantee, though they’ve already earned more than that amount by virtue of sticking on the roster as long as they have.

Northwest Notes: Kaman, Martin, Thunder

January 5th, 2016 at 9:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers reserve center Chris Kaman believes it’s a “high possibility” he will be moved before the trade deadline, he revealed to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. Kaman told Quick that as part of the Blazers’ decision to pick up his $5MM option over the summer, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey made it clear he would be traded if the right deal came along. Kaman has only played in four games.

In other developments around the Northwest Division:

Kevin Martin could be rejoining the rotation soon and center Nikola Pekovic could return to action on Wednesday, Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell told Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Martin has not played the past seven games, in part because he has a wrist injury but mainly because the club wanted to audition Zach LaVine at shooting guard. But Mitchell told Youngblood that he may play more of his veterans in upcoming games. Pekovic is looking to make his season debut after undergoing Achilles surgery in April and is “50-50” to play on Wednesday, Mitchell said.
Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay will come off the bench in the short term when he returns to action, Nuggets coach Michael Malone told Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Mudiay, who has missed the last 11 games with a right ankle injury, could be back in action on Wednesday but will be under a minutes restriction, Dempsey adds. “Right now, my gut feeling is to work him in, bring him in off the bench, let him get his feel back after missing as many games as he has,” Malone said. “That will also allow him to play against more second-line guys, get a little more comfortable, get his confidence back — not that he’s lost confidence. But just to feel good out there. Then, if he’s able to take his starting job back, then we’ll put him back in the lineup.”
The Thunder allowed the $915,243 trade exception they acquired in last year’s three-team trade with the Knicks and Cavaliers to expire today, the one-year anniversary of the deal. The exception was a vestige of the team’s minimum-salary contract with Lance Thomas, who went to New York in the swap.

Western Notes: Henderson, Griffin, Whiteside

January 2nd, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Eddie Scarito

Blazers swingman Gerald Henderson was supposed to provide some much needed veteran leadership on the court in the wake of the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent and the trade of Nicolas Batum to the Hornets, but instead he has fallen to third-string on the team’s depth chart, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. Henderson and his expiring contract could potentially be dealt prior to this season’s trade deadline, but his struggles on the court may make it difficult for Portland to extract much in the way of value if the swingman is traded, Quick notes.

Henderson understands he’s not performing up to par, but believes he can turn things around, Quick adds. “I don’t feel like I can really play worse,’’ Henderson said. “I think I play good defense; I think I’ve done a good job on that end of the court. But offensively … just been inconsistent. I look at myself … I know how to play. And it will turn around at some point … but I feel like I can help the team, obviously more.’’

Here’s more from out West:

One unsung aspect of injured power forward Blake Griffin‘s game that the Clippers will miss is his passing, and the team’s offense has already taken a hit in its efficiency since the high-flying big man has been out of the lineup, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. “You forget, other than CP [Chris Paul], who makes the passes for our team,” Rivers said. “You realize how important Blake is. Most people just look at his scoring, and it’s his passing that makes us go as well.” Griffin is expected to be out of action for at least two weeks after suffering a partially torn left quadriceps.
Look for Heat center Hassan Whiteside to be one of the top free agent targets for the Mavericks this coming offseason, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opines. While Sefko does praise the play of Zaza Pachulia for Dallas this season, he notes that Whiteside would be a clear upgrade, especially on the defensive end, and the Heat’s salary cap situation could make it difficult for Miami to re-sign the big man, thus helping the Mavs’ cause in regards to inking Whiteside this summer. Miami is currently projected to have approximately $39MM-$45MM in free cap space, but those figures only include six players and don’t account for pending free agents Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng, among others.

Northwest Notes: Barton, Pekovic, Payne

December 31st, 2015 at 11:41am CST by Eddie Scarito

Nuggets small forward Will Barton is enjoying a breakout season in Denver and his former coach with the Blazers, Terry Stotts, saw this development coming, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. “I remember a postseason interview and someone asked me about what player made the biggest improvement or something like that, and in my mind it was Will Barton,” Stotts said. “Year 1, he was a young rookie, and he had a lot to learn. I thought the strides he made in Year 2 as a player and as a person and as a professional was good to see. I’d like to think the success he’s having now is in part because of the hard work he put in while he was here.“

“Since he knows he’s going to be on the court, he has an outstanding feel for the game,” Stotts continued. “Now he’s not pressing. He plays the game. He really is a student of the game, and since he knows he’s going to be out there, he does a little bit of everything and kind of takes what the game gives him.” In 33 appearances this season, with only one as a starter, Barton is averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 47% shooting, and he should certainly be under consideration for the Most Improved Player award for 2015/16 if this production level continues.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic has been cleared to participate in full contact practices, which is the next step in his return from the surgery he underwent back in April to repair damage to his Achilles tendon, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. It is unclear how much work Pekovic will need to put in before he is turned loose in game conditions, though Zgoda notes the big man will require at least a few practices before that is likely to occur.
The Thunder are pleased with the development of 2015 first-rounder Cameron Payne, and they credit his time spent in the D-League for accelerating his learning curve, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I don’t really look at scoring as much,” said Thunder coach Billy Donovan. “I think the thing to me that was really impressive is how easily he whipped the ball around and got guys shots. Cameron has earned, in my opinion, the right to have confidence because of the time he’s put in the gym.”

Northwest Notes: Barton, Thunder, Blazers

December 24th, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Charlie Adams

Let’s take a quick look at a few notes pertaining to the Northwest Division..

Will Barton’s strong play this season has Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders wondering if the Nuggets’ guard might garner some serious consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Barton inked a three-year, $11MM deal with Denver last summer, and the early returns have the contract looking quite team friendly. Barton is averaging 15.7 points while playing 29.0 minutes per night and hitting 45.9% of his shots from the floor.
Sports Illustrated’s Nate Duncan runs down each of the teams with new coaches this season and grades how well each bench boss has performed thus far. Duncan gives the Thunder’s Billy Donovan a mark of ‘C’, suggesting that Oklahoma City’s defensive schemes might be holding the club back.
The Blazers lost four of their starters over the offseason and haven’t been able to replicate the success they’ve had in recent years, but the pairing of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum has all the makings of a dynamic building block that will yield victories for years to come. Shaun Powell of NBA.com examines how the members of the duo play off of one another so well.

Western Notes: Malone, Leonard, Jones

December 22nd, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry declined to discuss how much contact he had with the Nuggets over the summer regarding Denver’s then open coaching position, which ultimately went to Michael Malone, but firmly believes the franchise made a good choice in its hire, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. “They got themselves a really, really good coach, a guy that works his butt off,” Gentry said. “I don’t think there’s anybody out there that works any harder [than Malone] or understands the game. He’s been around it his whole life. So, I think they did great.“

Malone noted that Emmanuel Mudiay‘s recent ankle injury is related to the injury the rookie sustained while playing in China last season, Dempsey adds. When asked when Mudiay might return to game action, Malone said, “We trust our athletic training staff to tell us when he can get back on the floor to start practicing. And then obviously he’ll have to get through a practice before he can play in a game. To be honest, I think he’s probably a little ways away from that. So we’ll be cautious. It’s an injury he sustained while in China, and it’s kind of come back a little bit.“

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The reports that Blazers big man Meyers Leonard was offered and turned down a four-year, $60MM extension from the team are “grossly inaccurate,” according to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Leonard is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer provided Portland extends him a qualifying offer worth $4,210,880.
The Timberwolves have recalled point guard Tyus Jones from the Idaho Stampede, the team announced. The rookie had been with the Jazz’s D-League affiliate since December 5th as part of the league’s flexible assignment program.
The Grizzlies have assigned James Ennis, Jarell Martin and Russ Smith to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced. This will be Ennis’ fifth stint with the Energy and the second for both Martin and Smith.

And-Ones: D-League, Durant, Ingram

December 22nd, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The addition of extra roster spots for “two-way contracts” that would allow NBA teams to stash players in the D-League while still keeping their NBA rights is indeed an idea the NBA is tossing around, commissioner Adam Silver said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com on “The Lowe Post” podcast (audio link; transcription via James Herbert of CBSSports.com). The idea is those players would make $80-100K, though no specifics are set, Silver added. Players and agents wouldn’t like such a change, as Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor speculates (Twitter link), since it would limit their market to sign full NBA contracts. See more from around the league:

Kevin Durant has given precious few clues about his upcoming free agency, but he seemed to indicate this weekend that winning a title with the Thunder would indeed make staying in Oklahoma City more attractive, The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel observes. “I mean, there’s still some guys that stay with one team,” Durant said. “There’s some guys that move. Kobe [Bryant]‘s done it [stayed with one franchise]. Tim Duncan‘s done it. Just as far as staying in one organization, you win a title and it makes it easier for you to ride it out. That’s what those guys have done. Dirk [Nowitzki], guys like that. It’s good to see a few players that’s on the way out that’s had a long career and is still doing it pretty well.”
A 6’10” frame and 7’3″ wingspan plus encouraging data about his shooting make Duke small forward Brandon Ingram an intriguing candidate to become the first player drafted after Ben Simmons, but Ingram’s frailty and poor defensive rebounding could hold him back, observe Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com in an Insider-only story.
The maturation of some patient, shrewd rebuilding efforts, strong coaching and interconference free agent defections are all factors in the resurgence of the Eastern Conference, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt examines. The result has pleased the commissioner, as he said on a recent Trail Blazers telecast, Zillgitt notes.

Western Notes: Bonner, Lakers, Gasol

December 20th, 2015 at 7:16pm CST by Will Joseph

Longtime Spurs power forward Matt Bonner has no plans to retire after this season as long as there is still interest in him, Jabari Young of the San Antonio News-Express relays. Bonner is 35 and re-signed with the Spurs in July for one year at the veteran’s minimum. Bonner was reportedly thinking about retirement last spring, though he said last year that he wanted to play for several more seasons. Bonner told Young that he would like to retire as a member of the Spurs, however.

“The Spurs are my first option every summer, which is terrible business on my end to put that out there,” Bonner said. “I’m not negotiating for max deals. I’m basically a vet minimum guy, unless someone out there wants to pay me a lot more money.”

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

Ed Davis, who signed a three-year, $20MM deal with the Blazers in July after spending last season with the Lakers, told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that the biggest difference between the two franchises is Portland operates with more stability and with more of a long-term plan (Twitter link).
Lakers coach Byron Scott believes the development and performance of some of the Lakers’ core young players such as D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson will help lure free agents to the team in the future, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register relays. “They’ll see that we have three young guys that, from day one to game 82, have shown big-time improvement,” Scott said. “And if they can continue to improve that way, then the future’s pretty bright.”
Marc Gasol told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in a wide-ranging and entertaining Q&A that he didn’t know he would ink the new five-year max deal with the Grizzlies that he signed in July until last season was completed. “Just because I didn’t put that much time into it,” Gasol said. “You have to look at things from afar and get perspective on things. That’s when you know. So that’s what we did. We flew back, we went away from basketball for a little bit, and it just kind of happened.”