Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Herro, Lowry, Roster, Swider

October 3rd, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

While Tyler Herro recognized that the Heat had every right to trade him this summer, he admitted on Monday that the uncertainty of his situation wasn’t easy to deal with throughout the offseason, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“There was a little bit of frustration,” Herro told reporters. “But at the end of the day, it’s a business. I understand that. I would just like some clarity. I feel like I’ve gained enough respect around here to know what’s going on a little bit, whether my name is involved or not. That’s really it. I want to be involved. I feel like I gained the respect and I put the work in.”

Herro has seen his name pop up in trade speculation multiple times since arriving in the NBA in 2019, but said this year’s rumors felt “more real” than past ones. He went on to say that he simply wants to play where he’s wanted and that he understands why Miami might have considered moving him in a package for Damian Lillard.

“I don’t think I’m not wanted here. There’s a great player who was on the market at the time,” Herro said. “Whatever happens happened and we’re now in this situation. I’m excited to be back and ready to play. Like I said, I’ll play here or somewhere else. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Appearing later on ESPN 106.3 FM (Twitter video link via Clutch Points), Herro addressed the offseason reports suggesting the Trail Blazers didn’t have much interest in him, offering a spicier take when asked if he’s excited to face the Blazers this season.

“I’m ready to just play (against) the best,” Herro said. “Portland ain’t the best, so I’m not really worried about Portland.”

Here’s more on Herro and the Heat:

Although Herro was activated for Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June, he said on Monday that he wasn’t actually healthy enough to return from his broken hand until about a month after the Heat’s season ended, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Kyle Lowry was moved to the bench during the second half of the 2022/23 season, but with Gabe Vincent no longer in Miami, he expects to returning to the starting five this fall, according to Winderman. “I don’t expect to come off the bench,” Lowry said on Tuesday, noting that he feels great physically. “… I’ll do whatever it takes for my team to win basketball games, but I expect to be the starting point guard.”
Asked about Lowry’s assertion, head coach Erik Spoelstra was noncommittal, indicating that he hasn’t made a decision yet: “That’s what camp’s for. That’s what preseason’s for. And I love that Kyle thinks that way. A lot of guys are thinking that way and we’ll figure out the best lineup.”
While a segment of the Heat fanbase is clamoring for a roster move after the team missed out on Lillard and Jrue Holiday, Spoelstra said on Monday that he likes the current group and isn’t looking to make changes, per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
The Heat’s impressive track record of developing undrafted prospects swayed Cole Swider when he became a free agent this summer and was considering his options, Jackson writes for The Herald. “The biggest thing everyone has told me about coming to the Heat [is] every person in the building has scouted [you] at a very high level,” Swider said. “There’s a reason you’re in the building. Maybe some other teams are bringing you in on their G League team or giving you a quick look and ship you somewhere else.” Swider is currently on an Exhibit 10 contract, but could be a candidate for a conversion to a two-way deal if he impresses in camp.

Raptors Notes: Rajakovic, Lillard, Siakam, VanVleet

October 3rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The arrival of new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic looks like a reason for optimism in Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says that Rajakovic is bringing a “people-first” approach to his new role and appears to be connecting quickly with his players.

Scottie Barnes said on Monday that he loves the “energy” and “joy” Rajakovic brings to the job, while Gary Trent Jr. told reporters that the coach’s communication has been “great,” noting that Rajakovic is interested in talking to his players about topics beyond basketball.

“I’ve been in the NBA six years and I’ve had more conversations with him (outside of basketball) than with any coach I’ve ever had,” Trent said, per Lewenberg. “It’s been refreshing.”

The start of Rajakovic’s first NBA head coaching job has been marred to some extent by a lawsuit filed by the Knicks which claims that a former Knick employee shared proprietary information with Rajokovic and the Raptors after being hired by the franchise. The Raptors, who issued a statement in August disputing the claims in the suit, downplayed the case again on Monday, as William Lou of Sportsnet.ca writes.

“I know who I am. I know how my parents raised me. I know what I see in the mirror,” Rajakovic said in maintaining his innocence. “I cannot wait for this lawsuit to be over so everyone can see the truth.”

Here’s more out of Toronto:

Speaking to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster confirmed that the team’s interest in Damian Lillard was real. “You’d have to ask (the Trail Blazers),” Webster said when asked how close Toronto got to landing Lillard. “We were very aggressive. I’d say probably the biggest offer we’ve ever made for a player, but it’s up to them to accept it and so I think that’s, you know, you kind of never know what tilted a deal towards you or not. But maybe time will tell, we’ll find out.”
Pascal Siakam pushed back against any implication that he might have been one of the Raptors who played selfishly last season, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays. “I’ll speak for me, personally, I’ve never been a selfish player in my life,” Siakam said. “I’ve always played the game the right way and that’s from the first time I started playing basketball. I’ve always been a team player. All the things that I do on the basketball court is about the team and I’ve been like that my whole career.”
The free agency departure of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet was one of the topics Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed on Monday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “Could we have traded Fred at the trade deadline? If that was a failure, we take responsibility for it,” Ujiri said. “Sometimes it depends on opportunity and respect (for) the player. We respected Fred. Fred decided to go somewhere, to better opportunities. It was good for him. Maybe it was good for us, too.”
The Raptors are one of five teams that John Hollinger of The Athletic is confident will beat their consensus over/under (36.5 wins) this season. While Hollinger acknowledges that going to VanVleet to Dennis Schröder is a downgrade at point guard, he notes that Toronto won 41 games in a down year last season, played better after acquiring Jakob Poeltl, and will have incentive to be as good as possible, since San Antonio owns the Raptors’ top-six protected 2024 first-round pick.

Blazers Add Knox, Reath, Smith, Davis, Minaya

October 2nd, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers officially signed Kevin Knox, Duop Reath, Malachi Smith, Antoine Davis and Justin Minaya, according to a team press release announcing the training camp roster.

Knox agreed to a one-year deal in early September. The 24-year-old forward became an unrestricted free agent after Portland declined to pick up his $3MM option for the upcoming season.

Knox began last season with the Pistons, but was sent to Portland in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 21 games with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night.

Reath also agreed to a one-year contract in September. He played for Portland’s Summer League team, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games, and started for Australia during the World Cup. He has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia and China.

Smith and Davis agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts after going undrafted in June. Smith, a shooting guard, was named WCC Sixth Man of the Year this season after averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 37 games with Gonzaga. He played one season for the Zags after transferring from Chattanooga.

Davis, a guard, finished his career at Detroit Mercy as the second all-time leading scorer in Division I history. He capped off his college career by averaging 28.2 PPG last season.

The addition of Minaya was not previously reported. A 6’7” forward, he finished last season with Portland on a hardship 10-day contract. Minaya went undrafted out of Providence in 2022 and spent most of his first professional season playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League. In 27 NBAGL regular season appearances (35.1 MPG), he averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals with a shooting line of .487/.339/.472.

Portland now has a full 21-man squad.

Suns Notes: Ishbia, Nurkic, Booker, Watanabe, Ayton

October 2nd, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forget about the defending champion Nuggets. Forget about what the Bucks and Celtics have done in recent weeks. Suns owner Mat Ishbia confidently declares his team the best in the league, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.

“We’ve got a great team. I think we’ve got the best team in the league,” Ishbia said. “Obviously, we’ve got to play it out. We’re really excited.”

Ishbia believes that Jusuf Nurkic, acquired in the three-team Damian Lillard blockbuster, is a “better fit” than Deandre Ayton, who was dealt to the Trail Blazers.

“We wish Deandre nothing but the best,” Ishbia said. “He was a great part of the organization, he’ll do great things in Portland, but for us, Nurkic is the better fit and it wasn’t my decision or a one-person decision. It was a unanimous decision that we think it was the right fit for our team.”

We have more on the Suns:

General manager James Jones is confident Devin Booker will feel comfortable as the main ball-handler, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets. “Devin’s a player. He’s figured out how to be effective on the ball, off the ball….He’s not gonna complain about having the ball in his hands more, so we’re looking forward to that,” Jones said. Jordan Goodwin and Eric Gordon will also serve as ball-handlers, he added.
Yuta Watanabe said one of the reasons he signed as a free agent was that he wanted to play again with Kevin Durant, Rankin tweets. They were teammates in Brooklyn. “I really enjoyed playing with him,” Watanabe said. “He’s a great teammate, great guy, great leader. After he was traded I was really sad.”
Ayton took a verbal shot at his former organization, hinting the Suns didn’t want him to succeed, Rankin tweets. “I’m with an organization that wants me and wants me to succeed,” Ayton said. “It’s a lot more passion when you feel that mentally and you’re seeing that physically as well. It’ll be a lot more grit and a lot more DominAyton this year.”

And-Ones: Holiday, N. Young, J. Parker, 2024 Draft, More

October 2nd, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat and Clippers are believed to be the other teams that were seriously in the mix for Jrue Holiday before the Trail Blazers accepted the Celtics’ offer for the All-Defensive guard, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast.

“I’m not sure exactly where are the offers were at the end for the Blazers before they decided on the Celtics’ offer, but based on my conversations, my feel was there was at least three teams who were making significant bids.” Windhorst said, according to RealGM. “… The teams I really think were there in the end were the Celtics, Heat and the Clippers.

“The reason I think those three teams were there because I think those were the three teams Jrue Holiday was really focused on at some point being able to sign a longer-term contract (with). And that message kind of went out in recent days. Other teams made offers but it was sort of a three-team, aggressive race at the end. Only the Blazers know exactly what the offers were.”

The Clippers came close to acquiring Malcolm Brogdon back in June, so it will be interesting to see if they make any effort to re-engage the Trail Blazers in talks for Brogdon after missing out on Holiday.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Nick Young is resuming his playing career overseas, having signed with the Macau Black Bears of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), according to the team (Instagram link; hat tip to Sportando). A former first-round pick, Young has appeared in 720 regular season NBA games, but has been out of the league since being waived by Denver in 2018.
Speaking to Alex Molina of Eurohoops following his move to FC Barcelona, former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker said he believes the NBA is getting “watered down” because so many teams are trying to tank for draft picks each season, and expressed dismay that players like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and John Wall can’t find NBA homes.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has updated his mock draft for 2024, moving USC guard Isaiah Collier up to No. 2 and Perth Wildcats big man Alexandre Sarr up to No. 4. While Ron Holland of the G League Ignite is still considered the early favorite to be next year’s No. 1 pick, Givony says Sarr has done enough to join the small group of prospects with a legitimate case for the top spot in the 2024 draft.
With a series of holes in its programming schedule this winter due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, ABC will air NBA games on every Wednesday night in January, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That slate of games will includes matchups between the Pelicans and Warriors, Mavericks and Lakers, and Suns and Nets, among others.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports believes that Jason Kidd (Mavericks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), and Billy Donovan (Bulls) are three head coaches who will be on the hot seat this season.

Blazers Notes: Ayton, Lillard, Brogdon, Grant, Sharpe

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is thrilled about the team’s acquisition of Deandre Ayton and believes the former No. 1 overall pick will benefit from a change of scenery, he said on Monday, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

“I always have a unique perspective because of my playing career,” said Billups, who played for four teams in his first five NBA seasons before finding a long-term home in Detroit. “Sometimes it’s just time for a change. I think that was probably what happened with him (in Phoenix). For me, I’m really excited about DA. He’s already a top-five center in the league and there are so many levels he can get to. We’ve got to help him reach his potential. That’s my responsibility as a coach.”

As Vincent Goodwill writes for Yahoo Sports, the Trail Blazers believe Ayton still has a ton of potential and view him as a talented offensive player capable of playing winning basketball.

The 25-year-old appears to be just as excited about his new home as Portland is to acquire him, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. As Fentress writes, in a social media video of Ayton’s first visit to the Blazers’ facility after the trade, the big man said he was “so glad to be here,” adding that he feels like he “just got drafted.”

“I’m at an organization that wants me and wants me to succeed,” Ayton said on media day on Monday, per Fentress (Twitter link). “So, there’s a lot more passion when you feel that mentally and you know you’ve seen that physically as well. So, there’ll be a lot more grit and a lot more domination.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

A report in the wake of the Damian Lillard trade suggested that the star guard – realizing he likely wouldn’t end up in Miami – asked general manager Joe Cronin last month if he could withdraw his trade request and return to Portland, and Cronin told him no. Asked today about that claim, Cronin offered his version of events: “I told him I personally thought it was a bad idea. The trade request had not been rescinded” (Twitter link via Highkin).
After trading away Lillard and Jrue Holiday, the Blazers don’t sound like they’re rushing back to the market to move Malcolm Brogdon. “We want to have Malcolm come here and be a part of this,” Cronin said on Monday, per Highkin (Twitter link). “He can bring some good on-court intangibles for us and also as a veteran, which is something we’re going to need. We have a very young roster. I want to make sure there’s enough veteran leadership around these guys.”
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype listed a handful of potential trade partners for the Trail Blazers if they do decide to deal Brogdon.
Veteran Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who signed a new five-year, $160MM contract with the club in July, admitted it was “definitely a shock” to realize he won’t be playing with Lillard going forward but said that it’s “part of the business” and that he’s comfortable moving forward with the current group. “Joe and (Blazers owner) Jody (Allen) have been doing a great job,” Grant said (Twitter link via Highkin). “I’m fine.”
With Lillard gone, there may be an opening for young wing Shaedon Sharpe to move into the Blazers’ starting lineup, but he said on Monday that he’s not worried about whether he starts or whether he ends up playing at the two or three, according to Highkin (Twitter links). “It doesn’t really matter to me, for real,” he said. Sharpe also told reporters that he expects to play for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics.

Trail Blazers Sign, Waive Ashton Hagans

October 1st, 2023 at 8:05pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 1: The Blazers officially signed and then waived Hagans, according to the NBA transactions log.

He was on an Exhibit 10 deal, meaning if he joins the G League’s Rip City Remix and remains with that team for 60 days, he could earn a bonus up to $75K.

AUGUST 18: The Trail Blazers are signing free agent guard Ashton Hagans to a one-year deal, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Hagans, who played college ball at Kentucky prior to going undrafted in 2020, spent part of 2020/21 — his rookie season — on a two-way contract with the Timberwolves. However, he only appeared in two games with Minnesota for a total of four minutes prior to being waived in February 2021.

The Raptors signed Hagans to an Exhibit 10 contract in October 2021, waiving him almost immediately. He spent ’21/22 playing for their NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.

Last season, the 24-year-old played for the Hornets’ NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, holding modest averages of 6.8 points, 4.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 30 regular season games (21.1 minutes).

Haynes didn’t reveal the terms of Hagans’ contract, but it’s highly likely to be a training camp deal featuring an Exhibit 10 clause. If Hagans is waived before the ’23/24 starts, he could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Portland’s new G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.

The Blazers currently only have 14 players under contract — 12 on guaranteed standard deals, and a pair on two-way contracts.

Latest On Celtics-Trail Blazers Trade

October 1st, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malcolm Brogdon preferred a fresh start after the Celtics nearly dealt him to the Clippers this summer, The Athletic’s quartet of Shams Charania, Jared Weiss, Jared King and Jason Quick report. However, he did not want to be camp holdout, according to Weiss.

A three-way deal involving Kristaps Porzingis fell through due to concerns regarding Brogdon’s injured elbow. Porzingis, of course, was eventually acquired by Boston in a restructured deal with Marcus Smart serving as the primary outgoing piece.

Brogdown was dealt to the Trail Blazers on Sunday along with Robert Williams and two first-rounders for Jrue Holiday.

Boston didn’t want to part with Williams, but he needed to be included to convince Portland to make the trade, per The Athletic’s report.

We have more on the big deal:

Brogdon believed after meeting with the team’s brass earlier this year that he was part of the franchise’s long-term plans, according to Weiss. He was blindsided when he learned the team attempted to include him in a Porzingis blockbuster. Brogdon was also frustrated by rumors he would undergo elbow surgery. He planned to rehab the elbow, as the other areas of concern in his lower body felt relatively fine.
Brogdon was also upset when coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters that Derrick White would be the starting point guard during a press conference announcing Jaylen Brown’s contract extension in July, Weiss adds. Brogdon only communicated with top executive Brad Stevens during the offseason and the veteran guard eventually decided he was willing to rejoin the team but still preferred to be dealt.
The Trail Blazers were initially seeking a haul for Holiday that included four or five future first-round picks, but that demand eventually softened, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Holiday can opt out of his contract after the season, but Himmelsbach hears that both sides view his arrival as the start of a long-term partnership.
The Warriors were never a part of trade discussions involving Holiday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. They are comfortable with their guard rotation entering camp. Golden State’s 2024 first-rounder, which was included in the deal, has now been traded three times. Memphis originally traded for the pick, then dealt it to Boston. It’s now the property of the Trail Blazers.

Trail Blazers Sign Skylar Mays To Two-Way Deal

October 1st, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:49pm: The move is official, the Blazers announced in a press release.

3:45pm: The Trail Blazers are bringing back free agent combo guard Skylar Mays on a two-way deal, his agent Mark Bartelstein informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets that Mays has been working out at Portland’s practice facility throughout the offseason.

The 6’4″ vet appeared in just six contests with the Trail Blazers in 2022/23 after inking a 10-day deal. He put up big numbers in those games, averaging 15.3 PPG on excellent .500/.462/.923 shooting splits, while also chipping in 8.3 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

Mays was drafted with the No. 50 pick by the Hawks in 2020 out of LSU, but failed to carve out a major rotation role during his two seasons in Atlanta. He split most of the 2022/23 season between the Sixers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Capitanes de Ciudad de México, before latching on in Portland.

Celtics Land Jrue Holiday In Trade Involving Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon

October 1st, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:33pm: The Celtics have officially announced the acquisition of Holiday in a press statement.

11:02am: The Celtics will acquire Jrue Holiday from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and draft assets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The draft picks are Golden State’s first-rounder in 2024 and Boston’s unprotected first-rounder in 2029, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Warriors’ pick is top-four protected.

The Celtics were among Holiday’s preferred destinations after he was sent from Milwaukee to Portland in the Damian Lillard deal, Woj adds. He notes that Boston had to make a significant offer to beat out several teams that were pursuing the 33-year-old guard.

Holiday will make roughly $35MM this season and holds a $37.4MM player option for 2024/25. The Celtics are believed to want to work a long-term deal, and he will become eligible for an extension during the second half of the season, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Marks also points out that the trade with Portland wouldn’t be permitted next year because Boston will be above the second apron. He notes that teams in that position have an incentive to maximize their assets before the strictest provisions in the new CBA take effect.

The addition of Holiday provides the Celtics with an emphatic answer to the Bucks’ acquisition of Lillard on Wednesday. Those two trades position Boston and Milwaukee as the clear favorites for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Holiday will help replace the tough defensive presence the Celtics lost when they traded Marcus Smart to Memphis. He can share ball-handling duties with Derrick White and won’t have to be a full-time point guard like he was with the Bucks.

Boston has a hole to fill with the loss of Williams, but the team holds a $6.2MM trade exception that it could use in its search for a replacement, points out Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). If the Celtics can’t find a big man they like, they could use they exception on another player and try to use him in a trade for a center in two months.

After facing a limited market for Lillard throughout the summer, the Trail Blazers have radically reshaped their roster with a pair of deals. In addition to Brogdon and Williams, Portland also acquired Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara, along with three total first-rounders and a pair of pick swaps with Milwaukee.

Brogdon has two years left on his contract at $22.5MM each season, while Williams will make $11.6MM and $12.4MM over the next two years. Portland plans to hold onto Williams and pair him with Ayton in the frontcourt, Wojnarowski tweets. He adds that teams have expressed interest in Brogdon throughout the summer, and he seems to be a logical trade candidate with the Blazers committed to their young guards.

The Clippers, who nearly traded for Brogdon when the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis, are an obvious choice to pursue him now, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Greif also hears that the competition for Holiday came down to L.A. and Boston.