San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Joseph, Jerrett, Smith

January 13th, 2015 at 8:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cory Joseph, cognizant that he was an afterthought as a deep reserve on the Spurs, didn’t even ask his agent about a rookie scale extension before the October deadline because he assumed the team wouldn’t give him one, as he tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Now, amid a breakthrough year for the point guard, it seems like the Spurs will be hard-pressed to afford the raise he’ll likely merit, McDonald writes. “He always impressed me with the way he plays,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is not blessed with the most talent in the world, but I don’t think there is anybody on the planet who gets more out of what he’s got.”

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

The Thunder have once again assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Jerrett’s seventh sojourn of the season with the Blue. The 21-year-old has only appeared in four games with the Thunder this season, and has averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 5.9 minutes per contest.
When the Thunder inked Ish Smith to a deal using a hardship exception back in November, he was looked at as little more than a short-term insurance policy, but Smith turned that audition into a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. Smith’s work ethic impressed the coaching staff, and with Reggie Jackson‘s future with the team cloudy, Smith remains an important part of Oklahoma City’s roster, Slater adds.
The Pelicans created a traded player exception worth $507K for Russ Smith, and the Grizzlies created one valued at $3.15MM for Quincy Pondexter, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Both players were part of the three-team deal with the Celtics for Jeff Green.
Pondexter is overjoyed with the trade that brought him back to the Pelicans, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com writes. “It’s unbelievable,” Pondexter said. “This game takes you full circle sometimes. To be back with [coach] Monty [Williams] and [GM] Dell [Demps] and the guys, there’s no place I’d rather be right now. [New Orleans] was always a second home in the league. I’m glad to be back.” Pondexter spent his rookie season in New Orleans and then was dealt to the Grizzlies for Greivis Vasquez.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Green, Wright, Shved, Spurs

January 10th, 2015 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jeff Green is a worthwhile gamble for the Grizzlies, claims Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal. Memphis is expected to acquire Green from the Celtics in a three-team deal that’s on track to become official when the NBA office reopens Monday. Citing an unidentified scout who calls Green a “a high-end complementary player,” Calkins contends that’s just what the Grizzlies need to match up with the elite teams in the West. “If the trade does happen, getting a guy like [Green] would obviously help us, and we all know that,” said Memphis guard Mike Conley. “We’re trying to keep up just as much as everyone else.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks could regret their decision to part with Brandan Wright, opines Tom Ziller of SB Nation. The young center was sent to Boston as part of the Rajon Rondo deal, but on Friday the Celtics shipped him to the Suns. Not only does that strengthen a potential playoff foe for the Mavericks, it puts him in a winning environment and makes him less likely to return to Dallas when he becomes a free agent in July.
Alexey Shved, who came to the Rockets in a December 19th trade involving the Wolves and Sixers, returned from a left ankle sprain Saturday and should get some playing time, reports Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. Coach Kevin McHale is already a fan of the Russian guard. “He has great vision, he has great height, he really drives to pass,” McHale said. “He is a pass-first guy. We will try to find a way to fit him into our rotation.”
Stan Van Gundy is looking to the Spurs as a model as he tries to build a winner in Detroit, reports David Mayo of MLive. The Pistons’ coach/president has long been a fan of the way the defending champs conduct their business. “There’s all kinds of things that you can learn from this organization,” Van Gundy said. “The hard thing is trying to actually execute and do what they’ve done. It’s not like they’ve got a secret formula that no one else can follow. They’ve just done it better than everybody else.”

Southwest Notes: Smith, Koufos, Spurs

January 9th, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets coach Kevin McHale is using Josh Smith in a reserve role rather than as a starter due to Smith’s preference, not his own, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “The biggest thing is about getting him comfortable,” McHale said. “He has to get where he’s comfortable. He felt more comfortable with that second team. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. I’ve sat him down and said, “Ok, are you more comfortable coming off the bench? Are you more comfortable starting? Where are you at, because this is about you being comfortable, not me being comfortable?’ I just sit over on that bench. I don’t have to be comfortable.”

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Smith is happy for his former Pistons teammates and the success that they have enjoyed since his departure to the Rockets, Feigen writes in a separate piece. Smith also isn’t fazed by the criticism levied against him in regards to being the reason that Detroit was a losing team, Feigen adds. “I have no hard feelings,” Smith said. “I felt great about the opportunity that was given to me and I looked at it more as a blessing than anything. No. 1, I think I was signed under Joe Dumars. You come in with a new group, a new situation. I knew he [Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy] probably wanted his guys in there. There were a lot of young guys that needed to be groomed. They were more in the rebuilding stage. He didn’t want to string me along for the process because he was understanding this is my 11th year and I should have an opportunity to play for a good team.”
Grizzlies big man Kosta Koufos is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Koufos will have to decide whether staying in Memphis as a reserve or leaving to pursue a starting role with another team will make him happier in the long-run, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders writes. “I do want to play a lot more,” Koufos said. “You know, who doesn’t [want to play more]? But right now I’m not thinking about the summer. I’m thinking about the now, and right now I’m with the Memphis Grizzlies trying to help them win as many games as possible. That’s my goal. You have to feel confident. This [is] my role right now so I have to go with it.”
In the midst of disappointing stretches, both the Spurs and the Thunder are in danger of sliding to lower playoff seeds, or out of the postseason entirely, Jeff Caplan of FOX Sports Southwest writes.

Western Notes: Murry, Randle, Green

January 5th, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Jazz waived Toure’ Murry yesterday, and his agent, Bernie Lee, doesn’t think Murry was given a fair chance in Utah, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports. “Utah just didn’t see value in giving [Toure’] a real opportunity to prove himself, which is their right,” Lee said. “I had a sense things were working against him early when during the Jazz’s first open scrimmage in the preseason the team-employed radio voice used the forum to crush his future NBA prospects. Just an odd situation through and through. He went to Utah as a young developing point guard who played 51 games for an extremely visible team and today leaves Utah having played his last game as an assigned player in the NBADL [D-League] having been asked to play the four. Perspective and opportunity are a funny thing in basketball.”

Lee also added that Murry will explore free agent opportunities if he clears waivers, Sierra notes. “If there isn’t a spot for him immediately, he will enter the NBA D-League and go on to continue to develop and prove himself as an NBA-caliber PG.”

Here’s more from out west:

Lakers rookie Julius Randle is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday morning to replace the screw in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, the team announced. This injury was a source of concern from NBA teams leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, and possibly caused Randle’s stock to fall, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes. Randle was already out for the season thanks to a broken leg he suffered during his first regular season game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but praise for Draymond Green, who is almost assuredly set to garner a huge pay raise when he hits restricted free agency this summer, Rusty Simmons of The San Franciso Chronicle writes. When asked if Green could be named Defensive Player of the Year, Kerr said, “I wouldn’t argue with that. Draymond has to be mentioned for a lot of different things because of the impact he’s had. Most Improved Player would be a possibility. I don’t know if he’s going to make the All-Star team, but he would have my vote. He’s just been brilliant, and he represents kind of who we are as a team — the versatility, the scrapping, the toughness.”
Spurs rookie Kyle Anderson was expected to spend more time in the D-League than in the NBA this season, but injuries to key players have altered those plans, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes.

Marc Gasol On Free Agency, Lakers, Grizzlies

January 2nd, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Memphis big man Marc Gasol is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and will not lack suitors for his services. The Knicks, Spurs, Lakers and Raptors have already been reported to be interested in signing the 29-year-old, and the list of parties wanting to lure him away from the Grizzlies is likely to keep on growing. Gasol sat down with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (hat tip to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News) to discuss a number of topics. The entire article is worthy of a look, but here are some of the highlights…

On what variables Gasol is going to weigh when making his free agency decision:

“I haven’t weighed anything yet. Knowing that Arn [Tellem] will handle pretty much the load of everything else, whenever July comes, it’ll come. We’ll sit down and have a human eye-to-eye conversation and we’ll see what we’re looking for and looking at for the next four or five years of my life with the team and different teams and my family. Whatever decision I make, it would be the best.”

On if he would consider the Lakers as an option:

“I haven’t even looked at it yet. Whenever the time comes, I’m not going to say no to anything or refuse anything. I’m not going to agree to anything. We’re much in no man’s land right now. I pretty much just have to wait until July.”

On if his brother, Pau Gasol, provided any perspective on playing in Los Angeles:

“That was Pau’s time. I won’t say no to anything right now. It’s not something I have in front of me right now. If it’s presented to me, I’ll think about it. If not, I won’t.”

On his thoughts about being included in the 2008 trade that brought his brother to the Lakers:

“I never thought I would be in this league. I was happy for Pau because I knew that he needed a new start. I didn’t see myself as an NBA player. I didn’t see myself coming over here [from his native Spain]. I knew the Lakers didn’t know much about me. I never talked to them and they never came over. They gave me a training camp minimum contract. I wasn’t going to leave my team to be a training camp guy, especially not knowing what a training camp guy is. I would have a slim chance of making the team. It happens, but it normally doesn’t happen. I was just happy for Pau, honestly. I think it worked out pretty well for both sides. The Grizzlies got what they want, which was rebuilding and the cap space at that time and some young players. I don’t think they knew what that could turn into. The Lakers obviously have two rings, which is the ultimate goal and a great, unique and outstanding player in Pau. I don’t think they’ll get another one like that in years to come.”

On if he knew that he would develop into one of the best centers in the game after being dealt:

“I don’t think they knew the player I was. Nobody knew. Even today, I don’t think I’m the player I can still be. You never know. You make a decision and you have your side. They got a pretty good result having Pau for 6 and a half years. I don’t think they got the most out of Pau. They used Pau well for the 3 and a half years. But after that, the team didn’t have everything figured out. It was sad to see that. Move on and onto the next goal and next thing.”

And-Ones: Murphy, Belinelli, Smith

January 2nd, 2015 at 3:26pm CST by Charlie Adams

Kevin Murphy has signed a deal to join Zhejiang Guangsha in China, as Priority Sports, the agency that represents Murphy, announced on Twitter. We had already heard that the former Jazz camp invitee was leaving the D-League to pursue an opportunity to play overseas. We’ll round up more international news and have a look at what’s happening around the rest of the NBA below..

Marco Belinelli, a free agent at season’s end, wouldn’t comment on whether or not he was interested in re-joining the Spurs next season, reports Riccardo Pratesiba of La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Basketball Insiders). Still, it’s fair to assert Belinelli would have some interest in returning to San Antonio, where he’s enjoyed quite a bit of success over the past two seasons.
MLive’s David Mayo has never witnessed the sort of “mental and spiritual turnaround” that the Pistons have seemed to experience since waiving Josh Smith. Mayo sees the decision to part ways with Smith as a similar move to the one that sent Rudy Gay from the Raptors to the Kings,
Anthony Tolliver‘s partially guaranteed 2015/16 contract seemingly makes it less likely that the Pistons retain Jonas Jerebko next season, Mayo argues in the same piece. Given the relatively similar characteristics of the two players, Mayo thinks it’s likely the Pistons hang on to Tolliver rather than Jerebko, who is a free agent at year’s end, since they already have Tolliver under contract and can cut him loose for only $400K if he doesn’t meet expectations.
Turkey’s Istanbul BSB has officially announced (via Twitter) the signing of Sasha Vujacic along with three other players (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Vujacic played two games for the Clippers last season on a 10-day contract before signing a deal to play in Europe.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Smith, Dorsey, Spurs

January 2nd, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said he wasn’t concerned by negative comments about Rajon Rondo before last month’s trade, reports Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com. “Contrary to what a lot of people say about him,” Carlisle said, “he’s thirsty for knowledge. He’s a sponge. He wants to learn as much as possible about our team.” Rondo returns to Boston tonight for the first time since the December 18th deal. Through six games with the Mavericks, the team’s defense has improved with Rondo, but the offense has slipped.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets have already seen the good and bad side of Josh Smith, opines Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Houston signed Smith last Friday after he was waived by the Pistons, and he played a key role in a victory at Memphis that night. But he has also displayed the poor shot selection and questionable judgment that got him run out of Detroit. Blinebury writes that until GM Daryl Morey makes another move, the assimilation of Smith will determine whether the Rockets can become an elite team.
To make room for Smith, the Rockets waived center Tarik Black, which has created more playing time for Joey Dorsey, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. “It was tough to let go of Tarik, but Joey is coming off the bench, he is giving great energy and great effort and that’s exactly what we want,” coach Kevin McHale said. “Any errors that he is having aren’t for lack of effort, and that’s all you can ask for.” Dorsey signed a two-year deal last summer worth nearly $2MM after spending three seasons overseas.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is concerned that age may finally be catching up with his team, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio fought through a difficult December schedule and a rash of injuries — particularly to Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard — and at 20-14 the team isn’t a lock to reach the playoffs. “People have been calling us old for, like, 10 years, it seems like, but it’s true,” Popovich said. “We are getting older and those injuries take a toll the older you get. You don’t come back the same way. It’s not just, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re fine.’ What level of health will we be if we don’t take care of some of these? But it’s out of your control, so we just move along.”

Western Notes: Smith, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers

December 27th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Smith did things backwards in his debut with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle; his first game came before his first practice. After being signed Friday morning, Smith was thrown into the fire quickly against the Grizzlies. He delivered 21 points and eight rebounds as Houston won in overtime. On Saturday, he got his first workout with his new team. “When you’re a professional and you’ve played a lot of years like myself, it’s not that hard especially when you know a lot of the guys in the locker room,” said Smith, who was waived Monday by the Pistons. “They helped me out when I was kind of lost out there on the floor. They helped me along the way to get me through those situations.”

There’s much more from the Western Conference:

The addition of Smith, combined with the trade that brought Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved from the Timberwolves, has transformed the Rockets from a shallow team to a deep one, Feigen notes. Houston got 48 points off the bench in Memphis, and although Smith’s total figured into that, the bench should remain potent even if he becomes a starter. A return from injury by Terrence Jones, which coach Kevin McHale estimates in four to six weeks, could fortify the second unit — or it could provide GM Daryl Morey with more trade ammunition.
Kawhi Leonard is the key to the Spurs‘ title hopes, opines Stephen Babb of Bleacher Report, which is why they need his injured right hand to heal as quickly as possible. Leonard tore a ligament in the hand December 9th, and the team has struggled in his absence. “He can’t move his hand,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He can’t catch and dribble and that kind of stuff. Medically, they don’t think he can hurt it any more, so that’s good. So it’s just a matter of can he get used to the hand.”
The Lakers‘ Nick Young has stopped joking that the team will be fine without the injured Kobe Bryant, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. After shooting 6 for 22 from the field in the past two games without the injured star, Young was contrite. “We’re always going to need Kobe out there on the floor, especially for players like me,” said Young. “That releases a lot of pressure.”

Ray Allen Leaning Toward Retirement

December 27th, 2014 at 8:28am CST by Chuck Myron

Sought-after free agent shooting guard Ray Allen is leaning toward retirement, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com told ESPN Cleveland radio host Jason Gibbs on Friday (Twitter link; audio link). It would be a disappointment to several teams if the 39-year-old were to retire, and particularly to the Cavs, who have seemingly been the front-runners to land him since the summer even as Allen and agent Jim Tanner repeatedly insisted that no decision had been made. The Clippers, Grizzlies and Warriors were the most recent teams to jump in the fray for him, while Cleveland was among a group that maintained interest as of late last month that also included the Wizards, Bulls and Spurs.

Allen spent last season with the Heat, but he’s seemingly ruled out the idea of returning to play in Miami. The league’s all-time leading three-point shot maker appeared to show his age last year, averaging 9.6 points per game, the first time he put up fewer than 10 PPG in his 18 NBA seasons. The career 40.0% three-point shooter connected on just 37.5% of his attempts from behind the arc in 2013/14. Still, that rate put Allen among the better outside shooters, and his experience as a two-time champion gives him extra value to contenders. He indicated a strong preference for playing for more than the minimum salary this summer, and since many teams, including the Cavs, can pay him no more than that, it’s quite possible that’s a factor in his decision-making. A prorated minimum-salary contract would give Allen the lowest salary of his career, one in which he’s accumulated more than $184MM in earnings, as Basketball-Reference shows.

The 10-time All-Star has enjoyed a decorated career that’s likely Hall-of-Fame worthy regardless of whether he comes back to pad his total of 2,973 three-pointers, more than 400 more than the next player on the list and more than 900 more than Jason Terry, the active leader in that category. Still, he was much more than just a spot-up shooter, averaging 21.8 PPG or better eight times, including 2006/07, when he put up a career-high 26.4 PPG for the SuperSonics. That was the season before a trade sent him to Boston, where he earned his first championship. He left the Celtics in somewhat acrimonious fashion in 2012 to join the Heat, and he picked up title No. 2 in Miami. He didn’t make it to the Finals with either Seattle or his original team, the Bucks, but he was on a Milwaukee team that fell in a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals in 2001.

Southwest Notes: Mills, Rockets, Pelicans

December 25th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs will welcome the injured Patty Mills back to their lineup soon, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Mills hasn’t played yet this season after having rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder during the summer. Mills said he has been cleared for full practices, but is not ready for game action. Coach Gregg Popovich will be careful not to rush him back into the lineup. “If he messes up the shoulder again, we lose him for the season,” Popovich said. “He’s too important.” Mills played through pain last season and was a key contributor off the bench in San Antonio’s run to the championship. Despite the long rehab, the Spurs opted to reward the free agent guard with a contract worth approximately $11MM over three years.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets had their eyes on Josh Smith for several years before he was waived by the Pistons, reports Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report. Houston was interested in a sign-and-trade with the Hawks when Smith hit the free agent market in 2013, but wasn’t able to work out a deal. Instead, Smith inked a four-year, $54MM pact with Detroit. Smith cleared waivers Wednesday and has been open about his intention to join the Rockets, but the team must clear a roster spot before a deal can be finalized.
Smith confirmed to Michael Lee of The Washington Post that Dwight Howard had a lot to do with his decision to choose Houston. Smith and Howard have been friends since their AAU days, and Howard served as best man at Smith’s wedding. The Rockets’ center made a recruiting pitch to Smith after he was waived. “Dwight the player was big,” an unidentified person close to Smith said. “Dwight the person didn’t hurt, let’s be honest.”
Coach Monty Williams questioned the Pelicans‘ toughness after Tuesday’s loss to the Pacers, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. “What I didn’t like is we didn’t respond to the physicality,” Williams said. “… We spent too much time worrying about the calls than playing the game.” The Pelicans have been plagued by inconsistent play despite the presence of MVP candidate Anthony Davis and the offseason addition of Omer Asik.