San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Ellis, Rockets, Spurs

March 10th, 2014 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

All three Texas teams have the night off, but we’ve got plenty of news to keep those in the Lone Star state occupied..

Monta Ellis described his first season with the Mavericks as escaping from “a deep hole,” saying he’s enjoying basketball as much as he has since his second season in the NBA, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. “I would have to say my last time feeling like this was 2007, when we made the playoffs,” Ellis said Monday, referring to the eighth-seeded Warriors, who upset the top-seeded Mavs in the first round. “This happy? 2007.“
The Rockets have been focused on chemistry ever since their busy offseason and coach Kevin McHale believes that the team has made major strides, writes Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. “They have much better collective chemistry,” McHale said. “I think that is one of the most underrated things in sports — how well does everybody play with everybody? How well do they know their strengths and weaknesses? And they have a common goal of being really good together and that common goal is overriding any of the little stuff that was happening earlier.”
The Spurs boast the deepest roster in the NBA, but Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News wonders if that’s a good thing.

D-League Notes: Byars, Karasev, Buycks

March 5th, 2014 at 9:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Derrick Byars has been acquired as a returning player by the Bakersfield Jam, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Byars’ last NBA action came during a call up by the Spurs during the 2011/2012 season. He attended training camp with the Grizzlies this season, and most recently had signed with the Russian club Krasny Oktybr, but left the team prior to ever playing in a game.

Western Notes: Thunder, Granger, Iguodala

March 2nd, 2014 at 8:44am CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the bigger stories of the week was the Clippers signing Danny Granger for the rest of the season. Despite being in uniform he was unable to play in last night’s game thanks to a “clerical error” that accidentally listed him as inactive. But going forward, Granger should help bolster the team’s weak front line, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLos Angeles.com. Coach Doc Rivers thinks that his best fit on the team might be as a starter, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. This would allow Matt Barnes to return to a bench role and have Granger be more of a defensive asset for the first-team.

Here’s more from out west:

The Spurs didn’t land Granger, but Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News doesn’t think the team needs him. Instead, he points to how Boris Diaw‘s numbers and production are comparable to Granger’s.
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman explores the possibility of the Thunder signing Ben Gordon if he is waived by the Bobcats. Since March 1st has passed, Gordon would be able to play for another team in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
In a separate article, Mayberry looks at 15 possible players the Thunder could sign to fill their 15th roster spot.
The recently signed Caron Butler is expected to be in uniform for Tuesday’s game when the Thunder take on the Sixers, tweets Mayberry.
Suns GM Ryan McDonough says the team’s long-term approach hasn’t changed, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “We’re trying to get great players, through the draft or trade or free agency, but in the short term I think we’re ahead of what most people thought we would be. If we can use things like our cap space to help solidify our team we’ll do that, but at the same time we’re happy with the group we have”, McDonough said. Washburn also analyzes how the Suns are set heading into the offseason and some moves the team might make.
Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders analyzes the dividends that the signing of Andre Iguodala has paid to the Warriors.

Caron Butler Signs With Thunder

March 1st, 2014 at 7:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder have signed Caron Butler, the team announced. The Raymond Brothers client spurns the Heat, who had been co-favorites with Oklahoma City. The Bulls, Spurs and Rockets were also in contention for the 12th-year veteran. The deal covers the rest of the season, and perhaps there’s a player option for 2014/15, as Glen Davis recently received from the Clippers.

“We are pleased to welcome Caron Butler to the Thunder organization and to Oklahoma City,” GM Sam Presti said. “Caron represents what we look for in a Thunder player and will positively impact our team. His toughness. hard-nosed defense, resiliency and highly regarded professionalism will only enhance our depth and bring additional versatility to the roster.”

Oklahoma City had reportedly been seeking a two-way wing player before the trade deadline, and were willing to give up their own 2014 first-round pick to acquire Iman Shumpert from the Knicks. New York turned the Thunder down, and while Butler isn’t quite the defensive presence that Shumpert is, the Thunder appear to be better off, particularly since they’ll get to keep their draft pick and they’re likely making only a minimum-salary investment. Oklahoma City had been carrying just 13 players, so the team didn’t have to make a corresponding move.

Butler, who turns 34 in March, has been enduring one of his worst shooting seasons, connecting on just 38.7% of his shots. He’s still making 36.1% of his three-point attempts, and he averaged 11.0 points in 24.1 minutes per game for Milwaukee, which is close to his native Racine, Wisconsin. Butler’s homecoming this season to the league-worst Bucks was no fairy tale, and the team made him a part of trade talks before agreeing to a buyout this week. It’s unclear how much of this season’s $8MM salary he gave up to pry his way out his contract, which was set to end this summer.

The two-time All-Star goes from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to the top of the West with Oklahoma City, which figures to make Butler the backup to Kevin Durant and use them together in small-ball lineups. The early end of OKC’s pursuit of Danny Granger, who wound up picking the Clippers late Thursday night, reportedly led executives around the league to believe the Thunder were confident about their ability to land Butler. Miami had seemed like a natural fit, since the Heat made Butler the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft, and he played his first two seasons with the team, developing a close relationship with Dwyane Wade, the godfather of one of Butler’s daughters.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the agreement, noting that it covered the rest of the season.

Spurs Notes: Daye, Free Agents

February 28th, 2014 at 8:36pm CST by Cray Allred

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters, including Josh McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, that Nando De Colo‘s request for San Antonio to move him to a better situation was the impetus for GM R.C. Buford to trade him to the Raptors last week. Popovich says Buford was working to accommodate De Colo’s wishes for some time (Twitter links). Here’s more from San Antonio:

Popovich said in the same session that he isn’t feeling very anxious about what free agents the Spurs could add, per Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links): “R.C. and the boys are doing their due diligence but there’s nothing there we’re super excited about.” The Spurs have been linked to multiple players on the buyout market, but haven’t landed any to this point.
Austin Daye, whom the Spurs acquired in the De Colo trade, tells Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press that turbulence with the Pistons during his few years in the league helped him mature: “I saw a lot of things usually a lot of first-year guys don’t see, second-year guys don’t see—guys getting into it with coaches and stuff like that and all type of different stuff going on. It was tough when guys didn’t want to go to shootaround and all that stuff,” says Daye. “I kind of had to grow and mature as a player and as a person. I think I was able to do that my third to fourth year. Just be mature, come into work every day and beat somebody out for their spot. Just earn your minutes as best you can, instead of expecting stuff.”
Daye hopes to make enough of an impression for the Spurs to guarantee the final year of his contract next season, worth $1.1MM. He wants a chance to succeed like other Spurs reclamation projects have. “Look at what happened to [Danny Green]. He wasn’t playing at all in Cleveland, never sniffed the floor when he was there. He came into this system and the system really helps players like that. It helps players with perhaps a special skill-set or maybe even one skill-set,” says Daye. “I think it’s a great chance for me—I don’t think it’s the last chance for me. If that’s what they’ve been saying, that’s what they can think. I know I’m a good player in this league, I know I can play in this league.”

Bucks Waive Caron Butler In Buyout Deal

February 27th, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:43pm: The Bucks have officially waived Butler, the team announced. There’s no mention of a buyout arrangement in the statement, but presumably that’s what took place. He’s set to become a free agent on Saturday.

3:56pm: A source tells Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel that Butler’s parting of ways with the Bucks is official, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears he’ll be placed on waivers today (Twitter links). Still, there’s been no official announcement from the team.

8:01am: Caron Butler and the Bucks have reached agreement on a buyout, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who casts the Thunder and Heat as the favorites to sign the small forward once he clears waivers. The Bulls and Spurs are also in the running, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter links). Butler will hit waivers once Milwaukee makes the move official, and presumably will become a free agent 48 hours later.

The Heat appeared to be the front runners for their former lottery pick when news broke earlier this week that Butler and the Bucks were talking about a buyout, but it appears they have strong competition from Oklahoma City. The Spurs have also previously been linked to Butler, but the Bulls appear to be a newcomer to the pursuit.

The 33-year-old Butler was in trade chatter leading up to the deadline, and while one report indicated the Bucks would be reluctant to give up the Wisconsin native, another suggested the team was ready to part ways, either via trade or buyout. Milwaukee acquired Butler in a trade with the Suns in the offseason, though he never played for Phoenix, which traded for him earlier in the summer in a deal with the Clippers. Butler’s expiring contract calls for him to make $8MM this season, though it’s unclear how much of that the Raymond Brothers client is giving up in the buyout.

Buyout Rumors: Bulls, Granger, Butler

February 27th, 2014 at 12:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls don’t believe adding a 13th guaranteed contract at this point will push the team into the luxury tax, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. I examined last month how the team’s proximity to the tax could affect its roster, and Mark Deeks of ShamSports did the same, noting how a bonus for Taj Gibson could push the team over the tax line. Deeks tweeted recently that the Bulls couldn’t sign anyone for the rest of the season until April 3rd, but judging from reports linking them to Jimmer Fredette, Danny Granger and Caron Butler, it appears they don’t have to wait that long. Here’s more on a bustling post-deadline market:

Granger is having phone conversations today with the Spurs, Heat, Rockets, Clippers and Bulls, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Those are the teams that TNT’s David Aldridge identified Wednesday as Granger’s preferred destinations.
Deeks clarifies that the Bulls can sign two players for the rest of the season today and stay out of the tax if they’re confident Gibson won’t make an All-Defensive Team and trigger the bonus clause in his contract. If they wanted to play it safe in case Gibson does earn such an honor, they’d have to wait until April 3rd to hand out any contract for the rest of the season (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

The Bulls‘ best shot at landing a significant target is with Fredette, McGraw tweets.
The Rockets are also interested in Butler, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, who hears the Raymond Brothers client could make his decision on a new team today. The Heat and Thunder appear to be the favorites to land him.
The Bulls don’t have interest in newly minted free agent Metta World Peace, and they wouldn’t pursue Ben Gordon, either, if he buys his way off the Bobcats, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
The Thunder were linked to Granger last week, but they haven’t been since, and the end of their pursuit has led many in the NBA to believe they’re confident about their chance to land Butler, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The contract that Glen Davis signed with the Clippers is a two-year deal for the minimum salary with a player option for next season, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Davis joined the Clippers after securing a buyout from the Magic.

Sixers Reach Buyout Deal With Danny Granger

February 26th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:38pm: Granger’s representatives were present at the Clippers/Rockets game to meet with Los Angeles officials, per Shelburne (Twitter link). Shelburne adds that the Rockets’ push to sign Granger could have something to do with the appearance.

5:05pm: Stein and ESPN.com colleague Ramona Shelburne suggest in their full story that the Clippers are the favorites, and add that Granger is seeking a championship contender as well as playing time.

4:09pm: The Sixers and Danny Granger have reached agreement on a buyout, the team has announced, and Philadelphia has placed the 30-year-old on waivers. David Aldridge of NBA.com first reported the news. The Clippers have emerged as front runners for Granger, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Aldridge names the Clippers, Rockets, Bulls, Heat and Spurs as Granger’s preferred destinations, reiterating his report from earlier today. Marc Stein of ESPN.com casts it as a battle between the Clippers and the Spurs (Twitter link).

“Given Danny’s future goals and his desire to pursue them, we worked to fulfill his requests and have come to a resolution that we feel is mutually beneficial to both Danny and our organization,” Sixers GM Sam Hinkie said in a statement. “We wish Danny the best in the next phase of his career.”

The Pacers traded Granger to the Sixers at the deadline, but Granger was upset upon hearing the news. The Sixers hesitated as they pondered retaining the former All-Star for a possible sign-and-trade in the summer, but they wound up acquiescing to his desires. It’s not clear how much money Granger is forfeiting from his more than $14MM salary.

The Creative Artists Agency client figures to be the prize of the buyout market, even though one GM told Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that he thinks the ninth-year veteran is “done” after injuries that have plagued him the last two seasons. Chris Mannix of SI.com reiterates Stein’s report that the Spurs and Clippers are the front runners, having heard that from executives with other clubs (Twitter link).

Bucks, Butler Discussing Buyout

February 26th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 8:54pm: While progress continues between Butler and the Bucks, it appears the buyout may not be complete until Thursday per C.F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 10:47pm: The buyout is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, leaving ample time for Butler to clear waivers by Friday and retain his playoff eligibility (Marc Stein of ESPN reports). Stein also says the Heat will be at the front of the line to sign their former draft pick and that Butler is expected to verbally commit to a team before clearing waivers.

10:06pm: TNT’s David Aldridge (via Twitter) also confirms the report, adding that many around the league think the Heat will be Butler’s landing spot once he reaches a buyout. The Spurs and Thunder are also said to be interested.

5:54pm: The Bucks and Raymond Brothers, the agent of forward Caron Butler, are in the process of discussing a buyout, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Five days ago, we passed along that Milwaukee may have included Butler’s name in trade discussions with the Bobcats, who ultimately traded for Luke Ridnour and Gary Neal.

Butler was acquired from Phoenix last August, and although the Milwaukee native had originally been excited about his homecoming, there had been rumblings that he eventually became frustrated with his role over the course of the year. Back in September, Bucks GM John Hammond made it clear that the 6’7 swingman was brought in to be a starter and play a significant role. However, Butler had only started in 13 of 34 games this season after starting in 78 for the Clippers during 2012/13.

This year, the former UConn standout is averaging 11.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG while shooting 38.7% from the field and 36.1% from long distance. He is currently in the final season of a three-year, $24MM contract and will turn 34 next month.

Southwest Notes: Granger, Grizzlies, Spurs

February 26th, 2014 at 6:51pm CST by Cray Allred

The Southwest Division, where four out of five teams could make the playoffs, is abuzz today. The Rockets and Spurs are jostling at the top of the Western standings, and have both been linked to Danny Granger, who could be the biggest buyout prize this year. The Mavs are also rumored to be in on Granger, and they’re bumping shoulders at the bottom of playoff contention with the Grizzlies, who claimed Beno Udrih off waivers today. Here’s some more from what should remain one of the more interesting divisions this year:

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles seconded earlier reports that the Spurs, Rockets, and Mavs all have a shot at Granger (Twitter link).
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger told reporters before tonight’s game, including Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, that he won’t address newly acquired Udrih until tomorrow (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies are a game and a half out of the playoffs this season after former coach Lionel Hollins took them to the Western Conference Finals last year, but CEO Jason Levien has no regrets about hiring new coach Dave Joerger. Levien made his comments in an appearance on Sports 56 WHBQ radio in Memphis, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal notes (Twitter link). “I feel better about the decision today than I did in June or July,” Levien said. “He’s been terrific.”
The Grizzlies have assigned Jamaal Franklin D-League, the team announced. The 41st pick in the draft this past June hasn’t started in any of his three appearances with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, an affiliate Memphis shares with five other NBA teams.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tells Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News that the team hasn’t yet been active in the buyout market, but is ready when the opportunity arrives: “Like everyone else we’re looking at all the names. If we see there’s a body there we think can help us we’ll try to do it, but we haven’t done anything to this point.” The Spurs are reportedly one of the front-runners for Danny Granger’s services once the short-timer Sixers guard clears waivers.
Metta World Peace is one player in the buyout market the Spurs are not interested in, according to Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). The former Ron Artest was reportedly interested in San Antonio as a landing spot, but the interest apparently isn’t mutual.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.