San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers, Granger Nearing Buyout

February 26th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Cray Allred

10:12am: There isn’t quite as much interest in Granger as other reports have suggested, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who hears from one GM who says that he has no interest at all and that Granger is “done” (Twitter link). Still, I’d be surprised if Granger doesn’t receive multiple attractive offers once a buyout is done.

WEDNESDAY, 7:59am: The buyout should be done today, TNT’s David Aldridge hears, identifying the Clippers, Bulls, Heat, Rockets and Spurs as teams in the hunt for the 30-year-old (Twitter link).

10:55pm: It’s also being said that Granger is weighing all of his options right now, including staying with Philadelphia for the remainder of the season, according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN. However, if Granger should complete a buyout soon enough, Stein tweets that the Spurs and Clippers will be in a two-team race for his services.

TUESDAY, 4:35pm: Granger appears to be limiting his interest to realistic title contenders, rather than mere playoff teams, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.

MONDAY, 6:30pm: Coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter), that the club might have an announcement regarding Granger in the next 24 hours. There’s no nameplate on Granger’s locker and he won’t be in action for tonight’s game against the Bucks.

SATURDAY, 12:06pm: League sources tell Charania that Granger would likely choose between the Heat, Clippers, Bulls, Spurs, and Mavs as a free agent should the buyout happen (Twitter link).

11:55am: In initial discussions regarding a buyout for recently acquired Danny Granger, the Sixers have been cooperative with the shooting guard, a league source tells RealGM.com’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).

Despite reports that Granger was unhappy with being traded and immediately wanted a buyout, it appears there is no animosity between him and the Sixers organization. Earlier in the day, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Granger was undergoing a team physical, but adds that the physical does not mean that the former All-Star isn’t interested in a buyout (Twitter links).

Granger was traded to the Sixers from the Pacers at the trade deadline after spending the first eight-plus years of his career in Indiana. A knee injury has limited Granger’s athleticism and impact over the last two seasons, when he has been moved to the bench and averaged under 23 minutes and 10 points per game for the first time since his rookie season.

Knicks Rumors: Shumpert, World Peace, Udrih

February 24th, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Iman Shumpert has been all over Hoops Rumors for months now, so why is he still in New York? Chris Broussard of ESPN.com heard from a league source that the Thunder were willing to part with a 2014 first-rounder even after Shumpert suffered a strained left MCL. However, the Knicks refused to do the deal because they weren’t getting a current player in return who could help them make a push for this season’s playoffs. At the end of the day, they deemed Shumpert more valuable than the super low pick OKC is bound to get, according to sources. The latest out of New York after the Knicks made their buyout agreements with Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih official..

After officially hammering out a buyout with the Knicks, World Peace is hoping to land with the Thunder, Spurs, or Heat, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. MWP has averaged just 4.8 PPG in limited minutes this season.
Coach Mike Woodson says the Knicks may look at perimeter defenders and front court players to fill the roster spots vacated by World Peace and Udrih, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Ike Diogu isn’t the right fit for the Knicks, opines Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal. Diogu offers a lot of low-post strength at the forward position but what the Knicks really need is a point guard, preferably a young one.

Southwest Rumors: Nowitzki, Grizzlies, Daye

February 24th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets are apparently on the mind of Charlie Villanueva as the possibility of a buyout from the Pistons looms, while the Grizzlies are interested in Lester Hudson, who last played in the NBA two years ago with Memphis. Here’s the rest of what we’re hearing from the Southwest Division:

Dirk Nowitzki said last month that he’ll probably re-sign with the Mavericks on a two- or three-year deal this summer, but the 35-year-old can envision a series of one-year deals after that, keeping him in the NBA past his 40th birthday. Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the details.
The Grizzlies were willing to make a trade that put them a hair over the tax line, but they weren’t going to give up Ed Davis, an object of desire for many teams, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his latest “Morning Tip” column for NBA.com.
Austin Daye was overjoyed when he heard about Thursday’s trade that sent him to the Spurs, telling reporters, including Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, that he screamed into his pillow in a moment of exuberance upon hearing the news. Daye, whose contract is partially guaranteed for next season, said the Spurs have been one of his favorite teams since childhood, McDonald adds (Twitter links).

Magic Waive Glen Davis In Buyout Arrangement

February 23rd, 2014 at 10:37am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 10:37am: Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter Link) has heard that the Nets have been told that Davis will sign with the Clippers once he clears waivers at 5 p.m. today.

SATURDAY, 1:58pm: The Nets and Clippers remain the frontrunners to sign Davis, but the Heat might be interested in him as well, says Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein also hears that all of the teams with rumored interest in Big Baby expect him to make a decision on where to sign before the end of the weekend (Twitter links).

FRIDAY, 7:05pm: You can add the Bulls to the list of teams that may be interested in Davis, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter Link).

6:20pm: According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link), the Magic will not be using the stretch provision on Davis, and will take the full hit on his $6.6MM salary during the 2014/2015 season. Kyler also tweeted that the team had told Davis of their intention to waive him and buy out his contract last weekend.

1:51pm: Kevin Garnett is recruiting Davis as part of a hard push from the Nets to convince him to sign with Brooklyn, Wojnarowski tweets.

1:45pm: The Magic have officially announced that they’ve come to a buyout arrangment and waived Davis. It’s unclear how much of his salary Davis is relinquishing.

1:04pm: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but the release of Davis has been finalized, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).

12:43pm: There’s a sense around the league that Davis and Rivers already have what amounts to an agreement for Big Baby to join the Clippers once he clears waivers, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The Magic are expected to officially release Davis this afternoon, tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

THURSDAY, 9:43pm: Along with the Clippers, the Heat, Spurs, Nets, and Warriors are expressing interest in Big Baby, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

6:58pm: The Magic and Glen Davis have reached agreement on a buyout, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The buyout should be official tomorrow morning.

Orlando was dangling the big man at the deadline but they were unable to find a taker. Davis was due the remainder of his $6.4MM salary this season and $6.6MM in 2014/15. The 28-year-old is coming off of a year in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG with a 15.0 PER in an injury-shortened season. So far in 2013/14, Davis has been bitten by the injury bug once again. He’s putting up 12.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 30.1 minutes per contest this season.

The Clippers figure to be a strong frontrunner for Davis now that he’s available, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Los Angeles makes a lot of sense for Davis who has a relationship with Doc Rivers and presumably would like to join a contender. For Orlando, the buyout should open up playing time for Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn as they look to the future.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown

February 22nd, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Charlie Adams

Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:

According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.

Western Notes: Brooks, Brewer, Rockets

February 22nd, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

MarShon Brooks isn’t accustomed to a significant role, but he’s ready to play as a member of the Lakers. His impressive performance against the C’s last night left some wondering if he considered the matchup a “revenge game,” but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along that Brooks doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his old team. “You know what, a lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics,” Brooks said. “But I guarantee you that there’s no one happier for me than Brad Stevens and [Celtics assistant] Jay Larranaga.” Here’s more from the West..

After being waived by the Rockets, Ronnie Brewer tells Mark Berman of My FOX Houston he will look to land with another team. “The NBA is a business,” the 28-year old said. “You got to accept the decision. You have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and hopefully a team can pick you up for the remainder of the season.”
It appears that the Rockets are unlikely to pursue anyone in the buyout market, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen says the indications are that Houston is done making moves for the year.
The Thunder assigned rookie Andre Roberson to the D-League again on Friday, as Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate announced (Twitter link).
J.J. Barea admits to anxiety in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move on and continue his recent strong play for the Timberwolves, reports Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Shannon Brown would like to re-sign with the Spurs, but there’s interest from other teams if that doesn’t happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to sign him for the rest of the season, since he’s already been on a pair of 10-day deals with the team.
Chad Forcier is a player development coach for the Spurs, and his presence in San Antonio might influence whether the team pursues the likely-to-be waived Metta World Peace. Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation has the details.
Sam Amick of USA Today weighs in on the trade that sent Steve Blake to the Warriors and thinks it could end up paying dividends for Golden State.
Jan Vesely and Aaron Brooks are excited for new roles on the Nuggets, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Danny Granger Wants Buyout, Sixers Hesitate

February 21st, 2014 at 11:46am CST by Chuck Myron

Danny Granger and his representatives are anxious to negotiate a buyout with the Sixers, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Sixers will agree to one, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (All Twitter links). Stein identifies the Heat, Spurs and Thunder among teams that would be in the mix for the 30-year-old, but it’s unclear whether those are Granger’s preferred destinations or teams with legitimate interest. The notion of keeping him around for a possible sign-and-trade this summer appeals to the Sixers, Stein notes while also pointing out that Granger would no longer have Bird rights if the buyout happens.

“We’ll meet with (Granger). … It’s going to be interesting. We’re going to sit and talk,” Sixers GM Sam Hinkie told reporters today, including Christopher A. Vito of the Delaware County Daily Times (Twitter link).

Granger was angry upon hearing about the trade, tweets Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers. The Sixers were the ones to approach the Pacers about making the trade, Larry Bird tells Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, suggesting Philadelphia indeed finds Granger a commodity of value (Twitter link).

The ninth-year veteran has never played for any NBA team other than the Pacers. The Creative Artists Agency client is making slightly more than $14MM this season, but he’s unlikely to see such a payday on his next deal. He can’t return to the Pacers at any point until February 20th of next year because of collective bargaining agreement rules.

Spurs, Raptors Swap De Colo, Daye

February 20th, 2014 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs and Raptors have announced their swap of Nando De Colo for Austin Daye. De Colo has been on frequent D-League assignments this year, having ceded playing time at backup point guard to Patty Mills and Cory Joseph. Daye has been even less of a factor for the Raptors, appearing for just 33 minutes total after signing a two-year minimum-salary deal this summer. NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Milwaukee Bucks

De Colo, a 2009 second-round pick of the Spurs, finally signed with the team on a two-year deal in 2012. The contract gives him slightly more than the minimum, and he’s making $1.463MM this year. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Daye’s pact is partially guaranteed for $250K next season. He was the 15th overall pick the same year the Spurs drafted De Colo, but he never panned out in three and a half seasons with the Pistons, who traded him to the Grizzlies as part of the three-way Rudy Gay trade in January 2013.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first tweeted news of the deal.

Odds & Ends: Duncan, Oden, Wizards

February 19th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Chuck Myron

ESPN analyst and former coach George Karl hears that Tim Duncan is thinking of retiring at season’s end, notes Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, but Duncan isn’t sure how Karl got that impression. The Big Fundamental says he’s undecided, as he tells reporters, including Express-News scribe Mike Monroe (Twitter link). Fellow Express-News writer Jeff McDonald would be “shocked” if Duncan retired. The sense around the Spurs is that Duncan will keep playing as long as he feels he’s useful, McDonald says, pointing out that the big man is still under contract for next year (Twitter links). Here’s more from the Association:

Greg Oden considered a handful of teams last summer, but it came down to a decision between the Mavs and the Heat, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Most reports have suggested the Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears they’re seeking a backup who can play both guard positions, suggesting Luke Ridnour as a possibility (Twitter link).
A veteran scout tells Woelfel that he has Creighton forward Doug McDermott No. 6 on his draft board, and Chris Mannix of SI.com examines a polarizing prospect who’s sparked a wide range of opinions in NBA front offices.
The Cavs had discussions with the Lakers about acquiring Chris Kaman, but those talks are no longer active, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Free agent Malcolm Lee hasn’t played since December 2012 because of injury, but he’s about two weeks away from being ready to suit up for a team, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets.
The Warriors on Tuesday recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, the team announced. Kuzmic’s latest stint in Santa Cruz lasted one day.
Some members of the actors union are upset that executive director David White is a candidate for the same position with the National Basketball Players Association, observes Dave McNary of Variety.com.
Lionel Hollins explains the root of his raw feelings from the end of his tenure as Grizzlies coach to Mearl Purvis of WHBQ-TV in Memphis.

Odds & Ends: Sixers, Spurs, Ilyasova, LeBron

February 16th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Defense may win championships, but it doesn’t mean much in the All-Star game. Tonight the Eastern Conference topped the West 163-155 behind the stellar play of Kyrie Irving, who had 31 points and 14 dimes. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

The 76ers have held trade discussions with all 29 other NBA teams and are believed to be the most active in talks leading up to the deadline, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. General Manager Sam Hinkie & Co. are seeking future draft picks in compensation for Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Thaddeus Young. Teams view the 76ers as an organization willing to acquire an expiring contract and they’re still not budging on their demand of high first round picks.
The Spurs would love to acquire Young or Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova, but no one is sure how they can make that happen, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert recently opened up about his decision to write an open letter after LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I would’ve reworded the language in The Letter, but I don’t regret sending a letter out to our fan base,” Gilbert said. “People forget the letter was not to LeBron, it was to our fan base. If I had to do it again, for sure, I would’ve reworded several parts of it. But I think it definitely needed a strong statement from me at that time. I keep a couple binders on my desk and I have a binder of the responses to The Letter from the people of Cleveland.” Late last week we rounded up more of Gilbert’s thoughts on the state of his franchise.