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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Powell, Russell

September 21st, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics made a number of headlines with their acquisitions of Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving this summer. Now, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes, it’s time to focus on who might make up the core of the team’s second unit.

Having traded Avery Bradley in a cap clearing maneuver to sign Hayward, the Celtics will turn to Terry Rozier to serve as a game-changer off the bench. His ability to pick up scoreer on the perimeter will be valued, as will his ability to knock down shots now that Isaiah Thomas is a Cavalier.

Another player who could see a bigger role with the Celtics in light of the Irving trade is Jayson Tatum. The third-overall pick will see extra opportunities than the C’s may have initially expected now that Jae Crowder is out of the picture.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • While he may well end up playing through the final year of his rookie contract and hitting restricted free agency next summer, Raptors guard Norman Powell is also eligible to sign a contract extension before the start of the regular season. Blake Murphy of The Athletic writes that such a deal could look similar to that which Josh Richardson recently signed with the Heat.
  • Just how well D’Angelo Russell responds to his change of scenery in Brooklyn could impact Nets general manager Sean Marks‘ legacy, Brian Lewis of the New York Post suggests.
  • If Michael Beasley was brought in specifically to replace Carmelo Anthony in the Knicks lineup, it’s news to him. The forward is eager to play alongside the 14-year veteran. “Listen, Carmelo’s been like my mentor,” Beasley told Steve Popper of USA Today. “If you watch my game, really watch my game, my jab series, all that, I’m literally just Carmelo on the left side of the floor. Like I’ve known Carmelo since I was 13 years old, one of my best friends, one of the best players I’ve ever met. Me and him are from the same area. I can’t wait to play with him.”
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Southwest Notes: Rockets, Moore, Long, Cunningham

September 19th, 2017 at 10:15pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Rockets enter the 2017/18 campaign with last season’s Most Valuable Player runner-up in James Harden and offseason acquisition Chris Paul, widely viewed as one of the greatest point guards ever. A deal for Carmelo Anthony has not materialized but Houston is still an improved team, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes.

Aside from the acquisition of Paul, the Rockets have been in headlines all offseason. Tilman Fertitta purchased the Rockets for $2.2 billion, Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston hard, and even to this point, Anthony to Houston rumors persist. Nonetheless, head coach Mike D’Antoni believes his team is in prime position for success.

“The biggest advantage is for 48 minutes we have a Hall of Fame point guard (either Harden or Paul) on the floor. That’s huge,” D’Antoni said. “And both of them can play off the ball real well, they’re both great shooters, and both can exploit the defense when the ball is kicked … whoever initiates it would normally finish it, but if they have to kick the ball over to the other guy, they’ll finish it.”

Aldridge also breaks down the team chemistry heading into the season and expectations for a team that won 55 games last season.

Below you can read additional notes around the Southwest Division:

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And-Ones: Antetokounmpo, Teodosic, Sources, 2018 Standings

August 20th, 2017 at 8:37pm CST by marksuleymanov

Bucks‘ All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out of Eurobasket earlier this week, which was met with disdain from the Greek basketball federation. The group accused the Bucks and NBA orchestrating an “organized and well-staged plan” to keep Antetokounmpo out of the event. However, a statement from the NBA reported by the Associated Press (via ESPN) explicitly denied the allegation.

“The NBA and the Milwaukee Bucks have followed all appropriate protocol under the NBA-FIBA agreement,” the NBA’s statement reads. “Giannis has an injury that has been confirmed through multiple examinations and any suggestion to the contrary is false.”

The Bucks explained that Antetokounmpo reported knee pain while training in Greece. The saga does not end there as, after a series of communications between the Bucks and the Greek team, Antetokounmpo was ultimately pulled from the tournament after the knee ailment did not improve. This subsequently led to the allegations that both the NBA and Bucks purposely sabotaged Antetokounmpo’s stint.

After a tremendous season with Milwaukee last season and major expectations for 2017/18, Antetokounmpo’s NBA future will be his most important.

Read up on more news around the basketball universe below:

  • Antetokounmpo will not be the only major name to be pulled from Eurobasket this week as the Clippers‘ major international signee, Milos Teodosic, will also not compete in the event, per Eurohoops (via Twitter).
  • As part of an in-depth look at the reporting side of the NBA, Steven Kyler of Basketball Insiders breaks down how “sources” work. Kyler explains how information is gathered from agents, front office personnel, the players, and other people inside the industry that leads to the stories that are reported across the internet.
  • As part of its Summer Forecast series, ESPN has released its predictions for standings in both the Western and Eastern conferences.
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Pistons Notes: Irving, Jackson, Bradley

August 10th, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It was reported last week that the Pistons have an interest in trading for Kyrie Irving and executive/coach Stan Van Gundy had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about a deal. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that those trade discussions involved Reggie Jackson, but the trade talks didn’t advance very far. The Suns may be the favorites in the Irving sweepstakes, though Amico adds that if talks between Phoenix and Cleveland break down, the Pistons could be among the teams that new GM Koby Altman turns to next.

Here’s more from Detroit:

  • While trading for Irving for will bring excitement to the Detroit, it may not be best for the franchise’s long-term plans, Rod Beard of The Detroit News contends. A deal for Irving would likely see the Pistons part with Stanley Johnson and Andre Drummond. Beard argues that Irving’s unwillingness to commit to any franchise long-term makes trading top talent for the point guard too risky of a proposition.
  • Whether or not Avery Bradley re-signs with the Pistons next offseason will determine the team’s long-term future, Beard writes in a separate piece. If Bradley bolts in free agency, the team would have given up Marcus Morris for a one-year rental and let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for nothing. Beard opines that those kinds of moves tend to set franchises back.

 

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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hawks, Robbins, Bembry

July 29th, 2017 at 10:36am CST by marksuleymanov

While the Wizards had an expensive offseason which mostly centered around maintaining the current core intact, it was also a successful offseason, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.  John Wall signed a designated veteran player extension, the Wizards matched Otto Porter‘s offer sheet to retain him, and Bradley Beal is already signed to a long term contract.

Washington is coming off a season in which the team made waves in the playoffs, defeating the Hawks in the first round before falling to the Celtics in a thrilling seven game series. As team majority owner Ted Leonsis explained to Bucker last week, this is the opportune time to lock up the team’s foundational pieces.

“They’re entering their prime while some other players are getting older,” Leonsis said. “I think we feel really good about keeping this core together.”

As Bucker adds, the Wizards have committed over $404MM in salary to Wall, Porter, and Beal. However, those deals are calculated ones as ownership has made it clear it intends to compete and keeping talented fixtures who have shown improvement each season are the type of players worth the investment. After finishing as the fourth seed in the East last season, the Wizards are in a position to make more strides in a weakened conference.

Below are additional notes around the Southeast Division:

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Lakers No Longer In Mix For Ian Clark

July 25th, 2017 at 5:39pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Lakers are no longer interested in signing Ian Clark, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times reports. This news comes shortly after the team re-signed point guard Tyler Ennis to a one-year minimum contract with a team option for the second year.

Clark has played four seasons in the NBA since coming out of Belmont University. After beginning his career with the Jazz and Nuggets, the guard has seen his playing time rise with the Warriors. In 2016/17, Clark clocked 14.8 MPG in 77 games, during which he averaged 6.8PPG and shot a robust 48.7% from the field.

The Lakers have expressed interest in Clark in recent weeks, even meeting with the free agent guard for 45 minutes last Thursday afternoon, but no offer was made. The Bucks still maintain interest in Clark, reports Gery Woelfel on Woelfel’s Press Box.

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Yao Ming Won’t Consider Buying Rockets

July 21st, 2017 at 2:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Yao Ming can be crossed off the list of potential buyers for the Rockets franchise. Yao issued a statement via the Xinhua news agency that was relayed by the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen stating he would have “no time to consider” joining a group interested in purchasing the team. The Rockets’ Hall of Fame center was named the president of the Chinese Basketball League in February and was elected this week to be Chairman of the Board for the company that runs the league.

Houston owner Leslie Alexander announced on Monday that the team was up for sale, a surprising development for one of the Western Conference’s top teams. Feigen tweeted earlier this week that the Rockets would prefer the timeline for a sale to be “sooner rather than later.”

Feigen also reported this week that GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets‘ management team is not attempting to put together a group to buy the franchise.

Another Hall of Fame center, Dikembe Mutombo, is trying to put together a group to buy the team. The purchase price is expected to approach or exceed the $2 billion that Steve Ballmer paid for the Clippers.

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And-Ones: Clark, Shved, Bogdanovic

July 6th, 2017 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Add Warriors guard Ian Clark to the list of wing players who interest the Timberwolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. C.J. Miles remains their prime target, but Minnesota doesn’t have enough cap room left to make a competitive offer. The Wolves have discussed a sign-and-trade that would send center Cole Aldrich and Oklahoma City’s 2018 first-rounder to Indiana in exchange for Miles, according to an ESPN report.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Alexey Shved may void the final year of his contract with Khimki Moscow in order to return to the NBA, a source tells international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Shved last played in the NBA for the Knicks during the 2014/15 campaign.
  • The Kings are covering all of Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s $850K NBA buyout with Fenerbahce, a source tells Pick (Twitter link). Sacramento signed the swingman to a three-year deal worth $27MM, which is the richest contract for a rookie in league history.
  • Phil Ricci will join the Kings’ coaching staff as an assistant player development coach, James Ham of NBC Sports tweets. Ricci played professionally abroad for several seasons before coaching at the high school level.
  • Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace has penned a thank you letter to Zach Randolph for his contributions over the past eight years. The note, which is posted on the team’s website, credits Randolph for helping to establish Memphis’ “grit and grind” identity. Randolph agreed to a two-year, $24MM deal with the Kings on Tuesday. The Grizzlies also announced today that Randolph’s number will be retired.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post

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Latest On Paul George

July 1st, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a near-unanimous view around the league that Paul George will sign with the Lakers next summer despite Friday’s trade to the Thunder, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Lowe states that the chances of George heading to L.A. are about 75%, and the Celtics and Cavaliers had that in mind as they were working to obtain him.

The Lakers also subscribe to that view, which is why they weren’t willing to part with Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball to get George from the Pacers now. Lowe adds that Indiana didn’t have any interest in former Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, who was subsequently dealt to the Nets.

The ESPN writer shares more information about Friday’s major deal:

  • The Celtics wanted to see if they could land Gordon Hayward in free agency before completing a trade for George. They were reluctant to deal two starters in exchange for George without knowing whether they were getting Hayward.
  • Boston’s last offer for George didn’t include Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, the 2018 Nets pick or the Lakers/Kings pick that Boston received from Philadelphia. There were reports that the Celtics offered Indiana three picks at some point, but Lowe believes those were a combination of Boston’s future selections and protected 2019 first-rounders from the Grizzlies and Clippers. All of those draft choices could have fallen into the 20s, Lowe notes, and the Pacers wanted something more likely to be in the top 10.
  • A three-way trade involving the Pacers, Cavaliers and Nuggets was discussed on Friday. The deal would have sent George to Cleveland, Kevin Love to Denver and Gary Harris, Trey Lyles and a protected first-rounder to Indiana. Lowe describes the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Celtics as “stunned” when news broke that George was headed to Oklahoma City.
  • The Trail Blazers tried to get George on draft night, offering a package that included several picks and at least one player, but the Pacers turned it down.
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Free Agent Rumors: Redick, Ingles, Hayward, Gay

July 1st, 2017 at 12:39am CST by Arthur Hill

The first meeting for Clippers guard J.J. Redick was with the Sixers, posts Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN Now. On ESPN’s television coverage, Wojnarowski said Philadelphia would like to convince Redick to accept a short-term contract, “a one-year deal at a very big number, $20 million-plus, potentially.” The Timberwolves and Nets are also expected to be contenders for Redick, and he has expressed interest in joining former Clippers teammate Chris Paul with the Rockets. Wojnarowski adds that there is no chance of Redick returning to L.A.

There’s more from the early hours of free agency:

  • Jazz forward Joe Ingles has received “serious interest” from the Magic and has three meetings scheduled for Saturday, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Ingles will meet with the Utah delegation this weekend, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
  • Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been actively recruiting Gordon Hayward to Miami, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Whiteside will attend Hayward’s meeting with Heat officials on Saturday.
  • Kings forward Rudy Gay has four meetings set up over the next few days, Kennedy adds (Twitter link).
  • The Nuggets reached out to Utah’s George Hill during the first hour of free agency, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Denver could create cap room to sign Hill by letting Danilo Gallinari leave, Begley notes.
  • The Mavericks had a “great call” with Nerlens Noel, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Noel expressed a desire to re-sign with the team, but nothing has been finalized.
  • The Lakers made calls tonight to Andre Iguodala, Rajon Rondo and Ben McLemore., tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Knicks and Bucks have also inquired about McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
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