Uncategorized Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Payne, Westbrook, Arthur, Wolves

December 18th, 2016 at 11:39am CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are nearly ready to bring back Cameron Payne from a fractured foot, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN. Haynes mentions December 29th in Memphis as a possible season debut for the second-year point guard. Payne suffered the injury to the fifth metatarsal on his right foot early in training camp. He had Jones fracture surgery on the foot in July, but opted to let it heal on its own this time. Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said there is still no set date for Payne to return. “Part of the reason I haven’t given a timetable is because they can’t give me a timetable,” Donovan said of the team’s medical staff. “And to be honest with you, I don’t really ask them a lot of that stuff. I trust what’s going on. They give me an update of how guys are progressing and where they’re at, what they’re doing. I try to be supportive of the player, try to spend time with the player.” Payne averaged 5.0 points and 1.9 assists in 57 games during his rookie season.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Russell Westbrook is ESPN’s Marc Stein’s choice as Most Valuable Player in the Western Conference. Westbrook has taken on an expanded role in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure for Golden State and is averaging a triple double per night through the first third of the season. He leads the league in scoring at 30.4 points per game to go along with 11.0 assists and 10.5 rebounds. Westbrook’s stellar play has helped the Thunder remain playoff contenders, just one game back of Utah in the Northwest standings.
With the Nuggets now fully healthy, coach Michael Malone wants to shorten his rotation, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Malone plans a limit of 10 players per game, and the first casualty of that decision is Darrell Arthur, who was informed this week that he will no longer receive regular playing time. “The word that Darrell used, and it hits the point, is sacrifice,” Malone said. “Can’t play 15 guys, and Darrell Arthur is a guy that’s proven to be a very good player in this league, but he sacrifices for his team and supports everybody that is playing. So you have to be selfless and support each other along the way.” The 28-year-old forward is in his eighth year in the league and his fourth in Denver. He is under contract for $7,464,912 next season and has a player option for the same amount in 2018/19.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is preaching patience in the face of a disappointing start, relays Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. Minnesota made a coaching change and overhauled its front office during the offseason, but has a 7-19 record after Saturday night’s collapse in the final minutes against Houston. “Well, let’s say that I was hopeful they would get off to a better start,” said Taylor. “Even in all the games they have played, you can see the exceptional talent that we have, and the ability to win. But for some reason or another, which I don’t have an answer for, we just have a terrible quarter in each game and get ourselves so far behind that it’s hard to pull it out. I’m hopeful that we’re getting it figured out.”

Central Notes: Mozgov, Pistons, Morris, Bulls

December 17th, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

His former Cavaliers teammates mobbed Lakers center Timofey Mozgov as he received his championship ring tonight in a visit to Cleveland, relays Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports. Mozgov played 76 games with the Cavs last season before signing a four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers in July.

Here’s more news out of the Central Division:

The Pistons held a team meeting after tonight’s home loss to the Pacers, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We put a lot of stuff on the table,” said Marcus Morris, “and everybody cleared their mind of what they needed to say.” The 105-90 defeat was Detroit’s third in its past four games and it dropped the team back under .500 at 14-15. “I did a lot of the talking — we have to make a decision,” Morris added. “Everybody go home tonight and decide what you want to do.” (Twitter link.)
The Pistons are just 3-5 since Reggie Jackson‘s return and coach Stan Van Gundy suggests that changes may be coming to the starting lineup., according to Aaron McMann of MLive. Van Gundy’s assessment of the team right now is that it isn’t in a good place.
Lack of development and athleticism in their young core has been the Bulls‘ biggest issue this season, contends K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago expected Nikola Mirotic to be a starter by now. but instead he is falling out of the rotation. Doug McDermott is an effective shooter, but not an athletic presence. The same is true of rookie Denzel Valentine, and Bobby Portis has been established as a below-the-rim player.

Sixers Notes: Okafor, Simmons, Noel

December 14th, 2016 at 9:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jahlil Okafor could be the odd man out in Philadelphia, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Sielski notes that Okafor is not a fit next to either Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid, and he’s the worst defender of the three players.

Noel had previously expressed concerns about the frontcourt logjam, but it appears he is now more open to playing alongside his teammates. Embiid, who is likely to get pushed to power forward for the time being, regardless of whether Noel or Okafor is traded, has no concerns over the logjam.

“I’ve always wanted to be a point guard,” Embiid exclaimed. “So that gives me a chance to get the ball, iso, play one-on-one from the three-point line, the pull-up jumpers. I’ll be more of a spacer, more of a stretch four.”

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

Ben Simmons took a major step forward in his recovery from a fractured right foot, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. Simmons was able to shoot foul shots without a walking boot for the first time since suffering the Jones fracture.
Coach Brett Brown is pleased with Simmons’ understanding of the game, Selzer adds in the same piece. “From a non-medical standpoint and just his coach, the evolution that he and I have been able to have in a classroom and on a court, in talking things through over the past few months, is fantastic,” Brown said.
John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines how the Sixers have failed in previous drafts. The scribe breaks down the team’s last six drafts and finds the team missed out on top talent in nearly every one.
Earlier today, we learned that rival teams were discouraged with the results of their research on Noel and the Sixers may not be able to get much in return for him as a result.

Motiejunas’ Deal With Rockets In Limbo

December 13th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

It seems unlikely that the contract Donatas Motiejunas agreed to last week will stand, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Representatives of the league have been contacted in an effort to settle the latest dispute between the Rockets and the 26-year-old power forward.

Motiejunas appeared to have a new four-year, $37MM deal in place on Friday. However, he was sent home before Saturday’s game after taking a physical, and Rockets officials have offered few public comments to explain why.

“We’re in active discussions with Donatas’ representation, the league office and that’s pretty much it,” GM Daryl Morey said Monday night. “… We’re in active discussions with them and the league office. We’re in continuous discussions. I can’t really say more. All three parties matter.”

Morey wouldn’t confirm that Motiejunas failed his physical or say whether the team had changed its mind about wanting to finalize the agreement. He refused to answer any other questions.

It’s the latest twist in an odd saga for Motiejunas, who became a restricted free agent July 1st and went five months without receiving an offer sheet. He signed with the Nets on December 2nd, and the Rockets matched the offer three days later. But the team matched just the $31MM in guaranteed money, not an additional $6MM in incentives.

Motiejunas staged a mini-holdout before the standoff was apparently resolved Friday. The Rockets withdrew the contract that was tied to the offer sheet and submitted a new deal that included incentive money but allowed the team to opt out by July 15th of each year.

The Rockets have been concerned about making a long-term commitment to Motiejunas because of back problems that limited him to 37 games last season and caused a February trade to Detroit to be voided. However, he passed a physical before signing the offer sheet from Brooklyn.

Whatever happens with the Rockets, Motiejunas cannot wind up with the Nets this season, according to NetsDaily. A “first refusal exercise notice” kicked in when Houston matched the offer sheet, which prevents him from going to Brooklyn for a full year. If Motiejunas had failed the Rockets’ physical immediately after that, the Nets may have been able to sign him, but that’s not possible now because Houston came up with a different contract.

Motiejunas offered some insight into the contentious nature of the situation on his Twitter page, which no longer lists him as a member of the Rockets and now just says “basketball player.”

Southeast Notes: Wall, Mahinmi, Hornets

December 9th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Arthur Hill

Ongoing chemistry issues in Washington could make John Wall a trade candidate, speculates Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. In a question-and-answer column, the Heat beat writer addresses a reader’s proposal of Wall and Otto Porter for Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow. Winderman cautions that the Wizards might put a greater value on Porter than Winslow, and notes that Miami doesn’t have many draft picks to offer because it still owes two to Phoenix in the deal to acquire Dragic. Even if that trade doesn’t happen, Winderman states that Wall seems unhappy in Washington even after a coaching change that replaced Randy Wittman with Scott Brooks. Wall blasted his teammates for a lack of effort Tuesday after he scored 52 points but the team still lost to Orlando.

There’s more this morning from the Southeast Division:

Wizards center Ian Mahinmi will undergo a second MRI on his right knee today, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Mahinmi has issues with both knees and has played just one game this season after signing a four-year, $64MM deal. He had surgery in the summer to fix torn cartilage in his left knee, then developed soreness that is believed to be tendinitis in his right knee after playing 14-minutes in his season debut. The lack of a serviceable backup has forced 32-year-old center Marcin Gortat to average a career-high 35.4 minutes per game, Michael notes.
A disparity in free throws is helping the Hornets overcome otherwise poor offensive numbers, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte ranks third in the league with 26.6 attempted foul shots per game and surrenders a league-best 18. That has helped to give the Hornets the league’s 11th best offense despite ranking 20th in field-goal percentage, 24th in free-throw percentage and 16th in 3-point percentage. “We’ve been good at not fouling every year,” said head coach Steve Clifford, “but this year we have more guys who are good at driving the ball.”

Weekly Mailbag: 11/28/16 – 12/4/16

December 4th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

If the Clippers lose in the semifinals of the playoffs, could you see Blake Griffin leaving them? And if he did, what three teams would have the best chance at getting him? — Casey Becker

Griffin and Chris Paul will almost certainly opt out after the season, regardless of how far L.A. gets in the playoffs, but an early exit could have them questioning whether they can ever win a title with the Clippers. The Thunder would love to bring Griffin back to Oklahoma, where he played college ball, and the pairing of Griffin and Russell Westbrook could work even better than Westbrook and Kevin Durant did. The problem is that OKC already has more than $110MM in salary committed for next season, so someone like Enes Kanter and some other contracts would have to be moved to make it possible. The Celtics have plenty of cap space and should be considered a possible destination for every top free agent. The Bulls will also have room and need help at power forward. And don’t overlook the Lakers, who wouldn’t mind stealing a star from their crosstown rivals.

Who are the Blazers looking at picking up before the trade deadline? As you have recently posted, cap considerations will play in. With that in mind, who will the Blazers trade for who can improve their weaknesses? Obviously, defense and rebounding are the top two needs. After hearing about Andrew Bogut being on the table, I’m intrigued on who and how Portland can improve. — Tony Juaire

The Blazers may spend the next month or two hoping that Dallas loses as many games as possible. Portland needs a physical presence in the middle to solidify its defense, and Bogut would be an excellent fit if the Mavericks fall completely out of contention. The veteran center is making a little more than $11MM this season and is headed toward free agency, so it shouldn’t take much to get him. Another possibility is Sixers center Nerlens Noel, if Portland trusts that he can stay healthy. Noel is an impending free agent with a salary under $4.4MM, so he could be a long-term building block if the Blazers front office is willing to take the risk.

Obviously there are trade rumors for underachieving teams like the Celtics and Trail Blazers, but do you think one of the power four teams, (Cavaliers, Warriors, Spurs, Clippers) will make a big move when the time comes? —Michael Thompson

Not big moves, but each of those teams will try to improve between now and the deadline. Cleveland needs a backup to Kyrie Irving and may not be able to fill the need with a free agent such as Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole. The Warriors need help on defense. The Clippers may want to upgrade from Luc Mbah a Moute at small forward. Good teams always try to poach players from poor teams as the deadline approaches, and that should be true this year as the league powers fight for every advantage heading into the playoffs.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Grant, Wolves, Jazz

November 26th, 2016 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade‘s endorsement of the Nuggets is a sign that the organization may become more attractive to free agents, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. With a little less than $79MM committed in salary for next season, Denver hopes to be aggressive on the free agent market next summer. The team understands that winning is an important element when it comes to attracting stars. “I think our fans were able to realize that ‘OK, the Nuggets are serious about winning. And they are willing to go out there and try and sign a marquee player,’” said coach Michael Malone.

There’s more tonight from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder have been happy with the production of Jerami Grant, but communication on defense is still an issue, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Since being acquired from Philadelphia in a November 1st trade, Grant is shooting better than 47% from 3-point range and has more than a block per game. He is adopting the role once filled by Serge Ibaka and his playing time has risen to more than 20 minutes per night. “Jerami’s a long, rangy defender that in the right spot causes a lot of problems,” said coach Billy Donovan. “In the wrong spot, we’re now trying to play catch-up. And it’s not just with Jerami. It could be any one of our players where that’s happening, and we’ve all consistently got to do a better job of doing that.”
ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy remains a believer in the Timberwolves despite their slow start, relays Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune. Van Gundy is still close with Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, who worked as his assistant in New York and Houston, and is confident he will turn things around. “I was thinking today: If there was no salary cap, what players wouldn’t you trade Karl-Anthony Towns for,” Van Gundy asked. “Steph Curry? That’s a no. Is Kevin Durant a no? Is Anthony Davis a no, because of his durability? How many can you come up with? I mean, they have a future. There are a lot of young teams that all they are is young. That doesn’t mean they have a chance to be good. Minnesota has a chance to be really good, but there are moves that need to be made to shore up [their weaknesses].”
Early-season injuries have prevented the Jazz from showing how good they could be, contends Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. The team has played long stretches without George Hill, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Boris Diaw. In addition, Alec Burks hasn’t been on the court at all.

Suns Notes: Williams, Ulis, Bender, Warren

November 24th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending last Thanksgiving in China, Phoenix native Alan Williams has landed his “dream job” with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The 23-year-old big man’s quest to play in the NBA started with a 10-day contract with Phoenix in March. He chose the Suns over the Rockets, who were willing to sign him for the remainder of the season. Williams’ gamble paid off when Phoenix gave him a multi-year contract, and his $875K salary for this season became guaranteed in September. He is averaging 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and posted two double-doubles last week. Suns coach Earl Watson believes Williams has a 10-year career ahead.

There’s more news out of Phoenix:

After seeing almost no action in his first 12 games, Tyler Ulis is becoming a reliable backup point guard, Coro writes in a separate story. The 5’10” rookie has averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals over the last four games and is making a case to be part of the regular rotation. “I just come in and try to make the most of my minutes,” Ulis said. “Do what coach and the players want me to do. Get guys involved, get paint touches and get into my man defensively.”
Watson says rookie Dragan Bender has a bright NBA future, but that won’t guarantee playing time right now, Coro adds in the same piece. The Croatian power forward is seeing just 10 minutes per night through the first month of his career. “I think Dragan is going to have amazing opportunities moving forward,” Watson explained. “We understand he’s a big part of our future as a cornerstone. But the NBA is not just as easy as playing guys you like. There’s a lot of things that go into it.”
Small forward T.J. Warren is out indefinitely with a minor head injury, the Suns announced on their website. Warren left a game on Friday after just nine minutes of action and hasn’t played since. Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough said the organization has a policy of being extra cautious with injuries to the head and estimated Warren will be sidelined “a matter of weeks.” Warren has appeared in 13 games, all starts, and is averaging 17.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per night.

Mavericks Notes: Felton, Nowitzki, Matthews, Harris

November 23rd, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers point guard Raymond Felton returned to Dallas tonight, and the shorthanded Mavericks may be wishing they had kept him, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The team is playing without Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris, who have all been sidelined by injuries. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called it a “franchise decision” to let Felton go, but he clearly misses having the veteran guard. “Felton played great for us, and I wish we would have brought him back,” Carlisle said. “He was a big difference-maker for us last year and probably one of the big reasons we got to the playoffs. You look at the whole year and everything that happened start to finish, Ray was filling in and starting. And we were winning a lot of those games because of what he was giving us. He’s a winner and was an ultimate pro here for two years. And the Clippers are very lucky to have him.” Felton, who got a one-year, minimum-salary deal from L.A., said the Mavericks were always his first choice. “I made it clear where I wanted to be,” he said. “Sometimes, things just don’t work out.”

The Mavericks welcomed Dirk Nowitzki back tonight in a move that should take the burden off some of the other starters, Sefko writes in a separate story. Harrison Barnes is second in the NBA in minutes played at 38.1 per game, and teammate Wesley Matthews is fourth at 36.9. The Mavs are always concerned about Matthews after the torn Achilles he suffered in 2015. “It’s not the injury history, it’s the length of the season,” Carlisle said. “There’s a cumulative effect of guys being out there too much. But there’s no substitute for a warrior like him who is the best perimeter defender we’ve got and hits big shots. His value to our team is unmistakable. I just got to find a little more rest for him, that’s all.”
Sefko suggested the Bucks’ Khris Middleton as a potential trade target if the Mavericks are able to make a playoff push. In a question-and-answer session, the writer said Middleton would be the kind of building block Dallas needs, but added that he had no inside information to suggest that such a deal had been discussed.
The team is hoping Harris will be back in a week to 10 days, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Harris hasn’t played yet this season because of a sprained right big toe and he will wear a carbon plate in his shoe for protection.

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Jackson, Monroe

November 22nd, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg believes it’s a different era now than when he played in the NBA in regard to how players communicate in the offseason, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Hoiberg notices that players are forming relationships with each other at the AAU level and its impacting free agency.

“Really since, shoot, going all the way back to eighth or ninth grade the way it is now,” Hoiberg said “Then just the relationships they build over the summers. These guys all seem to get together in L.A. or Miami or wherever it might be. So they build those relationships, they play together with Team USA now and they do build those special bonds. So yeah, it probably is a little easier to reach out. You see some of the superteams now that are being created, and I think a lot of that has to do with relationships that are built over the summer.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Reggie Jackson said he feels “real good” and hopes to be back on the court soon, James Hawkins of The Detroit News relays. “I feel a lot better. Getting stronger, getting more timing, getting my cardio up,” Jackson said. “Trying to get more implemented into practice and just trying to do whatever I can within the limits of protocol.”
Stan Van Gundy isn’t happy with the team’s performance lately, but he doesn’t want to mess with the rotation too much before Jackson returns, Hawkins passes along in the same piece. “I don’t really think we know who we are. I was talking to [owner] Tom [Gores] last night and it’s a lot farther into the season you would like,” Van Gundy said. “We’ll be 30, 35 games into the year before we really can make any real estimations of the team, because you figure it will have to get to that before Reggie has a dozen, 15 games back. It’s going to be a long time in where we’re going to have to do it with our defense and continue to try and get better. But to really firm up rotations and all of that is going to take some time.” The Pistons are 6-9 on the season.
Greg Monroe hasn’t lived up to expectations since joining the Bucks during the summer of 2015 and his role could be further marginalized going forward, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. The team has used more small-ball lineups lately, leaving Monroe on the court for only about 10 minutes over the last three games.