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And-Ones: McGary, Daniels, Rockets, Raptors

April 28th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Zachary Links

There were a lot of no-brainer decisions when it came to early entry players in the 2014 Draft, but it was questionable for others.  Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looks at who made the right call and who didn’t.  Michigan’s Mitch McGary, Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis, and UCLA’s Kyle Anderson get the thumbs up.  JaKarr Sampson of St. John’s, Alex Kirk of New Mexico, and New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar are among the players who Goodman thinks should have stayed in school. More from around the Association..

  • Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has an idea for ridding the NBA of Clippers owner Donald Sterling: letting all of his players become free agents.  Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the goods.
  • The Hawks, Bulls, Cavs, Bucks and Magic all had interest in Troy Daniels this February before the Rockets inked the sudden playoff hero shortly after the trade deadline, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling.  Daniels was close to taking an offer from Australia for $70K last fall, Zwerling tweets.  His agent advised him to instead dominate in the D-League to get an NBA offer and his gameplan worked.
  • Toney Douglas tells Zwerling for the same piece that the Heat had interest in him ever since he came out of college. Miami acquired Douglas via trade in January.
  • It’s in Kyle Lowry‘s best interests to re-sign with the Raptors, writes Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun.  Lowry has never been happier, never played better, and never meant more to any of his teams at any time.  The veteran guard hasn’t said much about his future, but Simmons thinks it would be best for him to stay put in Toronto.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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And-Ones: McHale, Harris, Blair

April 25th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Cray Allred

Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks Devin Harris is proving that he deserved the initial three-year, $9MM contract that the Mavs revoked when a post-agreement physical revealed a foot injury. Harris and Dallas agreed to a one-year minimum deal instead, which is paying dividends for both the Mavs’ playoff performance and the point guard’s market value. Here’s more from around the league:

  • DeJuan Blair is taking the Mavs first round matchup with the Spurs personally, he told reporters including Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “This is something that’s a dream, to always go against somebody who knows you well, just like you know them,’’ said Blair, who left San Antonio as a free agent after being bumped from the rotation last season. “I’m just excited like everybody else.”
  • The Rockets haven’t picked up coach Kevin McHale‘s option for next season yet, but sources tell ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein that there is support for the coach within the organization, including from key players and owner Les Alexander. The ESPN scribes report that there has been an understanding that this year’s roster needs more than a year together to become a contender, so a first-round exit wouldn’t be alarming enough to let McHale go.
  • Arash Markazi ESPNLosAngeles.com says the Lakers fans’ displeasure with the team’s decision not to fire coach Mike D’Antoni could build to a mutiny (via Twitter).
  • Lee Jenkins of SI.com profiles Ron Howard, the 31-year-old D-League standout still hoping for a shot at the NBA. Howard, who was told by Scott Skiles that he was good enough to play in the league while with the Bucks for the 2008/09 preseason, admits that it’s frustrating to thrive in the developmental league while hundreds of younger players get called up.
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Hoops Rumors On Facebook/Twitter/RSS

April 24th, 2014 at 9:32am CST by Chuck Myron

Millions of dollars are on the line in the days and weeks ahead for Kyle Lowry, Lance Stephenson and Zach Randolph and others who can parlay strong playoff performances into new free agent contracts. At Hoops Rumors we’ll be closely monitoring this summer’s free agency, and we’ll have plenty on the NBA draft, now just a little more than two months away. There are a handful of ways you can follow us to keep tabs on the latest NBA news and rumors as the storylines develop.

You can Like us on Facebook and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Our RSS feed is located here if you’d like to follow us using your reader of choice.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

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And-Ones: Celtics, Rockets, Draft, Price, Parker

April 21st, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Celtics GM Danny Ainge says he doesn’t feel pressure from ownership to make a big trade like the one that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “I don’t think that would be very smart, to put pressure on myself,” Ainge said. “That one happened to work out and we were very fortunate that Minnesota was moving in a different direction, that they loved Al Jefferson, and so we were able to get a deal done. But there’s been a lot of deals that I thought we had a way better chance of doing that we couldn’t end up doing.” More from around the Association..

  • The Rockets announced (via Twitter) that Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan have been reassigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League.  Covington and Canaan have been bounced back and forth from the Rockets’ varsity squad to the D-League affiliate a number of times this season, as shown in our running list of assignments and recalls for the 2013/14 season.
  • Veteran Ronnie Price is happy to help take on a leadership role with the young Magic, writes Ken Hornack of FOX Sports Florida.  “This year has been kind of refreshing for me in a lot of ways,” the 30-year-old guard said. “And I can’t really explain where it came from or why I feel that way. I feel like a kid again. I really enjoy the game.”  Price will be a free agent this summer and if Jameer Nelson winds up elsewhere, Hornack writes that Orlando can’t afford to get too young at the point guard position.
  • Spurs stars Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have found success together, but their relationship did not start off on such spectacular terms, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “He didn’t talk to me for a whole year,” Parker said, reflecting on his rookie season in 2001/02. “It was kind of weird coming from France and you have your superstar player that doesn’t talk to you as a point guard, it’s kind of tough, you know? Because you’re supposed to talk to everybody.“
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Central Notes: Bucks, Monroe, Billups, Pistons

April 17th, 2014 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Lee

Earlier tonight we broke down the bevy of news coming out of Cleveland. Here is what is going on in the rest of the Central Division on Thursday night:

  • Once the dust settles from the Bucks ownership change, many league insiders expect the new regime to make changes in the front office and on the coaching staff in Milwaukee, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. As Kyler notes, general manager John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway are both under contract for two more seasons. Head coach Larry Drew inked a four-year, $10MM pact last summer.
  • Soon-to-be restricted free agent Greg Monroe spent what might be his last season with the Pistons keeping his head down and concentrating on his own production, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
  • Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests the Pistons would probably exercise their $2.5MM team option on Chauncey Billups for next season if the 37-year-old elects not to retire, but it seems questionable that the team would commit to that kind of money to him.
  • Several Pistons players conceded that chemistry issues plagued the team all season, with Brandon Jennings admitting that he never would have agreed to come to Detroit last summer had he known how things would turn out, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. Based on player comments, Mayo infers that veteran Josh Smith, the team’s highest paid player, is one of the reasons for the team’s fractured locker room. In a separate piece, Ellis concurs.
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Bucks Re-Sign Chris Wright To Multiyear Deal

April 16th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Bucks have officially announced the deal.

TUESDAY, 11:22pm: The Bucks have signed Chris Wright for the remainder of the regular season in addition to a non-guaranteed season in 2014/15, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 6’9 forward is now expected to participate with Milwaukee’s summer league team and be included in training camp. Gardner adds that the signing will give the Bucks some added flexibility in trade scenarios this summer.

Wright played on a pair of ten-day contracts with Milwaukee this year, one signed on March 14th and the other on April 5th, respectively. In his most recent stint, the Dayton native played 15 MPG in each of the team’s last five games, averaging 6.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and one steal per game to go along with 66.7% shooting from the field overall.

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Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

April 15th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

If you want to keep tabs on all the stories and updates at Hoops Rumors, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. If you prefer to receive only news about your favorite NBA team, we still have you covered. You can even get updates only when teams make a move, with our Transactions-only Twitter and RSS feed. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

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And-Ones: Reed, Pistons, Noel

April 8th, 2014 at 10:36pm CST by Cray Allred

While the names of former NBA head coaches Stan Van Gundy and Jeff Van Gundy pop up each year as rumored candidates for coaching vacancies, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says that both brothers have promised their families they won’t move (via Twitter). Of course, that doesn’t rule out every opening, and restless coaches often return to the bench despite similar family vows. Here’s more from around the league:

  • LaQuinton Ross plans to sign with agents Jeff Schwartz and Sean Kennedy of Excel Sports tomorrow, per a tweet from Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The small forward out of Ohio State announced his plans to enter the draft late last month, and is considered a second round talent.
  • Daniel Orton reflects on his time with the Maine Red Claws this year, telling Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside that he chose to play in the D-League to give himself a better shot at finding an NBA roster spot. “The decision (to play in the D-League) was all about trying to get back into the NBA,” Orton said. “I’m trying to get a call-up. I had offers to go overseas and make some money, but I’m trying to get back into the NBA more so than anything.” The big man has only managed to play in 51 NBA games across his three-season career, and was waived by the Sixers earlier this year.
  • Sixers coach Brett Brown says that Nerlens Noel has made major developmental gains despite sitting out all year. Brown tells Mark Narducci of Philly.com that he envisions Noel becoming polished offensively over a three to five year window. “How many opportunities do you have like this when you have a whole year where you can invest time with somebody?” Brown said. “I think it is a huge part of his development and I am thrilled he is with me and I am glad I am the guy who has the chance to help him.”
  • The Kings have recalled Willie Reed from their D-League affiliate, per a team release.
  • While the Pistons would never embrace the notion of tanking, interim coach John Loyer tells Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News that being out of contention does give him some flexibility to play and evaluate younger players. “Like I said the other day, you hope to play some of the younger guys,” Loyer said. “But you see how the game goes, how the matchups go.”
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Nuggets Notes: Miller, Fournier, Brooks

April 8th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Cray Allred

The Nuggets aren’t worried about playoff seeding for the first time in over a decade. Instead, their fans can monitor the reverse standings to see what Denver’s lottery odds will be, heading into a promising draft class. Here’s more from Denver:

  • Coach Brian Shaw thinks the Nuggets have to alter their roster this summer, but he doesn’t think the change needs to be sweeping, as he told reporters today, including Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post. Shaw is looking for one or two players from inside or outside the organization “to come to the forefront as leaders,” and he’d like to have a perimeter “lock down defender,” Dempsey notes (All five Twitter links here).
  • While Denver plays out the season, losing six of their last seven, Shaw tells Dempsey in a separate piece that what happens on the court still matters,  “There’s a lot of things that we can learn from,” Shaw said. Dempsey highlights recent performances by 21-year-olds Quincy Miller and Evan Fournier, who have been improving their play.
  • Aaron Brooks‘ strong play since joining the Nuggets in a midseason trade has increased his market value. The sixth-year point guard tells Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com that he hasn’t ruled out re-signing with Denver next season, despite the presence of Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson on the roster. “Any place that has me, I’ll be happy,” Brooks said. “I like it here. It’s kind of jammed at the point guard spot, but I like it here. They have a good team coming back.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Hoops Rumors Features

April 8th, 2014 at 10:15am CST by Chuck Myron

Hoops Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NBA player movement 365 days a year, but those aren’t the only updates you’ll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you’ll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:

  • You can follow all of our updates about your favorite teams or players on your iPhone or iPad using the Hoops Rumors app.
  • As the regular season winds down, many teams are looking ahead to free agency. Our 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings list the top 10 free agents for the summer ahead, and you can find a complete list here. We’ve also begun to go in depth with our Free Agent Stock Watch series.
  • We keep an eye on the more distant future with a list of 2015 free agents, and we’ve got the present covered, too, as we track players who could help a team down the stretch this season with a list of current free agents.
  • Our list of 2013/14 roster counts is a convenient tool for keeping tabs on how many players your favorite NBA team is carrying and how many guaranteed contracts are on each club’s books.
  • If your favorite team has a better chance at Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid than a playoff berth, be sure to follow our reverse standings, which are updated daily to reflect the projected 2014 draft order.
  • Our Prospect Profile series examines the next wave of NBA players in detail, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and handicapping when they’ll hear their names called on draft night.
  • We’ve also listed the key dates for underclassmen thinking of declaring for the draft, and we’re compiling a running list of those who’ve announced their intentions to do so.
  • We’re keeping tabs on this season’s D-League assignments right here.
  • Our agency database is a handy reference point for determining the representation for virtually every NBA player.
  • Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since the 2006/07 season, and you can sort by player, team, year and other variables.
  • We give you a turn in the spotlight when we showcase the best reader comments with our new Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback posts.
  • On Mondays at 4:00pm CT, I answer reader questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of our past live discussions here.
  • Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is created, used or expires.
  • We’re tracking each team’s use of the amnesty clause. Our complete table shows which clubs have used the amnesty clause and which will have it available in the summer.
  • The Hoops Rumors glossary helps explain some of the more complex concepts in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
  • Zach Links rounds up the best of the blogosphere with Hoops Links on Sundays.
  • If you’re looking to catch up, our Week in Review posts compile the top news and rumors from the past seven days, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site’s original content for the week. Both roundups are published every Sunday.
  • Be sure to check out the Featured Posts section on the right sidebar for more original pieces from the Hoops Rumors writing team. Recently, we explained a link between team options and restricted free agency, detailed how the trade deadline deals worked financially, and looked at teams with dead money already on the books for 2014/15.
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