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Jazz Will Face Difficult Decision On Joe Ingles

March 16th, 2017 at 6:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have several crucial roster decisions to make this offseason, including a couple that could be very expensive decisions. George Hill‘s contract will expire, Gordon Hayward can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, and Rodney Hood and Dante Exum will be extension-eligible for the first time.

As Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune details in a mailbag, Utah will also have another key under-the-radar decision to make on Joe Ingles. In Jones’ view, Ingles has “outplayed the Jazz’s hopes for his ceiling as an NBA player.” While that’s good news, it will also make it tricky to keep him beyond this season, since he could be a hot commodity as a restricted free agent. Jones expects the Jazz to do everything they can to keep the veteran forward, even if it means moving someone else’s salary.

  • The $125MM renovation project for the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Utah will begin on Monday after the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, according to a Deseret News report. The brunt of the construction will take place during the NBA offseason and is expected to be complete in time for the Jazz‘s 2017/18 season.
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Nets To Target George Hill In Free Agency?

March 15th, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After actively pursuing restricted free agents last summer, the Nets are expected to have the cap room to be players in free agency once again this offseason. And according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, one free agent that rival executives expect Brooklyn to target is veteran point guard George Hill.

As Net Income of Nets Daily details, Windhorst discussed the Nets’ possible free agent plans on an ESPN podcast this week. The report comes with a caveat — Windhorst hasn’t heard directly from GM Sean Marks or the Nets about their free agent plans. However, the ESPN reporter explains that GMs and executives around the NBA have been talking about Brooklyn’s presumed interest in Hill.

Last offseason, the Nets targeted multiple guards in free agency, signing Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson to pricey four-year offer sheets. Those offers were ultimately matched by the Trail Blazers and Heat, respectively, leaving Brooklyn with Jeremy Lin on a more modest three-year deal. Even with Lin under contract for next season though, it seems the Nets will be closely monitoring other point guards in free agency.

According to Windhorst, the Nets are also expected to dip back into the restricted free agent market as they look to add shooters. Otto Porter will likely be a Brooklyn target, and Windhorst says the Nets will also be “major players” for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Hill, Porter, and Caldwell-Pope will all be in line for big-money, long-term contracts this summer, and their respective teams are expected to make every effort to keep them. Windhorst notes that the Nets are capable of making things very difficult on Utah and driving the price up on Hill, whose camp reportedly believes he can get a max offer in unrestricted free agency. Porter is also viewed as a likely candidate for a max deal, while it remains to be seen whether Caldwell-Pope will get an offer that substantial. The Wizards and Pistons, respectively, won’t want to lose those key RFAs for nothing.

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MRI Reveals Derrick Favors Has Bone Bruise

March 12th, 2017 at 9:53pm CST by Austin Kent

An official report from the Jazz reveals that Derrick Favors has undergone an MRI and been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left knee. Per the report, the big man has struggled with soreness since returning from a similar incident in mid-December.

Favors underwent the MRI Saturday and will be held out of action and re-evaluated later in the week. The 25-year-old has played in 47 games for the Jazz this season, averaging 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

The 2016/17 campaign has been a quiet one for the seven-year veteran, despite the success of the Jazz as a team. Favors’ averages are far shy of those he set in 2015/16. In 62 games last season, Favors averaged a career high 16.4 points per game and 8.1 rebounds.

Just last month the Jazz failed to extend the big man to a longer term contract, leaving him on pace to reach unrestricted free agency in 2018. On the open market one could reasonably expect Favors to land a considerable pay raise over the $11MM he’s owed this season (and $12MM in 2017/18), even considering the decline in his production and any possible ongoing injury concern.

It’s unclear how much of Favors’ knee woes factored into Utah’s decision to opt against renegotiating the forward-center’s contract but worth nothing that his court-time has gradually increased since December to the point where it’s in line with last season.

Favors is averaging 24.1 minutes per game in 2016/17, considerably less than the 32.0 he averaged last year, but he had logged 29.5 per game in four March contests before being pulled from action.

The Jazz will update the big man’s status as new information comes in.

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Northwest Notes: Eighth Seed, Denver’s Defense, Towns

March 10th, 2017 at 11:11pm CST by Milo Taibi

Jazz coach Quin Snyder is receiving contributions from seldom-used players Jeff Withey and Raul Neto, Jody Genessy of Deseret News writes.

“To be honest, we’ve been in these situations a lot, so there are different guys each night,” Snyder said. “When you have the right spirit, the game rewards you and that’s what happened with those two guys tonight. It’s easy to say, ‘Stay ready,’ and we say that stuff as coaches, but it’s hard to do. For those guys to literally be ready and contribute like they did, it was pretty good.”

The Jazz have won seven of their last 10, enjoying a successful 2016/17 campaign despite occasional injuries to George Hill, Derrick Favors, and Gordon Hayward.

“It’s tough because you never know when your name will be called, so you have to be ready,” Withey said. “On days off, I’m always in the gym running, trying to stay in shape, get shots up and stuff. It’s tough mentally also. It’s part of the business. It’s part of the job.”

More from the Northwest…

  • The Nuggets still hold the eighth seed of the Western Conference, but the team’s defense must improve to sustain a playoff run, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes. Denver’s opponent field goal percentage ranks 28th in the league since the All-Star break, Kosmider writes, and 24th in defensive rating. Coach Michael Malone is well-aware of the problem. “You go back to the start of the regular season, and we were playing good defense the first 10, close to 15 games. Obviously, the wheels have fallen off,” Malone said. Interestingly, Darrell Arthur was hesitant to blame his teammates for the defensive shortcomings: “We’re still learning. We’ve got a young team. It takes a while to go from a mediocre team to a good team to a great team. We’re trying to be great. We’re right there around good, but not so consistent.”
  • Karl-Anthony Towns has taken charge of the “desperate” Timberwolves, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press writes. Towns has been the key to Minnesota’s recent playoff push; winning seven of their last 10, climbing to within two games of the eighth seed. Following tonight’s crucial win over the Warriors, hopes are high for the young Wolves. “Desperation makes you do a lot of things you couldn’t normally do,” Towns said. “Being so close to the playoffs, I have a lot of desperation trying to play the best that I can so I can try to help us get to the playoffs and get that eighth spot.”
  • Tom Thibodeau praised his team’s defensive improvements, saying they’ve taken a “quantum leap” in the right direction. “We’re not where we need to be, but when you look at the past couple of years and where we are now, (the point differential) says we’ve made a big jump,” Thibodeau told AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. “I believe we’re down to 13th now in points allowed (on the season), so that’s a quantum leap, and it’s still not where it needs to be, and we have to understand that.”
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Lakers Rumors: Magic, Buss Family, Cousins

March 8th, 2017 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers officially named Magic Johnson an advisor at the start of February, but in the weeks leading up to his promotion, Johnson wasn’t being kept apprised of the goings-on in the team’s front office, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. As Shelburne details in her inside look at the Lakers’ front office shakeup, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak continued to run team business without integrating Johnson or even informing him of what they were planning.

In one case, that meant conducting a workout with Larry Sanders without inviting Johnson to attend. It also meant that Johnson had to inquire about trade calls on his own, since Buss and Kupchak weren’t telling him about them, let alone asking his opinion. The fact that Johnson wasn’t been involved in the decision-making process was one reason why president Jeanie Buss felt it was necessary to make a change just days before the trade deadline, writes Shelburne.

Let’s round up a few other Lakers items, including more from Shelburne’s piece…

  • Another key factor in Jeanie Buss‘ decision to oust Jim Buss and Kupchak in favor of Johnson was the way DeMarcus Cousins talks with the Kings were handled. According to Shelburne, Johnson received a call from Sacramento GM Vlade Divac, but since Magic was still just a consultant at that point, he referred Divac to Buss and Kupchak. Divac wanted to move quickly on a Cousins deal and was meeting with Pelicans GM Dell Demps in person at the All-Star Game in New Orleans, but could only talk to Buss and Kupchak on the phone, slowing negotiations.
  • As Shelburne explains, Jeanie Buss wanted a heads-up if the Lakers were discussing any of their three previous lottery picks – Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle – in trade talks. The talks with the Kings involved two of those three players, but Jeanie and Magic were kept out of the loop until Sacramento had essentially finalized a deal with New Orleans.
  • According to Shelburne, the Jazz had offered a first-round pick for Lou Williams before Johnson took over as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, but that proposal was off the table by the time he was promoted.
  • Shelburne’s piece includes several more interesting items about Lakers ownership, the tension between the Buss brothers and Johnson, and a possible role for Kobe Bryant, among other topics, so it’s worth checking out in full.
  • Speaking of Kobe, the future Hall-of-Famer publicly endorsed the Lakers’ choice of his former agent Rob Pelinka for general manager (Twitter link). Head coach Luke Walton is “excited” to begin working with Pelinka, as Mark Medina of The O.C. Register details.
  • Legal experts say that Jeanie Buss is well positioned to retain control of the Lakers franchise even if her brothers attempt to oust her, writes Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times. Shelburne’s report suggests that Janie Buss believes Jim and Johnny Buss hope to eventually cash out.
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Northwest Notes: Stephenson, Hayward, Ezeli, Cole

March 6th, 2017 at 5:36pm CST by Milo Taibi

After appearing in four games with Minnesota earlier this season, Lance Stephenson appears likely to rejoin the team on a second 10-day contract. According to Jon Krawczynski‏ of The Associated Press, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said Stephenson is “coming along” in his recovery from an ankle sprain and should sign a new contract soon (Twitter link). Injuries have sidelined Stephenson’s 2016/17 campaign; “Born Ready” has played in a combined 10 games with the Pelicans and Wolves. 

More from around the Northwest…

  • Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes that Gordon Hayward is “one of the most coveted upcoming free agents” that no one is noticing. Hayward, who is expected to decline his 2017/18 player option, has averaged a career-high 22.1 points per game, helping the Jazz maintain a comfortable hold on the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Hayward doesn’t register on casual fans’ radars, O’Connor writes, but the seventh-year wing “might be the key to unlocking Utah’s title chances.
  • Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman answered some questions about the Thunder for his online chat. Tramel called Domantas Sabonis “one of the few bright spots” in a recent loss to the Suns, with the caveat that he will soon be moved to the bench. Similarly, Tramel forecasts a move to the bench for Alex Abrines once Victor Oladipo returns from injury. When it comes to the offseason, Tramel writes “OKC doesn’t have the flexibility to sign a big free agent. It would have to do some kind of sign-and-trade deal, and the Thunder doesn’t have the kind of assets (draft picks) to pull that off. Plus, you have to convince free agents to come. So the likelihood is not strong that the Thunder can change the roster via big-name free agent.”
  • Festus Ezeli‘s season-ending surgery will involve tissue from a cadaver donor, Tim Brown of The Oregonian writes. Per Brown, Ezeli received bone marrow injections in his left knee in August, with the intention of helping him play in 2016/17. It would be pretty surprising to see the Trail Blazers exercise Ezeli’s $7.733MM option for 2017/18.
  • Norris Cole, who has scored 13 points over three games with the Thunder, is “learning on the job,” Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. “I think for him, being pressured and coming into a new system and a new style and having to be a point guard and run the team, it was a difficult task for him,” Billy Donovan said of Cole. “These are the moments I think that will probably help him get better. He’s a veteran guy. He’s smart, he’s bright and he’ll be able to get better from this.”
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/6/17

March 6th, 2017 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Cavaliers have recalled rookie guard Kay Felder from their D-League affiliate in Canton, the team announced today in a press release. With Deron Williams now in the mix in Cleveland, there isn’t much of a role available for Felder, who is coming off a 26-point, 10-assist performance for Canton on Sunday.
  • Rookie guard Malik Beasley has been recalled from the Sioux Falls Skyforce by the Nuggets, according to a press release issued by the team. Denver doesn’t have its own D-League squad yet, so Beasley has been playing for Miami’s affiliate. In his latest stint, he appeared in three games, averaging 16.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG.
  • Rookie forward Joel Bolomboy, who has been assigned and recalled 16 times this season, is back with the Jazz, the team announced today. Bolomboy posted yet another double-double for the Salt Lake City Stars on Sunday, with 17 points and 11 boards.
  • The Spurs recalled Davis Bertans and Dejounte Murray from the Austin Spurs, the team announced on its official website (link). Bertans and Murray each received over 30 minutes of court time in Austin’s match-up with the Salt Lake City Stars on Sunday.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/2/17

March 2nd, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Jazz assigned Joel Bolomboy to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team tweets. The 6’7” forward, who has bounced back and forth between the NBA and D League all season, has appeared in 22 games with the Stars, averaging 16.3 PPG and 13.0 RPG.
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Latest On George Hill, Jazz

March 1st, 2017 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz and point guard George Hill engaged in renegotiation-and-extension discussions prior to Tuesday’s deadline, but were unable to reach an agreement. Shortly after news of those failed talks broke, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reported that Hill had been advised that he’ll be able to land a better deal this summer than what Utah could offer now. MacMahon followed up on that tidbit today with an in-depth piece on Hill, writing that the veteran guard has a chance to receive a maximum-salary offer in free agency.

As MacMahon writes, a four-year max contract for Hill this summer would be worth in the neighborhood of $132MM, which is an extraordinary price for a player who is earning just $8MM this season and has never made an All-Star team. However, sources tell MacMahon that Hill’s camp believes he may able to command such a deal in the offseason.

After being acquired from the Pacers in an offseason trade, Hill has battled injuries this season, appearing in just 35 games for the Jazz. When he has been healthy though, he has been a major part of the club’s success, recording a career-high 17.6 PPG to go along with 4.1 APG and a .403 3PT%. Utah has a 25-10 record when Hill takes the court, compared to a 12-13 mark when he sits, a fact that hasn’t been lost on his teammates.

“I think the statistics for us as a team and for him individually kind of speak for themselves,” Gordon Hayward said of Hill. “He’s obviously come in and been a leader in the locker room, too, [and] a leader out on the court for us. He plays with toughness, plays with poise offensively. He’s a big part of why we’ve been successful this year.”

If the Jazz are unable to lock up Hill during July’s free agent period, Deron Williams may be a fallback option for the team, writes MacMahon. Utah inquired on its former star point guard prior to the trade deadline, when Williams was still a Maverick, and according to MacMahon, D-Will is “definitely intrigued by the possibility of finishing his career in Utah.”

For more on Hill, be sure to check out the latest piece from Michael Lee of The Vertical, who spoke to Hill about the trade that sent him from his hometown Pacers to the Jazz, and the impact he has had in Utah this season.

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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/1/17

March 1st, 2017 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • Pistons rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije are headed back to the D-League, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Both players should have the opportunity to play significant minutes tonight for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s NBADL affiliate.
  • The Kings sent rookie big man Georgios Papagiannis to the D-League today, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Playing for the Reno Bighorns this afternoon, Papagiannis chipped in 19 points and four rebounds in a loss to Windy City.
  • The Jazz have recalled rookie forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a press release issued by the team. Although he has barely seen any action for Utah this season, Bolomboy has been a double-double machine in the D-League, averaging 16.1 PPG and 13.3 RPG in 20 games.
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