And-Ones: Cauley-Stein, Warriors, Rondo
Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein could be climbing his way into top five of the 2015 Draft, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders writes. Cauley-Stein has been projected as a mid-to-late first round pick in the last two years but each time opted to stay in school for more seasoning. It seemed unlikely that he could boost his stock further, but he has done just that this season. DraftExpress currently has the junior at No. 4 in their 2015 mock draft. More from around the league..
- The Warriors announced that they have recalled center Ognjen Kuzmic from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Kuzmic recorded six points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in last night’s 98-83 victory over the Canton Charge. The brief trip was Kuzmic’s third assignment of the year.
- Since the Rajon Rondo deal, the Celtics have seen a significant dip in rebounding, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Prior to the trade, Boston was ranked eleventh in the league in rebounding with 44.2 per game. In the eight games since, the C’s are down to 41.9 rebounds, which ranks 21st in the league.
- Trade season is fast approaching and EJ Ayala of Basketball Insiders looked at six players to keep an eye on over the next several weeks. Nets guard Deron Williams, who has been bumped from the starting lineup in favor of Jarrett Jack, tops the list.
- The Bulls‘ 2011 draft is shaping up to be one of the most influential in franchise history, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The 2011 draft brought the Bulls both Nikola Mirotic and Jimmy Butler, two players who are pillars of their current squad.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Eddie Scarito gave us the 2015/16 salary rankings for small forwards and power forwards.
- Wondering where the 2013/14 10-day signees are today? Chuck Myron gets us caught up.
- Chuck profiles Wilson Chandler as a trade candidate.
- More players have become available for veteran extensions.
- Here’s a refresher on 10-day deals, courtesy of Chuck.
- Keep tabs on the race to the bottom with Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings.
- Can the Pistons make the playoffs? Hoops Rumors readers are split in Chris Crouse’s recent poll.
- If you missed out on this week’s chat, check out the transcript here.
- Download the Trade Rumors App for iOS/Android!
Hoops Links: Rockets, Pistons, Rondo
On this date in 1992, Celtics center Robert Parish became the fifth player in NBA history to register 2,000 career blocks during the Celtics’ 100-96 road loss at Minnesota. Parish joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, Wayne Rollins, and George Johnson in the exclusive club.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- House Of Houston feels that the Rockets’ bench production will improve.
- Six Championship Drive put a theoretical value on every Pistons asset.
- Green Street discussed Rajon Rondo‘s return to Boston.
- The Daily Dribble looked at prospects coming out of mid-majors.
- New York Sports Hub isn’t surprised by the Knicks’ record so far.
- Legion Report wonders if Nikola Mirotic is the next Dirk Nowitzki.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Cavs GM David Griffin On David Blatt And More
Prior to today’s contest against the Mavericks, Cavs GM David Griffin spoke with reporters about a number of topics concerning the team, including recent speculation about first-year coach David Blatt. Chris Haynes of The Plain Dealer has the goods and the entire recap is worth a read, but here are just a few of the highlights from Griffin’s chat..
On rumors concerning coach David Blatt’s job security:
This narrative of our coaching situation is truly ridiculous. It is a non-story. It’s a non-narrative. Coach Blatt is our coach. He’s going to remain our coach. Do not write that as a vote of confidence. He never needed one. It was never a question. So don’t write it that way. I heard the entire audio file of LeBron James‘ comments. No more than three different times he said, ‘We’re growing together every day, the team grows together every day and I’m happy with who we have at the helm.’ “But that wasn’t a sexy pool quote, so we kept looking for something else until we could pool something that sounded negative. That narrative is done. No change is being made, period.
On trade activity:
We’re very actively working the phones and doing everything we can to improve the team. At the same time, unfortunately our timing doesn’t always match the timing of everybody else. Until the trade deadline, people typically don’t have a lot of reason to do anything in a specific time. So we’re doing what we can and certainly working every angle we can. This ownership group has always been one to turn over every stone and this is no different.
On the team’s areas of need:
Clearly we came into the year talking about our need for rim protection before Andy got injured. I think it’s very clear that we have a real need for more size. Our team is versatile in that we can play multiple position but we’re not terribly big. I’d like to improve that at multiple positions.
I think it’s clear that point-guard depth is something we need to address. [Matthew Dellavedova] missed 15 games and a big portion of that, we really didn’t have a backup point guard that knew our system and was available to play a lot of minutes, and that’s on me. All of that responsibility lies with me. So I think relative to what we need to do to improve, certainly we could address some talent issues but more than anything else, what we need to do is address our fit and our size.
Southeast Notes: Wade, Magic, Hawks, Porter
The Heat are focused on landing a big-name free agent in 2016 when the team will have up to $50MM in cap space, but Dwyane Wade told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald he isn’t fully on board with that strategy. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen in 2016; 2016, to me, is so far away and I hope people aren’t waiting on it thinking we’re going to land this quote, unquote Big Fish because it might not happen for you,” Wade said. “No one knows if [team president Pat] Riley is going to wait until 2016. It’s all speculation.” Wade, who will become a free agent in 2016, took an $11MM pay cut last summer to create cap room, signing a deal worth $31MM for this season and next.
There’s other news from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic can solve a lot of their problems by making Nikola Vucevic the focus of their offense, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz offers several suggestions for the struggling franchise, but the main one involves getting more shots for Vucevic, who agreed to a four-year, $53MM extension with the team last October.
- Former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer has used San Antonio’s blueprint to build a winner with the Hawks, observes Jim Cavan of Bleacher Report. Cavan notes that Budenholzer has brought unselfishness and efficiency to a franchise long known for its isolation philosophy. He also credits the front office for getting the right players into the right roles. “I think that we have a system established here and we have a group of guys that understand the concept of teamwork and doing things as a team,” Al Horford said. “When you have a group of guys like that, it makes everything easier.”
- After two games out of the rotation, Wizards forward Otto Porter returned to his regular role in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, reports Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Porter briefly lost time to Martell Webster, who returned to action recently after missing the season’s first 30 games rehabbing from back surgery. “I think Martell had a couple opportunities and he didn’t do well,” said John Wall, “and Otto came in and stayed ready. You never know what night your name is going to be called and I think with this team our guys are ready.” Porter is still on his rookie contract and is under the Wizards’ control through 2016/17.
Week In Review: 12/29/14 – 1/4/15
Last week it was reported that LeBron James would not rule out leaving the Cavs in his next trip through free agency if it was the appropriate business decision. James is understandably frustrated by the team’s disappointing start and might not be wild about coach David Blatt, but he told reporters that talk of him leaving Cleveland (again) is “outlandish.” Here’s our look back at the week that was..
- Emeka Okafor might not return until 2015/16.
- LeBron is expected to miss the next two weeks of action thanks to injuries to his back and left knee.
- The Bucks worked out Kenyon Martin and the Cavs have an eye on him.
- All three of the Hawks ownership groups have agreed to sell their respective shares of the team.
- Kings coach Tyrone Corbin had the interim tag lifted from his title.
- The Cavs have been granted a disabled player exception due to Anderson Varejao‘s season ending injury.
- The Nets expressed interest in acquiring Nik Stauskas from the Kings when discussing Deron Williams but Sacramento was reluctant to part with him.
- Hornets center Al Jefferson has been diagnosed with a strain of an adductor muscle in his left groin and is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks.
- The Jazz announced that Alec Burks will have left shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.
- Kings forward/center Eric Moreland will undergo surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder and miss the rest of the season.
- The Cavs front office might have some concerns about Blatt.
- Several GMs around the league believe that the Cavs coaching job is the one that Mark Jackson would like to have.
- Sixers guard Jason Richardson said that he expects to return to the court in late January after being sidelined for nearly two years.
- Miroslav Raduljica still seems likely to join the Wolves.
- The Wizards are likely to cut second-year guard Glen Rice Jr.
- The Jazz are preparing to bring Elijah Millsap up from the NBA D-League.
- The Jazz will waive Toure’ Murry.
- Paul Pierce will probably speak with Danny Ainge and Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck this summer about a role with the organization after his playing career is done.
Southwest Notes: Smith, Rondo, Cuban, Rockets
The recent play of Greg Smith has the Mavericks convinced they can wait to add frontcourt help, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Free agent Jermaine O’Neal remains the team’s primary target, Sefko writes, but he won’t commit to returning to the NBA until he is sure he’s physically ready. The 6’10” Smith, who has averaged 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in eight games since Brandan Wright was moved in the Rajon Rondo deal, has lessened the sense of urgency to find a big man. “Jermaine’s a great guy. I know him,” Smith said. “And if he comes here, that’d be great for us. But for right now, I got to hold the fort down and be the best backup I can be so if he does come, we can be a three-headed monster down there.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is defending Rondo in the wake of a controversial comment, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. After returning to Boston Friday for his first game since the December 18th trade that sent him to the Mavericks, Rondo told reporters, “I haven’t played defense in a couple years.” Ainge said he was referring to former backcourt mate Avery Bradley taking the tougher matchup. “The way I interpret it,” Ainge said, “is that now out in the Western Conference he’s going to have to be the guy that defends Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and those guys every night, where here he could rely on Avery to take a lot of that burden off of him.”
- Mark Cuban turned around the fortunes of Mavericks basketball when he bought the team 15 years ago Sunday, opines Dwain Price of The Star Telegram. Price contends Cuban’s willingness to spend and his close relationship with players has made Dallas a perennial title contender.
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes the Rockets improved greatly through two recent moves, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Houston was able to add athleticism and experience by picking up Josh Smith on waivers from the Pistons and Corey Brewer through a trade with the Wolves. ““They are both long, versatile defenders,” Spoelstra said. “Corey Brewer is playing as well as he has ever played. He is shooting the ball great. He is playing with great confidence. He is disruptive. You can see why they pursued him so hard.”
Jazz Waive Toure’ Murry
11:16am: The move is official, the team announced.
9:21am: The Jazz will waive Toure’ Murry, a league source tells Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Presumably, the move will be to clear room on the roster for Elijah Millsap, whom the team is set to sign. Murry inked a two-year, $2MM deal over the summer, but only $250K of it was guaranteed. However, he’s already earned more than that partial guarantee, so the Jazz won’t be responsible for any additional salary to Murry should they waive him by 4pm Central on Wednesday, when NBA teams must waive non-guaranteed contracts or guarantee them for the remainder of the season.
Murry, who’s seen only one minute in one game so far for Utah in the regular season, has spent about three weeks’ worth of time in the D-League. The 6’5″ guard saw somewhat more action for the Knicks last season, putting up 2.7 points in 7.3 minutes per game across 51 appearances. That experience clearly impressed the Jazz, who saw fit to give the undrafted talent out of Wichita State his partially guaranteed deal for more than the minimum, but that’s failed to translate into playing time for him in Utah. His name was in trade rumors related to Andrei Kirilenko before the Nets instead dealt Kirilenko to the Sixers.
Utah has injury troubles in the backcourt with Alec Burks gone for the season and Patrick Christopher nursing a dislocated right kneecap that has him out indefinitely. Rodney Hood missed Saturday’s game with a sore left heel. It’s somewhat surprising that the Jazz apparently plan to cut ties with another guard just as they’re set to bring aboard Millsap, a swingman, but with Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Gordon Hayward and Ian Clark available to play guard, Utah doesn’t have a particularly dire need.
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Injury, Galloway
It’s time for the Knicks to shut down Carmelo Anthony for the rest of the season, opines Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. New York’s star has missed the past three games with a sore left knee and is unlikely to play against the Bucks today. Coach Derek Fisher said the team hasn’t talked to Anthony about ending his season, but Youngmisuk writes that considering the Knicks have lost 10 in a row and 20 of their last 21, there is nothing to be gained by continuing to play him.
There’s more from New York:
- Fisher said any decision to shut down Anthony will be made with input from both the player and the organization, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “From the conversations I’ve been a part of, I think everybody is smart enough to realize, calendar wise, timing wise, that there may come a point that that’s the decision that needs to be made,” Fisher said. “But [we realize] that we can’t force Carmelo to that point yet.” Anthony is in the first season of a five-year, $124MM contract and has said he plans to keep playing as long as the condition of his knee permits.
- The Knicks seem to be “tiptoeing” toward making a final decision with Anthony, writes Scott Cacciola of The New York Times. “I think there will definitely come a time at some point where there has to be a conversation about a longer space for him possibly,” Fisher said. “But it’s just not there at this point.” But with the team stuck at 5-30 and hopelessly out of the playoff race, the decision seems obvious. “As a friend. I’d tell him to take care of his body,” said teammate J.R. Smith.
- Help could be coming from the D-League, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Langston Galloway, a 6’2″ point guard, starred for the Knicks’ summer league team and has reportedly been impressing team president Phil Jackson with his play for New York’s D-League affiliate in Westchester. The organization sees him as the type of outside shooter it needs for the triangle. Ten-day contracts can be issued starting Monday.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Bosh, Mirotic, Hawks
The Sixers have played as well as expected this season and Tom Moore of Calkins Media wonders if Joel Embiid is the only star-caliber player on the roster. He admits that Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and even Tony Wroten are serviceable NBA players, but none are likely to lead a team deep into the playoffs. At 4-27, Philadelphia currently owns the worst record in the league, which would guarantee the team a top four draft pick. You can follow our reverse standings to see which teams have the inside track to the top picks in the 2015 draft.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Chris Bosh didn’t foresee the Heat struggling this season but believes he can lead the team into the playoffs, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “I wanted to see if I [was] able [to] have that increased role and still be successful. It’s out there in front of me and it’s out in front of this team. I just have to make sure I do my part in making sure we don’t lose track of what’s important,” Bosh said. The 11-year veteran has missed eight games this season due to injury and Miami is 11-14 with him in the lineup.
- Bulls fans can thank the sign-and-trade that sent Carlos Boozer to the Bulls for having Nikola Mirotic on the team, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune explains. The Jazz agreed to send a second-round pick to Chicago for allowing them to make Boozer’s departure a sign-and-trade. Then, the Bulls parlayed that second-rounder into the draft rights of Mirotic during the 2011 draft.
- The uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the Hawks hasn’t impacted the team on the court this season, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The current owners of the Hawks have agreed to sell 100% of the team. Meanwhile, on the court, Atlanta sits atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-8.