Southwest Notes: Parsons, Villanueva, Fredette
Chandler Parsons underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on Friday to address a cartilage injury to his right knee, the Mavericks announced. While no timetable for the 26-year-old was relayed, Parsons had previously stated that he might not be recovered in time for the start of NBA training camp next season. The forward just completed the first season of the three-year, $46.08MM deal he signed last summer. Parsons appeared in 66 games for the Mavs this season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.1 minutes per contest.
Here’s more out of the NBA’s Southwest Division:
- Mavs big man Charlie Villanueva, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, wants to return to Dallas and play for coach Rick Carlisle, Tim Cato of SBNation tweets. “I’ve been in the league 10 years and been coached by nine coaches. I’d love to have the same coach,” Villanueva said.
- Jimmer Fredette is also an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the 26-year-old’s career is at a crossroads, Jay Yeomans of The Deseret News writes. If the guard is to remain in the NBA he will need to find a team that runs a system he can be productive in, as well as one that will use him as a shooter rather than a point guard, Yeomans opines. In 50 games for the Pelicans this past season, Fredette averaged 3.6 PPG and 1.2 APG in 10.2 minutes per contest.
- While Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was aware of Rajon Rondo‘s volatile nature, the executive was caught off guard by how quickly things soured for the point guard after being dealt to the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News relays. “I am very surprised, yeah,” said Ainge. “I really don’t know what happened, other than media reports. So I probably shouldn’t comment any further on that. I like both individuals [Rondo and coach Rick Carlisle] and I’m very surprised it didn’t work out better.“
Hoops Rumors Originals 4/26/15-5/2/15
Here’s a look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- I profiled projected 2015 first-rounder Tyus Jones. You can view all of our Prospect Profiles for the 2015 NBA draft here.
- As a part of our offseason outlook series Chuck examined where the Pelicans, Raptors, and Celtics stand heading into the summer.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- I ran down how the Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Pacers and Pistons utilized the NBA D-League this past season.
- We highlighted some of the best reader comments in Featured Feedback.
- Zach interviewed 2015 NBA draft prospect Richaun Holmes.
- In a reader poll, Chuck called for you to vote on whether or not the Pelicans need to make major offseason changes. To which the majority responded that New Orleans indeed requires roster alterations in order to take the next step forward as a franchise.
- Dana Gauruder examined the free agent stock of Reggie Jackson.
- Chuck provided a refresher on how Bird Rights and Early Bird Rights work in relation to free agency.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- If you missed this week’s chat you can view the full transcript here.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, and your RSS feed.
Central Notes: Middleton, Love, Butler
Bucks‘ swingman Khris Middleton wishes to return to Milwaukee next season, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel relays (Twitter links). “I hope to be back here,” Middleton said. “I feel we have a great young team, going in the right direction.” The 23-year-old can become a restricted free agent this offseason provided the Bucks tender him a qualifying offer worth $2,725,003. Middleton also noted that he wouldn’t want negotiations between he and Milwaukee to become drawn out, and referenced Eric Bledsoe and the Suns’ dealings from last summer, Gardner adds. “That’s a terrible situation,” said Middleton. “It worked out for him but it’s something I’d rather not be in.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The dislocated shoulder that knocked Kevin Love out of action for four to six months also ruined his chance at redeeming what the forward termed a “so-so” first season with the Cavs, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes.
- Bulls‘ swingman Jimmy Butler‘s uncanny ability to accept criticism from his coaches without reacting emotionally is a major reason that the 25-year-old has matured into a star player in the NBA, Eric Weiss and Kevin O’Connor of DraftExpress write in their profile of player. Butler will become a restricted free agent this summer if Chicago tenders him a qualifying offer of $4,433,683.
- The Cavs have already begun recruiting Love to remain in Cleveland with their statements about how much the big man will be missed now that he is out for the remainder of the playoffs, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. The scribe cites comments like ones made by guard Kyrie Irving, who said, “When one of your brothers goes down, there’s a piece of us that went with him.”
Week In Review 4/26/15-5/2/15
The Thunder struck first in landing a new head coach this offseason with the announcement that Florida’s Billy Donovan would now be roaming the sideline for OKC, replacing the recently fired Scott Brooks. This was after Kevin Ollie, the franchise’s reported top choice, elected to remain at UConn. Donovan’s contract is reportedly for five-years and worth approximately $30MM, or roughly $6MM per season. The final year of the deal is a team option.
“It’s been a complete whirlwind for me the last four or five days,” Donovan said. “I am extremely thankful the way [OKC GM Sam Presti] laid out the organization to me over about a two-and-a-half-day period because, to be honest with you, I really did not know a lot about the Oklahoma City Thunder. I knew of Sam, I obviously knew of the players and organization, but I didn’t know what it was about. And it was that — that really made me turn my head when I started to find out more, that I think the qualities, the values, what this organization is about is directly in line and mirrors what I believe.” The Nuggets and Magic are currently the only other teams that are in the market for a new coach.
Here’s a look back at the rest of the week that was:
2015 NBA Draft News
- Isaiah Taylor will skip the NBA draft and return to the University of Texas.
- The Sixers are reportedly hoping to land Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell in June’s draft.
- Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor signed with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management. Duffy also signed on to represent Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre.
- Bulgarian forward Aleksandar Vezenkov, also known as Sasha Vezenkov, announced his intent to enter the 2015 NBA draft. A second report stated that Vezenkov intends to withdraw his name from consideration.
- Senior shooting guard D’Angelo Harrison signed with agent Bernie Lee of Lee Basketball Services.
- Latvian center Andzejs Pasecniks will enter this year’s draft.
- Andrey Desyatnikov has declared for the NBA draft.
- Lebanese point guard Wael Arakji is entering the June’s draft.
- Combo forward Beka Burjanadze submitted his name for the draft.
- Former LSU power forward Jordan Mickey has signed with agents Matt Babcock and Adie von Gontard of the APAA Sports Group.
- Rakeem Christmas decided on Stephen Pina of ASM Sports for his representation.
- Spanish shooting guard Marc Garcia submitted his name for the draft, his representatives at Octagon Basketball revealed.
- Projected second-rounder J.P. Tokoto signed with agent Steve McCaskill of Relativity Sports.
- Former Florida power forward Chris Walker hired agent Travis King of Relativity Sports.
- Oriol Pauli, another Octagon client from Spain, has also entered the draft.
- Lottery prospect Kevon Looney has hired both Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management and Todd Ramasar of Stealth Sports to represent him.
- You can see the complete list of early entrants for the 2015 NBA draft here.
Coaching News/Rumors
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri didn’t say whether coach Dwane Casey would be back next year, though he indicated that if he had decided against keeping him, he’d have already said so.
- The Kings are finalizing an agreement with Sixers assistant Chad Iske for him to become associate head coach under George Karl.
Awards
- Warriors GM Bob Myers won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award.
- Andrew Wiggins won this year’s Rookie of the Year award, receiving 110 of the 130 first-place votes.
News/Rumors
- Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, reportedly doesn’t intend to pursue offer sheets from other teams.
- Soon-to-be free agent DeAndre Jordan has made it known that he has interest in signing with the Mavs this summer.
- The Pelicans reportedly plan to offer Anthony Davis a contract extension worth the league maximum this offseason.
- Kevin Love suffered a dislocated left shoulder that required surgery to repair. The Cavs’ forward is expected to be out of action for four to six months’ time.
- The Magic signed GM Rob Hennigan to an extension that carries through the 2017/18 season, and includes a team option for 2018/19.
- Mavs forward Al-Farouq Aminu said that he’ll turn down his minimum-salary player option with the Mavs for next season.
- Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard intends to seek a maximum contract extension from the team this offseason.
- Rookie Fuquan Edwin will join the Pelicans’ summer league team.
- The Celtics are reportedly willing enough to trade Gerald Wallace that to do so, they would part with one of the seven extra first-round picks in line to come their way.
- The prevailing belief around the league is that Brook Lopez will opt out but re-sign with the Nets on a max deal this summer.
- Blazers guard Arron Afflalo intends to turn down his $7.75MM player option for next season and become a free agent this summer.
- Small forward Chase Budinger has reportedly opted in and will remain with the Timberwolves for the 2015/16 season. The small forward has a player option worth $5MM for next season.
- The Celtics will reportedly make an attempt to trade for DeMarcus Cousins this summer.
- Stiff opposition has arisen against the Warriors‘ plan to construct a new arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay area.
- Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said that he believes sides are nearing an agreement that would secure the public’s share of funding for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee.
- Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic is reportedly signing a three-year extension with FC Barcelona, and will not be making the jump to the NBA next season.
- German center Tibor Pleiss could look to join the Jazz next season if his contract is bought out by Barcelona.
- The Celtics are among the teams with interest in soon-to-be free agent Al-Farouq Aminu.
- Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas, also known as Marcelinho Huertas, was reportedly eyeing a move to the NBA next season. But a second report which relayed Huertas’ love for playing in Barcelona, casts doubt on him playing in the U.S. in 2015/16.
- All of the week’s NBA D-League assignments and recalls can be found here.
And-Ones: Huertas, NBA Draft, Towns
Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas, also known as Marcelinho Huertas, was reportedly eyeing a move to the NBA next season. But it would now appear that the 31-year-old has changed his mind about leaving Barcelona, Ernest Macià of Catalunya Ràdio tweets (hat tip to HoopsHype). Huertas was expected to be in demand this offseason as a potential backup point guard if he chose to head stateside. In 29 games for FC Barcelona this past season, the 6’3″ Huertas averaged 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 21.7 minutes per contest.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com released his updated 2015 NBA draft rankings. The scribe’s top three players consist of Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky in the No. 1 slot, followed by Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay, who played in the Chinese League last season.
- While many draftees require at least a season before they are productive at the NBA level, ESPN.com’s Fran Fraschilla (Insider subscription required) believes there are a number of players in the 2015 class who can buck that trend and contribute immediately. In addition to Towns, the ESPN scribe also predicts that point guards D’Angelo Russell and Jerian Grant will have the opportunity to put up solid numbers early in their NBA careers.
- Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) examined the draft needs of the Magic, Kings, Pistons and Hornets. The duo peg outside shooting and rim protection as the primary needs for Orlando, a wing who can stretch the floor for Charlotte, a solid defender for Sacramento, and both forward positions for Detroit.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Pacers
The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Pacers utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Affiliation Type: Shared
D-League Team Record: 28-22
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1
Total D-League Assignments: 2
Player Stats While On Assignment
- Shayne Whittington: 2 assignments, 1 game, 5.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG. .500/.000/.500.
D-League Signings
- None
Assignment/Recall Log
- January 27th: Assigned Shayne Whittington (Recalled January 30th)
- April 8th: Assigned Shayne Whittington (D-League Playoffs)
Northwest Notes: Donovan, Blazers, Thunder
Billy Donovan was officially introduced today as the new coach of the Thunder, and he views his jump from the college ranks to the NBA as an exciting challenge, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays. “It’s been a complete whirlwind for me the last four or five days,” Donovan said. “I am extremely thankful the way [OKC GM Sam Presti] laid out the organization to me over about a two-and-a-half-day period because, to be honest with you, I really did not know a lot about the Oklahoma City Thunder. I knew of Sam, I obviously knew of the players and organization, but I didn’t know what it was about. And it was that — that really made me turn my head when I started to find out more, that I think the qualities, the values, what this organization is about is directly in line and mirrors what I believe.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder‘s hiring of Donovan shows that Presti is more concerned about the overall future of the franchise than of Kevin Durant departing as a free agent after the 2015/16 season, Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. If Presti was going to make a coaching hire simply to placate Durant, the GM would have likely gone with Kevin Ollie or Mark Jackson instead, both of whom are well-respected by the star forward, Lee adds.
- As the Trail Blazers enter the summer with uncertainty regarding a number of players on the roster, C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard are two players whom the team expects to build around heading into the 2015/16 campaign, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. “It validates what we’ve believed the whole time,” GM Neil Olshey said of the duo’s playoff performances. “Seeing what C.J. and Meyers were able to do in this playoff series against one the most physical, well-coached, defensive minded teams in this league should inspire everybody in this marketplace that we have a very strong core of youth that we can move forward with.” Leonard is eligible to ink a rookie scale extension with Portland this offseason.
- The injuries suffered by Durant this season scuttled the Thunder‘s plans to evolve offensively, and instead the team had to simply try and survive the season, Young writes in a separate piece. While the team’s offensive stagnation wasn’t the primary reason for the dismissal of former coach Scott Brooks, it certainly played a large part, Young adds.
Prospect Profile: Tyus Jones
Tyus Jones‘ decision to leave Duke after a single season is a move that should pay off for the young point guard. The freshman’s stock isn’t likely to rise much higher than it is right now, with Jones having been part of Duke’s National Championship squad this season, as well as being named as the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014/15 NCAA Final Four in the process. With NBA scouts already divided in their opinions of Jones, returning to Durham would have been a big risk for the 18-year-old. His stock could have only fallen by spending another season at the collegiate level, so making the jump to the NBA at this time is firmly in Jones’ best interests.
Jones is quite possibly the best pure point guard in this year’s draft. He possesses remarkable floor vision, is a reliable and consistent performer, and has all of the leadership qualities that a coach could desire from a floor general. But it is Jones’ size, 6’1″, and lack of elite athleticism that have his doubters unconvinced that he can make a successful transition to the NBA.
The point guard is currently ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) slots Jones 21st amongst his top-100 prospects. If you added another two inches to Jones’ frame, or if he was just a bit faster, then the player would likely be thrust into the discussion when debating the potential top five picks in June’s draft.
“I want to love him [Jones],” one NBA GM told Ford. “He’s really, really good. His feel for the game is tremendous and now that his jump shot is falling, he’s very difficult to guard. I’m just worried that given the size of so many elite point guards in our league and how great so many of them are athletically, whether he can keep up on either end of the floor. That was my concern last year with Tyler Ennis and he was bigger and more athletic. I just don’t know when you take him.”
While his athleticism might not be on par with the upper echelon of point guards in the NBA, Jones has all of the intangibles you could hope for, and also demonstrated that he can perform when the lights are at their brightest. In 39 games with the Blue Devils, Jones averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.9 minutes per contest. His shooting numbers were .417/.379/.889. In his six NCAA tournament appearances, Jones committed only eight turnovers in total, including just one in his 37 minutes of action versus Wisconsin in the title game.
The 18-year-old possesses outstanding ball-handling skills, and is a dynamic passer who sees the floor and reads defenses incredibly well for a player with his limited experience. The combination of Jones’ floor vision, ball distribution, and his ability to consistently sink jump shots off the dribble make him a handful in pick-and-roll sets, Givony notes. Jones also demonstrated good accuracy from beyond the three-point line, with nearly 38% of his deep balls finding their mark. This is a very important aspect of Jones’ game going forward, since he won’t be able to make a living in the NBA without being able to keep defenders honest with his shooting.
If Jones is to find any success at the next level, he’ll have to continue to improve on his outside game, since he doesn’t have the speed necessary to blow by most NBA guards. The freshman also isn’t especially adept at creating his own shot with any level of consistency. However, this is an area I think the young guard will improve upon as he gains more playing experience. Jones also needs to become more effective when he is able to take it to the rim, having converted just 44% of his shots in the paint while at Duke. Thankfully, Jones is quite adept at creating contact on his drives, and is a sharpshooter from the charity stripe, nailing nearly 89% of his free throws during the 2014/15 campaign.
The young point guard’s lack of explosiveness also impacts him while on defense. To put it bluntly, Jones was not a good defender during his time at Duke. His lack of lateral quickness and strength will certainly be exploited at the NBA level, though with his high basketball IQ, Jones might be able to compensate after a time. What will require immediate adjustment is Jones’ overall defensive intensity and dedication to becoming a ball-stopper. If he hopes to earn regular rotation minutes at the pro level, some serious defensive improvement will be required on Jones’ part.
Despite all of the knocks against his athleticism, Jones is quite simply a winner. One who plays his best ball when the stakes are high and the intensity is at its peak. He is also a player who can make his teammates around him better. Some serious D-League time will be required during his rookie campaign, but for a patient team Jones could be a worthwhile investment. Unless he surprises NBA scouts and executives during his pre-draft workouts, expect Jones to have his name called somewhere in the 17-25 range this June.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Celtics Notes: Thomas, Ainge, Offseason
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge believes that Boston is indeed a marquee destination for free agents, but the team needs to be more aggressive in how it markets itself to players, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “Most of the guys that have played here love it here, and they don’t want to leave once they’re here,” Ainge said. “Not all of them are really excited about coming here when they first get here, but usually by the time they leave they love the organization and they love the city. So we need to get that word out. Some players will like it and some won’t. It’s that simple. Some players will choose sunshine over cold, but ultimately, most players want to be paid, they want an opportunity to play their game and be respected by the league, and they want an opportunity to win.”
Here’s more out of Beantown:
- Ainge also addressed point guard Isaiah Thomas‘ desire to be a starter, and pointed to past Celtics stars who embraced the sixth man role for the franchise, Bulpett notes. “Isaiah is one of the top point guards in the league, so I understand that,” Ainge said. “I think that what makes him great is he’s a driven guy who really wants to be recognized as one of the great little guys that’s ever played basketball, and I guess to encourage him to feel like he can still do that by coming off the bench, a la John Havlicek and Kevin McHale and Cedric Maxwell and many of the Celtic greats that came off the bench. But like right now for our team I think Isaiah is more suited for a bench role, but ultimately that’s Brad Stevens’ and Isaiah’s, you know, how he plays and Brad’s decisions, because Isaiah expends a ton of energy to score.“
- The Celtics’ front office isn’t sure what the trade market will hold this offseason, or if the franchise will be able to capitalize on its wealth of trade exceptions, Bulpett writes in a separate article. “I mean, all we can do is guess,” said Ainge. “We can guess like the fans can guess, but no one really knows. Hey, I don’t know. There haven’t been any talks since trade deadline. Occasionally, when you have trade-deadline conversations where the trigger wasn’t pulled on certain deals, we may have some indication of players that are available or may be available. I feel like we need to have a busy summer, and we will have a busy summer.“
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Clippers
The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Clippers utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Affiliation Type: Shared
D-League Team Record: 28-22
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1
Total D-League Assignments: 1
Player Stats While On Assignment
- C.J. Wilcox: 1 assignment, 5 games, 13.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG. .531/.450/.556.
D-League Signings
- Dahntay Jones (Fort Wayne Mad Ants – shared affiliate): Inked 1st 10-day contract on January 14th; signed 2nd 10-day pact on January 24th; signed for remainder of season on February 3rd.
- Jordan Hamilton (Reno Bighorns – Kings affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day deal on February 24th; inked 2nd 10-day pact on March 6th; signed multiyear deal on March 20th.
Assignment/Recall Log
- January 6th: Assigned C.J. Wilcox (Recalled January 21st)