Southeast Notes: Kaminsky, Hawks’ New Hires
Frank Kaminsky is high on the list of rookies who should be able to contribute to their teams right away, Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insiders only) writes. Elhassan acknowledges that Kaminsky might struggle on the defensive end, but argues that his offense is solid and his game complements Al Jefferson‘s, which should allow the rookie to see significant minutes immediately.
The Celtics offered the Hornets a package that included four first-round picks to entice Charlotte to give up the No. 9 pick, but owner Michael Jordan preferred to select a more known commodity in Kaminsky over stocking up on future picks. Readers of Hoops Rumors offered various and conflicting opinions on whether Charlotte made the right call by keeping its selection in Tuesday’s Community Shootaround.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks have hired Michael Blackstone as an assistant GM, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Blackstone previously served as the executive director of basketball operations for the Cavs.
- Atlanta has also hired John Treloar to be the director of player personnel, Vivlamore adds in the same piece. Treloar previously served as the director of player personnel for the Suns and as the coach of the Erie Bayhawks, the Cavs’ D-League affiliate. New Hawks GM Wes Wilcox has worked with both Treloar and Blackstone previously in Cleveland.
- The Hawks also have promoted Jeff Peterson to director of scouting, according to Vivlamore in the same piece.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Papanikolaou, Jazz
Denver will drop to about $7MM below the salary cap once they officially waive Kostas Papanikolaou, former Nets exec Bobby Marks notes on Twitter. Marks adds that Milwaukee, Minnesota, Cleveland and Golden State have trade exceptions while Philadelphia and Portland have the cap space to claim the forward’s salary, which is worth slightly less than $4.8MM.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- If claimed, the 24-year-old’s contract will become guaranteed should he remain on the roster past October 4th. Any team that claims Papanikolaou off waivers cannot trade him until the 30th day of the regular season, as Marks notes on Twitter. With the season set to kick-off on October 27th, claiming the forward will not provide a potential suitor with the same type of valuable trade chip that the Nuggets previously possessed.
- The Jazz didn’t sign any outside free agents because they didn’t want to block any of their young players’ development, Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM writes. Tjarks argues that most year-to-year improvements come from internal development rather than transactions in the offseason and the Jazz could end up being the team that improved the most due to their up-and-coming, young core.
- Utah knew Enes Kanter was probably not going to be worth the mammoth contract he was set to receive this offseason and with the number of young players on the roster set to earn raises over the next few seasons, the team could not afford to add an ill-advised contract, Tjarks adds in the same piece.
Mavs Sign Justin Anderson
The Mavericks have signed first-round pick Justin Anderson, according to a team press release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the value of his deal is expected be slightly under $7.06MM over four seasons as our 2015 First Round Picks Salary Page shows. With the news of Anderson signing, all the first-round picks have signed with their teams except for No. 26 overall pick Nikola Milutinov of the Spurs, who has signed with the Olympiacos of Greece.
Anderson had a good showing at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He averaged 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 43.4% from the field during his six games of action.
The 21-year-old is a long-armed, stout defender who had the eye of scouts on him during his first couple seasons at Virginia. His improvement on the offensive end during his junior season, in which he averaged 12.2 points and shot 45.2% from behind the arc, vaulted him into the first round. Anderson should get a chance to compete for minutes immediately with Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons as the only players whom are presumably locked into the team’s wing rotation.
Central Notes: Rose, Noah, Mozgov
Derrick Rose remains undecided about attending Team USA’s minicamp this month, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com reports. Sources told Friedell that Rose is considering taking more time off before Bulls training camp in late September. If Rose skips the minicamp, he may cost himself any chance of a roster spot since USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo has said that players who wish to be considered for the 12-man roster that will represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro must attend the minicamp, Friedell adds. Rose was set to play in the 2012 Olympics before injuring his left knee during the NBA playoffs that year.
In other news around the Central Division:
- Joakim Noah said his health issues last season were “very humbling” and he’s eager to “prove I can help this team win big,” K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. New Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg recently visited Noah at a training facility in California and Noah “enjoyed vibing with him,” Johnson added in a separate tweet.
- Timofey Mozgov has no incentive to sign an extension with the Cavaliers since the salary cap will rise dramatically next season, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mozgov will be an unrestricted free agent after making $4.95MM during the upcoming season and he could be worth at least $15MM a year if he has another strong season, Pluto adds.
- Unrestricted Cavs free agent J.R. Smith has value on the right type of team with a one-year contract, Pluto opined in the same story. The Cavs suggested that Smith take a one-year, $6.4MM option for the upcoming season but he declined, Pluto adds.
Hoops Rumors Originals 7/26/15-8/1/15
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- Sam Amico, the founder and editor of AmicoHoops.net and a broadcast journalist for Fox Sports Ohio, will write a weekly feature for Hoops Rumors with news, rumors and insight from around the NBA. He posted his initial column this past week, and it can be found here.
- Chuck Myron looked at how underclassmen fared in the 2015 NBA Draft.
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- Chuck ran down the list of players who were dealt during the 2015 offseason with at least $10MM in guaranteed money left on their respective deals.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- We ran down the list of players who survived past their contract guarantee dates.
- If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
- Chuck ran down the number of free agent signings made by each franchise this offseason.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- We reviewed out commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
Northwest Rumors: Burke, Huestis, Donovan
Trey Burke views the Jazz’s logjam at point guard as a source of motivation, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. This summer and upcoming season is crucial to Burke’s future with the club, Falk continues. Burke was a lottery pick in 2013 but lost his starting spot to 2014 lottery selection Dante Exum. The Jazz also have point guards Bryce Cotton, Raul Neto and Olivier Hanlan on the roster. Burke shot just 36.8% from the field and 31.8% on 3-point attempts last season while averaging 12.8 points and 4.3 assists in 30.1 minutes. His shooting percentage was the lowest of any player attempting at least 1,000 shots since 1965, Falk adds. “I just look at it as another test. A stepping stone. You can use it as motivation going into training camp,” Burke said during a conference call. “Right now, I’m really dedicating myself and, come training camp, I know I’ll be prepared, and that’s all that matters.”
In other news around the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder gave Josh Huestis the full 120% bump on his rookie scale contract and thus he will make about $1.1MM this season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Huestis made a pre-draft arrangement with Oklahoma City in 2014 to be taken in the first round and then delay signing a rookie contract. He spent last season with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate while making approximately $25,000. Huestis, who signed a four-year deal with a team option after the second season, is glad he took that gamble, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. “Obviously I was the first to do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a more common practice,” Huestis said to Mayberry of the domestic-draft-and-stash route. “Not only does it give you an opportunity to stay close to your organization and stay in America, but you get to play against great competition and learn from great coaches and a great staff.”
- The focus on the Thunder this offseason has centered on new head coach Billy Donovan, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes. Donovan has already drawn rave reviews from people around Oklahoma City for his personality and seems to be a good fit with the community, Carlson adds.
Clippers Waive Jordan Hamilton
11:01pm: The team has indeed placed Hamilton on waivers, according to fellow Times scribe Eric Pincus (Twitter link).
5:23pm: The Clippers are in process of waiving Jordan Hamilton, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times tweets. There are no other accompanying moves, Bolch adds.
The 6’7” shooting guard appeared in 14 games last season, averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.7 minutes per game. The 24-year-old played his first two-plus seasons with the Nuggets, then was dealt to the Rockets for Aaron Brooks midway through the 2013/14 season. Hamilton was taken in the first round of the 2011 draft by the Mavericks, who shipped him that night to Denver.
He signed two 10-day contracts with the Clippers last season and then was signed for the remainder of the season in March. He did not appear in any postseason games with the Clippers. He had a non-guaranteed salary of just over $1MM for the upcoming season.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Celtics
Nets coach Lionel Hollins, in a Q&A with Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com, likes that Brooklyn was able to get younger and more versatile this offseason. The coach also believes Deron Williams did not play as well as the franchise would have liked him to. Hollins said he also thinks Williams, who signed with the Mavs, will bounce back, though. Without Williams in the fold, Hollins is confident Jarrett Jack can handle the duties of starting point guard for the Nets. In addition, Joe Johnson, who was the subject of trade rumors earlier this summer, will likely start at shooting guard, according to Hollins.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The search for the Knicks‘ new D-League coach is down to Mike Miller, a former associate head coach at Kansas State, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports (Twitter links). Miller also worked for the Spurs’ D-League team, Isola notes.
- Thomas Robinson, who the Nets signed to a two-year deal, wants a “long-term relationship” with Brooklyn after the forward has bounced around in the league, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes.
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge believes that Boston coach Brad Stevens will be viewed as one of the all-time coaching greats in the future. “I wouldn’t have brought him in and given him a six-year contract if I didn’t think he was really good and special,” Ainge said during an on-camera interview with Comcast SportsNet (relayed by Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com).
Week In Review 7/26/15-8/1/15
The public funding plan for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee received approval from the Wisconsin State Assembly by a 52-34 vote this past Tuesday. The measure passed the state senate two weeks ago and now heads to Governor Scott Walker for his signature. Walker has consistently supported the idea of a new building that would keep the team from leaving town. State, county and city leaders have been under pressure from the league to make sure an arena is ready by the start of the 2017/18 season, with the NBA having threatened to take the team away from owners Marc Lasry, Wesley Edens and Jamie Dinan and sell it to others who would move the team. The public is on the hook for half of the arena’s expected $500MM cost. Here’s more from the week that was…
Trades
- The Cavs dealt Brendan Haywood and Mike Miller to the Blazers and Cleveland created two trade exceptions as a result of the transaction — one for $10.5MM and another for $2.85MM — and also received cash from Portland.
- The Magic acquired Shabazz Napier from the Heat in exchange for a protected 2016 second-round pick.
- The Celtics acquired Zoran Dragic from the Heat in return for a protected 2019 second-round selection.
- The Warriors acquired Jason Thompson from the Sixers in exchange for Gerald Wallace. Philly also obtains the right to swap the lesser of the 2016 first-round picks coming their way from the Heat and the Thunder for Golden State’s 2016 first-round pick.
You can keep up with all of the offseason trades here.
Free Agent Signings
Eastern Conference
- The Pacers re-signed Lavoy Allen.
- Jae Crowder re-signed with the Celtics.
- The Pacers re-signed forward Shayne Whittington.
- Glenn Robinson III inked a deal with the Pacers.
- The Cavaliers re-signed point guard Matthew Dellavedova.
- Corey Walden inked a training camp deal with the Celtics.
- The Knicks signed Wesley Saunders.
- The Hornets signed a training camp deal with Elliot Williams.
- The Knicks re-signed Louis Amundson.
- The Bucks inked Chris Copeland.
- The Knicks and Sasha Vujacic agreed to a one-year deal.
Western Conference
- The Mavericks signed undrafted Arizona power forward Brandon Ashley.
- Jamil Wilson signed with the Mavericks.
- The Warriors agreed to sign shooting guard Ian Clark.
- The Clippers and undrafted center Yanick Moreira have a training camp deal.
- Will Barton re-signed with the Nuggets.
- The Spurs agreed to sign Youssou Ndoye to a training camp pact.
- Marcus Thornton signed a deal with the Rockets.
- The Mavericks inked veteran center Samuel Dalembert.
- The Thunder signed Josh Huestis.
- The Mavericks signed center Salah Mejri.
- The Rockets agreed to a deal with center Chuck Hayes.
- The Wolves struck a deal with guard Andre Miller.
- The Mavs signed Jeremy Evans.
You can stay up to date on all of the signings with Hoops Rumors’ free agent tracker.
2015 NBA Draft Pick Signings
- The Celtics signed No. 16 overall pick Terry Rozier and No. 28 overall pick R.J. Hunter to rookie scale contracts.
- The Pacers signed No. 36 overall pick Rakeem Christmas.
- The Nuggets signed No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay to a rookie scale deal.
- The Heat signed No. 40 overall pick Josh Richardson.
- The Sixers signed the 37th overall pick Richaun Holmes.
- The Knicks signed first-round picks Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant to rookie scale deals.
You can stay up to date on all of the 2015 NBA Draft signings here.
Waivers
- The Heat waived Henry Walker.
- The Trail Blazers waived Brendan Haywood.
- The Knicks waived Ricky Ledo.
- The Kings waived Eric Moreland.
- The Pelicans waived Toney Douglas.
International Signings
- Former No. 6 overall pick Ekpe Udoh signed with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey.
- Former Warriors center Ognjen Kuzmic signed with Panathinaikos of Greece.
- Nikola Milutinov, whom the Spurs drafted with the No. 26 overall pick, signed a three-year deal with Olympiacos of Greece.
- Two-year NBA veteran center Justin Hamilton signed with Valencia Basket of Spain.
- Larry Drew II signed a deal with AS Monaco Basket in France.
- Olimpia Milano signed small forward Robbie Hummel.
- Shavlik Randolph signed with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.
- Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm signed guard DeAndre Kane.
- Former Mavericks center Bernard James signed a deal with the Shanghai Sharks of China.
- Jerel McNeal signed to play for Aris Thessaloniki following his release from the Suns earlier this month.
Coaching News
- The Kings hired Nancy Lieberman to head coach George Karl‘s staff.
- Golden State promoted Luke Walton to lead assistant to replace Alvin Gentry.
- The Suns officially added Earl Watson, Nate Bjorkgren and Jason Fraser to their coaching staff.
- The Raptors hired Jerry Stackhouse, Rex Kalamian, and Andy Greer as assistant coaches.
Latest On Luc Mbah a Moute
The National Basketball Players Association plans to file a grievance early next week against the Kings questioning how valid it was for the franchise to void free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute’s contract over an alleged failed medical physical, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports writes.
Mbah a Moute’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group and NBPA officials, using independent medical examinations that say Mbah a Moute is cleared to play, are disputing the legitimacy of the Kings’ procedure and conclusion, Wojnarowski adds, citing league sources. As Wojnarowski also points out, Mbah a Moute has been medically cleared to play for Team Africa against Team World in the first NBA exhibition game in Africa.
The forward had previously agreed to a one-year, $1.55MM deal with Sacramento, but it was voided when Mbah a Moute failed his physical. The forward has an undisclosed shoulder issue, according to team executive Vlade Divac, which is what caused Mbah a Moute to fail that exam. Mbah a Moute played in 67 games for the Sixers last season, and averaged a career-best 9.9 points per game. Before the report of the planned grievance, the Kings still had some level of interest in signing Mbah a Moute. It is not yet clear if the Kings remain interested.