Pacific Notes: Curry, Nance Jr., Kerr
Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. has impressed the team’s coaching staff with his work ethic and versatility, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “Well, the one thing that Larry does for us is gives us a guy who is going to play the right way every single time on the basketball court,” coach Byron Scott said. “He’s never trying to play outside the box. He’s going to give you everything he’s got. He’s got great athleticism. But he works his butt off, he plays extremely hard. Trying to get him to take open shots when he has them. He’s been reluctant at times to do that. But he’s been one of those guys that just does everything that you want him to do.“
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings coach George Karl has settled on the primary eight players in his rotation, but he would still like to find extra minutes for combo guard Seth Curry, who has been solid during his limited playing time this season, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. When asked how he can get Curry on the court more consistently, Karl responded, “That’s a tough question. Every morning, [the coaches] talk about playing more players, but when you get into the nature of the game, it is my instincts. … None of my ones, twos or threes are playing poorly, so there’s no reason to take minutes from anybody. I hope Seth is patient, and I think sometimes experimenting at home is easier to do than on the road.”
- Despite the excellent job done by interim coach Luke Walton, the Warriors need Steve Kerr to return if they hope to repeat as NBA champions, an assessment that star point guard Stephen Curry agrees with, Mark Purdy of The San Jose Mercury News writes. “He just has a way of refocusing guys,” Curry said of Kerr. “And that’s whether it’s in the middle of the game or day to day at practice. Even if we’re playing well or winning games or not, there’s always something we can work on. And he presents it in a way that kind of fuels us as opposed to, like, calling guys out. … There’s a subtle or joking way he gets his point across that we appreciate.“
- The Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the second stint with the D-Fenders on the season for both players.
Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Hinrich
Jimmy Butler‘s recent criticism of Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back demeanor has rankled Derrick Rose‘s camp, but the swingman has the full support of veteran big man Pau Gasol, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times writes. “I don’t mind those comments,’’ Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the team’s leader this season. “I think those comments are positive. Those comments and attitudes don’t raise my eyebrows. I think it’s good certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey let’s go.’”
“There was some positives and some negatives to that situation,’’ Gasol said of Butler’s public statements regarding the team. “It’s a good thing to say, at some point, enough is enough, something’s got to happen, something’s got to change, and you’ve got to say something and stir the pot a little bit. But some things also need to stay directed indoors and not be exposed outside.’’
Here’s more from out of the Windy City:
- The Bulls are committed to Hoiberg, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, one-minute mark), and Wojnarowski suggests that if Hoiberg doesn’t pan out, it jeopardizes the jobs of executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman.
- Point guard Kirk Hinrich has been a calming influence for the Bulls and one of the few constants for the franchise the last few seasons, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes in his profile of the player. “He’s been a warrior for the franchise,” small forward Doug McDermott said of Hinrich. “He’s been a really good player and put it all out on the floor. He deserves a lot of credit.”
- While he remains an elite passer at the center position, Joakim Noah‘s broken shot mechanics and resulting lack of confidence in his offensive game have made him a liability on the court, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Saturday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript
4:04pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.
3:00pm: The holiday season coincides with the start of trade season around the NBA, with names like Jamal Crawford, David Lee, Ty Lawson, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson in rumors within the past week. Coaching news has also crept into the picture, with Jason Kidd out an estimated four to six weeks because of hip surgery and Mike D’Antoni back on the sidelines as the new top assistant for the Sixers. Even some free agency scuttlebutt has emerged, with Carlos Boozer having reportedly met with Kidd and Bucks GM John Hammond recently.
Warriors Notes: Draft, Kerr, Walton, Iguodala
Warriors GM Bob Myers received a lot of messages of praise from other executives around the league after he drafted Draymond Green 35th overall in 2012, but he was dubious about why they were lauding the selection of a player many of them failed to take, as Myers told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at two-minute mark). Green illustrates the importance of the draft, as Myers explains.
“You have to hit the draft right. It’s the easiest way to build a team, so it’s easy to sit here and say how great Draymond Green is for the Golden State Warriors, but that guy was the 35th pick in the draft, and that can change a franchise,” Myers said to Wojnarowski. “Whoever got him in the draft, at that number, at that value, it can change the next 10 years of your franchise.”
Golden State is entrenched in the 30th spot in the 2016 order for now, as our Reverse Standings show, and they owe their 2017 pick without protection to the Jazz, so Myers faces a challenge to continue to find overlooked prospects. Here’s more on the champs:
- Steve Kerr said his absence from games will stretch past New Year’s Day, notes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), but he’s closing in on a return, observes fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Carl Steward. Kerr filled in for interim coach Luke Walton at practice this week when Walton was sick, a reversal of the dynamic that’s gone on all season as Walton guides the team while Kerr recovers from two back surgeries.“I felt pretty good, but I’m not 100% health-wise,” Kerr said, according to Steward. “But I’m getting better and building some strength. I’m going to keep going. I still have symptoms that I’m learning to deal with.”
- Walton is “destined to be a head coach” of his own team someday, Kerr said, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle relays.
- Andre Iguodala wants to play three more seasons after his existing contract expires at the end of next season, he said to Kawakami and Marcus Thompson on the Bay Area News Group’s “Warriors Plus/Minus” podcast (audio link). The swingman, who turns 32 next month, stopped short of specifically declaring that he wants to remain with the Warriors, but he said he’s comfortable where he is.
Bulls Make Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson Available
The Bulls are determined to find an upgrade at the wing and feel like they need more shooting, and they’re open to trading either Joakim Noah or Taj Gibson for the best possible wing player available, executives from around the league have told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, as he said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, three-minute mark; transcription via Blog a Bull). Noah, poised to hit free agency this summer, said today that he’s expected to miss two to four weeks with a “slight tear” in his shoulder, a comment that came after Wojnarowski recorded his podcast. Gibson, signed through next season, has higher value on the trade market, a Western Conference GM said recently to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Jimmy Butler caused a stir with his recent criticism of coach Fred Hoiberg, but he’s well-entrenched on the wing with a new five-year contract. Tony Snell is shooting 38.7% from 3-point range as the replacement starter for the injured Mike Dunleavy at the other wing position, but he’s averaging just 5.6 points in 22.8 minutes per game. Dunleavy still appears to be a month or two from returning to play in games after a recent setback in his recovery from back surgery.
Wings are in high demand around the league, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks said to Wojnarowski on the podcast. The Timberwolves have reportedly made shooting guard Kevin Martin available, and the Bulls were apparently among the teams interested in him last season, though it’s unclear if they’re still eyeing him or if they’d be willing to relinquish Gibson or Noah for the career 38.5% 3-point shooter who turns 33 in February. Multiple reports have indicated that the Clippers are thinking about trading Jamal Crawford, though he’s a career 34.9% 3-point shooter who’s hit on only 30.9% of his attempts from behind the arc this season. The Nuggets are reportedly dangling Randy Foye, though he’s posted only 5.9 points in 20.0 minutes per game with 28.0% shooting this season.
Noah, who’s averaging a career-low 4.5 points per game, is making $13.4MM this year, while Gibson, a recent addition to the starting lineup, has an $8.5MM salary for this season, with $8.95MM coming his way in 2016/17. Chicago is a taxpaying team, so the Bulls can only take in 125% of the salary they trade away, plus $100K, unless they bring in players with contracts that fit within the minimum salary exception. The Bulls, who haven’t made a trade since July 14th, 2014, don’t have any trade exceptions.
Which wing players do you think the Bulls could reasonably acquire for either Noah or Gibson? Leave a comment to let us know.
Joakim Noah Out Up To A Month
Joakim Noah said he’s been told he’ll miss the next two to four weeks because of a “slight tear” within his sprained left shoulder, an injury he suffered in Monday’s loss to the Nets, as Noah said to media today, including Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). The potentially month-long timeframe confirms Tuesday’s speculation from coach Fred Hoiberg after the team said Noah would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The ailment is the latest frustration in a tough season for the 2016 free agent whom Hoiberg benched. He made his first start of the year in Saturday’s loss to the Knicks, recording a season-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds, but he went back to a reserve role Monday before the injury. The ninth-year veteran is averaging a career-low 4.5 points per game, and his 22.3 minutes per contest are his fewest since his rookie season. Still, he’s been reluctant to criticize Hoiberg even as he’s shown signs of frustration with his reduced role.
Noah’s absence temporarily alleviates a frontcourt logjam for the Bulls, who’ve been trying to find time for promising rookie Bobby Portis while still keeping Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic involved. Still, the injury surely does little for Noah’s trade value, which has appeared relatively soft. One Western Conference GM told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he thinks Noah is poised to leave Chicago in free agency this summer, though Gasol has said he’s “very likely” to opt out.
The Bulls are also dealing with a long-term injury to Mike Dunleavy, who still appears about a month or two away from game action. They nonetheless are without the volume of injuries necessary to trigger an extra roster spot via the hardship exception. They can’t get a disabled player exception unless one of their players is expected to miss the rest of the season, and while two players among the 15 on their roster are without fully guaranteed contracts, both are big men, another indication that Chicago is unlikely to make a roster move to compensate for the loss of Noah.
How do you see the rest of the season playing out for Noah? Do you think the Bulls will trade him? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Southeast Notes: Budenholzer, Anderson, Skiles
It would be nice for the Hawks to add some rebounding, defense and shooting, but that’s not so easily done, coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said, adding that the offseason goal was chiefly to keep last season’s team together as much as possible, as he explained to Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The team didn’t have the cap space to retain both Paul Millsap, who re-signed, and DeMarre Carroll, who bolted for the Raptors, and Tim Hardaway Jr., one of the team’s most prominent additions, has barely seen the floor. Budenholzer acknowledges every move he makes in the front office, just like every coaching decision he renders, won’t be the right one, and he told Schultz that it’s fair for people to second-guess the Hardaway trade.
“But I’m very happy with the work [Hardaway] is doing behind the scenes,” Budenholzer said. “The next step is to take it to the court. There’s evolutions with teams and coaches. The first year might not look or feel great but then the light bulb goes on for the coach — like, ‘Hey, I’m the one who screwed up’ — or the light goes on for the player. But he’s put himself in a good position to make it look like a good decision.”
See more from the Southeast Division:
- Alan Anderson won’t be available to the Wizards for another three to five weeks as he continues to recover from two surgeries on his left ankle, a pair of sources tell Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Anderson has yet to play for the team after signing a one-year, $4MM deal in the offseason.
- Scott Skiles doesn’t necessarily prefer coaching younger teams over coaching other sorts of rosters, but he excels at it, and he has the young Magic in the mix for a playoff spot in the bunched-up Eastern Conference thanks to improved defense, observes Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the D-League, the team announced (on Twitter). The second-year shooting guard had been on assignment since November 30th, and he averaged 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds while hitting 35.0% of his 3-pointers in eight games with the Erie BayHawks.
Wizards Sign Jarell Eddie, Waive Ryan Hollins
WEDNESDAY, 10:30am: The moves are official, the team announced.
1:21pm: It’s expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for Eddie, Charania writes in a full story. That’ll force a decision no later than January 7th, the last day teams can waive non-guaranteed deals without them becoming fully guaranteed. The Wizards have the capacity to give Eddie more than the prorated minimum salary, with a $1.464MM sliver of the mid-level exception still in their quiver, but non-minimum signings are rare for midseason acquisitions, and especially so for players coming up from the D-League. Sources who spoke with Charania wouldn’t close the door on the possibility that the Wizards will re-sign Hollins later this season.
TUESDAY, 12:52am: The Wizards plan to sign Jarell Eddie and waive Ryan Hollins, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Eddie, a one-year NBA veteran, has been playing for the Spurs affiliate in the D-League since the Warriors cut him at the end of the preseason. Hollins is on a non-guaranteed deal he signed November 30th, but Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported last week that it would become fully guaranteed if Washington keeps him past December 27th, which the team apparently doesn’t intend to do.
Eddie, a 24-year-old small forward, was averaging 14.1 points in 28.6 minutes per game with the Austin Spurs, but it’s his blistering 3-point shooting that sets him apart. He’s made 32 of 61 attempts so far this season, good for 52.5%. He shot 45.2% on 281 attempts from beyond the arc in the D-League last season. He’s yet to appear in an NBA regular season game, though he has credit for one year of service thanks to the 10-day contract he signed last March with the Hawks. Eddie will help offset the loss of Bradley Beal, whom the team declared out for at least two weeks on December 12th because of a stress reaction in his leg.
Hollins has made three starts during his brief Wizards tenure, but he’s averaged only 9.6 minutes across five total appearances and hasn’t played in any of the team’s last five games. The 31-year-old signed with the Grizzlies for camp but didn’t stick for opening night in Memphis.
Washington is dealing with a hail of injuries, with Beal, John Wall, Otto Porter, Drew Gooden, Nene and Alan Anderson all dealing with some sort of malady, as CBSSports.com details. Still, none appear certain to keep anyone out for more than the next two weeks, so a hardship exception for an extra roster spot isn’t in play.
Do you think we’ll see Hollins in the NBA again this season? Leave a comment to tell us.
Upcoming Contract Guarantee Decisions
Teams face decisions regarding players on non-guaranteed contracts two weeks from Thursday, the last day they can waive those players without their full salaries sticking on the books. It’s a critical date for dozens of players around the league, and the leaguewide guarantee date commonly prompts a wave of cuts.
Note that players earn portions of their non-guaranteed salary for as long as they’re on the roster, and most with partial guarantees have already accrued more than those guarantees provided. That means teams can regard them just like players on non-guaranteed deals at this point, though a few players have partial guarantees sizable enough that they still matter.
We’ll gauge the likelihood of each player with a non-guaranteed salary sticking past the upcoming guarantee date, listing them in three categories:
Safe bets
- Matt Bonner, Spurs — The Red Mamba barely plays, having totaled just 65 minutes all season, but Gregg Popovich saw fit to give him a start in one game, and half his salary is already guaranteed.
- Robert Covington, Sixers — Philadelphia’s starting small forward has been perhaps the most impressive discovery of GM Sam Hinkie‘s rebuilding.
- Langston Galloway, Knicks — More than half of his salary is already guaranteed, and he’s nailed 41.4% of his 3-point attempts while playing 24.9 minutes per contest.
- JaMychal Green, Grizzlies — The 25-year-old is in the rotation, averaging 16.2 minutes per game, and Memphis can use all the youthful contributors it can get.
- T.J. McConnell, Sixers — He’s no longer starting now that Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten are healthy, but he was an early-season revelation with his passing and outside shooting abilities.
- Luc Mbah a Moute, Clippers — Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers said last week that it’s “probably safe” to assume the team will keep Mbah a Moute for the balance of the season, so we’ll take Rivers at his word.
- Hollis Thompson, Sixers — Thompson has consistently been a part of Philadelphia’s rotation ever since signing shortly before camp in 2013, and that’s no different this year, as he’s averaging a career-high 26.1 minutes per game.
It’s not a lock, but they’ll probably stick around
- Ian Clark, Warriors — The shooting guard made his first career start on December 11th and took a DNP-CD a week later. Still, he’s seen action in 22 games this season, all of them wins.
- Jared Cunningham, Cavaliers — Cleveland is reportedly dangling Joe Harris in trade talk, with Cunningham’s surprisingly strong play a major reason why.
- Tim Frazier, Trail Blazers — The point guard played sporadically until pressed into emergency duty Monday, when he started and played nearly the entire game because Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were hurt. Frazier’s numbers, with 12 points, 7 assists and 5 turnovers, weren’t too impressive, but his teammates liked what they saw, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com detailed.
- James Michael McAdoo, Warriors — His minutes per game have gone down by almost 50% this season compared to last, from 9.1 to 4.8, but it’s doubtful a strong call exists for tinkering with a roster that’s gone 26-1.
- JaVale McGee, Mavericks — It’s been a long slog as the center has nursed a slow-healing leg, but he has a streak of three consecutive 10-plus-minute appearances going for the first time this season, and the majority of his salary is already guaranteed anyway.
- Kostas Papanikolaou, Nuggets — He made his first start this season and only the second of his career Tuesday in place of an injured Danilo Gallinari, and the Nuggets invested heavily in Papanikolaou when they signed him in November. They guaranteed $300K of his approximately $800K salary and dumped former second-round pick Erick Green, whom they’d carried into the regular season instead of Nick Johnson, even though Johnson had two fully guaranteed years left on his deal.
- Lamar Patterson, Hawks — He’s seeing roughly the same amount of playing time as is Mike Muscala, and we list him in the “Don’t get too comfortable” category, but it seems reasonable that Atlanta would invest at least one full season in Patterson, a recent second-round pick.
- JaKarr Sampson, Sixers — The combo forward’s minutes are down but his scoring is up, thanks to improved shooting from the floor. That’s a product of him knowing his limitations, as he’s taking far fewer 3-pointers than before. So the results are mixed, but the Sixers don’t have a ton of intriguing alternatives.
- Donald Sloan, Nets — The point guard has only seen action in 10 games, but Shane Larkin‘s concussion has pressed him into service of late. A lot depends on how quickly Larkin recovers and how well Sloan does in the meantime.
- Ish Smith, Pelicans — He’s logged more than 10 minutes only once in the Pelicans’ last four games, but he’s looked strong enough on the floor amid the team’s early-season injury woes, averaging 5.9 assists against 1.7 turnovers in 23.6 minutes per game, that his place in New Orleans seems secure.
- Jeff Withey, Jazz — The center has worked his way into the rotation and even got a start last week.
- Metta World Peace, Lakers — World Peace’s spot on the roster was a touch-and-go proposition at the end of the preseason, but he stuck for opening night and has ended up with a fairly significant role, averaging 17.3 minutes per game in 17 appearances, with three starts. He took a DNP-CD on Tuesday, but that’s not altogether alarming.
Don’t get too comfortable
- Cliff Alexander, Trail Blazers — A bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered in the preseason slowed his progress, and while he played 17 minutes in his debut on November 15th, he hasn’t played more than four minutes in any game since.
- Cameron Bairstow, Bulls — Almost half his salary is already guaranteed, but he’s only seen 18 minutes so far this season with Chicago already well-stocked in the frontcourt.
- Tarik Black, Lakers — Once the primary backup center, Black has lost his place in the rotation, in part because of a minor ankle injury, and he hasn’t played in an NBA game since November 24th. He’s been healthy enough to play on assignment in the D-League, however.
- Rasual Butler, Spurs — The 36-year-old is a career 36.2% 3-point shooter, but he’s nailing a career-worst 28.6% of his shots from behind the arc this season. He’s racked up five DNPs in the past month after recording just one in the first month of the season.
- Bryce Cotton, Suns — It’s been nearly a month since Cotton joined the Suns, and he still hasn’t made it into a game.
- Toney Douglas, Pelicans — The return of Norris Cole has pushed Douglas out of the rotation, and he hasn’t appeared since December 2nd, throwing his roster spot into question even though he’s averaged 16.3 minutes per contest in the 16 games he has played.
- Jarell Eddie, Wizards — The Wizards just signed him today to a contract that’s reportedly non-guaranteed, meaning his stay in Washington is liable to be short. The team is dealing with a litany of relatively minor injuries, so that would indicate this is merely a stopgap measure.
- James Ennis, Grizzlies — The 25-year-old has played only 27 minutes in five appearances for Memphis since coming over in the November 10th Mario Chalmers trade.
- Cristiano Felicio, Bulls — Chicago is apparently quite high on him, but as with Bairstow, the Bulls simply don’t have enough playing time to go around for all their big men. The rookie center has only managed four minutes all year.
- Aaron Harrison, Hornets — Once a highly touted prospect, like his brother Andrew, Aaron Harrison has seen only 23 minutes all season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he joins Andrew in the D-League before long.
- Marcelo Huertas, Lakers — A 32-year-old rookie from Brazil, the point guard’s appearances have been sporadic, though he’s averaged 12.9 minutes a night in the 15 games he’s played thus far. This one’s a tough call, but since it’s difficult to envision him improving much at his age, and given the need for the Lakers to concentrate on the future, the feeling here is they’ll use his roster spot for someone else with more upside.
- Cory Jefferson, Suns — He plays power forward, the same position as trade candidate Markieff Morris, but Jefferson has still managed only 20 minutes total all season.
- Chris Johnson, Jazz — His 5.2 minutes per game are significantly fewer than the 17.6 he saw in his time with Utah last season.
- Elijah Millsap, Jazz — As with Johnson, Millsap’s minutes per game are down quite a bit compared to last year, from 19.7 to 8.6, but he has begun to see more playing time of late.
- Luis Montero, Trail Blazers — This season is about player development in Portland, but the Blazers haven’t seen fit to give the rookie more than seven minutes total this season.
- Eric Moreland, Kings — A broken foot ensures he’ll receive a large portion of his salary, though it would seem a stretch for Sacramento to commit a roster spot to an injured player who’s totaled only 24 minutes all season.
- Mike Muscala, Hawks — His salary was thought to be partially guaranteed for $473,638, but instead it’s non-guaranteed, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders recently reported. In his last two games, he recorded single digits in minutes during back-to-back contests for the first time in more than a month, a sign that he’s falling off the fringe of the rotation.
- Christian Wood, Sixers — The rookie is on his third D-League assignment of the season, and he’s averaged only 8.1 minutes per game in 14 appearances on the NBA level. The other Sixers with non-guaranteed contracts seem fairly safe, so with the team looking at veterans, Wood appears to be the odd man out.