Western Notes: Barnes, Kerr, Barea
Grizzlies small forward/power forward Matt Barnes was slapped with a $35K fine from the league for his comments about Knicks coach Derek Fisher, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. Before the two teams played Saturday, Barnes said: “Every man who looks at the situation knows what’s right and wrong. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is. … I just don’t like him, plain and simple. He knows I don’t like him.” After the game, however, Barnes claimed he had moved on from the October incident that led to a two-game suspension, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Warriors could benefit right now from Steve Kerr because the coach’s return would give them a necessary jolt of adrenaline in their quest to repeat as champions, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group opines. There is still a strong expectation that Kerr will be back at some point this season, but there are no guarantees, Kawakami reports.
- J.J. Barea, who has three more years left on his deal after this season, said he is “having the best time of his life” while competing for minutes on the Mavs. Barea made that and other comments in an appearance on The Afternoon Show with Cowlishaw and Mosley on KESN-FM 103.3 in Dallas (interview transcription via the Dallas Morning News). “Dallas is like my second home away from Puerto Rico,” Barea said. “I feel comfortable and I love it. I don’t want to be anywhere else. My family loves it. I got a bunch of friends. I feel like when I play for Dallas I’m playing for Puerto Rico.”
Rockets Notes: Howard, Lawson, Bickerstaff
Rockets GM Daryl Morey told reporters there is no way Houston will be able to make a solid playoff push this year without Dwight Howard when asked about Howard’s future in Houston as the trade deadline approaches, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle relays. The Rockets are currently seventh in the Western Conference with a 21-20 record. Howard was the subject of trade rumors last month, but he has on multiple occasions denied a report that he’s upset with playing a secondary role to James Harden. The Rockets expect Howard to opt out and hit free agency this summer.
Here are some more highlights from the interview session with Morey and notes regarding the Rockets:
- Ty Lawson has played significantly better as of late and Morey believes the point guard still has tremendous upside, Smith details in the same interview transcription. “We know he’s capable of a very high level of play,” Morey said. “He’s done it every year he’s been in the league. … At times the fit on our roster has been challenging for him and us. But I feel like [interim coach] J.B. [Bickerstaff] has been working through that.”
- Speaking of Bickerstaff, Morey, in the same interview, applauded the work the interim coach has done in guiding the Rockets, but was noncommittal about Bickerstaff’s future beyond this season. “When the season ends, we’re obviously going to have a tough decision,” Morey said. “And he’s very good – he’ll have a tough decision, too. How well he’s done has put a spotlight on him.”
- The Rockets are 17-13 under Bickerstaff and the 36-year-old is starting to feel more comfortable in his interim role, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “It’s not about me,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s about what’s best for those guys in that locker room. You have to put personal issues aside and go get a job done. It’s about being a teammate, sacrificing for others and doing things you might not normally do. Figuring out the job, leading a group of guys who have high expectations for themselves and getting the most out of them, that’s most important.”
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 1/10/16-1/17/16
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:
Do you believe that DeMar DeRozan will return to the Raptors or should the Raptors trade him now? — Illbedat44
HR: I’d be completely shocked if DeRozan was not playing with the Raptors next season. That’s how strongly I feel about the situation. DeRozan has been very transparent about his desire to stay in Toronto for the remainder of his career even though he is poised to turn down his player option worth only slightly more than $10MM and hit free agency this summer. DeRozan is from California and the Lakers would be a sensible fit, but I just don’t see him leaving the Raptors. Often when a player says he wants to stay with a team, he is being politically correct. DeRozan, however, has gone on record every time he is asked with a detailed answer on why playing with the Raptors is so important to him. If I’m the Raptors, I take him at his word, keep him for the remainder of this season and make the best offer possible this summer.
How likely is it that the Bulls make a trade this season? — Daniel
HR: I’d say it’s very likely now that Joakim Noah will be out of action for four to six months after suffering a dislocated left shoulder in Friday’s game. I don’t mean that the Bulls will be acquiring talent, either. I agree with Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com that the loss of Noah diminishes the Bulls as a contender this season. It’s unfortunate, at least from Chicago’s perspective, but this team doesn’t strike many as a championship contender. It’s time to look toward the future. While I don’t feel too strongly about his market, there will likely be several teams willing to at least listen about Pau Gasol, who has a player option for next season and is expected to enter free agency this summer. It is imperative for the Bulls to move Gasol. Still, it’s not clear what the Bulls plan to do at this point. If Chicago still wants to make a run at it, a wing player with some offensive upside is a necessity.
Who will be the biggest name traded before the trade deadline in just about a month? — Illbedat44
HR: We just answered a Bulls question, so Gasol and Taj Gibson jump out to me as well-known names to watch before the deadline. The most accurate answer to your question at this point is likely Markieff Morris. I know, it feels as if we’ve been discussing the Suns power forward as a trade candidate every week for months. That’s because we have. While Morris’ attitude is a question mark, he is also still viewed as a valuable stretch-power forward on the trade market, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News wrote recently. With the Suns struggling, it has to be only a matter of days before we see Morris, who has three years and $24MM left on his contract after this season, in a new uniform.
D-League Assignments Via Unaffiliated NBA Teams
The D-League appears well on its way to having one affiliate for each of the 30 NBA teams, with 19 D-League teams in operation this year and the Hornets, Nets and Bulls all having formally announced the addition of one-to-one affiliates for next season. Still, the D-League isn’t there yet, and an awkward situation exists in the meantime for NBA teams without one-to-one affiliates who’d like to send players on D-League assignment. This is the first season in which no D-League team is a shared affiliate, meaning that NBA franchises that used shared affiliates to send players to the D-League in the past now have to use some other NBA team’s one-to-one D-League partner.
It’s no shock to see the Hawks sending players to the affiliate of the Spurs, given the close ties between the organizations. Atlanta has sent three players to the Austin Spurs this season. The Hawks also sent players to Austin last year, when the policy of having NBA teams make assignments to another franchise’s one-to-one affiliate first came into use as a means to prevent crowding on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, who were the last shared D-League affiliate before the Pacers took them over this season.
Other connections are also at play. Suns GM Ryan McDonough and Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers worked together on the Celtics, so that helps explain why the Clippers have sent two players to Phoenix’s affiliate this year. The Clippers have also sent former Michigan State mainstay Branden Dawson to the Grand Rapids Drive, the Michigan-based affiliate of the Pistons.
The affiliate of the Cavaliers has taken assignments from more NBA teams than any other D-League club, accepting players from the Bulls, Hawks, Bucks and Clippers. Thus, the Cleveland organization has had a close look at some developing talent from around the league, perhaps giving the Cavs a subtle edge for the future.
The process isn’t exactly straightforward for NBA teams without affiliates to find a team for their assignments. NBA teams making assignments to another franchise’s affiliate must notify the D-League of their intention to assign a player, and the league reports back to the team after identifying the affiliates willing to take the player. The NBA team has its pick if multiple D-League clubs volunteer, but if no D-League team raises its hand, the D-League picks an affiliate at random. Rivers made it clear that the Clippers do some advance work, calling around to identify teams that want to receive the assignment, presumably before the D-League gets involved.
It requires some extra effort, but NBA teams without affiliates have nonetheless made several assignments this season. Here’s a look at each of them, sorted by the affiliates that have taken them on, with an assist from the D-League assignment/recall log that Eddie Scarito compiles for Hoops Rumors. Note that some players appear more than once, since their NBA teams have assigned them to multiple D-League clubs:
Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs affiliate)
- Cameron Bairstow, Bulls
- Tim Hardaway, Hawks
- Lamar Patterson, Hawks
- Edy Tavares, Hawks
Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers affiliate)
- Cristiano Felicio, Bulls
- Tim Hardaway, Hawks
- Damien Inglis, Bucks
- Edy Tavares, Hawks
- C.J. Wilcox, Clippers
Bakersfield Jam (Phoenix Suns affiliate)
- Branden Dawson, Clippers
- C.J. Wilcox, Clippers
Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons affiliate)
- Branden Dawson, Clippers
Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks affiliate)
- Damien Inglis, Bucks
Idaho Stampede (Utah Jazz affiliate)
- Tyus Jones, Timberwolves
Atlantic Notes: Ainge, Colangelo, Calipari, Jackson
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge talks weekly with Suns GM Ryan McDonough, as McDonough tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, and it’s clear that the pair maintain a strong relationship from their days in the Celtics front office. Boston and Phoenix hooked up on three trades last season.
“We worked together for a number of years and those guys have become some of my best friends,” McDonough said to Washburn about the Celtics brass. “Sometimes the calls are trade-related, sometimes the calls are social. I have a great relationship with those guys. I appreciate everything that Danny, [owners] Steve [Pagliuca], and Wyc [Grousbeck] did for my career, and regardless where I am the Celtics will always be my second-favorite team.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- It’s obvious that Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo is doing all the major decision-making now instead of GM Sam Hinkie, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who wonders whether Hinkie will get credit should the team become successful in the near future.
- A league source suggested to Fred Kerber of the New York Post that John Calipari will become a more appealing option to the Nets the longer they search for a GM and coach. The team isn’t seriously considering Calipari at this point, as Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck said Friday. Kerber also names team chairman Dmitry Razumov, board member Sergey Kushchenko, CEO Brett Yormark and Prokhorov’s holding company president Irina Pavlova as members of the team’s search committee. That adds further confusion to an existing set of conflicting reports about who’s conducting the search.
- Kristaps Porzingis unsurprisingly gets an A-plus in the midseason grades that Marc Berman of the New York Post hands out for the Knicks, but team president Phil Jackson receives only a C-minus, even though his decision to draft Porzingis has worked out. A record around .500 won’t cut it, and some of the team’s signings, including the addition of Kevin Seraphin that coach Derek Fisher lobbied for, have been duds, Berman opines, justifying the low grade for Jackson.
Week In Review 1/10/16-1/16/16
The Nets were the major newsmakers of the past week, firing coach Lionel Hollins and removing Billy King from his GM job with the intention of reassigning him to another position within the organization. Brooklyn named assistant Tony Brown interim head coach, and assistant GM Frank Zanin will run the front office.
“After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it’s time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in the team’s statement. “By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching. We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future. Following the consolidation of team ownership last month, I can assure you that I’m more determined and committed than ever to build a winner.”
The team hired Hollins in the summer of 2014 shortly after the departure of Jason Kidd for the Bucks. Hollins went 48-71 with Brooklyn during the regular season over a season and a half, and the Nets fell in six games to the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Here’s more from the week that was…
Miscellaneous News
- Joakim Noah dislocated his left shoulder and is expected to miss four to six months.
- Pelicans small forward Quincy Pondexter is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery January 20th on his left knee.
- Kobe Bryant announced that he won’t pursue a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.
- The Kings have given Luc Mbah a Moute a financial settlement stemming from the dispute over his voided contract with Sacramento this past offseason.
- Bradley Beal acknowledged that he’ll “probably” have to deal with a minutes limit for the rest of his career as he continues to have trouble with injuries.
- John Wall fired agent Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports and hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
- Enes Kanter dropped agent Max Ergul, who helped him land his maximum-salary offer sheet this summer.
- Greivis Vasquez hired agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon after leaving Darren Matsubara of the Wasserman Media Group.
- The Warriors delayed their scheduled move from Oakland to San Francisco for one year, from 2018 to 2019.
Trades
- The Cavaliers traded Joe Harris to the Magic along with a top-55 protected 2017 pick for a top-55 protected 2020 pick.
Signings
- The Nuggets signed Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract.
- Jazz training camp cut J.J. O’Brien rejoined the team on a 10-day deal.
- The Magic plan to sign Keith Appling, who was with Orlando for the preseason, to a 10-day contract.
- Veteran small forward Reggie Williams, who played with the Spurs last season, signed a deal to play with Avtodor Saratov in Russia.
- Kostas Papanikolaou, whom the Nuggets released twice this season, has a deal with Olympiacos of Greece.
You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.
Waivers
- The Magic waived Joe Harris.
D-League News
- Veteran point guard Baron Davis signed with the NBA D-League.
- Recent former Suns power forward Cory Jefferson is expected to sign with the D-League. Phoenix waived him this month just before his salary would have become guaranteed.
- Bryce Cotton, whom the Suns also waived prior to the leaguewide contract guarantee date, rejoined the D-League affiliate of the Spurs.
- Former Grizzlies and Pelicans point guard Russ Smith signed with the D-League and the affiliate of the Sixers claimed him.
- Eight-year NBA veteran point guard John Lucas III has entered the D-League and will play for the Pacers affiliate.
- Veteran shooting guard Keith Bogans intends to sign with the NBA D-League.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Bryant, Rush, Suns
Tonight’s game against the Rockets will trigger the starter criteria for the Lakers‘ Jordan Clarkson and up the value of his qualifying offer, tweets former NBA executive Bobby Marks. This will mark Clarkson’s 41st start of the season and will increase the qualifying offer from about $1.1MM to $3.2MM. The change will take approximately $2MM off L.A.’s projected cap space for the summer, but it could still be more than $50MM (Twitter link). Clarkson will be a restricted free agent this summer, but will be subject to the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which limits the amount that other teams can offer to close to $57MM over four years.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- Kobe Bryant‘s decision not to seek a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team prevented a potentially awkward situation, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. A two-time gold medalist and five-time NBA champion, Bryant is highly respected throughout the basketball world, but there’s no guarantee he would have earned one of the 12 spots for the Rio de Janeiro games, Zillgitt writes. “Since my retirement announcement, I’m able to watch these guys in a different light,” Bryant said Saturday. “I’ve come to terms with the fact that they are the future of this game. These are the guys who deserve the spots in Rio.”
- Brandon Rush has fought back from two ACL tears to become a productive player for the Warriors, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. The 30-year old, who will be a free agent this summer, is expanding his role with Golden State. “He’s got his confidence back,” said interim coach Luke Walton. “His shooting has been unbelievable, but he’s playing defense, he’s making plays. He’s rebounding the ball and pushing it, where last season he didn’t have the confidence to do that.”
- The Suns are having one of their worst seasons ever, and Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic offers a historic reminder that a high draft pick isn’t necessarily a solution. He notes that the seven worst teams in Phoenix history have produced only one star through the draft, Alvan Adams in 1975.
Heat Rumors: Udrih, Whiteside, Wade
Beno Udrih‘s improved play may force the Heat to shake up their rotation once Goran Dragic returns from injury, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Udrih, who was acquired in a November 10th trade with Memphis, has taken over as the starting point guard with Dragic out of action. Dragic was sent home from the team’s current road trip with a calf strain. He will be re-evaluated after the Heat return home tonight, but there is no timetable for his return. Winderman speculates that if Udrih continues to play well, he could turn Tyler Johnson from a combo guard into just a shooting guard and perhaps eat into the minutes of Gerald Green and Justise Winslow.
There’s more Heat-related news today:
- An ideal situation for Miami would be for free agent center Hassan Whiteside to accept an Early Bird salary of about $6MM next season and then receive a maximum deal the following year, Winderman writes in the same piece. However, the columnist adds that there’s virtually no chance of that happening, as Whiteside can expect at least an $80MM offer this summer.
- That payday will be extra sweet for Whiteside, according to Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders, as the 26-year-old center spent two full years out of the NBA before getting a chance with Miami midway through last season. Now that he has a shot at a huge contract, Whiteside listed a few basic things he will be looking for. “I want to go to a team that’s about winning,” he said. “[A team] that has a good understanding of what it takes to win and a good city with a good fan base.” Blancarte expects the Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Bulls and Lakers to compete with the Heat for Whiteside.
- Earning an All-Star spot is still important to Dwyane Wade at age 34, writes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Wade, who signed a one-year, $20MM deal with the Heat last summer and is headed for free agency again, is fifth in the overall voting with two days remaining. He said the results show he has staying power with the public. “I’m turning 34 years old, and the fans still want to see me in the All-Star Game,” said Wade. “It’s a pretty cool thing. Besides my first All-Star, it probably means the most.”
Nets Rumors: Johnson, Brown, Thibodeau
Free-agent-to-be Joe Johnson has been the closest thing to a bright spot for the Nets, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The veteran forward has been shooting 53% from 3-point range over Brooklyn’s past nine contests and has raised his scoring average from 10.5 points per game to 14.7. It was reported earlier this week that Johnson hasn’t expressed interest in taking a buyout from the Nets, and a salary of nearly $25MM may limit his trade prospects. “I don’t think it’s any different from when it was earlier in the season,” Johnson said. “I’m just playing. Obviously I’m making shots, probably a bit more poised now that I’m not trying to force a shot. I’m just taking what the defense gives me.”
There’s more news out of Brooklyn:
- After a week on the job, interim coach Tony Brown is already expressing frustration with the team’s lack of effort, Lewis writes in a separate piece. Brown addressed the problem after Saturday’s game with the Hawks, in which Brooklyn lost by 28 points after being tied midway through the third quarter. “What I told them is I want to see a little bit more fight,’’ the coach said. “When you get into adversity, things are not going your way, it’s easy to not do as much. We’ve got some guys not playing their best basketball, but they have to fight their way out of these situations.”
- Tom Thibodeau would probably want a say in personnel if he becomes the next coach of the Nets, opines Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith says former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy has stressed to Thibodeau the importance of having control over personnel, similar to the situation that Stan Van Gundy has with the Pistons or that Doc Rivers has with the Clippers. A report on Friday indicated the Nets are strongly interested in hiring Thibodeau, and Smith writes that the former Bulls coach is eager to land his next job.
- More than five years of free spending and short-sighted moves encouraged by owner Mikhail Prokhorov have led to the Nets’ dire situation, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
And Ones: Papanikolaou, Clark, Inglis, RFAs
Kostas Papanikolaou, whom the Nuggets waived last week, will return to Olympiacos in Greece, according to Sport24 (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Papanikolaou, who won two Euroleague titles during his last stint with Olympiacos, will sign a contract that runs through June 2019. He was released twice this season by Denver, most recently on January 8th, just before the remainder of his veteran’s minimum salary of $845,059 would have been guaranteed for the season. Papanikolaou also played for the Rockets during his season and a half in the NBA, averaging 3.6 points in 69 games with the two franchises. The 6’8″ forward was sent to Denver in the July 20th trade that brought Ty Lawson to Houston.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former lottery pick Earl Clark, who is playing in the D-League while hoping to earn a 10-day contract, was part of a trade Saturday, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Clark was sent from the Suns‘ Bakersfield affiliate to the Sixers‘ Delaware affiliate in exchange for a second-round D-League draft pick. The 27-year-old, who played 10 games with the Nets last season, hopes the move will give him a fresh start in his quest to return to the NBA. “It’s a grind,” Clark said of the D-League. “It’s definitely different from any other league. I just felt like [the NBA] was within my reach if I came down here and played well. I believe in my talent. I told myself I’m going to give myself another year to make this NBA thing work.”
- The Bucks have sent Damien Inglis to the D-League, the team announced Saturday. Because Milwaukee doesn’t have a direct affiliate, Inglis will be assigned to the Westchester Knicks. He played for the Canton Charge during an earlier trip to the D-League.
- Chasing restricted free agents is a risky way to pursue talent, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The danger is that while teams wait for other organizations to decide whether to match an offer, top talent could be signing elsewhere. Prominent RFAs this summer will include Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Festus Ezeli, Allen Crabbe and Evan Fournier.