Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 8/1/16-8/7/16
We have an 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:
Now that Dwyane Wade chose not to come to Denver, do you think the Nuggets will make any moves before the regular season? They have a lot of growth potential. — Brett Duran
The Nuggets are an intriguing team because they still have about $16.5MM in cap space remaining, so there’s great leeway to take on salary in any deal. Denver has a lot of young talent that other teams would be interested in acquiring, along with the Grizzlies’ first-rounder [top five protected] for next season. If Blake Griffin or DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, the Nuggets are in good shape to be competitive bidders. Also, there are still whispers that Kenneth Faried is on the trading block, with the Thunder and Pelicans both interested.
Do the Pacers get a deal done for Rudy Gay? If so, what do they have to give up? — Russell Loyd
The Kings reportedly had trade talks with Indiana last month, but weren’t interested in taking Monta Ellis in return. Gay will make $13MM+ next season, and the only Pacers in that price range besides Ellis are Paul George, who’s not going anywhere, and the recently acquired Thaddeus Young, Al Jefferson and Jeff Teague. A combination of Rodney Stuckey and either C.J. Miles or Lavoy Allen would get close to Gay’s salary, but Sacramento probably wants more in return. However, it’s pretty clear that Gay would like to move on, and if the Kings can’t find a deal before camps open next month, they might change their minds about Ellis.
The Mavericks waste their time going after big-name players every summer. It’s embarrassing to me as a fan. They continue to do this the past few offseasons with poor results. Why don’t they just trade for players who are still talented and they can just absorb their contracts with the cap space that they have? When they won the title in 2011, the team had players they had acquired via trade and they were two deep at every position. This is what Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson need to explore again as well as build up through the draft. — Jeff Powell
As long as Dirk Nowitzki is on the roster, the Mavericks will try to amass as much talent as possible each offseason in hopes of getting him another ring. Dallas has had its recent share of near misses in free agency, but it can’t seem to land the superstar that Cuban desires. Your owner loves the spotlight and the thrill of chasing the best players on the market, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to change his philosophy once Nowitzki retires.
Community Shootaround: Ray Allen
Only a handful of players have suited up for an NBA game past their 40th birthday. Ray Allen, who turned 41 last month, is hoping to join that list.
Allen has been out of the league since walking off the court after Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals. He remained a productive player to the end, averaging 9.6 points in 73 games while helping Miami capture the Eastern Conference title.
Allen didn’t return to the Heat after that season, but he never really retired either. Over the past two years, there have been rumors that he was working out and getting ready to sign with a contender, but nothing ever materialized. Those rumors have started again, and Allen confirms that there’s a lot of truth behind them.
The 10-time All-Star says he has had conversations with the Celtics and Bucks about possibly joining them next season. Boston is where he won his first NBA title in 2008 and Milwaukee is the team he broke into the league with in 1996, so he has fond memories of both places.
Allen also says that Spike Lee, one of the Knicks’ most famous fans, has been texting him in an effort to convince him to come to New York. The Cavaliers, Warriors, Spurs and Clippers are other teams that have been mentioned in the rumor mill.
Allen may be the best 3-point shooter the NBA has ever seen. He holds the career record with 2,973 made, more than 400 better than his closest challenger, and the career playoff 3-point record with 385. In his two seasons in Miami, he shot 42% and 38% from 3-point range.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Do you believe Allen can still play in the NBA, and which team would be best for him? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 6)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t often allow for second chances, we at Hoops Rumors believe it’s fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We’ve previously tackled the 2003 and 2013 NBA Drafts and the next one we’re tackling is 2005’s, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Trail Blazers, who held the No. 6 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Portland’s pick and check back Monday night for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Raptors should have taken at No. 7. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — ? [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
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Rasheed Sulaimon To Be In Hornets’ Camp
Former Maryland shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon signed a vet-camp deal with the Hornets and will spend next season in the D-League, tweets international basketball writer David Pick.
Sulaimon will be part of Charlotte’s new affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, which will begin play this fall. Sulaimon, who wasn’t selected in this year’s draft, averaged 11.1 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds as a senior with the Terrapins last season.
He played for the Bulls’ summer league team in Las Vegas, but shot just 3-of-13 from 3-point range and reportedly had trouble defending smaller guards.
Stephen Jackson Eyes Return To NBA
Stephen Jackson hasn’t played in an NBA game in more than two years, but according to a video he posted via Instagram Thursday, he expects to return for the 2016/17 season.
“I just want to let everybody know that I will be back in the NBA this year,” said Jackson, 38. “I can’t say exactly what’s going on right now, because you know, people try to run with stuff and everything’s not locked in yet, but I will be back in the NBA this year. So to everybody that’s been supporting me, praying for me, I appreciate it. The haters, I appreciate ya’ll too, because ya’ll motivated me to prove ya’ll wrong.”
Since Jackson did not offer specific details, it’s unclear how legitimate his statements are. In June, it was reported that the Warriors had shown some interest in adding Jackson to their coaching staff. It was also made clear at that time, however, Jackson wasn’t quite ready to transition to the coaching ranks.
Jackson, who announced his retirement last summer after 14 seasons has career averages of 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He last appeared on the court while with the Clippers in the 2013/14 season, where he played in only nine games and averaged 1.7 points in 11.9 minutes.
Hoops Links: Heat, Bucks, Pistons
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- Big Three Sports wonders what is the worst roster Team USA could win with.
- The Hardwood Nation makes a connection between Donald Trump and the NBA.
- Brew Hoop makes the case for Giannis Antetokounmpo as an MVP candidate.
- Lake Show Life argues that staying pat is best for the Lakers.
- Clips Nation points out this has been a quiet offseason for the Clippers.
- Hot Hot Hoops details Josh Richardson‘s impact on the Heat.
- Detroit Bad Boys anticipates Stan Van Gundy‘s next move.
- Peachtree Hoops questions if the Hawks overpaid for Kent Bazemore.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
And-Ones: Jones, Buycks, Stephenson
Perry Jones III has agreed to play in Russia this upcoming season with Khimki Moscow, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Jones spent last season with the Iowa Energy of the D-League after being waived by the Boston Celtics. He was selected by the Thunder with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Dwight Buycks will play in China for Fujian Quanzhou, Pick reports in a separate tweet. Buycks played for the team last season before coming stateside to join the Oklahoma City Blue of the D-League.
- Lance Stephenson may have to look overseas if he wants to play next season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Washburn contends that Stephenson has the talent to play in the NBA, however, his personality may be scaring teams away.
- Stephenson made a bet on himself back in 2014 when he bypassed a five-year, $44MM deal from the Pacers in favor of a shorter deal with the Hornets. Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders revisits the shooting guard’s decision and examines the decisions of other players whom have taken shorter deals with the hope of cashing in on a big payday only to be disappointed by what the market offers.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Smith, Ellington
Owner Tom Gores has no problem paying the luxury tax should the Pistons need to cross the apron to keep their young core together, as he tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
“Look, if we weren’t building a core, there’s really no point in paying the luxury tax,” Gores said. “Because we are building a core, would I do it? Yeah, absolutely. This is a tremendous team. If you go down the line, player by player, and especially our young folks, these are real players…So you say go into the luxury tax for nothing, then that would be silly because then we’re putting the franchise behind. But given that we have such a good core, if that’s what it took, and we feel we’ve made such progress this year, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it because we want to keep getting better.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Gores believes executive/coach Stan Van Gundy has done an excellent job for the Pistons‘ front office because of his communication skills, as he tells Ellis in the same piece. “I’ve seen him be a president and a coach, but also a leader and an executive that really understands how to run a business. He’s running the business of basketball,” Gores said. “I’ve heard people say is he better GM than he was a coach.”
- The Celtics could have made an offer to J.R. Smith this offseason, but that door closed when the team used most of its remaining cap space to re-sign Tyler Zeller, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
- Wayne Ellington could end up being more of a 3-point specialist than he expected when he signed with the Heat this offseason, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates. Winderman believes earmarking minutes for Josh Richardson on the wing will be a priority for the franchise due to his upside. That, along with the signing of Dion Waiters, may leave Ellington on the bench for the majority of games.
New York Notes: Allen, Lopez, Foye
Ray Allen is seriously considering a return to the NBA and Longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee has been trying to persuade Allen to sign with New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along. “Spike Lee has been trying to recruit me,” Allen said. “We’ve been texting.” Begley adds that it’s not clear whether the team has interest in bringing the shooting guard aboard. New York has 16 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates, though only 14 of those deals are fully guaranteed.
Here’s more from New York:
- Brook Lopez helped recruit free agents to the Nets this offseason and the big man finds himself enjoying his place on the team, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. “It’s abnormal,” Lopez said. “It’s a good feeling. I know they’ve been harping on the culture and all but it’s a completely unique feel this time, like we’re moving in that right direction. It’s something people actually want to be a part of.”
- Randy Foye, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Nets, believes he could have signed a better deal elsewhere in free agency, but GM Sean Marks‘ vision for the franchise compelled him to come to Brooklyn, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “There was more talk about building a culture,” Foye said. “A lot of places you go, they search and look for superstars to fill voids every year. But I think this here is more of a culture. And just see how the Spurs and how they build a culture, they have three guys and have other guys come in and are a part of that culture and help build that culture. And that was one of the most important reasons for me signing here.”
- Foye added that he is coming to the Nets “with no ego” and he has no expectation of starting, Bondy passes along in the same piece.
Western Notes: Barnes, Bogut, Clippers
Harrison Barnes is competing in his first Olympics, but he had plenty of offseason excitement before the Summer Games started, writes Joe Rexrode of The Des Moines Register. After being a key part of a Warriors team that set a league record with 73 wins in a season, Barnes found himself cut free when Golden State needed his cap room to sign Kevin Durant. Barnes wound up inking a four-year $94MM deal with the Mavericks, who plan to make him one of the focal points of their offense. “I think Harrison wants an opportunity to go to a team and be the guy,” said fellow Team USA member and former Warriors teammate Draymond Green, “and he has that opportunity, which I’m not mad at him about. He already has a championship, and that’s what he’ll be remembered as. He’s a champion, and no one can ever take that away.”
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Mavericks didn’t try to stop newly acquired center Andrew Bogut from playing in the Olympics, according to Kareem Copeland of The Associated Press. Bogut, who came to Dallas in a trade last month, is still recovering from a hyperextended knee he suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. At age 31, Bogut believes this is his last shot at the Olympics and he feared the Mavericks might ask him to sit out and rest the knee, but he said the team approved as long as he was healthy. “I was like, I don’t want it to end that way where I’m just sitting at home with ice on my knee if I can give it a crack,” Bogut said after leading Australia past France today. “I didn’t want it taken away that easily. I said I’ll give it a crack up until this day. If it wasn’t right yesterday, I’d put my hand up and I’m on a flight back home.”
- The Clippers became hard-capped over the summer, but were able to rebuild their bench by adding several veterans on team-friendly contracts, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In his offseason review, Marks notes that Marreese Speights, Raymond Felton, Alan Anderson and Brandon Bass all signed with L.A. for the minimum, allowing the Clippers to add depth at an affordable price. The team is currently $1.4MM above the luxury tax with 15 guaranteed contracts and will face a repeater tax if doesn’t drop below the threshold by the season’s end.