Budenholzer: Paul Millsap ‘Not Going Anywhere’
Over the weekend, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that the Hawks privately continued to insist that Paul Millsap won’t be traded this month. Head coach and president of basketball operations Mike Budenholzer reiterated that point publicly on Monday, telling Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution that Atlanta won’t be moving its star big man.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Budenholzer said. “You can write that.”
Around the time that the Hawks sent Kyle Korver to the Cavaliers, Millsap was believed to be available, and Vivlamore hears that one person close to the situation believes there was “at least one solid offer” on the table at the time. However, the team took Millsap off the trade block a little over a month ago, with the veteran center telling ESPN that the Hawks had assured him he wouldn’t be traded.
As I pointed out at the time, it was one thing for the Hawks to tell potential suitors that Millsap wasn’t available, but it was another for the team to tell the player himself that he won’t be moved — clubs will often change their minds about shopping a player, but breaking a specific promise to that player is much less common.
Although fans and writers have continued to speculate about a Millsap trade since then, the franchise has remained adamant that he’ll stay put, with Budenholzer’s comment today representing the latest reiteration of that stance.
Assuming the Hawks keep Millsap through the deadline, they’ll risk losing him this offseason like they lost Al Horford last summer. Millsap has a player option for 2017/18, but is expected to opt out, at which point he could sign with a new team or re-up with the Hawks. Presumably, the club is fairly confident that Millsap wants to remain in Atlanta, or a deadline deal would be more likely.
Bulls Seeking First-Rounder For Lopez, McDermott?
The Bulls are exploring the trade market in the hopes of landing a first-round pick in exchange for either center Robin Lopez or sharpshooter Doug McDermott, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
As Scotto observes, the Bulls currently hold their own 2017 first-round pick and will also land the Kings’ selection if it falls outside the top 10. That Sacramento pick is very much up in the air at this point, with the Kings currently placing 10th in our 2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings. The Chicago front office has expressed a desire to make the roster younger and more athletic, and securing an extra draft pick for 2017 would help the team work toward that goal.
It remains to be seen if any club will be willing to part with a first-round pick for Lopez or McDermott. While that price may seem steep on the surface, it’s worth noting that players like Kyle Korver and Mason Plumlee have been the centerpieces of deals that saw first-round picks change hands in recent weeks.
Lopez, who will turn 29 in April, remains under contract through the 2018/19 season, and has long been a reliable and underrated presence in the middle. However, his production has dipped a little for the Bulls this season — his .495 FG% is his worst mark since 2011/12, and NBA.com’s advanced stats suggest Chicago has been a little better with Lopez off the court. As for McDermott, his development hasn’t taken a significant step forward this season, but he remains a threat from beyond the arc, with a career three-point percentage above 40.0%. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.
The Bulls have recently been linked to Jahlil Okafor, and while Scotto notes that it’s not clear whether the team’s hunt for a first-round pick is related to those talks, moving Lopez would create an opening in the frontcourt for a player like Okafor. Philadelphia is also believed to be seeking at least one future first-rounder for Okafor.
Lakers Meeting With Larry Sanders
The Lakers are currently meeting with free agent center Larry Sanders, according to Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link). It’s not clear how serious the Lakers’ interest in Sanders is, or if L.A. was one of six teams reportedly in attendance at the big man’s workout in Miami last week.
Sanders’ agent, Joel Bell, expressed optimism over the weekend that his client would be on an NBA roster soon, telling Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that a lot of teams had expressed interest in Sanders, and at least one of those clubs had made a contract offer. However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) hears that Sanders “came in really under weight” to his workout last week, adding that there wasn’t much serious interest from teams.
Sanders hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, when he announced that he was leaving the game for personal reasons. The Bucks waived him under the stretch provision, and he remains on the team’s cap at about $1.866MM per season through 2021/22. That figure would be reduced by setoff if he signs with another organization.
Sanders, now 28, flashed promising upside during his initial stint in the NBA, so teams taking a look at him now will be interested to see if he still looks like that same player. In the 2012/13 season, the last time he was fully healthy, Sanders averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Injuries and off-the-court problems limited him to 50 games over his last two seasons in the NBA.
If the Lakers get serious about signing Sanders, they’d have to waive or trade someone to clear a spot on their 15-man roster. L.A. is about $530K under the cap and still has its full $2.898MM room exception available, so the team could offer Sanders more than the minimum, if necessary.
Trade Deadline Outlook: Atlantic Division
In the days leading up to the February 23 trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. We’ll be identifying each team as a buyer, seller, or something in between, and discussing which teams and players are most likely to be involved in deals this month. Today, we’re examining the Atlantic.
Buyers:
Two Atlantic teams currently hold top-four spots in the Eastern Conference, and both the Celtics (35-19) and Raptors (32-23) are in great position to strengthen their rosters at this year’s deadline.
Boston, in particular, is loaded with trade assets, including a handful of extra first-round picks. While there are several teams around the league holding additional draft picks, none have the upside that the Celtics’ selections do. The C’s have the right to swap picks with Brooklyn this season, and hold the Nets’ 2018 pick outright, and no NBA team has a worse 2016/17 record that the Nets. If any club wants to make a superstar available, a logical first step would be to give Danny Ainge a call and ask about those two Brooklyn picks, either of which would be a great starting point for any trade package.
The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t have quite the stash of draft picks that Boston does, but Toronto holds a couple extra future first-rounders, and is also carrying several intriguing young players on its roster. Guys like Delon Wright and Bruno Caboclo should be available, and in the right deal, perhaps the Raps would be willing to include a rotation player like Terrence Ross, Norman Powell, Lucas Nogueira, or even Jonas Valanciunas. Although they’ve struggled lately, the Raptors took Cleveland to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and adding an impact power forward would make their roster even more dangerous.Read more
Hornets Sign Mike Tobey To Second 10-Day Deal
1:34pm: After initially keeping their 15th roster spot open to acquire Chris Andersen, the Hornets have officially waived the Birdman, allowing the team to finalize Tobey’s second 10-day contract. The team confirmed the signing this afternoon in a press release.
9:32am: Like Hornets teammate Ray McCallum, rookie center Mike Tobey will sign a second 10-day contract with Charlotte, a league source tells Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While McCallum’s deal is official, Tobey’s new contract has yet to be formally confirmed by the Hornets.
Tobey, a 7’1″ center out of Virginia, averaged 7.3 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 15.7 minutes per contest during his senior year in 2015/16. The 22-year-old joined the Hornets for Summer League action in Orlando last year, then inked a training camp deal with Charlotte that featured a $75K guarantee. However, he didn’t earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster, and landed with the Hornets’ D-League affiliate instead.
In 28 games this season with the Greensboro Swarm, Tobey averaged 11.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 25.9 minutes per contest, earning a call-up to Charlotte earlier this month. Although the Hornets re-added Tobey to their roster after trading Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes to Milwaukee, the Virginia alum has yet to make his regular-season NBA debut.
With Tobey and McCallum back under contract, the Hornets will have a full 15-man roster for the next week and a half. Both 10-day deals are set to expire the night before the trade deadline, which will give Charlotte some deadline-day roster flexibility if needed.
Hornets Acquire, Waive Chris Andersen
1:18pm: The Hornets issued a press release confirming their acquisition of Andersen, and announcing that they’ve already waived the injured center.
11:18am: The second-round pick Cleveland gets in the deal is top-55 protected for 2017, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Based on the Hornets’ current record, there’s virtually zero chance of that pick changing hands, as expected.
11:04am: The Cavaliers have opened up a spot on their 15-man roster by making a trade with the Hornets, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Cavs, Cleveland is sending injured big man Chris Andersen and cash to Charlotte in exchange for a protected second-round pick.
Although the Cavs are receiving a second-round pick in the swap, that selection will likely be a heavily-protected pick that never actually changes hands. Andersen has no value this season, since he’s out for the year with a torn ACL, so Charlotte is doing the Cavs a favor by taking him off their hands. In return, the Hornets will likely get more than enough cash to cover Andersen’s remaining salary, so they’ll come out ahead in the transaction.
While Cleveland will probably never receive that protected second-round pick, the team had been motivated to move Andersen. By sending the Birdman’s contract elsewhere, the Cavs will ensure that they don’t have to pay an extra tax charge for him at season’s end. The club is currently so far into tax territory that every dollar spent results in an extra $2.50 tax charge — that means Andersen’s $980K minimum salary would have cost more than $2.4MM in tax payments. By trading him, the Cavs reduce their tax bill and create an opportunity to add someone new to fill that newly-opened 15th roster spot in the coming days or weeks.
Cleveland had previously sent out $2.75MM in cash in a few separate trades, and teams are limited to $3.5MM in outgoing cash for the 2016/17 league year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cavs sent out the rest of their available trade money ($750K) in this deal, though the specifics aren’t yet known. The Cavs will also create a modest trade exception in the swap, worth Andersen’s cap hit ($980,431). It will expire a year from today.
Charlotte, meanwhile, had an open roster spot after Ray McCallum and Mike Tobey saw their 10-day contracts expire overnight. McCallum already re-signed with the team, but Tobey hasn’t formally inked a new deal yet. The Hornets will likely waive Andersen shortly in order to make room to re-sign Tobey.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Rumors: Ibaka, Gallinari, Gibson, Ross
The Raptors’ hold on a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference is tenuous, as the team has won just four of its lost 14 games to slip to 32-23, fourth in the East. While injuries have played a part in Toronto’s slump, the club could use some roster reinforcements, particularly at the power forward spot, where the Raptors have been on the lookout for a long-term solution in recent years.
Here’s the latest on the reigning Atlantic division champs:
- The Raptors have been “actively involved” in discussions for at least three power forwards, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who identifies Serge Ibaka, Danilo Gallinari, and Taj Gibson as potential targets. Ibaka and Gallinari have been linked to Toronto recently, but Gibson hasn’t been mentioned in many trade rumors this season. Back in July, a report indicated that the Raptors had been close to acquiring Gibson before Dwyane Wade agreed to join the Bulls.
- The Raptors are “playing hardball” in trade talks, per The Sporting News. A source tells Deveney that the club has resisted the idea of giving up Terrence Ross, and Deveney says Toronto also wants to keep Bruno Caboclo, who is a “project the team wants to complete itself.”
- According to Deveney, the Raptors are reluctant to give up substantial packages for players like Ibaka, Gallinari, and Gibson, who are all eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer.
- Following the Raptors’ Sunday loss to the Pistons, Kyle Lowry aired his frustrations during a conversation with reporters. The star point guard suggested that things need to change in Toronto, and his comments were interpreted by many as a veiled criticism of head coach Dwane Casey. However, Lowry said today that he wasn’t directing his comments at anyone in particular, and Casey stressed that the club is sticking together through its rough patch (Twitter links via Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun and Josh Lewenberg of TSN).
Details On Pelicans’ Brook Lopez Trade Talks
Reports last week indicated that the Pelicans were scouring the market for a center, dangling their 2018 first-round pick in trade talks. At the time, Brook Lopez was identified as one potential target for New Orleans, and now, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders has some specific details on the sort of package the Pelicans and Nets were discussing.
According to Scotto, the two teams have talked about a trade that would send Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, Tim Frazier, and a 2018 protected first-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Lopez.
Such a trade package would likely pique the Nets’ interest, since it includes two young guards on reasonable deals, a sizable expiring contract (Evans’), and a future first-round pick to replace the Nets’ own 2018 selection.
Still, the Nets have long been said to be seeking multiple first-round picks in any Lopez deal, and ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the team’s asking price hadn’t changed. The Pelicans’ proposal includes just one first-rounder, and depending on how heavily it’s protected, it’s possible it wouldn’t be a lottery selection.
While the Nets are willing to discuss deals involving Lopez, multiple reports have downplayed the team’s interest in making a deal during the season. The veteran center remains under contract through 2017/18, so Brooklyn appears willing to revisit trade discussions during the offseason if the team doesn’t receive an offer it likes this month.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, are believed to be engaged in talks with the Sixers involving Jahlil Okafor. New Orleans probably has a few more irons in the fire around the NBA as well, as the team looks for a big man to pair with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.
Trail Blazers Trade Mason Plumlee For Jusuf Nurkic
FEBRUARY 13: The Nuggets and Blazers have officially completed their trade, according to a press release from Denver. The Nuggets get Plumlee, a 2018 second-round pick, and cash considerations from Portland in exchange for Nurkic and Memphis’ 2017 first-round pick.
FEBRUARY 12: The Trail Blazers will send Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round pick to the Nuggets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The first-rounder will be the Memphis pick that Denver owns.
The deal gives Portland three first-rounders is what is considered to be a strong draft. In addition to their own pick, the Blazers also own Cleveland’s first-rounder.
The trade also eases the luxury tax predicament for Portland, as Plumlee was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). The team wasn’t able to work out an extension with Plumlee before the October deadline. Portland still has about $130MM in guaranteed contracts for next season (Twitter link).
Plumlee was in the middle of his second season with the Blazers after two years in Brooklyn. He appeared in 54 games, all as a starter, and was averaging 11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night.
Nurkic, a third-year big man, began the year as a starter but was moved to the bench after a twin towers approach with Nikola Jokic was deemed a failure. He played in 45 games, starting 29, and was averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Denver exercised his team option for 2017/18 in October.
Hornets Re-Sign Ray McCallum
The Hornets have re-signed Ray McCallum to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. McCallum briefly became a free agent today after his initial 10-day deal with Charlotte expired last night.
McCallum, who has played for the Kings, Spurs and Grizzlies over the course of his NBA career, spent most of this season with the D-League’s Grand Rapids Drive, averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game for Detroit’s NBADL affiliate. The 25-year-old was cut by the Pistons just before the start of the season — he appeared to have a roster spot won, but was let go when the organization decided to claim Beno Udrih off waivers.
The Hornets signed McCallum on February 3 after a trade with the Bucks created an extra opening on their 15-man roster. Since joining the team, McCallum has not appeared in a single game, though the Hornets apparently liked what they saw in practice enough to keep the veteran guard on the roster.
Charlotte signed rookie big man Mike Tobey to a 10-day contract on the same day the team inked McCallum earlier this month. Tobey’s deal also expired last night, though there’s no indication yet whether the Hornets will bring him back on a second contract, sign someone else, or keep a roster spot open.