Eastern Notes: Plumlee, Baynes, Farmar, House
The Hornets took a major risk by acquiring center Miles Plumlee from the Bucks, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines. Charlotte needed to do something to improve its playoff chances but taking on Plumlee’s contract was a questionable move, Bonnell continues. Plumlee signed four-year, $50MM contract with Milwaukee last summer and that’s a steep price for a backup center to Cody Zeller, Bonnell adds. The Hornets traded two other big men, Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes, in the deal. Hornets coach Steve Clifford and his staff have done well with reclamation projects such as Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin, Bonnell points out, providing some reason for optimism that the trade will pan out.
In other doings around the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said it’s “hardly a surprise” that backup center Aron Baynes intends to opt out of his contract this summer, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports. Baynes holds a $6.5MM option and reportedly has been shopped, in part because he’s expected to enter the free agent market this summer. “We don’t want to lose him,” Van Gundy told McMann and other beat writers. “I would love to be able to bring him back here, I really would. But at the same time, we knew going into the summer that was going to be a possibility — and that’s why we went out and signed Boban (Marjanovic) a year in advance and we had money, because we anticipated it.”
- Point guard Jordan Farmar stood out during the Cavaliers’ tryout of free agent playmakers on Wednesday and he’s willing to sign a 10-day contract to join the team, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon also reported that Farmar made the biggest impression. Farmar received assurances that if anyone from the workout would get an offer, he would be the choice, a source told McMenamin. Lance Stephenson, Mario Chalmers and Kirk Hinrich also participated in the workout and the latter two were looking for a contract for the remainder of the season, McMenamin continues. The Cavs would prefer to keep their options open prior to the trade deadline, rather than offering a guaranteed deal at this point, McMenamin adds.
- Wizards swingman Danuel House will be assigned to the D-League if he’s cleared for full contact, J. Michael of CSNmidatlantic.com tweets. House, who has appeared in just one game with Washington this season, is progressing from a right wrist fracture that he suffered in November.
Magic Rumors: Vogel, Vucevic, Gordon
Magic coach Frank Vogel thought he walked into a much better situation than he’s encountered, as John Denton of the team’s website relays. Orlando is 13 games under .500, much to the chagrin of its first-year coach. “I anticipated being as far over .500 as we are under .500 right now,” Vogel told Denton and other reporters. The additions of veterans like Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo have not made the desired impact and Vogel admits the pieces haven’t fit as well as expected, Denton adds. “I thought it had the potential to be a lot better than we’ve shown this year. But in basketball, the names, the faces and the contracts that are put together don’t always equate to a great mix and the pieces fitting,” Vogel said. “What you do is do the best job you can assembling it and hope the pieces fit. Sometimes, it really fits and the rhythm is there and sometimes it’s not there.”
In other developments involving the team:
- Trade rumors involving Nikola Vucevic and Ibaka show how poorly the team’s roster rebuild has gone, David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel opines. The club cannot stand pat before the trade deadline but another major reboot is in store for the franchise, Whitley continues. Missing out on star talents like Andrew Wiggins and Kristaps Porzingis, while drafting Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja in the lottery, has put the Magic in this predicament, Whitley adds.
- Gordon has the potential to be a future Defensive Player of the Year, Denton writes in a separate piece. Gordon has the ability to guard any position because of his 6’9” length, his strength, his superior athleticism and his lateral quickness, Denton continues. Gordon realizes Orlando has to become a winner before he gains more notoriety around the league for his defensive ability, Denton adds. “To be D-POY, you’ve got to get more wins,” Gordon told Denton. “I don’t care how good of a defender you are, if your team isn’t getting wins, you aren’t going to get D-POY.”
Timberwolves Offered Muhammad for P.J. Tucker
The Timberwolves offered swingman Shabazz Muhammad for Suns forward P.J. Tucker, according to Basketball Insiders’ Michael Scotto, citing a league source. Minnesota was rumored last month to be one of the teams interested in Tucker, who told Scotto he’d rather stay put in Phoenix.
The salaries don’t quite match up but they’re reasonably close, with the 6’6” Tucker making $5.3MM in the final year of his contract and Muhammad earning approximately $3.0MM. Muhammad’s qualifying offer is priced at $4.24MM this summer.
Tucker, 31, is one of the hottest trade candidates this month because of his cheap, expiring contract and his reputation as a solid defender. Tucker, who is averaging 6.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 28.3 MPG this season, has posted a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating ever since he joined the Suns for the 2012/13 season, according to Basketball Reference.
“This is the last year of my contract, but as of now, I’m a Phoenix Sun,” he told Scotto. “So, I’m going to keep playing until somebody tells me otherwise. In this league, it’s part of the business, especially coming up in a contract year.”
Tucker added that he’s not seeking a trade.
“Phoenix has been great to me. I’ve been here five years,” he told Scotto. “It’s been a great five years, somewhere I would love to be for a long time. So places like this, where I just fit and they understand me and let me be myself. It’s a big factor for me.”
The Clippers, Bulls, Cavaliers and Hawks have also been linked to Tucker. The Clippers reportedly offered a second-round pick last month but the Suns held out for a first-rounder.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/2/17
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pistons recalled forward Henry Ellenson and guards Michael Gbinije and Darrun Hilliard from their affiliate in Grand Rapids, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. That trio was assigned to the Drive on Wednesday to get some game action. Hilliard scored 29 points against Westchester, while first-round pick Ellenson racked up 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Gbinije, a 2016 second-rounder, went scoreless in 30 minutes.
- The Thunder once again assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Huestis has started 21 games for the Blue, averaging 13.9 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 32.4 MPG. Huestis made his season debut with the Thunder on Wednesday, scoring seven points in seven minutes against the Bulls.
Poll: Biggest Eastern Conference Threat To Cavs?
While oddsmakers – and most NBA fans – still expect to see a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals this June, there’s no guarantee that the Warriors and Cavaliers will come out of their respective conferences once again. The Cavs, in particular, looked ordinary in January, finishing one game below .500 for the month, with a 7-8 record.
Last spring, it was the Raptors who battled the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, pushing LeBron James and company to six games before eventually losing the series. And for most of the first half of this season, Toronto appeared to be Cleveland’s top challenger in the conference once again.
However, the Raptors’ January struggles (8-9) mirrored the Cavs’, and Toronto has already compiled an 0-3 record this year against the defending champions. Injuries to Patrick Patterson and DeMar DeRozan have played a part in the Raptors’ swoon, but there’s still reason to question whether they’ll be the biggest threat out of the East to the Cavs in the postseason.
Led by Eastern Conference Player of the Month Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics have moved into second place in the East, pulling within just two and a half games of the Cavs. The Wizards have also surged in recent weeks — the team is 26-12 since its 2-8 start, and has matched the Celtics’ current five-game winning streak.
Behind those top four teams in the standings, the Hawks have continued to play well even after trading Kyle Korver, and the Pacers have looked very impressive at times, including on their current four-game winning streak.
The Cavs may ultimately make it out of the East once again, but these clubs – and others – will look to give the champs all they can handle in the series leading up to the Finals. Teams like the Raptors and Celtics also have plenty of assets available to potentially fortify their rosters in the coming weeks, making them even more dangerous.
What do you think? Which of the Eastern Conference contenders has the best chance to knock off the Cavs this spring?
Which Eastern team is the biggest threat to the Cavs?
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Boston Celtics 50% (1,931)
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Toronto Raptors 19% (744)
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Washington Wizards 15% (570)
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Indiana Pacers 7% (269)
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Another Eastern team 5% (201)
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Atlanta Hawks 4% (157)
Total votes: 3,872
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Bucks Trade Miles Plumlee To Hornets
3:19pm: The deal is official, with the Hornets acquiring Plumlee and cash considerations from the Bucks in exchange for Hibbert and Hawes, according to a pair of press releases. The Bucks also confirmed the release of Novak.
“We are excited to add Miles to our roster,” Hornets GM Rich Cho said in a statement. “He is an athletic big man who brings additional physicality and rebounding to our frontcourt rotation. He’s a proven player with a strong work ethic and we think he’ll fit in well with our core group.”
“Spencer and Roy are two proven NBA centers who give us additional depth and versatility in the front court,” Bucks GM John Hammond said of his team’s acquisitions. “The trade also gives us future cap flexibility as we continue to shape our roster. Miles and Steve are true professionals both on and off the court, and we wish them all the best.
1:22pm: The Bucks and Hornets have reached an agreement in principle on a trade that will send Miles Plumlee to Charlotte, according to Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Milwaukee will receive Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes in the deal, per the ESPN duo. The Bucks will release Steve Novak in order to clear a roster spot for the two incoming players, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that a trade call has been scheduled for later today to make the deal official.
Plumlee, 28, reached restricted free agency last summer, and eventually agreed to a four-year, $50MM deal with the Bucks. However, his role in Milwaukee has been reduced this season. Plumlee’s minutes per game have dipped from 14.3 to 9.7, and his other averages in several other categories have taken a hit as well. Most notably, he’s shooting just 44.1% from the floor this year after making more than 60% of his field goal attempts in 2015/16.
While the Bucks entered the season reportedly looking to move Greg Monroe, the former Piston has been a solid contributor for Milwaukee, and has split the majority of the club’s minutes at center with John Henson, leaving Plumlee on the outside looking in. In Charlotte, Plumlee should have the opportunity to earn a larger role, particularly with two Hornets big men – Hibbert and Hawes – heading the other way in the deal.
Hibbert and Hawes have each been part-time players for the Hornets this season, combining to average just under 34 minutes per game between them. Hawes has contributed 7.3 PPG and 4.2 RPG, while Hibbert has chipped in 5.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG.
Considering there wasn’t much playing time available in Milwaukee for Plumlee, it may be difficult for both Hibbert and Hawes to carve out regular roles for their new team, but early indications are that the Bucks intend to keep both players, per Stein (Twitter link). It’s worth noting that the Bucks have been linked to Hawes in the recent past — his name came up in a Monroe trade rumor during training camp.
For the Bucks, the move represents a cost-cutting maneuver for the future. Although Hawes ($6.35MM) and Hibbert ($5MM) make nearly as much as Plumlee ($12.5MM) this season, neither player is under contract for long. Hibbert will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Hawes could follow suit, if he turns down his $6MM+ player option for 2017/18. Plumlee, on the other hand, will earn a guaranteed $12.5MM salary annually through the 2019/20 season, limiting Charlotte’s spending flexibility down the road.
The Bucks will also eat a little dead money by cutting Novak, who had been on a one-year, minimum salary contract. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, his $980,431 cap charge will remain on the books for Milwaukee.
While the trade is hardly a blockbuster, it’s an interesting move for two teams who are battling one another for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Currently, Charlotte maintains a tenuous grip on the No. 8 seed, with a 23-27 record, while Milwaukee is close behind, at 21-27.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Sanders, Farmar, Tavares
Former Bucks big man Larry Sanders is getting serious about returning to the NBA, as we heard earlier this week. Sanders has hired an agent and lined up meetings with three teams, according to a report from The Vertical. However, more than just three clubs have Sanders on their radar — according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), eight to 12 NBA teams have expressed some level of interest in the free agent center. Wolfson adds that Sanders will meet with teams next week in Miami.
Here are a few more updates on various free agent situations around the league:
- Jordan Farmar, one of several free agents that worked out for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, impressed the team and appears to be under consideration for a contract, a source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The other participants in the workout – Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, and Lance Stephenson – remain in play as the Cavs mull a potential signing, but Farmar, in particular, acquitted himself well, reports Vardon.
- Former Hawks center Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares signed a D-League contract after being waived by Atlanta in the fall, but he remains an NBA free agent, and hopes to get back into the league at some point, as he tells David Alarcon of HoopsHype. “To return to Spain, to Gran Canaria, would always be good because they showed so much love that I would like to leave everything now and return,” Tavares said. “But I have to think first in the NBA. … For me, returning to Europe would be like giving up. I’m going to let this year pass and then I’ll figure out what to do. I spoke with my agent and this is the best option. Stay here, play well and wait for a team to call me. I’m going to give it all this year and I’ll decide if I stay here for another year or take a step back and go back to Europe.”
- The Heat have kept Briante Weber on their radar, but their ability to re-sign him may hinge on Josh Richardson‘s health, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains in a mailbag. Weber has been thriving this season for Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG, but he remains an NBA free agent.
Nuggets’ Wilson Chandler Hoping For Trade
With this year’s trade deadline just three weeks away, Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is hoping to be moved before the deadline, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Sam Amick of USA Today. According to Amick, Chandler has grown frustrated with his inconsistent role in Denver.
Chandler, 29, is having perhaps his best year as a pro, averaging a career-high 15.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 44 games for the Nuggets. The former DePaul standout is also averaging slightly over 30 minutes per game on the season, but his playing time has been somewhat up and down, and he hasn’t been in Denver’s starting lineup since January 12.
Although Chandler is not believed to have formally requested a trade, the Nuggets are aware of his concerns and will explore the trade market for the veteran leading up to the February 23 deadline, says Amick. Denver has no shortage of potential trade candidates, with Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Jameer Nelson, Will Barton, Jusuf Nurkic, and Emmanuel Mudiay among the players whose names have been mentioned at least once or twice in trade rumors this season. But finding a taker for Chandler looks to be a priority.
Owed a salary of $11.233MM this season, Chandler is under contract for two additional years, though 2018/19 is a player option. He’s on the books for a guaranteed $12MM+ salary in ’17/18. That price tag may have looked substantial when Chandler first signed his contract, but based on the spending spree we saw last summer, it seems reasonable for a player of his caliber.
Magic Johnson Returns To Lakers In Advisory Role
Former Lakers player, minority owner, and vice president Magic Johnson has rejoined the franchise, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Lakers’ announcement, Johnson will serve as an advisor to team ownership consulting with the Buss family on basketball operations and business matters.
“Everyone knows my love for the Lakers,” Johnson said in a statement. “Over the years, I have considered other management opportunities, however my devotion to the game and Los Angeles make the Lakers my first and only choice. I will do everything in my power to help return the Lakers to their rightful place among the elite teams of the NBA.”
According to the team, Johnson will report directly to Lakers governor Jeanie Buss. His duties will include, but won’t be limited to, the following: “Advising ownership on all business and basketball matters, collaborating with coaches, evaluating and mentoring players, assessing future franchise needs, and helping ownership to determine the best path for growth and success.”
Johnson’s role with the Lakers will be interesting to monitor, since he has been critical in recent years of some of the team’s basketball operations decisions, led by Jim Buss. As Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet notes again today (via Twitter), Buss said in April 2014 that he’d step down from his position with the franchise if the Lakers weren’t contending for a title within “three or four” years.
Johnson was part of the Lakers’ ownership group for more than 15 years and served as a vice president for the team before selling his share of the organization in 2010.
Spurs Re-Sign Joel Anthony
Joel Anthony‘s 10-day contract with the Spurs expired last night, but the team didn’t waste any team in locking him up to a new deal, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Young reports that Anthony inked a second 10-day contract with the Spurs this morning.
Anthony, 34, had yet to catch on with an NBA team this season before signing with the Spurs a week and a half ago. San Antonio had been in the market for some frontcourt depth after losing Pau Gasol to a broken hand. Gasol’s initial timeline projected a recovery of four to six weeks, so he may not return to the club until after the All-Star break.
During his first 10-day stint with the Spurs, Anthony appeared briefly in three games, averaging 1.3 PPG and 1.7 RPG in those contests. The games in which Anthony played were decided by double-digit margins, so he doesn’t have a substantial role with the team — that shouldn’t change during his second 10-day deal, though LaMarcus Aldridge will miss Thursday’s game with a sore knee, thinning out San Antonio’s frontcourt a little.
If the Spurs want to retain Anthony when his second 10-day contract expires, they’ll have to sign him to a deal for the rest of the season.