Northwest Notes: George, Patterson, Gobert
Make no mistake, Oklahoma City’s one mission this season is to convince Paul George to remain with the Thunder once he hits free agency next summer. But what, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman asks, does the All-Star forward want?
George and his representation have been nothing if not forthright about the 27-year-old’s desire to sign with the Lakers in the summer of 2018 but he still has a season under contract and a fresh, new change of scenery to enjoy with the Thunder until that time comes.
If George truly wants to play for a winner, the Thunder have a legitimate chance of positioning themselves as the better option than the Lakers, Horne writes. Oklahoma City has, after all, been competitive for the past five years while the Lakers have toiled in mediocrity.
The question is whether playing for a winner will ever actually trump George’s desire to return to his home state.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The move to sign Patrick Patterson will help the Thunder on the defensive end, the forward’s former coach Kevin McHale told The Oklahoman. He says Patterson is the type of player that excels at all the little parts of the game.
- With Gordon Hayward on his way to the Celtics, it’s become clear that Rudy Gobert may have been the leader of the Jazz all along, Brad Rock of The Deseret News writes. The big man has long been more charismatic and vocal than his Beantown-bound counterpart.
- The move that sent Avery Bradley from the Celtics to the Pistons has all but extinguished any hopes the Jazz had of pulling off a sign-and-trade connected to Gordon Hayward’s move to Boston, Jody Genessey of The Deseret News writes.
- The Timberwolves saw an opportunity and seized it this offseason, bringing Jeff Teague into the fold at the expense of long-time point guard Ricky Rubio. “Ricky did a good job here; we’re happy for him,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau told the media, including Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. “We wish him well. He made a number of contributions to our team, our organization and community and we certainly appreciate that. For us where we are now, we have to get out of this hole and we felt we had an opportunity to improve our team, and that’s why we did what we did.”
- An additional benefit the Timberwolves will enjoy after bringing Jimmy Butler aboard will be his contributions as a recruiter, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago writes.
- No team in the NBA shot worse when wide open beyond the arc than the Thunder did last season, that should change after the club welcomes Paul George and Patrick Patterson to its lineup, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes.
Pacific Notes: Gallinari, Randolph, Ingram
Expect the system the Clippers have in place to complement the skills of newly acquired Danilo Gallinari, Tyler Blint-Welsh of the Los Angeles Times writes.
“One of the reasons I chose [the Clippers] is because of the team that we have,” he said. “So I have no doubt that I’m gonna fit in.”
The versatility that Gallinari brings to the franchise will help the squad play positionelss basketball, something ever more important in today’s evolving NBA. Having such options on the perimeter should make life easier for Clippers big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the post.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers shut Brandon Ingram down for the Summer League as a precautionary measure, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. The second-year forward gave his team a scare when he suffered a cramp in his leg toward the end of Friday’s Vegas league contest but the injury is minor.
- When the Kings added Zach Randolph they added the type of veteran that will benefit their young players. Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee interviewed Randolph’s former coach with the Grizzlies about what he brings on and off the court. “This is a process,” Lionel Hollins said, “And the process is enhanced by the quality of your veterans. You can’t have guys who sit on the bench, get paid and don’t help their young teammates. You have to have the right veterans because that will help the young players move up faster. So the young kids better come ready out there, because Zach is going to teach them how to be tougher, more physical and professional.“
- The decision that Kevin Durant made to take less money that what he was eligible for allowed the Warriors to retain their core and club general manager Bob Meyers is quick to applaud him for the gesture. “I can pretty much unequivocally say without it, we’re not looking at the team we have right now. What Kevin did shows who he is, shows what he’s about and I think it’s clear that that’s winning,” Myers told the Associated Press.
Free Agent Rumors: Afflalo, Timberwolves, Yanyuhang
Veteran swingman Arron Afflalo has remained on vine through the first week of free agency but TNTs David Aldridge suspects that he’ll be picked up soon.
The 31-year-old was waived by the Kings last month after putting up 8.4 points per game in his 10th pro season. In the right situation, Afflalo could be a valuable defensive presence out on the perimeter. In Sacramento he was an established, veteran piece on a team that hit the rebuild button part-way through the regular season.
Aldridge notes that the Timberwolves took a good look at him prior to signing Jamal Crawford, a testament to his value as a 3-and-D option for teams in win now mode.
There’s more free agency buzz from around the league:
- The Timberwolves will look to add three more players before the end of the offseason, Jeff Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets. Most likely a pair of wings and a point guard.
- Veteran Metta World Peace feels that he has a few more years left in the tank, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes, noting that the forward views himself as a valuable teacher for the younger generation of NBA players.
- A candidate for the Mavs‘ second two-way contract is Chinese league MVP Ding Yanyuhang, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. In May we wrote about Mavs president Donnie Nelson‘s interest in the international prospect.
Celtics Notes: Crowder, Morris, Thomas
The Celtics landed Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris this week but the reigning Eastern Conference No. 1 seed isn’t comfortable yet.
Per a CSN New England report, president Danny Ainge is searching for further moves that can improve their roster this offseason. It’s just a matter of figuring out what those moves might look like.
Initially the report speculated that Ainge could be targeting rebounding, something the Celtics lacked in 2016/17, but the executive noted that he feels young forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could help in that regard.
Another area that Boston could address is their backup point guard position. That said, the team president also mentioned that he was currently impressed with backup point guard Terry Rozier.
There’s more from Beantown:
- The Celtics have no intention of trading Jae Crowder, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The forward had been floated as a possible component of a sign-and-trade deal to bring Gordon Hayward to Boston prior to the Avery Bradley deal.
- Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas told CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely that he believes he’s a max contract guy and that the Celtics are aware that they’ll need to bring the Brinks trucks out to retain his services when he becomes a free agent next summer.
- Newly added Celtics forward Marcus Morris comes with legal baggage and a CSN New England report breaks down the pending trial that will begin on August 21.
- The Celtics wouldn’t have had enough Brinks trucks to retain both Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes, a harsh reality that led to the trade that sent Bradley to the Pistons.
Central Notes: Pistons, Felder, Mirotic
There’s little doubt that the Pistons will benefit in the short-term from bringing Avery Bradley in as a replacement for the much costlier Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but make no mistake, Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News writes, they’re taking a big risk.
While Bradley is further along in his development as a perimeter stopper and boasts a more capable offensive game, the Pistons gave up considerable long-term security knowing that Bradley will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Essentially, Wojnowski adds, the Pistons were ready to shake things up and move on from the 24-year-old Caldwell-Pope but in doing so expose themselves to a greater threat of ultimately losing Bradley for nothing. Considering the upside after a stagnant 2016/17, it’s a gamble that a team in Detroit’s position couldn’t turn down.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers have brought in Jose Calderon to man their backup point guard position but that doesn’t mean Kay Felder is entirely out of the running, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. “Whoever plays the best will play,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s not like Kay is out of it. He’s just got to continue to grow, get better, and he’s going to continue to get better.“
- A panelist of Bulls writers discussed the prospect of restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic returning to Chicago, with ESPN’s Nick Friedell ultimately saying that the Bulls may have a pre-established limit to how much they’ll spend to retain the big man’s services and if he can land that from another organization, they’ll let him leave.
- A solid performance in the Orlando Summer League helped Eric Moreland land a job as the No. 3 center for the Pistons. “I think he’s an active big that really understands pick-and-roll defense,” Pistons associate head coach Bob Beyer told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Weekly Mailbag: 7/3/17 – 7/9/17
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:
Which veteran free agent guard would best suit the Knicks, Derrick Rose or Rajon Rondo? — Charles Johnson, via Twitter
If we are to believe what the Knicks are saying, they want to get serious about building around a young core of Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, Frank Ntilikina and the newly acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. That means no long-term, big-money offers for veterans like the 31-year-old Rondo or the 28-year-old Rose. Things could always change, of course. A trade of Carmelo Anthony or Courtney Lee could free up cap room or David Griffin could make the case for some veteran leadership if he becomes the new GM, but for now count New York out of the race for Rondo and Rose.
Any closer to knowing what will happen with D-Rose? Are the Bucks still trying to clear space to get him, or has that passed? — Ben J. Fischer, via Twitter
Rose had a meeting with Milwaukee this week, but it looks like an awkward fit. The Bucks are already about $10MM over the cap, so the only way they could afford him is in a sign-and-trade with the Knicks, probably involving Greg Monroe, who is entering the final year of his contract. Also, Milwaukee spent heavily on a point guard last summer in Matthew Dellavedova, and Giannis Antetokounmpo runs the offense there anyway. Right now, there isn’t a clear landing spot for Rose unless he’s willing to take a short-term deal or drastically reduce his salary expectations.
What direction do the Grizzlies go in the offseason? How bad do they regret giving Chandler Parsons $94MM? — Hugh Austin
The first year of the Parsons deal was a disaster. He managed just 34 games and had another knee surgery, this time in March to repair a partial tear of his left medial meniscus. However, Parsons is only 28, is under contract for three more seasons and remains a very good player when healthy. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace took an optimistic approach toward Parsons last month, saying the team expects him to be a full participant when training camp opens in September. But the Parsons contract does limit Memphis’ options in free agency, especially when combined with large deals for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, giving them three players who will make more than $74MM next season. The Grizzlies will be limited to small deals as long as all three remain on the roster.
Alfonzo McKinnie Agrees To Deal With Raptors
4:50 PM: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
9:30 AM: The Raptors will sign Alfonzo McKinnie to a multi-year contract with a partial guarantee, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic.
A 6’8″ forward out of Green Bay, McKinnie is currently playing for Toronto’s team in the Las Vegas Summer League. He spent all of last season with the Bulls’ G League affiliate, averaging 14.9 points and 9.2 rebounds in 50 games.
David Griffin Withdraws Name From Knicks’ GM Search
David Griffin spoke with the Knicks about becoming the team’s next GM, but those talks have ended without a deal materializing, Marc. J. Spears of the Undefeated reports (ESPN Now link). Spears adds that Griffin pulled his name from consideration after he and the team couldn’t come to an agreement on the right role.
It was previously reported that the Knicks were opposed to letting Griffin bring in the same front office staff he had in Cleveland. The organization has several longstanding front office members and it didn’t want to displace many of those executives.
Team executive Steve Mills, who met with Griffin over the weekend, has been handling GM duties on an interim basis since the franchise fired Phil Jackson. New York hasn’t made any substantial player personnel moves this offseason with the exception of signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71MM deal.
Raptors Sign First-Round Pick OG Anunoby
The Raptors have signed OG Anunoby to a rookie scale deal, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The exact terms were not disclosed, but assuming he signed for 120% of the rookie scale, he’ll make slightly more than $9.75MM over the next four seasons.
The small forward suffered a knee injury part way through his sophomore season at Indiana and it certainly impacted his draft spot. He was expected to be a lottery pick coming into the draft process but ended up going No. 23 overall to Toronto.
It’s unlikely that Anunoby is ready to begin the season, though according to an earlier report, he should be able to get on the court at some point before 2018. Toronto’s wing rotation is currently in flux after losing P.J. Tucker in free agency and trading away DeMarre Carroll to the Nets. The Raptors were able to bring in C.J. Miles via a sign-and-trade, but depth arguably still remains the team’s biggest weakness. Anunoby should be able to help with that once he recovers from his injury.
The Missouri native was impressive on the defensive end during his 16 games with the Hoosiers. He had at least one block or steal in every game he played.
C.J. Miles Headed To Toronto In Sign-And-Trade
The Pacers and Raptors have agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that will send free agent C.J. Miles to Toronto, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. Miles will sign a three-year deal with the Raptors worth about $25MM that contains a player option for the final season.
The trade cannot be completed until Toronto moves some salary by sending DeMarre Carroll to Brooklyn, Wojnarowski notes (Twitter link). That deal is contingent on the Wizards matching the Nets’ offer sheet to Otto Porter, which they have announced they will do. However, provisions for Porter’s physical could delay the matching process to as late as Wednesday.
The Miles trade will send point guard Cory Joseph to Indiana in return, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).
Joseph, who turns 26 next month, played in 80 games for the Raptors last season, averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 assists, mostly as a combo guard off the bench. He will make $7.66MM next season and has a player option worth $8MM for 2018/19. He’ll team with newly-signed Darren Collison as Indiana looks to replace Jeff Teague at the point guard position.
Miles, a 30-year-old swingman, will serve as a replacement for Carroll and provide Toronto with some additional outside shooting. A 12-year veteran, Miles is coming off another productive season — in 76 games, he averaged 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds, and shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers. He will be getting a raise from the $4.58MM he made last season.
The Raptors will be hard-capped at $125.266MM for the 2017/18 league year as a result of acquiring a player in a sign-and-trade deal, and may also have to rely on a pair of youngsters – Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet – as the backup point guards behind Kyle Lowry.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.