And-Ones: M. Robinson, Mayo, Eurobasket
Five-star recruit Mitchell Robinson, who initially enrolled at Western Kentucky, has left the program and is not expected to play college ball in 2017/18, according to Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports. Jon Rothstein of FanRagSports had reported several days ago that Robinson was considering sitting out the season in order to prepare for the 2018 NBA draft.
Robinson, a seven-footer who is considered a likely first-round pick next summer, had been considering transferring to Kansas or another school, but would probably have had to sit out the 2017/18 season anyway in that scenario, Forde notes. Robinson could opt to go the Terrance Ferguson route and play in another professional league for one year, but a high-level European club is unlikely to rent the young center for a single season, tweets ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla.
As we wait to see what the future holds for Robinson, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world…
- As we detailed earlier in the week, O.J. Mayo‘s two-year ban from the NBA ensures that he’ll sit out at least one more season. However, that ban doesn’t preclude him from playing in the G League. Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days looks into whether it makes sense for Mayo to suit up for a G League club this season in an effort to rehabilitate his image and stay on the radar of NBA teams.
- This week’s Kyrie Irving mega-deal is the latest signal that the NBA is becoming a year-round league, Sam Amick writes in an interesting piece for USA Today. As Amick observes, the non-stop drama of the NBA offseason is good news for commissioner Adam Silver, who has expressed a desire to rival the NFL in terms of popularity.
- With the 2017 Eurobasket tournament around the corner, several teams are finalizing and announcing their rosters. Via Sportando, here are the 12-man squads for Spain and Lithuania, each of which feature multiple NBA players.
- After playing Summer League ball for the Knicks, undrafted rookie Canyon Barry will begin his professional career in Finland. The son of Rick Barry spoke to Ian Begley of ESPN.com about his father’s influence on his game, including his free-throw shooting style.
Carmelo Talks Between Knicks, Rockets ‘Fairly Dormant’
Trade discussions between the Knicks and Rockets regarding Carmelo Anthony have been “fairly dormant” as of late, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link). Wojnarowski suggests that the Rockets have been unsuccessful to date in their search to find a third or fourth team to facilitate a potential deal.
Back in July, as they brought aboard former Kings executive Scott Perry and made other changes to their front office, the Knicks put Anthony trade talks on hold. However, once Perry got settled and the Knicks re-assessed their options, the team re-engaged with the Rockets.
Although the lines of communication are once again open between the Knicks and Rockets, the same roadblocks remain in place. As has been the case all summer, New York has no interest in taking back Ryan Anderson‘s contract, and it would be difficult for the Rockets to match salaries without including the veteran sharpshooter. Houston would have to find a third team to take on Anderson, but that appears to have been a dead end so far.
Anthony holds a no-trade clause and the Rockets have long been his preferred destination. In the wake of this week’s Kyrie Irving trade, there has been speculation that Carmelo may once again become open to the idea of going to the Cavs, but even if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland, it would be a challenge for the Cavs and Knicks to find a deal that appeals to both teams.
While the Cavs were able to find a trade partner for Irving with a month to go before training camp, the Knicks and Rockets are preparing for the possibility that Anthony may still be a Knick when camp opens in late September, per Wojnarowski.
Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Cavaliers, LeBron
One of the most surprising things about the blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston this week was the Cavaliers‘ willingness to deal with their closest conference rival, just months after facing the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Cavs did try to find a deal with a Western team, having worked the Suns and Nuggets “pretty hard.” Cleveland also had some discussions with the Spurs and Clippers, but those clubs didn’t have the right combination of assets to really intrigue the Cavs, Kyler adds. Eventually, the Cavs circled back to the Celtics, who had expressed interest in Irving earlier and could put together the right sort of package to appeal to Cleveland.
Kyler’s latest piece at Basketball Insiders includes many more notes on the Irving deal, so let’s round up some of the highlights…
- After news of his trade request leaked, Irving essentially stopped talking to the Cavaliers, sources close to the situation tell Kyler. Even before that news came out, the Cavs hadn’t heard much from Irving’s camp after he informed them of his desire to be moved, per Kyler.
- Sources close to Irving tell Kyler that the star point guard was very aware of the age difference between him and many of his Cavaliers teammates. Irving is looking forward to joining a roster that features more players around his age, and hopes that he can build stronger connections and become more of a team leader rather than being viewed as a “little brother,” according to Kyler.
- Kyler hears that new Cavaliers GM Koby Altman spoke to LeBron James on Tuesday after completing the deal. Although LeBron had hoped the relationship between Irving and the team could be repaired, he’s happy to have closure on the situation, says Kyler.
- The Irving trade hasn’t changed James’ stance on his future — the four-time MVP enjoys having options and the freedom to make his own choices when the time comes, and doesn’t intend to give that up by locking himself into anything early, says Kyler. This stance was reflected in a series of pro-player tweets issued by LeBron earlier today.
Clippers Hiring Mark Hughes As Assistant GM
The Clippers continue to revamp their front office, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is hiring longtime Knicks executive Mark Hughes as an assistant general manager.
Hughes, formerly the Knicks’ director of player personnel, interviewed with the Hawks and Bucks earlier this offseason when those teams were retooling their own front offices. Hughes is said to have been heavily involved with the Knicks’ drafts over the last decade or so, and was highly regarded within the organization. However, he interviewed last month with the Clippers for their assistant GM job and now will join the team in that capacity.
The Clippers also recently reached an agreement with Thunder executive Michael Winger to become their new GM, and are also reportedly bringing aboard former Cavs exec Trent Redden as an assistant GM. There’s no indication that the deal with Redden has fallen through, so it appears Hughes is coming aboard alongside Redden, rather than in his place.
The Clippers began overhauling their front office earlier this summer when the team removed the president of basketball operations title from Doc Rivers, elevating Lawrence Frank to head of the basketball operations department.
Thunder Notes: Front Office, Donovan, Ferguson
With Michael Winger headed to the Clippers to become L.A.’s new general manager, the Thunder will once again have to replace a departing executive. As Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman observes, Rich Cho and Rob Hennigan previously left the organization to become GMs with new teams. It’s not yet clear who will replace Winger as assistant GM for the Thunder, but Dawson notes that there are internal options in the front office if GM Sam Presti doesn’t want to make an outside hire.
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- With Presti having delivered a significant offseason acquisition in the form of Paul George, the pressure in Oklahoma City may now shift to head coach Billy Donovan, who will be tasked with building on last season’s 47-win showing. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman spoke with Donovan about the new challenges facing him and the Thunder this season.
- Erik Horne of The Oklahoman examines whether the addition of George has had an impact on 2017/18 ticket sales for the Thunder.
- Besides Sixers draftee Anzejs Pasecniks, who will play overseas in 2017/18, Terrance Ferguson was the last of this year’s first-round picks to sign with his new NBA team. The fact that Ferguson played in Australia rather than in the NCAA last season contributed to that delay, and as Jonathan Givony of ESPN notes (via Twitter), it also cost the Thunder a little money — OKC paid the Adelaide 36ers a small buyout in order to free up Ferguson.
Hornets Finalize Deal With Julyan Stone
AUGUST 24, 8:23am: RealGM’s official transactions log classifies Stone’s new contract as a multiyear agreement, so it appears the Hornets were able to complete a two-year deal as initially planned.
AUGUST 23, 10:17am: The Hornets have officially signed veteran guard Julyan Stone, the team announced today in a press release. The deal had been in the works for some time, as Stone worked to free himself from a commitment to Italian team Umana Reyer Venezia and receive FIBA clearance to return to the NBA.
Stone, who was in camp with the Pacers in 2016, hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since the 2013/14 campaign. For his career, he appeared in 47 total contests for the Nuggets and Raptors, playing limited minutes in those games. In recent years, Stone bounced around to various teams overseas and in the G League, spending time in Italy, Turkey, and with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate.
Stone recently agreed to a two-year extension with defending league champion Umana Reyer, based in Venice. The 28-year-old didn’t have an opt-out clause to leave for the NBA, but asked the team to release him from his deal so he could be closer to his father, who is in a coronary care unit in the United States with severe lung, heart and kidney conditions. The club obliged earlier this month.
While Stone is now a Hornet, we’ll wait to confirm the terms of his deal. Previous reports indicated that Charlotte made a two-year offer to Stone, but one report last week suggested that his Italian team may have only released him from his contract for a single year, which would limit the Hornets’ ability to lock him up for multiple seasons.
The 6’6″ Stone is expected to serve as the Hornets’ third point guard behind Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams.
Cavaliers May Have Improved Chances For Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony could take another look at the Cavaliers after Tuesday’s Kyrie Irving trade, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Anthony had originally named Cleveland and Houston as teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join, but he later trimmed that list to just the Rockets.
However, the package of assets the Cavs acquired from Boston makes them a more attractive trading partner for the Knicks and maybe a better destination for Anthony, according to Berman.
He adds that Cleveland only wanted to talk about Kristaps Porzingis when New York tried to get in on the Irving sweepstakes, but the Cavaliers may have more interest in picking up Anthony for a one-year run at a title before he, LeBron James and Isaiah Thomas all possibly become free agents next summer.
Berman also speculates that Anthony might be getting “antsy” while waiting for Houston to come up with a third, and maybe fourth, team to facilitate a deal.
The Knicks would love to pick up Cleveland’s Jae Crowder, Berman adds, although he can’t be traded for 60 days. Also, the Nets’ first-rounder that the Cavs acquired frees them to trade their own 2018 pick. New York may also have interest in taking back former first-round choice Iman Shumpert now that ex-president Phil Jackson is no longer in the front office.
Berman notes that an Anthony buyout is unlikely with Steve Mills as president, so a trade will be needed to get the unhappy star out of town. However, that may change if no deal is made before the February deadline and the team decides the savings are worth it, although his $27,928,140 option year would still count against the cap.
Celtics Notes: Irving, Grousbeck, Tatum, Defense
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck is happy to welcome Kyrie Irving to Boston, calling the point guard a “transcendent player,” relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Speaking at an event today in Boston, Grousbeck said the team views the Irving deal as its best path toward another NBA title.
The Celtics, who were the East’s top seed last season at 53-29, have shaken up the roster over the summer, with Irving, Gordon Hayward and rookie Jayson Tatum as the main additions. Grousbeck said the moves were made with an eye on the immediate and long-term future, but he declined to speculate on whether Boston is ready to knock off Cleveland in a playoff series. “I’m not going to make any predictions about that,” he said. “I think we’re in a good position to represent Celtic pride well. We have a strong team, an up and coming team, a young team with more youth on the way. We want to be good for a sustained period of time and it starts now.”
There’s more news tonight out of Boston:
- Cleveland’s desire to obtain Tatum held up the deal for several weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Appearing on NBA TV, he said the trade could have been completed much earlier if Boston was willing to part with its No. 3 pick out of Duke. Charania added that any dispute in Cleveland was more about Irving than LeBron James, and James stayed in the background while owner Dan Gilbert and GM Koby Altman worked on the deal.
- Tatum is “just as surprised as everyone else” to be playing with his fellow Duke alumnus, Blakely writes in a separate piece. Tatum said he heard rumors that he might be headed to Cleveland in a deal and is relieved to stay in Boston. Blakely confirms that the Cavs asked for Tatum at first, then talked to several Western Conference teams after the Celtics refused. When that didn’t pan out, they revisited negotiations with Boston. Tatum, who vacationed with Irving in the Bahamas this summer, is looking forward to playing alongside his new teammate. “I’m pretty sure it’ll be a lot of fun,” Tatum said. “He’s a tremendous player, a superstar in this league.”
- The Celtics now have multiple stars who will enable them to compete for a title, according to Nick Ashooh of CSNMidAtlantic. He notes that newcomers Hayward and Marcus Morris ranked higher last year in Defensive Win Shares than former Celtics Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk, which should help Boston improve its team ranking of 15th in points allowed per game.
Community Shootaround: Challenging The Warriors
Tuesday night’s blockbuster deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics would have been clearly the biggest news of many NBA offseasons. But it has a lot of competition this summer in a league where Jimmy Butler, Paul George and Chris Paul have all been traded since the playoffs ended.
Still, Tuesday’s trade affects the balance of power in the East, both for the 2017/18 season and for years to come. The Cavaliers added an extra defender in Jae Crowder, who can harass Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ other wings if we get another Cleveland-Golden State matchup in the Finals. In landing Irving along with Gordon Hayward, the Celtics probably made the best two offseason acquisitions in the East.
But does that mean the Warriors should be afraid of either team — or anyone else?
Golden State brought back virtually all the key components of its championship team and picked up promising rookie Jordan Bell in the draft. Stephen Curry agreed to a five-year extension. Kevin Durant inked a one-year deal with a player option, but that was only to lead to a long-term contract next summer. Klay Thompson is under contract for two more seasons, and Draymond Green is signed for the next three.
So in addition to a wealth of talent, the Warriors will have continuity in their corner.
A lot of teams got better this summer. The Thunder got a bargain price on George. The Timberwolves traded for Butler and signed Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. The Rockets traded for Paul and may have Carmelo Anthony before the season starts.
So with training camps about a month away, we want to know who you believe will be the Warriors’ top challenger. Please leave your comments below.
Mavericks Notes: Noel, Matthews, Smith, Cuban
Restricted free agent Nerlens Noel turned down an offer from the Mavericks in the range of $17.5MM per year, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. With no further details on that offer, it’s hard to know exactly how appealing it was — it could have been a short-term deal, or not fully guaranteed. Still, it seems like a very fair annual rate for Noel.
The 23-year old big man remains one of the top players left on the market as training camps near. Noel still hopes to land a max contract, even though few teams have the financial resources available to make such an offer.
He recently changed agents, hiring Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who lists LeBron James and John Wall among his highest-profile clients. Noel has been frustrated at not receiving offers from any other organizations. He still has the option to accept a $4,187,598 qualifying offer from the Mavericks and take his chances as an unrestricted free agent next season. Noel averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22 games with Dallas after a deadline trade brought him from the 76ers.
There’s more today out of Dallas:
- Halfway through the four-year, $70MM deal he signed with the Mavericks in 2015, Wesley Matthews is adopting some new training techniques to improve his game, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Matthews has been doing yoga this summer and trying to improve his conditioning in hopes of raising his shooting percentage in 2017/18. “I want to be the most complete basketball player that I can be, and with the shooting slump that I had there were still ways that I had to be effective on the court,” he said. “You know, energy, leadership and defense, that’s always going to be a part of it. But being able to get other guys shots and get other guys open, I take pride in that as well.” Matthews has shot 39% overall and 36% from 3-point range during his two seasons in Dallas, well below the numbers he put up in Portland. He could be a year away from free agency, as he has a player option on his $18,622,514 salary for 2018/19.
- Owner Mark Cuban worries that it might be a “curse” or “jinx” that Dennis Smith Jr. is considered an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, but he raved about the No. 9 draft pick in a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. In a segment transcribed by The Dallas Morning News, Cuban says Smith’s ability goes beyond his obvious athleticism. “I mean his ball handling, his intellect for the game, he’s already on Synergy Sports watching great point guards [and] learning from them,” Cuban said. “He’s committed to getting better every day. He’s just got that mindset of a winner.”
- In the same interview, Cuban says the NBA’s new scheduling policy goes “90% of the way” toward solving the problem of teams resting healthy players, and adds that he would never tell coach Rick Carlisle to keep a player out of action.