Anthony Davis Discusses Trade Rumors, Pelicans, Playoffs
Anthony Davis hears the rumors about his potential departure from the Pelicans. Boston keeps coming up as a destination for Davis should things not work out in New Orleans, but the big man isn’t giving much thought to the noise, as William Guillory of The Times-Picayune relays.
“I understand it’s a business, but if I don’t hear anything from [GM Dell Demps] or my agent, I don’t pay attention to it,” said Davis. “Once I first heard [the rumors], then I heard it again, then I heard it again, I just wanted to make sure. I found out it wasn’t [true], and that was the beginning of the summer, so I haven’t paid attention to it since.”
Davis reiterated that he wants to remain in New Orleans. “I am happy here as a Pelican,” he said. “I am happy here.”
Demps spoke with Davis earlier in the offseason and assured the big man that he isn’t going anywhere. The 24-year-old has spent his entire five-year career in the Big Easy but was only able to make a trip to the playoffs one time. He sees that changing soon despite several analysts projecting the Pelicans to end up in the lottery.
“I don’t really care what anybody says. We know what we’re doing,” Davis said. “Especially having an entire training camp with me, DeMarcus and [Jrue Holiday] and [Rajon Rondo]…We feel like we have a shot against anybody, that’s our mindset coming in. We’re not worrying about all the white noise and what other people are saying.”
Davis added that simply making the playoffs is not the lone goal.
“We definitely believe we have enough pieces on paper to make the playoffs,” he said. “Not just make it, but actually, make a run in the playoffs.”
Kelly Olynyk Talks Miami, Free Agency, Whiteside
Kelly Olynyk signed a four-year, $50MM deal with the Heat this offseason, but he insists that his decision to come to Miami was about more than just the money. Coach Erik Spoelstra has used wings and big men as the team’s primary ball handler in the past, which is something that intrigues Olynyk.
“It’s awesome,” Olynyk said (via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel) “Just that freedom to be able to play easy and free and not super-regimented is huge. I think it helps everybody out. It helps everybody’s skills, to be able to just kind of go with the flow and make things happen. That’s something that looking at Miami and talking to Spo and what his vision is and how they play, it’s something that’s very intriguing.”
The Gonzaga product talked about how he couldn’t have anticipated the ups and downs of free agency and added that he’s thrilled with his ultimate decision.
“You never really know about free agency until you actually go through it, and you don’t realize how crazy it really is,” Olynyk said. “But I’m blessed with an opportunity to be down here, really excited to get started down here.”
Olynyk has already found the practice courts and was able to get some work in alongside his new teammates in Miami. Hassan Whiteside was one of the players who were able to hit the practice courts with Olynyk and the two big man have already developed a friendship.
“He’s a great guy, a great character, a super nice guy,” Olynyk said of Whiteside. “But he’s a beast. I’m really excited to play with him and be able to play with a guy of his size and his abilities on the floor, defensively, offensively, on the glass. He’s awesome to be around and [I’m] really looking forward to playing with him.”
Olynyk, who plays both power forward and center, should see major minutes next to Whiteside this upcoming season. The 26-year-old is a career 36.8% shooter from behind the arc, something that will allow Miami to play the two 7-footers at the same time while maintaining good spacing.
Pistons Notes: Irving, Jackson, Bradley
It was reported last week that the Pistons have an interest in trading for Kyrie Irving and executive/coach Stan Van Gundy had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about a deal. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that those trade discussions involved Reggie Jackson, but the trade talks didn’t advance very far. The Suns may be the favorites in the Irving sweepstakes, though Amico adds that if talks between Phoenix and Cleveland break down, the Pistons could be among the teams that new GM Koby Altman turns to next.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While trading for Irving for will bring excitement to the Detroit, it may not be best for the franchise’s long-term plans, Rod Beard of The Detroit News contends. A deal for Irving would likely see the Pistons part with Stanley Johnson and Andre Drummond. Beard argues that Irving’s unwillingness to commit to any franchise long-term makes trading top talent for the point guard too risky of a proposition.
- Whether or not Avery Bradley re-signs with the Pistons next offseason will determine the team’s long-term future, Beard writes in a separate piece. If Bradley bolts in free agency, the team would have given up Marcus Morris for a one-year rental and let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for nothing. Beard opines that those kinds of moves tend to set franchises back.
Kings Notes: Randolph, Fox, Arena
Zach Randolph, who was arrested on felony charges of marijuana possession with intent to sell, maintains his innocence with his attorney telling Christopher Weber of The Associated Press that the “charges are false and misleading.” Raymond Brothers, who is both Randolph’s attorney and agent, added that Randolph’s camp is “looking at all options to resolve this matter.”
The power forward signed a two-year, $24MM deal with the Kings this summer after spending the past eight years with Memphis. Weber adds that Sacramento issued a statement earlier declaring that the team was aware of the situation, but would not comment further.
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- The Kings needed Randolph to be a mentor to the team’s youth, but the news of his arrest puts the organization in an uncomfortable position, James Ham of Comcast Sportsnet writes. Sacramento had a similar predicament with Matt Barnes last season. The team inked Barnes to be a mentor only for the small forward to get tangled up with legal woes.
- David Aldridge of NBA.com believes the Kings found their point guard of the future in De’Aaron Fox. The scribe believes free agent signee George Hill can mentor Fox and the former Kentucky Wildcat can lead the team for years to come.
- Aldridge (same piece) also discusses how John Rinehart, who serves as the Kings‘ President of Business Operations, helped rebuild the team’s ticket sales operations, something that was the “driving force” behind the construction of Sacramento’s Golden 1 Arena. Last season was the Kings’ first campaign in the new arena.
Rockets, Knicks Re-Engage On Melo Talks
The Knicks and Rockets have re-engaged on trade talks regarding Carmelo Anthony, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports. The Rockets are yet again searching for a third team to facilitate the deal.
The Knicks and Rockets made significant progress on a deal when Phil Jackson was in charge, but New York’s new GM Scott Perry has been more particular about the package he’d want in return for Anthony. A deal directly between the two sides remains unlikely as New York does not have an interest in bringing back Ryan Anderson.
Anthony remains determined to go to Houston, as he refuses to expand the list of teams in which he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause for, according to Wojnarowski.
The Pelicans, Blazers, and Thunder are among the teams which have expressed interest in adding the 10-time All-Star. However, Anthony has reportedly been uninterested in joining any of those squads. Portland remains interested in acquiring Anthony should he change his mind. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum continue to recruit Anthony with the hopes that he will change his stance on coming to the Northwest, Wojnarowski adds.
Anthony had previously expressed willingness to waive his NTC to join LeBron James in Cleveland, though Kyrie Irving‘s situation and LBJ’s uncertain future have dulled his enthusiasm for the Cavs.
New York has no problem bringing Anthony to training camp and Woj hears that Anthony beginning the season in a Knicks’ uniform remains a real possibility.
NBA Expected To Implement Player-Resting Rules
Team owners are expected to approve player-resting rules which are designed to cut back on teams benching healthy players for regular seasons games, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The approval is expected to come in September during the owners next Board of Governors meetings.
Zillgitt adds that the new parameters will be in place by the beginning of the 2017/18 season and there were be consequences for teams that do not adhere to the rules.
Adam Silver previously discussed the issue of player resting, talking about a balance between putting out a competitive product and keeping players healthy.
“There is an expectation among partners that teams are going to act in appropriate ways, [and] find, as I said, that right balance between resting on one hand and obligations to fans and partners on the other,” Silver said at the end of the season.
The specifics of the rules have yet to be reported, but Zillgitt expects a rule against resting healthy players on nationally televised games. Silver addressed this topic back in April.
“When we do have marquee network games, we the league office can do a better job at looking at obviously, the prior night in terms of back-to-back, but also the several days leading up to that game so that players are at peak performance for those games,” Silver said.
The league has since sent out a memo vowing changes to the scheduling of games. The NBA will look to reduce back-to-backs and will eliminate teams playing as many as four games in five nights and as many as 18 contests in a 30-day span. The league will begin a week earlier this year to help reach these goals.
The NBA’s official schedule will be released later today.
Poll: Which Pacific Team Had Best Offseason?
It almost seems unfair that a team with a 67-15 record in the regular season and a 16-1 postseason mark could subsequently have one of the NBA’s offseasons too, but Golden State may have achieved that feat.
Heading into the summer, the Warriors knew Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant would be back, but none of the team’s other free agents were a lock to return. When the dust settled, the Dubs had re-signed virtually all their notable FAs, including Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, David West, and JaVale McGee. The team even fortified its bench by adding Nick Young and Omri Casspi in free agency, and Jordan Bell in the draft.
While Golden State’s summer moves were impressive, some of their division rivals had very strong summers too. The Lakers, led by a new-look front office, drafted a potential franchise point guard in Lonzo Ball, dumped Timofey Mozgov‘s mega-contract, and improbably landed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Kings – like the Lakers – certainly won’t challenge Golden State for Pacific supremacy right away, but Sacramento’s offseason’s moves featured an impressive mix of roster additions. Not only did the Kings sign a few veterans – George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter – but the team also added several youngsters with big upside, including De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason.
The Clippers suffered the biggest single-player loss of any Pacific team as Chris Paul headed to Houston, but L.A. recovered nicely to retool its roster. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and multiple young big men arrived in the CP3 trade, and the Clips managed to add potential starters like Danilo Gallinari and Euroleague star Milos Teodosic in free agency. The team also re-signed Blake Griffin when many NBA observers expected him to explore other options.
One of those teams that may have been eyeing Griffin was the Suns, but Phoenix ultimately opted to lay low and be patient with its rebuild rather than pursuing a top free agent. That made for a quiet summer, but it’s probably the right long-term move, and it’s not as if the Suns were totally inactive. The club landed one of the top players on its draft board in Josh Jackson and re-signed free agent big man Alan Williams to a team-friendly three-year deal.
What do you think? Which Pacific team has had the best offseason so far? Weigh in below with your vote and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Which Pacific team has had the best offseason?
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Golden State Warriors 41% (669)
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Los Angeles Lakers 28% (459)
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Sacramento Kings 18% (290)
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Los Angeles Clippers 7% (116)
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Phoenix Suns 6% (104)
Total votes: 1,638
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Previously:
Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until December 15
As teams consider what sort of packages to offer for potential trade targets around the NBA, there are a number of trade restrictions that those clubs must take into account. For instance, recently-signed draft picks can’t be traded for 30 days and waiver claims can’t be traded for until the 30th day of the regular season. Most notably, newly-signed free agents can’t be dealt until at least December 15.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a free agent who signs with an NBA team can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever is later. So, players who sign new contracts prior to September 15 won’t be trade-eligible until at least December 15.
There are also some recently-signed players who meet a few specific criteria and can’t be traded until January 15. We’ve covered those players in a separate article.
Listed below are the players who aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15. Players whose contracts haven’t been officially finalized aren’t yet listed, while players who have the ability to veto trades in 2017/18 are marked with an asterisk. We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, as players are signed or waived.
Updated 11-2-17 (11:58am CT)
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Patrick Patterson Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Thunder power forward Patrick Patterson may not be 100% for the start of his new team’s training camp, having recently undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the club announced today in a press release. According to the Thunder’s announcement, Patterson will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Assuming Patterson is deemed healthy enough to get back on the court when he’s re-evaluated, he should be able to join the Thunder for training camp, which begins on September 26. However, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman details, the 28-year-old will likely receive a reduced workload as he continues to get back to full strength.
Patterson, who was nagged by knee issues last season as well, averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG with a .372 3PT% in a part-time role for the Raptors. He also shot just 40.1% from the floor for the season, which represented a career low.
While his numbers were hardly spectacular, Patterson’s ability to space the floor and to contribute in other areas of the game – such as screen-setting – made him a valuable piece of Toronto’s rotation over the last few seasons, and earned him a three-year deal with the Thunder. The veteran big man is expected to open the 2017/18 campaign as Oklahoma City’s starting power forward, assuming he’s healthy.
Hollis Thompson To Play In Greece
Free agent swingman Hollis Thompson is headed overseas, having formally signed with Greek team Olympiacos, per the Euroleague’s official site. Details of Thompson’s new deal aren’t yet known.
Thompson, 26, spent the first three and a half seasons of his NBA career in Philadelphia, appearing in 256 games for the Sixers and posting respectable numbers, including 7.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and a .386 3PT%. However, the 76ers opted to waive Thompson in January before his 2016/17 salary became fully guaranteed.
After reaching the free agent market, Thompson spent some time in the G League and with the Pelicans, inking a pair of 10-day contracts with New Orleans. The former Georgetown standout struggled in his short run with the Pelicans, compiling a shooting line of .268/.250/.667 in nine games with the franchise.
In Greece, Thompson will join an Olympiacos squad that finished as the runner-up in this year’s Euroleague Final Four, losing the championship game to Turkey’s Fenerbahce. Thompson is the second NBA free agent to sign with Olympiacos this offseason — the club added former Hornets point guard Brian Roberts last month.