Hoops Rumors Commenting Policy
We strongly encourage commenting at Hoops Rumors, but we do have basic rules of civility. Comments of this nature are not allowed at Hoops Rumors:
- Attacks or insults toward other commenters, the post author, journalists, players, or agents.
- Inappropriate language, including swearing and related censor bypass attempts, lewdness, insults, and crude terms for body parts, bodily functions, and physical acts. In essence, we don’t want any language that parents would not want their kids to see.
- Juvenile comments or extensive use of text message-type spelling.
- Writing comments in all or mostly caps.
- Spam-type links or self-promotion.
- Comments about how you’re sick of this topic or it’s not newsworthy.
- Inappropriate avatars or images.
- Anything else we deem bad for business.
If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult, and most commenters have no problems doing so, nor with helping rein each other in. We are grateful for long-time commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure.
This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.
Tayshaun Prince To Join Grizzlies’ Front Office
Longtime NBA forward Tayshaun Prince will be transitioning to a front office role for the upcoming season, according to Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who reports that the Grizzlies will soon name Prince a special assistant to general manager Chris Wallace.
According to Tillery, the Grizzlies think that Prince will bring a “unique” perspective to the club’s decision-making process. The Commercial Appeal report notes that the veteran forward has long been considered a strong influence in NBA locker rooms, and was a “calming voice” during his time as a player for the Grizzlies.
Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press had initially reported last month that Prince was mulling the possibility of joining the Grizzlies in a front office or coaching capacity. At that time, the 37-year-old was also said to be holding out hope for a possible on-court return, but it appears a comeback wasn’t in the cards for the 14-year veteran.
Prince, the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 draft, spent nearly a decade with the Pistons after breaking into the NBA, winning a title with the franchise in 2004. After his time in Detroit, Prince had stints with the Grizzlies, Celtics, Timberwolves, and Pistons (again). However, he didn’t play last season, having last appeared in an NBA game in 2015/16 for Minnesota.
If Prince doesn’t play another NBA game, he’ll finish his career having averaged 11.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG in more than 1,000 career games, including 792 with the Pistons.
Warriors Sign Antonius Cleveland
AUGUST 16: The Warriors recently made their deal with Cleveland official, per RealGM’s transactions log. It’s a one-year contract, though the rookie guard appears likely to end up with the Santa Cruz Warriors as a G League affiliate player.
JULY 27: Antonius Cleveland has agreed to sign with the Warriors, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Details of the agreement aren’t known, but it’s unlikely to be a fully guaranteed deal.
The 6’6″ guard went undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State after averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a senior. He was ranked 85th on the DraftExpress list of 2017’s top 100 prospects.
Cleveland played for the Trail Blazers’ team in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 5.8 points in six games and shooting 41% from the field.
Warriors Sign Georges Niang
The Warriors have added another player to their training camp roster, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that former Pacer Georges Niang has inked a partially guaranteed deal with the defending champs. It’s a one-year pact.
Golden State already has 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so barring something unexpected happening in camp, Niang won’t make the club’s regular season roster. As Wojnarowski notes, the 24-year-old power forward will likely end up playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.
Niang, the 50th overall pick in the 2016 draft, spent his rookie season with the Pacers last season, playing sparingly in 23 NBA games for the club. The Iowa State alum saw a bigger role during his G League stints at Fort Wayne, though he played in just six games for the Mad Ants, averaging 19.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.3 APG.
With Niang and Antonius Cleveland on camp deals and Chris Boucher on a two-way contract, the Warriors now have 18 total players on their offseason roster, leaving two open slots.
Northwest Notes: Westbrook, George, Hood, Murray
Russell Westbrook and Paul George will be teammates for the first time in the NBA this upcoming season after George was traded to the Thunder earlier this offseason. Just like any other superstar duo in NBA history, it will take time for both players to get acclimated to each other on and off the court. The duo got a head start after having their first workout together on Monday at a UCLA gym with four Oklahoma City teammates, ESPN’s Royce Young writes.
Young noted that Monday’s workout was the second organized by Westbrook this summer but George was unable to attend the first one due to a pre-planned vacation. Monday’s acclimation was the first of many steps for the reigning MVP and George to become comfortable; George addressed the importance of establishing a chemistry with his new teammates during his introductory press conference.
“Right now, it’s taking it as it comes,” George said (via ESPN). “We have a fresh start, and a chance to do something special is really the first thing that comes to mind. I’m not looking past 2017-18, we haven’t accomplished nothing yet. When it comes to that, when I get there, we’ll address that, but right now me and [Westbrook] have something to build now, and we’ll see where it takes us. It could be something that’s special that we build and want to continue on building.”
Read up on other news around the Northwest Division:
- Roster turnover in Utah has left the future of the Jazz in flux and that includes 24-year-old Rodney Hood, Benjamin Mehic of The Deseret News writes. The departure of Gordon Hayward has left a major void, which Hood, a player the Jazz believe can be a scoring weapon, could fill seamlessly. However, a poor season could end Hood’s run in Utah as the team prepares for the future.
- In a Q&A with Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet, Canada native Jamal Murray answered a series of questions pertaining to undergoing surgery on his core muscles, his recent travels, and his expectations for the Nuggets during the 2017/18 season.
- In a lengthy feature, James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders recaps the Timberwolves‘ active offseason, which included a major trade (Jimmy Butler) and free agency signings (Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford). With a strong core that already includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the team is poised for a strong season.
Pacific Notes: Ball, Jackson, Wilson, Suns
Lonzo Ball‘s rise from UCLA standout to the Lakers‘ teenage cornerstone has been largely hyped up by his outspoken father, LaVar Ball. The elder Ball has become a media sensation, known for his flurry of outrageous claims (claiming he can beat Michael Jordan one-on-one) and promotion of his son’s abilities has been front page news since last year. While the world is still learning how to deal with the circus, the younger Ball is not ashamed or surprised at how his father conducts himself in the public eye.
“I think it’s overblown, I mean, that’s how my dad is, I’m used to him acting like that, so it’s nothing new for me,” Ball said in an interview with USA Today. “The way we look at it as a family is positive, you know, we talked it over before all this happened and we all know he’s going to do what he’s going to do. We just look at it as a positive and try to run with it.”
Once the season is underway, and Lonzo tries to live up to LaVar’s promise of leading the Lakers to the playoffs in his first season, past comments will not be relevant anymore. Ball will have to execute his on-court abilities and block out the noise associated with the NBA season. He will seek showing the world that his dad claiming his son is better than Stephen Curry is more than an offhand comment.
Below you can read additional news surrounding the Pacific Division:
- The Kyrie Irving saga has continued and training camp, followed by the regular season, are all drawing closer. Irving has drawn interest from around the NBA and in his latest piece, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer examines the possibility of Kyrie to the Suns. Specifically, O’Connor addresses Phoenix trading 2017 first rounder Josh Jackson for the NBA champion, ultimately viewing a trade for a proven commodity over keeping an athletic asset with upside a no-brainer.
- The Clippers‘ deal with Jamil Wilson is a two-year, two-way contract, according to basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter). Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweeted that $50,000 of Wilson’s first-year salary is guaranteed.
- In a minor coaching change, the Suns named Jeff Fish the director of performance and head strength and conditioning coach, per a team announcement.
Knicks Rumors: Blatt, Porzingis, Ntilikina
David Blatt’s connections to the Knicks front office could land the former Cavaliers head coach in New York during the upcoming season, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Blatt would like another NBA job and he’s close friends with team president Steve Mills and recently-hired front office executive Craig Robinson, both of whom were college teammates of Blatt’s, Isola points out. The Knicks’ schedule could also put current coach Jeff Hornacek on the hot seat before the All-Star break as they play 16 of 20 games on the road right after Christmas, including the Warriors and Spurs, Isola notes.
In other items regarding the Knicks:
- The club should not give up Kristaps Porzingis in order to acquire disgruntled Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News argues. Porzingis is a unique player who should be considered an untouchable, a 7’3” big man who protects the rim and stretches the floor, Bondy notes. Porzingis is not even eligible to become a restricted free agent for another two seasons, and even shedding the contract of Carmelo Anthony or Joakim Noah isn’t worth giving him up, Bondy continues. If Irving wants to play in New York, he can sign with the franchise as a free agent in two years, Bondy adds. Currently, the Knicks regard any attempt by the Cavs to acquire Porzingis as a non-starter in trade talks involving Irving.
- Frank Ntilikina has picked the brains of former NBA players in Europe and believes he’ll have to play more on instinct than he did overseas, he explained to Mike Vorkunov of the New York Times in an in-depth feature. Former Knick Mardy Collins and former Maverick Rodrigue Beaubois instructed him that talent and athleticism rule in the NBA, while the European game is more focused on basketball I.Q. and a cerebral approach. “They told me like when you go here, you don’t have to think too much, because I used to think a lot,” the Knicks lottery pick told Vorkunov. “I used to play the game as a chess game. So they told me when you go there, you just have to play your game and not think too much.” Ntilikina has been studying tapes of top NBA point guards in an effort to refine his game, Vorkunov adds.
Central Notes: Bucks, Williams, Drummond, Pistons
The Bucks have a couple of options beyond making a trade to drop back below the luxury-tax line, as Gery Woelfel of WoelfelPressBox.com points out. Citing sources, Woelfel calculates the current Milwaukee payroll at $120.6MM, which would put it approximately $1.4MM over the tax threshold. The Bucks could shed some payroll by either releasing point guard Gary Payton Jr., who has a non-guaranteed $1.3MM deal, and/or waiving Spencer Hawes’ $6.5MM contract. By using the stretch provision, the Bucks could reduce Hawes’ 2017/18 cap hit by more than $4MM.
In other items involving the Central Division:
- Unrestricted free agent forward Derrick Williams could wind up back with the Cavaliers, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net reports. Williams has drawn little interest in the open market but the Cavs could sign him to a one-year, $2.4MM contract once they decide whether to trade Kyrie Irving, Amico adds. Williams averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG on 51% shooting in 17.1 MPG over 25 regular-season games with Cleveland but was used sparingly in the playoffs.
- Andre Drummond has already noticed a significant difference in his breathing and stamina since undergoing sinus surgery this summer to correct a deviated septum, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. Playing at a high altitude in the NBA Africa Game in South Africa, the Pistons center said he was breathing much easier on and off the court, as he told Beard. “Just being able to breathe, I can’t even explain how great it feels to sleep easier and breathe easier when I play,” Drummond said. “I’m not worried about gasping for air when I go hard.” Drummond had been breathing mainly through one nostril during his NBA career prior to the surgery.
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy will have difficult decisions on his power forward rotation, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Tobias Harris could wind up splitting his time between both forward spots and the rest of the power forward minutes will be soaked up by a combination of Jon Leuer, Anthony Tolliver and second-year man Henry Ellenson. Leuer, who signed a four-year contract last summer, could wind up as the starter despite slumping badly after the All-Star break, Langlois continues. Tolliver signed up for his second stint with the franchise this summer and brings the elements of toughness and 3-point shooting, while Ellenson put his shot-making ability on display in summer-league action, Langlois adds.
Key 2017 NBA Preseason Dates
The most notable dates of the 2017 NBA offseason are behind us now that we’re through the draft and the free agent period. However, there are still a number of dates and deadlines to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months before teams take the court again to kick off the 2017/18 regular season.
The list below doesn’t include every event or deadline that will take place prior to opening night on October 17, but these are several of the most important upcoming dates for teams and players.
Here’s the breakdown:
August 31:
- Last day teams can waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2017/18 salaries. After August 31, teams can still use the stretch provision players who have multiple years left on their contracts, but their ’17/18 cap hits will remain unchanged.
September 5:
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.
September 26 (approximate; may vary by team):
- Training camps begin.
October 1:
- Last day for a restricted free agent to sign his qualifying offer, unless his team agrees to extend the deadline. If an RFA is still unsigned after October 1, he remains restricted, but can no longer sign that one-year QO. [RELATED: Latest on unsigned RFAs]
October 14:
- Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2017/18 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
October 16:
- Last day of offseason.
- Roster limits decrease from 20 players to 15.
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension. [RELATED: Players eligible for rookie scale extensions]
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a veteran extension in certain scenarios. Extension-eligible veteran contracts with more than one season remaining can’t be extended after October 16; designated veteran extensions can’t be signed after October 16.
- Last day for teams to complete sign-and-trade deals.
- Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract. [RELATED: Details on Exhibit 10 contracts]
October 17:
- Regular season begins. [RELATED: 2017/18 schedules by team]
Raptors Sign Kyle Wiltjer
2:37pm: The Raptors have officially signed Wiltjer, the team announced today. His deal will include a partial guarantee, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link).
9:10am: A month after being waived by the Clippers, Kyle Wiltjer has landed with a new team, according to Oliver Maroney and Robby Kalland of Dime, who report that the free agent forward has agreed to a one-year contract with the Raptors. It’ll be a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
“I’m just really excited to be back in Toronto and Canada,” Wiltjer said, per Maroney and Kalland. “I’ve been working really hard all summer long to get better in all facets of my game and I’m just happy that I’ll be in my home nation.”
Wiltjer, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, spent his rookie season with the Rockets in 2016/17, though he appeared in just 14 games for the club, playing very limited minutes. The 6’10” forward saw more action in the G League, averaging 20.5 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .377 3PT% in 22 contests for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Because his contract with Houston included a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18, Wiltjer was one of the pieces included in the Rockets’ Chris Paul deal for salary-matching purposes. The Clippers subsequently waived Wiltjer last month before his contract became guaranteed.
As our breakdown of offseason roster counts shows, the Raptors only have 13 guaranteed contracts on their roster at this point, so Wiltjer should have a chance to compete for one of those last two regular-season roster slots. He’ll battle the likes of Kennedy Meeks and Alfonzo McKinnie as he looks to earn a spot on Toronto’s 15-man squad.