Atlantic Notes: Brown, Smart, Noel, Jackson
After a break down in communication in their Wednesday night matchup, Celtics veteran Marcus Smart was seen arguing with rookie Jaylen Brown. CSN New England’s Gary Tanguay discussed the altercation, adding his own case in defense of the 20-year-old swingman.
Per Tanguay, the heated discussion started when Brown attacked the basket prior to letting a set play develop but the rookie guard was wise, he says, to be aggressive. Tanguay added that Brown is the future of the Celtics franchise, not Smart.
In 65 games this season, Brown has averaged 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but those numbers have jumped over the course of the past two months as the first-year guard has grown into a bigger role with the Celtics.
Smart, on the other hand, averages 10.8 points per game for the Celtics and is generally heralded for his leadership abilities.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Though his Mavericks were emphatically defeated, Nerlens Noel‘s return to Philadelphia was an otherwise positive experience. “[I have] no beef at all,” Noel told Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia of how his time with the Sixers came to an end. The third-year big man held a meet and greet with local fans upon his return.
- There may be light at the end of the tunnel for the rebuilding Nets. General manager Sean Marks recently shed some on what could be next for the franchise. “Let’s build a rock-solid foundation, develop these young guys, get Isaiah Whitehead, Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson growing up and see where they are at 25, 26,” he said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
- It’s been three years since Phil Jackson took the reins of the Knicks and Marc Berman of the New York Post says the executive left his basketball brains in Los Angeles. Berman writes that Jackson nailed the only lottery pick he’s been given (Kristaps Porzingis) but has failed to manage personalities, as was a reported strength.
- The New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro suggests that, if a smooth operating triangle scheme is truly the goal, Phil Jackson may have been better off either handling coaching duties himself or being more assertive in having his Knicks coaches employ the triangle offense.
Timberwolves Likely To Move On From Stephenson
The Timberwolves are likely to move on from Lance Stephenson as his second 10-day contract expires, says Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The veteran guard has averaged 6.6 points per game this season across stops with the Wolves and Pelicans.
Originally signed to a 10-day deal with Minnesota on February 8 and then a second one following his recovery from an ankle injury on March 8, Stephenson never did quite establish himself in head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
Beyond the 16 minutes he played on the day he inked the second 10-day deal, Stephenson has played just two minutes for the Timberwolves since.
Queried about free agent Jimmer Fredette on Twitter, Wolfson added that the club has some interest in the guard (who recently saw a prolific season in China draw to an end) but may also have other options in mind as well.
John Wall: League Has Gotten “Softer” Due To Players Resting
Healthy players sitting out games has been a point of contention this season, particularly following a nationally televised game in which Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich opted to rest their stars. Additionally, the Cavs were subject to criticism earlier this month when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out a blowout loss to the Heat. After the game, Tyronn Lue acknowledged LeBron James didn’t like sitting out, but told the Associated Press “he [James] understands the big picture and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
John Wall offered his two cents on the matter, saying he isn’t a fan of high-profile players receiving scheduled days off.
“That’s the difference about our league now. It’s kind of gotten a little softer,” Wall told CSNmidatlantic.com. “Guys sit out and rest. I understand the coach made a decision, you can’t go against what the coach said or the doctor said.”
Wall continued, citing the issue of depriving fans from a complete NBA experience.
“I’m not the type of guy who wants to sit down and rest. I think you owe it to the fans. They paid money to come see us play. That’s how a professional goes out there and competes. If nothing is hurt, you can play go play. I missed games I didn’t want to miss in the past because I was injured. I make up for the time I can make up.”
Wall has backed up his words, playing in all but two of the Wizards‘ games this season. A four-time All-Star, Wall’s comments likely won’t make him many friends around the league. In a June, 2016 article from Baxter Holmes and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN, several players stated the case to shorten the league’s 82-game schedule.
“At at the end of the day, we want to protect the prize, and the prize is the players. We have to continue to promote the game, and if guys are being injured because there are so many games, we can’t promote it at a high level,” James said at the time.
David Aldridge of TNT recently discussed the “conundrum” of helping players find rest opportunities, suggesting teams inform the league of rest games 24 hours in advance. “Doing so allows fans who otherwise might buy tickets a better opportunity to bail,” Aldridge writes, “or at least sell their tickets in hand if they want.”
And-Ones: Ball, G. Allen, H. Thompson, Fultz
Sam Amick of USA Today raises concerns of LaVar Ball’s impact on Lonzo Ball‘s draft stock. A potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Lonzo’s elite skill-set has overshadowed his father’s “controversial style” thus far.
“Passing on the kid because of the father may not hold up well over time,” one anonymous executive told Amick. “There are players who come from more challenging family situations who have (done) quite well in the NBA,” another executive added.
Most likely, Amick concludes, LaVar can continue making brash, boastful statements “without the slightest fear” of it hurting Lonzo’s NBA future.
More from around the game…
- Grayson Allen doesn’t regret returning to Duke for his junior year, Jeff Goodman of ESPN writes. While Allen would have been a first-round pick after his sophomore season, his stock has dipped to mid-second-round value after this year. “I knew with the decision I made, once I made it, I was going to live with it,” Allen said. “Obviously, I haven’t had the season I’d like to have. A lot of things out of my control happened. I didn’t know I was going to get injured three games into the year, reinjured later and all stuff happen in the middle…I didn’t come back for personal goals, I came back to be in the spot I am right now and trying to make another run for a national championship, and I’m still able to do that.”
- After spending the duration of two 10-day contracts with the Pelicans, Hollis Thompson has returned to the D-League with the Austin Spurs, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Tweet). Thompson had scored just 11 points over his last five games with the Pelicans.
- The HoopsHype staff produced their latest NBA mock draft, with Markelle Fultz taking the No. 1 spot (article link). Regarding Fultz, HoopsHype wrote “no prospect in this draft is perfect, and Fultz remains on top of most scouts boards as the premiere prospect available,” before comparing him to James Harden.
Send Us Your Mailbag Questions, Hoops Links Submissions
Every Sunday at Hoops Rumors, we publish a pair of features that rely on input and submissions from our readers. One is our Weekly Mailbag, in which Arthur Hill answers a few questions related to the latest news and rumors from around the NBA. The second is our Hoops Links feature, which showcases a selection of notable NBA blog entries from all over the internet. In each instance, the content for those features comes from you.
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Be sure to send us your new mailbag questions and NBA blog posts each week, and check back every Sunday to see if you’ve been featured in that week’s installment!
Northwest Notes: Plumlee, Turner, Donovan, Faried
Jusuf Nurkic has been on a tear since his trade to Portland, but Mason Plumlee‘s teammates are happy to have him in Denver. While Plumlee and the Nuggets are still in the “getting-to-know-you phase,” as Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post puts it, Mason has grown more comfortable with each passing game.
“I was telling Mike (Miller) on the bench that this is collectively the best passing team I’ve played on,” Plumlee said. “It’s exciting. There is energy in the ball. I feel like the way guys play on this team is contagious.”
The Nuggets maintain a 2.5 game lead on the eighth seed; between his stints with the Nets and Trail Blazers, Plumlee has a combined 27 games of playoff experience. Plumlee’s style of play has already earned the respect of standout center Nikola Jokic.
“He just wants to win,” Jokic said. “He wants to do the stuff that some other players don’t want to do.”
More from around the Northwest:
- After missing five weeks with a fracture in his right hand, Evan Turner is expected to make his return to the lineup tomorrow against the Hawks. According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Turner returned to practice Friday after hour-long workouts on Wednesday and Thursday. A seventh-year veteran, Turner’s “brand of playmaking and solid perimeter defense” should provide a boost to the Trail Blazers‘ postseason push. “I’m done talking about the injury and worrying about it, because it’s already over with,” Turner said. “Knock on wood.”
- Now two years into his NBA coaching career, Billy Donovan‘s name still surfaces when a college coaching job opens up. According to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman, the Indiana Hoosiers were speculated to have interest in hiring Donovan; a rumor the OKC coach shot down. “I am totally happy here,” Donovan said. “I love it here. I love the guys I work with every day. I love our staff, the organization. As far as I’m concerned, my commitment is totally here and doing the best job I can while I’m here.”
- Kenneth Faried is eager to return to form after suffering a debilitating back injury, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes. “The Manimal” missed 14 out of 17 games due to the injury, scoring 12 points over 18 minutes in his return to the court last night. “It was some of the worst pain I ever felt,” Faried said. “I’m just happy to be able to walk and jump and do the normal things like sit down normally. I’m glad to be able to do a light sprint or a jog and not have to worry about my back flaring up. I’m happy to be able to do those little things. You never know what can happen, and you take those for granted until something like that happens.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/17/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors assigned Kevon Looney to Santa Cruz, the team announced on its official website (link). The assignment will allow Looney to soak up minutes against the Texas Legends in tonight’s game. Looney’s presence has been diminished in Steve Kerr’s rotation lately, averaging 5.2 minutes with six DNPs over Golden State’s last 12 games.
- The Pelicans recalled Cheick Diallo from Greensboro, the team announced on its official website (link). Diallo will be available for tonight’s match-up with the Rockets. Diallo has impressed in the D-League this season, averaging 14 points with 8.2 rebounds over 23 games.
- The Cavs assigned Larry Sanders to the Canton Charge, where he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game against the Windy City Bulls (press release). Sanders will likely have a one-game assignment, as the Charge don’t play again until the 23rd after Saturday’s game. While Sanders is expected to bolster Cleveland’s playoff run, he’s still a bit of a project after sitting out the entire 2015/16 season.
Five Key 2017/18 Player Option Decisions To Watch
With the NBA’s salary cap on the rise, most veterans who faced player option decisions a year ago chose to opt out of their deals in search of a larger payday. In fact, only three of last year’s 29 player options were exercised, and none of the three players who picked up their options – Tim Duncan, Mo Williams, and Caron Butler – have played an NBA game since then.
That trend will almost certainly continue this season, albeit perhaps not to the same extreme. For the most part, if a player remains healthy and productive headed into the offseason, he’s far more likely to turn down his player option in search of a longer-term deal than he is to opt in for one more season.
That’s not necessarily true in every case though. There are a handful of big-name players facing option decisions who aren’t considered locks to decline those options, for a variety of reasons. Let’s dive in and examine some of those looming player option decisions…
Dwyane Wade
Team: Chicago Bulls
Option value: $23,800,000
In free agency last summer, Wade reportedly received multiple offers in the same range as the Bulls’ $47MM proposal. The Heat’s two-year offer was believed to be worth a little less, while the Nuggets’ offer was said to be worth a little more.
A year later, Wade is coming off one of the worst seasons of his long and productive career. His .434 FG% and 3.9 APG represent career lows, and his 18.6 PPG is his worst mark since his rookie season, though the same can be said about his 30.2 MPG — his per-minute scoring numbers didn’t drop off significantly. The 35-year-old is also currently recovering from an elbow fracture.
If Wade were to opt out and become a free agent, it seems unlikely that he’d inspire a bidding war like last year’s. But he’s still an incredibly talented scorer, and I expect he’d receiver offers on the open market worth more than $23.8MM overall, even if his salary for 2017/18 wouldn’t be quite that high.
It’s also worth noting that Wade’s year in Chicago hasn’t exactly represented the storybook homecoming he might have hoped for. The Bulls’ season has been marred with dysfunction, rotation confusion, and a late-season slide that will likely keep the club out of the playoffs. Even if Wade isn’t confident in his ability to land more money in free agency, perhaps he’ll want to decline his option just to have the opportunity to choose a new team.
Rudy Gay
Team: Sacramento Kings
Option value: $14,263,566
Back in September, Gay informed the Kings that he intended to opt out of his contract in the summer of 2017, and it sounded at the time like Gay would probably be leaving Sacramento. Six months later though, he’s less certain about his future.
Much of that uncertainty can be attributed to his health. If Gay were finishing out the season strong and potential suitors this summer didn’t have to worry about injuries, opting out would be an easy choice. But Gay continues to recover from an Achilles tendon tear, which he suffered in January.
Shortly after suffering the injury, Gay issued a statement that was aggressively optimistic about his rehab, suggesting that he fully anticipates being ready for the start of the 2017/18 season. Even if that’s the case though, will teams in July be prepared to bid on Gay with full confidence?
The veteran forward may prefer to leave Sacramento, but it might ultimately make more sense for him to opt in, take his time getting back to full strength, and hit the market in the summer of 2018 after rebuilding his value. The Kings’ trade of DeMarcus Cousins last month signaled a significant change of direction for the franchise, so they might even look to trade Gay to a more favorable destination for him if he does opt in.
Gordon Hayward
Team: Utah Jazz
Option value: $16,736,710
On its surface, Hayward’s player option decision looks like an easy one. He has been one of the best forwards in the NBA this season, and he’ll be in line for a maximum-salary contract – or something very close to it – if he hits free agency this summer.
However, Hayward’s place among the NBA’s top forwards is exactly what complicates his option decision. As Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk outlines, earning a spot on one of the three All-NBA teams this year would make Hayward eligible for a designated veteran extension from Utah, meaning he could earn up to 35% of the cap instead of 30% — but only if he picks up his player option and then signs a new extension.
Becoming one of those six All-NBA forwards won’t be an easy task for Hayward, given his competition. But the situation creates an interesting predicament for the Jazz. Would they want Hayward to earn an All-NBA spot and become eligible for that more expensive extension? It would likely increase their chances of keeping him, but it would also mean potentially tying up a ton of money in a player who is probably one or two tiers below the NBA’s top superstars.
Pau Gasol
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Option value: $16,197,500
After earning All-Star nods in each of his two seasons with the Bulls, Pau Gasol has had to adjust to a reduced role this season in San Antonio. Gasol’s 25.7 minutes per contest this season is easily a career low, but he has been about as effective as you’d expect when he does play — his .504 FG% is his best since 2011/12.
Gasol will turn 37 this summer, and if he decides to opt out and return to free agency, potential suitors would have to determine whether his reduced role is simply a result of playing in the Spurs’ system, or if he’s getting to a point in his career where he’s no longer capable of being a full-time, All-Star-caliber starter.
At 52-15, the Spurs have the NBA’s second-best record and look like one of the few teams with a legit chance to win this year’s championship. Depending on how the postseason plays out, Gasol could continue to prioritize that title chase and opt in for another year in San Antonio. But if he’d prefer to join a team that would give him one more chance to play 30+ minutes per game, perhaps he’ll opt out look elsewhere.
Greg Monroe
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Option value: $17,884,176
The uncertainty surrounding Monroe’s player option was one reason why the Bucks had such a hard time trading him over the last year or so. Teams wanting to secure Monroe for multiple years were worried that he’d opt out in 2017, while teams wanting to acquire him while maintaining cap flexibility for the 2017/18 season were concerned that he’d opt in.
As Monroe prepares to finish another season with the Bucks, that option decision doesn’t look any clearer. His fit in Milwaukee wasn’t great initially, but like Gasol in San Antonio, he has adjusted to a role off the bench this season and is playing some very efficient ball.
Monroe’s 18.8 points per 36 minutes represent a career high, and his .528 FG% is his best since his rookie year — while he may not be having the sort of impact you’d expect from a player earning his kind of salary, the former seventh overall pick has been a key piece of the Bucks’ rotation as an interior scorer off the bench.
Still, Monroe is still just 26 years old, and his strong play in limited minutes for Milwaukee this season may convince him that he should have a larger role. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him turn down a 2017/18 payday of nearly $18MM in search of a team that can give him that larger role, along with a longer-term contract.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns Notes: Bledsoe, Knight, Chriss
Despite the fact that he’s dealing with some knee soreness, Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe didn’t seem thrilled with the team’s decision to shut him down for the season, a call that was made by management earlier this week. Speaking to Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports, general manager Ryan McDonough explained that there was little upside to continuing to lean on Bledsoe down the stretch with the Suns essentially eliminated from playoff contention.
“We’re not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but we’re getting close to that point and we have enough young players that we wanted to get them enough opportunity to play and also save some wear and tear on Eric as best we can,” the Suns’ GM said. “We do a lot of the sports science measurements and looking at those readings, Eric has some of the higher load numbers in the league. … We just didn’t want him to get worn down during a season where we’re not going to end up in the playoffs.”
Here’s more out of Phoenix:
- Within Haller’s piece linked above, McDonough also addressed Brandon Knight‘s decision not to play in the Suns’ game on Wednesday night, after telling the team he was battling back spasms. “He said before the game that his back was tightening up and he was feeling some pain,” McDonough said. “He wasn’t able to move as well as he would’ve hoped, so if he says he feels that way, we have to take his word for it.” At least one local analyst this week expressed skepticism that Knight’s injury was legit.
- Marquese Chriss probably isn’t a viable candidate for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, but 2016’s eighth overall pick has shown signs of improvement over the course of his first professional season, in the view of Suns head coach Earl Watson. Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic has the quotes from Watson.
- With the Suns headed for another high lottery pick this year, Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders takes a closer look at what steps Phoenix can take to move forward in the coming months.
Mavericks Notes: Noel, Harris, Ferrell, Singh
Nerlens Noel, who will play his old team in Philadelphia for the first time tonight since being traded to the Mavericks last month, believes that the culture in Dallas is “only going to help” him as he looks to improve his game. As Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes, Noel’s brief time in Dallas so far has already given him a new perspective on the kind of influence that talented veteran players can have on him and his younger teammates.
“It’s a whole different type of culture, adjusting to the way things are done here,” Noel said. “The veteran leadership is something that’s big. The older guys are always holding the young guys accountable. … I’ve been in this league long enough now to know where I need to be at and especially not having any veterans early on. This team having mostly veterans is only going to help me.”
As Noel and the Mavs prepare to take on the Sixers, let’s round up a few more notes out of Dallas…
- Veteran guard Devin Harris spoke to Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype about his new teammates in Dallas, the possibility of eventually playing for his hometown Bucks, and his desire to return to the Mavericks next season. Harris is under contract for about $4.4MM, but that 2017/18 salary is non-guaranteed.
- Appearing on The Vertical’s Chris Mannix Show, Yogi Ferrell suggested that he can’t imagine being in a better situation than the one he has landed in with the Mavs. The Dallas Morning News passes along some other notable quotes from the interview with Ferrell.
- The Mavericks have typically had plenty of roster turnover each offseason, but owner Mark Cuban would like to see a little more continuity this year with the current group, as Sefko writes for The Morning News.
- Satnam Singh was the subject of international headlines when he became the first Indian-born player to be drafted back in 2015, but he has yet to make his NBA debut. Thomas Neumann of ESPN.com takes an interesting and in-depth look at Singh’s quest to make it to the NBA as he continues to spend time with the Mavs’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends.