Heat Notes: Waiters, Wade, Dragic
Dion Waiters is looking at a substantial raise this summer and he wants it to come from Miami, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The 25-year-old shooting guard is making an impressive case for himself in free agency, averaging a career-best 16.0 points per game and fueling a second-half surge that has the Heat back in the playoff race. Waiters, who is making $2.9MM this season, hopes his long-term future is in South Florida. “I want to get it done as quick as possible,” he said. “Let’s keep this thing rolling by any means. I don’t want to go into free agency with a couple days and make a decision. I don’t want that. I know where I want to be. Let’s just get it done. My mom loves it here. Would be mad at me [if I left]. My son loves it. My family loves it.”
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Waiters plans to contact former Heat star Dwyane Wade for tips on improving his game, Jackson writes in the same piece. He seems like an obvious candidate as Waiters has taken over Wade’s spot as a primary scorer in coach Erik Spoelstra’s offense. “I am definitely going to reach out to him to see if I can propel my game to a new level,” Waiters said. “That’s what the best players do.” If Waiters remains in Miami, it might prevent the Heat from having a reunion with Wade, who can opt out of his $23.8MM deal with the Bulls this summer.
- The Heat aren’t sure how a bruised right eye socket will affect point guard Goran Dragic, relays Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Dragic suffered the injury in the third quarter Saturday when he was hit with an elbow by Toronto’s Cory Joseph. Dragic said his vision was blurry, but he wasn’t dizzy and hopes to play tonight in Indiana. “The plan right now is to travel him,” Spoelstra said Saturday night. “We’ll see; we’ll be smart about it.”
- Development of players throughout the season has led the Heat to reassess not only their playoff chances, but their long-term future, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
Weekly Mailbag: 3/6/17 – 3/12/17
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:
So the Warriors are trending down in the win/loss column with Kevin Durant injured for the rest of the regular season, and Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs are the hottest team in the NBA right now. If the Spurs win the first seed, does that increase his chance to win MVP, or does Harden/Westbrook still win with their unbelievable individual seasons but lesser record? — Michael Thompson
Leonard is undoubtedly the best two-way player in what could be a fascinating MVP race. He’s a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who averages 26.2 points per game, and the Spurs have a legitimate shot at the league’s best record. A lot of MVP voters get locked into specific players early in the season, and James Harden and Russell Westbrook have been the favorites for several months. A lot of East Coast support will probably also go to the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas. If the vote is split enough ways, Leonard could have a chance. He’s a worthy candidate regardless of the outcome.
Why is Spencer Hawes still a Buck? They traded for a guy who put up productive numbers in Charlotte, but he didn’t play a single minute in the first month after the trade. Coach Jason Kidd emptied his bench with the loss to the Nuggets the other night, yet there was a DNP-CD beside one name… you know who. What’s going on here? If he wasn’t going to be traded, why wouldn’t both sides have come to an agreement on a buyout? Does his player option somehow complicate the situation, or is there something else to this beyond what meets the eye? — Greg Thompson
The main focus of the Hawes deal was to offload Miles Plumlee‘s $50MM contract. Milwaukee made the deal for financial reasons, not because it sees Hawes as part of the future. Hawes has a player option for next season worth more than $6MM, which is probably more than he could get on the open market, so he had little interest in taking a buyout. He is stuck behind Thon Maker and Greg Monroe in the rotation, so unless the Bucks can find another team to deal him to this summer, they’re probably stuck with each other for another season, with plenty of DNP-CDs left to come.
Why do teams buy out players before the March 1st deadline? They cannot save that much money. Would they be better off in the long run buying out after March 1st so if a team that is interested in a player for the playoffs have to give up a pick to get that player before the trade deadline? — Michael Potopa
Players who agree to buyouts almost always do so in hopes of joining a playoff team. There would be almost no incentive for a player to give up part of his salary in a buyout after March 1st if he can’t participate in the postseason. Teams agree to buyouts to save some cash, and sometimes to do a favor for a veteran player — to give him a chance to get a ring. Another behind-the-scenes reason that teams agree to buyouts is to improve their reputation with agents. A team that does a favor for one client may be better position when another client hits free agency.
Cavaliers Notes: Sanders, James, Liggins, Williams
LeBron James would endorse the signing of free agent center Larry Sanders to improve the Cavaliers’ bench, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal. A story broke Friday that Cleveland was in “serious discussions” with the former Buck, who hasn’t played in the league since the 2014/15 season. The Cavs need a rim protector after losing Andrew Bogut to a broken leg in his first game with the team. Sanders is only 28 and had talks about joining the organization before Bogut became available. “An athletic big guy, incredible shot-blocking skills, anticipation around the rim, can finish around the rim and block shots and being able to guard perimeter guys as well,” James said. “… It looks like he wants another opportunity and hopefully if we’re the team, hopefully we give him an opportunity. Why not? Everyone deserves a second chance and it looks like he wants to get back to playing the game he loves and hopefully this is his destination.”
There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:
- The Cavs chose defense over offense when they decided to keep DeAndre Liggins instead of Jordan McRae, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. McRae, a second-year guard, was waived March 1 to create a roster spot for Bogut. Cleveland believes Liggins is more useful because he can match up with Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Kyle Lowry or Stephen Curry in a playoff series. In addition, Vardon says some people in the organization questioned McRae’s work ethic.
- Kyle Korver will be out of action for about a week with a recurring foot injury, Vardon writes in a separate story. Tests this week showed inflammation of a tendon, which is an injury that has affected Korver before. Coach Tyronn Lue said Korver will be re-evaluated “in a few days.”
- Deron Williams continues to look like he will play a major role in the postseason, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The backup point guard, who signed with the Cavaliers after agreeing to a buyout with Dallas, posted 10 points and four assists in 25 minutes Saturday in a win over Orlando. “That’s perfect for our team, and he’s able to learn the sets on the fly,” James said. “He’s putting us in position, and every game he’s getting an opportunity to get his legs back up underneath him because he didn’t play much before the All-Star break. And then you have the break, which is another week, and then I think he took like another week after that. So he’s using these games to get back into game mode and game shape, and it’s helping him every time out.”
Carmelo Anthony Stages Triangle ‘Protest’
Carmelo Anthony still has at least 16 games left as a Knick, but there are more signs that it will continue to be a rocky relationship.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes that Anthony seemed to be staging a “protest” Saturday night as he took just nine shots in a 20-point loss at Detroit. He rarely dribbled or tried to create shots and passed the ball quickly unless he was wide open. It’s only the third time in his career that he has played more than 35 minutes and takenfewer than 10 shots.
“We were just playing within the offense and just taking what they were giving me,” Anthony said with a smile after the game. “Just play the right way in this system.”
The system is Phil Jackson’s controversial triangle offense, which Anthony refuses to mention by name. He and Jackson clashed earlier in the season when the team president alleged that Anthony was holding the ball too long to make the offense work.
“It’s just hard for me to be talking about that in March, in the middle of March, to still be talking about our system and what we’re running instead of just playing basketball,” Anthony said Saturday.
It’s the latest sign that Anthony and the Knicks could be headed for a breakup this summer after another disappointing season. At 26-40 and six and a half games out of the eighth spot, they are almost certain of missing the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
Jackson contacted the Clippers, Celtics and Cavaliers to attempt to work out a deal for Anthony before the deadline, and the consensus is that he will try again this offseason. Anthony will make $26,243,760 next season, then has a $27,928,140 early termination option for 2018/19. There’s also the matter of his no-trade clause, but Anthony might be more likely than ever to approve a deal to join a winning organization and escape the triangle.
And-Ones: Brown, Aldridge, Knicks, Pelicans
Rookie Jaylen Brown wasn’t projected to make an immediate impact in the league, but he’s impressing the Celtics with his ability to contribute, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes.
“I’m not sure I would have thought that [Brown] would be where he is right now, just because I thought that he had a lot of things that he really would have to improve on to be able to add value to winning at this level,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And he’s proven that he can pick things up on the fly and that he can play at a high level. I know there’s going to be ups and downs with anybody — and certainly with a 20-year-old — but he’s got a chance to be pretty darn good.”
The rookie is averaging 11.6 points per game while shooting 45.8% from behind the arc since the All-Star break, which is the highest mark on the team.
Boston has been patient as it attempts to construct a title contender. Forsberg notes that had the team dealt for Jimmy Butler, Brown would likely be playing for the Bulls. If the Hornets had accepted the bounty of picks for the No. 9 selection in the 2015 draft, Boston would have traded away Brooklyn’s 2016 pick and it wouldn’t have been able to draft Brown.
The Celtics are constantly looking for ways to acquire talent and they are on an endless search for another star. However, due to great asset management and excellent scouting, they may already have everything they are looking for on the roster.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Coach Gregg Popovich said LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo more testing to determine the cause of the minor heart arrhythmia he suffered earlier this week, Tom Osborn of Spurs Nation relays. “They did some tests today and they are going to continue it on Monday. He is going to see some people on Monday and based on what they do and see, we’ll know better what we are really looking at. But we don’t know right now,” Popovich said.
- The Knicks are trying to get back into the playoff picture, but it may be better for the team to tank with the hopes of landing a higher pick in the upcoming draft, Al Iannazzone of Newsday opines. In his piece, Iannazzone highlights some prospects that could help the franchise compete in the long-term.
- The Pelicans have struggled since they acquired DeMarcus Cousins, but John Reid of The Times-Picayune believes it’s a result of the talent around Cousins and Anthony Davis. New Orleans has won just three of eight contests since the trade, though Cousins missed one of the wins because he was suspended.
Lakers Notes: Pelinka, West, Kobe, Walton
New Lakers GM Rob Pelinka vows to be aggressive in his attempts to get the franchise back on the winning path, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays. “We have to get better talent for [Luke Walton] to coach. We have to develop our young players. Our timeline is to be aggressive and to grow with quality players,” Pelinka said. “All of these things are like a chess game. You’ve got to start moving pieces around the board before you can win the game.”
The former agent wouldn’t commit to a timeline regarding a turnaround, adding that “it’s impossible to predict.” He said the front office will put in the necessary hard work and it will be “committed to excellence every day.” Team president Magic Johnson didn’t commit to a timeline either, but he also took accountability for the team’s future.
“If we can’t do our job, then I’m going to hand the keys back to Jeanie and step aside,” Johnson said. “If I see I can’t do it, I’ll gladly step aside.”
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- Jerry West was interested in returning to the Lakers, but he didn’t match owner Jeanie Buss‘ “vision for the future,” sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. West’s son, Ryan, currently works for the Lakers and is expected to remain with the team.
- Ding adds (same piece) that while Kobe Bryant remains “loyal” to Pelinka, though the future Hall of Famer is sticking to his plan of pursuing business ventures rather than chasing a front office role.
- Despite the down season, both Pelinka and Johnson support Walton as the team’s coach, Medina adds in the aforementioned piece. Johnson recently referred to Walton as “the right man for the job.”
- Pelinka believes in the Lakers‘ young talent, though he admits to being unsure about the team’s title chances with its existing core, Medina passes along in that same piece. “I don’t know,” Pelinka said in response to a question about the team’s ability to win a title with its core players. “But I do know this. We have a championship coach and Earvin and I are going to put in a championship accountability system to make sure any player that has the honor to put that jersey on is striving for greatness, is working hard and is a person of integrity.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls 3/11/17
Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Mavericks have assigned Manny Harris and Jarrod Uthoff to their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, according to a team press release. Dallas signed both players to 10-day deals earlier this week.
- The Warriors have recalled Damian Jones from the Santa Cruz Warriors, their D-League affiliate, per a team press release. Jones is seeing court time for Golden State tonight, as coach Steve Kerr decided to rest several of the team’s top players.
Community Shootaround: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves beat the Warriors on Friday night in a game that came down to a missed Stephen Curry jumper in the remaining seconds of regulation. Minnesota is 7-3 over its last 10 contests (only the Spurs can claim a better record) and the team’s defense deserves credit for the stretch. The team held Curry to just one made 3-pointer on his eight attempts and as a team, Golden State shot just 29.3% from behind the arc.
Entering their game with the Warriors, the Wolves had the highest defensive rating in the league post All-Star break, as I recently mentioned. It takes time to learn defensive schemes in the NBA and it appears that the team’s young talent is starting to grasp Tom Thibodeau’s playbook.
The franchise enters the day just 2.5 games behind the Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, though the Wolves would also have to jump the Blazers and Mavs to punch a ticket to the NBA’s second season.
That leads us to tonight’s shootaround topic: Can the Wolves make a run over the last quarter of the season and make the playoffs or are they a piece or two away from being a playoff team? Let us know if you think Minnesota can climb in the standings or what the team should do this offseason to complement Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. We look forward to what you have to say!
Monty Williams Expected To Coach In 2017
Monty Williams is expected to be one of the “elite candidates” on the NBA coaching market once the season concludes, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter links). The University of Illinois offered Williams its head coaching gig and was willing to make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NCAA. Williams turned down the offer, as he focuses his attention on making a return to an NBA sideline.
Williams is currently working in the Spurs’ front office. He’s had various roles in the organization over his lifetime, ranging from player to coaching intern.
He was an associate head coach with the Thunder during the 2015/16 campaign. Prior to his time in Oklahoma City, he spent five years as the coach of the Pelicans, where he made the playoffs on two occasions. He owns a 173-221 record as a head coach.
Week In Review: 3/4/17 – 3/11/17
It was a relatively quiet week in the NBA, at least compared to the flurries leading up to and immediately after the trade deadline. Still there were some significant headlines that will impact contenders over the course of the next little while. Take a look through the transactions, injuries and rumors that popped up over the last seven days.
Signed
- The Hawks claimed Jose Calderon off of waivers.
- The Pelicans signed Jordan Crawford to a 10-day contract.
- The Sixers signed Shawn Long to a 10-day contract.
- The Mavs signed Jarrod Uthoff to a 10-day contract.
- The Mavs signed Manny Harris to a 10-day contract.
- The Rockets signed Troy Williams to a 10-day contract.
- The Timberwolves signed Lance Stephenson to a second 10-day contract.
- The Pelicans signed Hollis Thompson to a second 10-day contract.
- The Lakers signed David Nwaba to a second 10-day contract.
- The Hornets signed Briante Weber to a second 10-day contract.
- The Hornets signed Johnny O’Bryant III to a second 10-day contract.
Injured
- Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been ruled out indefinitely with a heart arrhythmia.
- Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard entered concussion protocol following a collision on Thursday.
- Cavaliers center Andrew Bogut fractured his tibia in the first minute of his Cavs career. He’s been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
- Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is back in the lineup for the first time since fracturing his thumb in December.
- Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli has undergone knee surgery and been ruled out for the remainder of the 2016/17 season.
News
- The Lakers formally announced the hiring of Rob Pelinka as general manager of the franchise. Pelinka has fully divested from his sports agency.
- Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was suspended one game for making incidental contact with an official.
- Acclaimed draft prospect Markelle Fultz has announced that he’ll enter the NBA Draft this summer.
Rumors
- The Cavaliers are in serious discussions with free agent big man Larry Sanders, though no deal has yet been announced.
- The Cavaliers are planning to waive Andrew Bogut in light of his season ending tibia fracture.
- Ahead of schedule in his recovery from a thumb injury, free agent forward Omri Casspi is said to be drawing interest from playoff teams.
- Kings forward Rudy Gay has apparently not yet decided whether or not he’ll turn down his player option for the 2017/18 season.
- Lakers veteran Luol Deng is seeing his role decrease in Los Angeles as the club makes room for its young core.