Week In Review: 2/25/17 – 3/4/17
The passing of two major deadlines in the NBA this week yielded a flurry of transactions and, needless to say, the buy out period did not disappoint. Contenders like the Cavaliers and Wizards stocked up on recently released veterans like Deron Williams and Brandon Jennings. Meanwhile, others with grand aspirations like the Warriors and Raptors had fate intervene in the form of long-term injuries to key players like Kevin Durant and Kyle Lowry.
Signed
- The Bucks signed Terrence Jones for the remainder of the season.
- The Cavaliers signed Deron Williams for the remainder of the season.
- The Cavaliers signed Andrew Bogut for the remainder of the season.
- The Wizards signed Brandon Jennings for the remainder of the season.
- The Warriors signed Jose Calderon (sort of).
- The Knicks signed Chasson Randle to a multiyear deal.
- The Hawks signed Derrick Williams for the remainder of the season.
- The Thunder signed Norris Cole for the remainder of the season.
- The Hornets signed Briante Weber to a 10-day contract.
- The Mavs signed Ben Bentil to a 10-day contract.
- The Mavs signed Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract.
- The Lakers signed David Nwaba to a 10-day contract.
Released
- The Knicks released Brandon Jennings.
- The Sixers released Andrew Bogut.
- The Lakers released Jose Calderon.
- The Cavaliers released Jordan McRae.
- The Wizards released Danuel House.
- The Hawks released Lamar Patterson.
- The Nets released Luis Scola.
- The Warriors released Briante Weber.
- The Bucks released Axel Toupane.
- The Warriors released Jose Calderon.
Injured
- Sixers center Joel Embiid was ruled out indefinitely before being ruled out for the season.
- Warriors forward Kevin Durant injured his knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
- Raptors guard Kyle Lowry will undergo wrist surgery and may not return until the playoffs.
- Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is within 7-10 days of returning from a broken thumb.
- Pelicans guard Jarrett Jack will miss 4-6 weeks with a torn meniscus.
- Hawks forward Mike Dunleavy Jr. is out indefinitely with a right ankle injury.
- Knicks center Joakim Noah will miss the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
News
- Lakers president Jeannie Buss prevented her brothers from wresting control of the franchise.
- Kings general manager Vlade Divac spoke about the DeMarcus Cousins and explained his comments about having a better offer on the table.
- Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki is expected to play in 2017/18.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver says changes are coming to the All-Star Game.
Rumors
- The Jazz were said to be unlikely to sign contract extensions with Derrick Favors or George Hill prior to the February 28 deadline. (They didn’t).
- Former Kings lottery pick Jimmer Fredette is eyeing a return to the NBA.
- The Hawks are hoping to sign recently waived Jose Calderon.
Central Notes: Zipser, Portis, Harris
With Taj Gibson now a member of the Thunder, the Bulls have shifted Bobby Portis into his spot at power forward and rookie Paul Zipser into the sixth man role, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Zipser, a 23-year-old forward, has stepped up of late as a competent two-way player able to defend opposing team’s scorers while hitting the occasional big shot.
Smith isn’t the only one touting the rookie who returned to the lineup after a month’s absence. “He really kind of solidified himself as our sixth man (before the injury) and a guy who’s closing games for us,” Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg told Mark Strotman of CSN Chicago. “We missed him, there’s no doubt about that. He’s got size, he’s got length, he can put it on the floor and he can really defend.”
The change in rotation goes to show that trades aren’t always about what a team acquires, Smith writes, but also about who they open up opportunities for. Portis has averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game since stepping into the larger role with the Bulls seven games ago.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- All season long LeBron James commented that he’d like the Cavaliers‘ front office to go out and get a playmaker. Little did he know then that one would fall into their laps. In Deron Williams, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs got just what they wanted. In his first game with Cleveland, Williams became the first reserve to dish out more than four assists in a game all season (he managed seven).
- The Pistons made the wrong choice when deciding to shake up their starting lineup, Stephen Shea of Basketball Analytics Book writes. A deep dive on Tobias Harris reveals that he is Detroit’s most efficient scorer and that the team performs better when he’s on the floor.
- The 15-year-old son of Dwyane Wade won’t stop talking trash, Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler tells Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Zaire Wade is highly regarded as a high school player. “When he makes it to the league, every single NBA player is going to try to score 50 on him,” says Butler.
Bucks Release Toupane, Formally Sign Jones
The Bucks have officially signed forward Terrence Jones and released Axel Toupane from his 10-day contract, the team reports in a press release on its website. Milwaukee’s roster now sits once again at 15.
Toupane, whose 10-day deal was set to expire today anyway, will presumably return to the Raptors 905 of the D-League as Chris Reichert of The Step Back speculated earlier today. He saw action in two games with the Bucks during his NBA stint but had a negligible impact in the 6 minutes he saw on the floor.
In Jones the Bucks get an intriguing 25-year-old big man who’s flashed potential with both the Rockets and Pelicans previously. Jones averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 51 games with New Orleans this season but was released when the club added DeMarcus Cousins.
Jones – who has been signed for the remainder of the season – will wear No. 6 for the Bucks, according to the press release.
Cavs Sign Derrick Williams For Rest Of Season
March 4, 12:13pm: It’s official. According to an official press release on their website, the Cavaliers have signed Derrick Williams to a contract for the remainder of the season.
March 1, 8:13pm: Signing for the rest of the season would give Williams $268,029, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. That will count $230,690 against the cap for the Cavaliers and will result in $576,725 in luxury taxes.
7:22pm: Cavaliers forward Derrick Williams will receive a contract for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day deal expires Saturday, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The 25-year-old has been productive since joining the team in early February. He has appeared in seven games, averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 24 minutes per night. Williams started the season in Miami, where he played 25 games before being waived.
It’s uncertain how Williams’ role in the rotation will be affected by the additions of Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut this week or the eventual return from injury by Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. If he signs just for the rest of the season, Williams will be a free agent this summer for the third straight year.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/25/17 – 3/4/17
- Luke Adams weighed in on the two teams due to cross the luxury tax threshold; the Cavaliers and Clippers.
- We’ve seen plenty of notable players waived since the All-Star break, here’s a summary of where they’ve ended up so far.
- Here’s a quick look at the 10-day contracts that have been signed this season, including the half dozen players who’ve turned opportunities into season-long deals.
- Luke Adams broke down the financial situations of all the teams currently under the salary cap, including those that are also beneath the salary floor.
- Chris Crouse continued to examine the impact that trade deadline deals will have on the fantasy basketball landscape, including Nerlens Noel move to the Mavs.
- Luke Adams wrote about the deadlines that NBA fans had to keep tabs on this week, including the one that players needed to be waived by in order to retain postseason eligibility.
- Arthur Hill answered reader’s questions in the latest edition of our Weekly Mailbag, including one about what the Pistons might expect to get in an Andre Drummond trade. Don’t forget to hit us up with your questions for next week.
- Every day we get a better idea of the playoff picture but what about the other end of the spectrum? Don’t forget to check out our Reverse Standings as lottery teams start looking forward to the draft.
- We like to hand the mic over to readers and hear what they say about popular headlines, here are this week’s Community Shootarounds.
- When Brandon Jennings was cut by the Knicks, we asked where the guard might end up. [Spoiler].
- Was Joel Embiid‘s injury-shortened rookie campaign so impressive that the Sixers star should be in contention for the Rookie of the Year award regardless?
- An injury to Kevin Durant calls to question the Warriors‘ claim to the Western Conference. Can they win without him?
- Here are last week’s Hoops Rumors Originals in case you didn’t catch them the first time around.
Northwest Notes: Nurkic, Cole, Nuggets
Acquired from the Nuggets in the days leading up to the trade deadline, Jusuf Nurkic is a valuable component already breathing new life into the Trail Blazers, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. In five games with his new club, Nurkic has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per game.
“I think his energy is definitely good for our team,” Damian Lillard told Freeman of the big man, later adding that the fiery 22-year-old adds a valuable emotional boost. “I guess you would call him a tough guy — every play he’s saying something.”
This isn’t the first time Nurkic has shown impressive potential, he flashed signs of promise during his rookie campaign in 2014/15. Still, a 2015/16 injury coupled with the emergence of Nikola Jokic this year and last inhibited the Bosnian’s development in Denver.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- So long as the Trail Blazers are within reach of the playoffs, Damian Lillard will be competing at the highest level, writes Jason Quick of CSN Northwest. “We have an opportunity to make the playoffs and I’m going to play until that opportunity is gone, and then I’m still going to play. We have a whole summer until the next season, so I’m going to play.” The veteran understood the appeal of tanking during his rookie campaign when the postseason was never an option but has no desire to rely on the draft for immediate help.
- The recent signing of Norris Cole gives the Thunder a reliable veteran to back up Russell Westbrook at the point, writes Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. “[We] just need him to run our team when he’s in there, make good decisions, defend,” says head coach Billy Donovan, “All the things he’s done for most of his career.“
- The Timberwolves have experimented with both Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn in the lineup at the same time, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune. The pair of point guards has been deployed of late when starter Ricky Rubio takes a seat. “I like Tyus and Kris together; that’s a big plus,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They have good chemistry together. It gives you a second pick-and-roll player.”
- Rookies have stepped up and made an impact for the Nuggets this season, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. He speaks, of course, about the emergence of Jamal Murray and Juan Hernangomez as valuable contributors even as Denver competes for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Lakers Notes: Johnson, Russell, D’Antoni
There are plenty of benefits to having an individual of Magic Johnson‘s stature calling the shots for the Lakers, writes Sam Amick of USA Today but there is no consensus on whether or not that will be enough to push the franchise back to its former heights.
“If you have a free agent sitdown with a superstar, and Magic Johnson is in the room, that’s going to move the needle as far as getting that guy serious about wanting to come here,” says former player Dell Curry of the Lakers icon. “[…] He built his way up, built his brand once he got here. Being in LA, having Magic and all the doors he can open for you off the floor, that’s even more incentive for superstars to want to come here.”
Unlike other players who’ve returned to manage the teams that they played with, Johnson has a high profile in both the basketball and business world. Only Michael Jordan rivals Johnson’s total package but he faces the tougher task of drawing players to small market North Carolina whereas the city of Los Angeles is practically a selling feature in itself.
Still, Johnson’s contributions will eventually be measured in the amount of star players he’s able to recruit to the Lakers, Amick writes. If he airballs as the recent front office has with players like Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant, he’ll be little more than yet another former player learning on the job.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- A recent uptick in D’Angelo Russell‘s production can be traced back to improved work habits coming out of the All-Star Break, writes Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “Sometimes when you get away for a week, especially when you’re young, you come back rejuvenated a little bit and a little more fresh than when you’re in the dog days leading up to All-Star,” says head coach Luke Walton.
- It’s hard for anybody to resist the temptations of college basketball this time of year and for Lakers head coach Luke Walton, that’s no different. Don’t think that Walton is already setting his sights ahead on the draft, however, as Mark Medina for the Los Angeles Daily News writes. “We have a whole scouting department that has been watching them all year,” Walton explained. “We got European scouts. When the time comes, we’ll take the appropriate amount of time to sit down and actually watch it from more of a scout’s view.”
- The fact that the Lakers haven’t gone out of their way to credit former general Mitch Kupchak for his contributions during his three decades with the organization is petty, says Anthony Irwin of SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll. The scribe explores Mike D’Antoni‘s recent comments that Kupchak and Jim Buss (also recently dismissed) “were not the problem” during his time in Los Angeles.
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!
Jeanie Buss Prevents Brothers’ Attempt To Take Over Lakers
10:02pm CST: Jim and Johnny Buss’ lawyer, Robert Sacks, told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that they were never trying to oust Jeanie as controlling owner. To the contrary, Sacks says, Jim and Johnny have informed Jeanie “orally and in writing” that they support her as the controlling owner of the Lakers (Twitter links). Sacks added “I can tell you, Jim Buss and Johnny Buss, as co-trustees, who vote shares in the Lakers, support Jeanie as the controlling owner.” (Twitter link)
5:29pm CST: Jeanie Buss has thwarted initial attempts from her brothers, Jim and Johnny, at a takeover of franchise control, according to a report from Nathan Fenno and Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times (article link). Jeanie Buss’ attorneys sought a temporary restraining order Friday to prevent the brothers from holding a meeting to elect a new board of directors.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Jeanie Buss’ restraining order alleged that Jim and Johnny “were acting in breach of their fiduciary duties as trustees.” Jeanie’s lawyers pushed for a trial to resolve the matter, and a court date has been set for May 15 (Twitter links).
On February 21, Jim Buss was relieved of his duties as executive VP of basketball operations, being replaced by Magic Johnson. At the time, Jeanie Buss announced “Today I took a series of actions I believe will return the Lakers to the heights Dr. Jerry Buss demanded and our fans rightly expect. Together, Earvin, Luke and our new General Manager will establish the foundation for the next generation of Los Angeles Lakers greatness.”
Johnny Buss remains the head of corporate development for the Lakers, and- per Fenno and Plaschke- notified Jeanie of his intent to elect a new board of directors three days ago. Jeanie Buss’ lawyer, Adam Streisand, delivered a statement in response to the attempted coup.
“This is no doubt the beginning and not the end of the game-playing,” Streisand said. “They don’t have a legal leg to stand on. This is a legal strategy doomed for failure.”
Carmelo Anthony: Tanking A “Terrible Way To Think”
The Knicks may be hard-pressed to make the postseason- FiveThirtyEight currently gives them a 2% chance of making the playoffs- but Carmelo Anthony doesn’t think that gives the team license to tank. Speaking to Laura Albanese of Newsday, Anthony said the Knicks shouldn’t focus on moving up in the draft lottery.
“As a player, you always disagree with that,” Anthony said, when asked if the Knicks should give up on the playoffs. “We’re the ones that are out there and playing and trying to win basketball games. I think it’s easier from the outside looking in, from a fan perspective, to say, OK, just tank, just lose games. I don’t know how you do that as a player.
I don’t know how you go into a game and say, ‘Today we’re going to try to lose this game or these next 15, 20 games. We’re going to figure out ways to lose and tank the season and start thinking about draft picks.’ That’s a terrible way to think and I don’t think any player in any sport should be thinking that.”
Anthony provides an interesting sentiment on the prospect of tanking from the player’s perspective. Clearly, producing sub-par lineups takes an emotional strain on highly competitive athletes. Unfortunately for Anthony, the Knicks appear content to make decisions without his input. According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, Anthony wasn’t notified before Brandon Jennings was waived; a move detrimental to the team’s already fleeting playoff chances. What’s more, the team could always opt to sit Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis down the stretch, as Frank Isola of the Daily News alluded to in a recent column.
Anthony, who last made a postseason appearance in 2012/13, admitted he missed competing in the playoffs.
It’s something that I’ve gotten used to throughout my career,” Anthony told Albanese. “Just being there and giving myself a shot of at least seeing what can happen in the playoffs. I miss it. I miss it a lot. It’s something that I think about.”