Northwest Notes: Crawford, Barton, Huestis
It wouldn’t be much of a stretch for Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford to be considered the best bench player of the past decade. In fact, Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune writes, the 37-year-old recently became the second player in the past 35 years to score 10,000 off the bench.
Crawford was no slouch as a starter back in the day – he averaged 20.6 points per game with the Knicks in 2007/08 – but it wasn’t until he slotted into a reserve role with the Hawks that he started winning. Now the veteran is looking to make an impact on the revamped Timberwolves.
“It’s an important role, it really is,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “A lot of times you have guys who don’t get recognized in the boxscore, but it’s so important to winning. Setting screens, sprinting back in defensive transition. If a guys does that, it helps you win.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Having made a point of being extra aggressive, Nuggets guard Will Barton has started off the 2017/18 campaign with a bang, Christopher Dempsey of Denver’s official site writes. Barton has averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game so far this season.
- A years long G League experiment has resulted in Josh Huestis carving out a modest role in the Thunder‘s rotation. The club will have until October 31 to decide if they like what they’ve seen enough to exercise the fourth year of his rookie contract, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes.
- A slow start to the season has cast doubt on Andre Roberson‘s role in the Thunder rotation, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. While Roberson struggles, head coach Billy Donovan has experimented with various lineups.
Heat Notes: Culture, Whiteside, Waiters
A lack of communication may be behind Miami’s sub-par start this season. As Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes, the Heat hashed things out in real, raw terms Sunday morning and seem to be in better spirits as a result of it.
“We had our discussions this morning,” forward James Johnson said. “We aired it out this morning. A lot of people took heat. I think it was the best thing for us to do, even more important than film. That’s what this culture is about, that’s what we’re about — staring guys in the eyes, telling guys the truth and that’s how you show you really love somebody.”
The Heat started famously bad last season before rallying from an 11-30 start to compete for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. That comeback was built largely on the culture that Johnson refers to.
There’s more out of Miami this weekend:
- Dion Waiters will still get an opportunity to be a closer for the Heat, despite the fact that he struggled mightily against the Celtics this weekend. Head coach Erik Spoesltra told the Sun Sentinel that, despite a lingering ankle issue that occasionally appears to impede him, Waiters will continue to be fully in the mix heading forward.
- The Heat have been without Hassan Whiteside since their season opener. Point guard Goran Dragic considers the 28-year-old center to be the heart of the team, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. The big man has missed four games with a bone bruise on his knee.
- The Heat haven’t started their campaign how they would have liked to and emotions are starting to ramp up. “I love all the emotions that players go through,” head coach Erik Spoelstra told the media, including the Sun Sentinel. “I don’t even care if it boils over. It means you care.”
2017 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Signings:
- Kyle Korver: Three years, $22.06MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($3.44MM).
- Jose Calderon: One year, minimum salary.
- Jeff Green: One year, minimum salary.
- Derrick Rose: One year, minimum salary.
- Dwyane Wade: One year, minimum salary.
- John Holland: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Kendrick Perkins: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
- JaCorey Williams: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Isaac Hamilton: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, and the Heat’s 2020 second-round pick from the Celtics in exchange for Kyrie Irving.
- Acquired the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis and draft rights to Sergiy Gladyr from the Hawks in exchange for Richard Jefferson, Kay Felder, a 2019 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected), and cash.
- Note: 2019 second-round pick will be the less favorable of the Lakers’ and Timberwolves’ selections.
Draft picks:
- None
Draft-and-stash signings:
- Cedi Osman (2015; No. 31): Signed to three-year, $8.325MM contract.
Departing players:
- Kay Felder
- Kyrie Irving
- Richard Jefferson
- Dahntay Jones
- James Jones
- Edy Tavares (waived)
- Deron Williams
- Derrick Williams
Other offseason news:
- Parted ways with general manager David Griffin.
- Offered president of basketball operations job to Chauncey Billups, who withdrew from consideration.
- Promoted assistant general manager Koby Altman to GM.
- Isaiah Thomas expected to be out until at least late December.
- Kendrick Perkins joins Cavaliers’ G League affiliate.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap and over the tax line. Carrying approximately $134MM in guaranteed team salary. Projected tax bill of approximately $43MM. Portion of taxpayer mid-level exception ($2,549,143) available.
Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The Cavaliers looked thoroughly overpowered by the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals, so it’s understandable that their offseason was punctuated by moments of panic and general uncertainty.
It wasn’t long before the Cavs’ plan of making a landmark move to emphatically one-up their Western Conference rival in Golden State quickly gave way to desperate attempts at self-preservation. After missing out on early targets like Jimmy Butler and Paul George, the franchise managed to survive, emerging from a substantial personnel shuffle with an oddly intriguing smorgasbord of assets.
This couldn’t have been the summer that LeBron James hoped for on the heels of Cleveland’s season-ending loss in Oakland last June, but the club handled unforeseen adversity as well as anybody inside or outside of the organization could have hoped.
Will the forced – but nonetheless decent – moves that the team made in 2017 be enough to convince James to re-sign in Cleveland in 2018? Well, that will be the story of next summer.
NBA Fines Beal, Green, Oubre; Suspends Two Wizards Players
The NBA announced on Sunday that Wizards players Carrick Felix and Markieff Morris have each been suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench during Friday’s on-court confrontation between Warriors forward Draymond Green and guard Bradley Beal.
Felix and Morris will serve their suspensions the next game each player is active and physically able to play.
Green ($25,000) and Beal ($50,000) were issued hefty fines for their roles in the skirmish. Beal’s fine is higher than Green’s because he initiated the fight. Green was issued a fine for failing to disengage from Beal, the league noted in the press release.
Wizards’ forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was also fined $15,000 for aggressively entering the confrontation.
It was a tumultuous week for the Warriors as Stephen Curry was fined $50,000 on Monday for throwing his mouthpiece at a referee in the fourth quarter of Golden State’s 111-101 loss to the Grizzlies last Saturday. Andre Iguodala was also fined $15,000 for abusive language toward a referee during the sequence.
Markelle Fultz Out Indefinitely With ‘Muscle Imbalance’ In Right Shoulder
Sixers point guard and 2017 first overall draft pick, Markelle Fultz, is out indefinitely with soreness and scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder, the team announced via press release on Sunday. Fultz’s doctor’s appointment also confirmed that there is no structural impairment in his right shoulder.
Fultz is set to be reevaluated in three weeks, so it’s likely that Philadelphia’s prized draft pick misses at least one month due to the injury.
Earlier this week, Fultz’s agent, Raymond Brothers, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that his client had fluid drained from his shoulder and that he “literally cannot raise up his arms to shoot the basketball.” However, Brothers changed his story later in the day, stating that Fultz instead received a cortisone shot.
“He had a cortisone shot on Oct. 5, which means fluid was put into his shoulder — not taken out,” Brothers said. “My intention earlier was to let people know that he’s been experiencing discomfort. We will continue to work with (Sixers general manager) Bryan Colangelo and the medical staff.”
Fultz, 19, has visibly struggled with his shooting, whether it be jump shots or shooting from the free throw line. In four games this season, Fultz has averaged 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 19 minutes off the bench. However, as Wojnarowski mentioned, Fultz has almost exclusively relied on drives to basket as he is shooting just 33% (9-for-27) from the floor and an abysmal 50% (6-for-12) from the charity stripe.
The Sixers made a considerable investment to acquire the first overall pick, trading the third overall pick (which was used to draft Jayson Tatum) and a future first-round choice to the Celtics for the right to select Fultz. In his lone season at the University of Washington, Fultz averaged 23.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.7 RPG.
Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Ntilikina, Jack
The Knicks have their first win of the season in the books after crushing the Nets at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Now, the real challenge begins for the team’s franchise linchpin, Kristaps Porzingis, as the Knicks face the powerhouse Cavaliers. Marc Berman of the New York Post opines that a strong showing against an elite team — despite Cleveland losing three of its last four games — is imperative for Porzingis.
Porzingis averaged just 11.3 PPG in four games against the Cavaliers last season. Thus far this season, Porzingis has post 30+ points in three of the Knicks’ first four games. The Latvian forward realizes that a strong performance against the defending Eastern Conference champions would be a great step forward.
“Cleveland is Cleveland,’’ Porzingis said. “They’re have a lot — LeBron — and it’s always tough to play against them. Especially me, I haven’t had great games or we as a team against Cleveland. Hopefully, we can play the same way defensively against them and have a possibility of winning.’’
There’s more news surrounding the Knicks:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is concerned about pushing rookie guard Frank Ntilikina too hard after his early season struggles, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Ntilikina, 19, looked great in his MSG debut against Brooklyn on Friday, but an ankle injury forced him to miss several games to open the season. “If he earns that starting spot, fine. But we have to keep an eye on him, with the little bumps and bruises that he has had, to not throw him to the wolves,” Hornacek said.
- Veteran Jarrett Jack stepped in for fellow veteran Ramon Sessions to start against the Nets. Jack had an efficient performance, posting eight points, five assists, and seven rebounds the night before his 33rd birthday. As Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, Jack could step into the role of starter with Sessions being cut once Joakim Noah‘s suspension ends.
Mills: Knicks Won’t Trade Ntilikina Or Hernangomez
The Knicks consider Frank Ntilikina and Willy Hernangomez part of their future and don’t plan to include either in a trade for Suns guard Eric Bledsoe, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Team president Steve Mills conveyed those sentiments today in a meeting with reporters in Cleveland, effectively quashing speculation that the Knicks might be involved in the chase for Bledsoe.
Ntilikina has been limited by injuries and Hernangomez has seen his playing time cut because of a logjam at center, but Mills said both are considered valuable components going forward. He added that coach Jeff Hornacek approached this season the right way by making Hernangomez work for his playing time. “This is part of Willy’s development,’’ Mills said. “He’s a guy who’s going to be with us [at least] the next three years and we have a lot of time to work with him, and he’s going to be part of who we are.”
There’s more from Mills’ session with the media:
- Even though the Knicks are off to a 1-3 start following a winless preseason, no thought has been given to a coaching change. Mills pledged that “Jeff, [GM] Scott [Perry] and I are in this together,” although he stopped short of guaranteeing that Hornacek will be safe for the entire season. “We told him to focus on getting the team better and finding ways to reduce the turnovers and make sure we’re improving defensively,” Mills said of a recent meeting with Hornacek. “That’s what our goal was. We didn’t focus on the record. Our focus is how we’re improving over the course of the season. If we do all the things from a defensive standpoint, wins will come out of that. I do believe it’s getting better.”
- The organization is stressing stability in the wake of the chaotic reign of former team president Phil Jackson, who was fired over the offseason. Mills doesn’t believe it would be healthy to make another significant move so soon. “We need to make sure we’re doing as a team and doing the things we said we were going to do over the summer,” he said. “As long as we’re doing those things, we’ll continue to build this group. Stability is important for this group. We haven’t had a lot of it here.”
- Despite the injuries, the organization has been impressed by Ntilikina, the eighth selection in this year’s draft. “He’s not a flashy player but does the right things, plays solid defensively, willing to challenge guys right from the start,” Mills said. “The way he played, with the style he played, was what we saw when we scouted him. … “We’re committed to him and his development. What we’re trying to do with this team, it centers around guys like Frank, KP, draft picks moving forward.”
- The Knicks will have to make a roster move next month when Joakim Noah‘s suspension expires. They signed two veteran point guards over the offseason in Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack, and Mills said the team would like to keep both. “We always knew we needed veterans to help support Frank,’’ he explained. “Was that going to be Ramon as starter? Jarrett as starter? They both bring different things to the table. Jarrett did a great job of calming things down. Ramon brings different things to the table. They both mentor Frank in different ways. We feel we need guys like that to bring Frank along.’’
Southwest Notes: Parsons, Canaan, Brown, Curry
Chandler Parsons may have won over Grizzlies fans with his 24-point performance in Saturday’s win over Houston, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Beset by injuries and disappointing numbers since signing with Memphis in the summer of 2016, Parsons was being being booed on his home court as recently as last week.
“Tonight was just a night that we finally got to see Chandler,” Mike Conley said of Parsons, who has undergone three knee surgeries over the past three years. “He could finally be himself, be happy, be animated and just have the energy that we know he is capable of playing with. Will he do it every night? Who knows. But we will definitely take it.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Trevor Ariza‘s unexpected return from injury made Isaiah Canaan expendable, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets made the surprising decision to waive Canaan on Saturday, just four days after he was signed. Coach Mike D’Antoni explained that the team expected Ariza to be sidelined three to four weeks with a sprained left foot, but he recovered in a matter of days. “We’re disappointed because I know Isaiah was really excited about getting back with the Rockets,” said Mark Bartelstein, Canaan’s agent. “When they got the perimeter play of Trevor back, Daryl [Morey], the Rockets general manager called and said ‘I don’t think there’s enough minutes for us to just justify using up our cap flexibility.’ While we’re disappointed, we understand it. If there’s not an opportunity for Isaiah to play, they’re so tight up against it, it put them in a tough situation. They want to stay in close contact where if something were to happen with the roster and they have a need, I know he’s the first guy they’ll look at.”
- The Rockets used Bobby Brown, rather than Canaan or Demetrius Jackson as their backup point guard in their last two games, Feigen writes in a separate piece. Jackson got the call after Chris Paul was hurt on opening night, but he has a two-way contract and is limited to 45 days in the NBA. The team wants to give him time to develop in the G League. Brown played just 25 games last season, but appears to be part of the rotation until Paul returns.
- The prognosis for Mavericks guard Seth Curry remains week-to-week with a stress reaction in his left tibia, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Curry has been forced to rest since October 7 and is projected to return in mid- to late November. “I started shooting a little the past couple weeks,” Curry said. “We’re trying to let it heal and slowly ramp up what I can do. I’m trying to test it out as much as I can and make some strides each week. I just can’t do a lot of pounding on it.”
Celtics Notes: Morris, Baynes, Defense, Ojeleye
Marcus Morris may be ready for his debut with the Celtics this week, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. The 6’9 forward was acquired from the Pistons this summer in a deal for Avery Bradley, but has been unable to suit up because of soreness in his left knee. Morris had hoped to be ready for tomorrow’s game with the Spurs, but now Wednesday seems most likely.
“He needs to have at least a day of hard practice with our guys before he could play in a game,” said coach Brad Stevens. “That’s probably a little bit optimistic for Monday.” Morris didn’t travel with the team on its current road trip, staying in Boston for more treatments on the knee.
There’s more news out of Boston:
- Aron Baynes was an under-the-radar move in a newsworthy Celtics offseason, but he is turning out to be a valuable addition, Blakely writes in a separate story. The former Piston has provided a physical presence in the paint, something the team lacked last year. Baynes, who signed a one-year, $4.3MM deal, has started three of the six games so far and is averaging 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per night. “Everybody has their own role to play and value to add,” Stevens said. “He’s physical and tough.”
- There were concerns that Boston’s defense might decline after losing Jae Crowder and Bradley in offseason trades, but early-season numbers show an improvement, Blakely notes in another piece. The Celtics ranked third in the league heading into Saturday’s game with a defensive rating of 95.9. They are in the top 10 in steals, points off turnovers and effective field goal percentage. “It’s great team defense,” said Daniel Theis, who got his first start this week. “Two games in a row now, under 90 points, that’s really good defense.”
- Rookie forward Semi Ojeleye only plays about 11 minutes per night, but he gets the toughest defensive matchups when he’s on the court, writes Jay King of MassLive. A second-round pick in this year’s draft, Ojeleye earned a roster spot on the strength of his defense and the Celtics have taken advantage of that attribute since the season began. Ojeleye has found himself matched up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristaps Porzingis and LeBron James. “You just try to prepare, watch film, try to be always ready,” Ojeleye said. “You try to take it seriously, know their tendencies, and go out there and just do what you can.”
Central Notes: Shumpert, Wade, Stephenson, Bucks
Iman Shumpert, whom the Cavaliers spent most of the summer trying to trade, was in the starting lineup for Saturday’s loss at New Orleans, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The move was necessitated by injuries, as Derrick Rose continued to be unavailable with a sprained left ankle.
Rose wants to remain in the lineup once he returns, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, and he was concerned he might have to sit out today’s game if he played Saturday. Coach Tyronn Lue recently moved Dwyane Wade and Jae Crowder to the bench and didn’t want to disrupt their new roles, so he called on Shumpert. The Cavaliers have used four different starting lineups in six games.
There’s more this morning from the Central Division:
- Cleveland’s reported interest in Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is the latest sign that the addition of Wade isn’t working out, states Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Wade, who asked to be removed from the starting lineup this week, is averaging 8.6 points through five games and is shooting just 43% from the field. Winderman suggests that Wade’s friendship with LeBron James blinded the Cavs to the reality that Wade can’t produce at an elite level anymore.
- Pacers swingman Lance Stephenson hasn’t lost confidence despite a terrible start to the new season, relays Mark Montieth of NBA.com. In a reserve role for the high-scoring Pacers, Stephenson is averaging 6.2 points per game and shooting just 27% from the field, 13% from 3-point range and 38.5% from the free throw line. “I’m going to keep shooting,” said Stephenson, who came back to Indiana late last season after spending time with the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Timberwolves. “My confidence is never going to go down. In practice I don’t miss, so it’s probably just mental. A lot of rushed shots. Just stay poised and don’t get out of it. Bring it every game. I haven’t lost my confidence at all.”
- When Myles Turner returns from the concussion that has sidelined him since opening night, Pacers coach Nate McMillan is considering using him together with Domantas Sabonis, Montieth writes in the same story. The move would put the team’s two best rebounders on the court at the same time. “It gives us some size, it gives us some versatility,” McMillan said. “We’re big, but we still have the speed and athleticism to defend and run our sets. “I look forward to getting to that as much as possible.”
- Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova is trying to use his experience to bring chemistry to a young team, notes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.