Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Teague, Wolves
The Jazz‘s decision to trade Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson in deadline deals last week signaled that neither of those players was part of Utah’s plans going forward. Still, there were no hard feelings in either case, as Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News details. Speaking last week about the two veteran wings, general manager Dennis Lindsey said Johnson had become a “folk hero around here,” and added that the team has “great respect” for Hood.
“I told Rodney that I hope I see a playoff game on ABC where Rodney Hood hits a game-winning shot,” said the Jazz GM. “That would tickle me. So we’re rooting for him, we care about him and we wish him the best and we thank him for not only the efforts that he gave us the last four years but the player that he was able to return to us in Jae Crowder.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- The Thunder have yet to establish a permanent starting five since Andre Roberson went down with his season-ending knee injury last month, and it sounds like the lineup tinkering will continue, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. “I don’t want to say it’s going to be different night to night,” said head coach Billy Donovan. “But yeah, it could change in certain situations based on what’s best for our team.”
- With so many scorers on the Timberwolves‘ roster, Jeff Teague has found himself playing a facilitator role more often this season after signing with the team last summer. The veteran point guard, whose 12.7 PPG is his lowest mark in six years, admits that new approach has taken some getting used to. “It’s just not how I play,” said Teague, per Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. “But someone has to make a sacrifice, and it was me.”
- Michael Rand of The Star Tribune identifies five veteran free agents or buyout candidates who could be of interest to the Timberwolves.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
Now that the dust has settled on last Thursday’s trade-deadline deals and the first round of veteran buyouts and cuts has been completed, it’s worth taking stock of which NBA teams have the flexibility to add a player or two without waivers anyone else.
With the help of our roster counts page, which we update all season, here are the NBA teams with open spots on their 15-man rosters. Open two-way contract slots aren’t included here, since teams are ineligible to sign new two-way contracts at this point in the season.
Teams with a player on a 10-day contract filling their open spot:
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
Both the Suns and Jazz have 14 players on fully guaranteed NBA contracts, leaving one potential opening. For now, Josh Gray is filling that 15th spot in Phoenix and Naz Mitrou-Long is doing the same in Utah. However, they’re only on 10-day contracts, so both of these teams could soon create an open spot if necessary.
Teams with one open spot:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Note: The Pelicans currently have two open roster spots, but Emeka Okafor‘s second 10-day contract will fill one when it becomes official.
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
The teams listed above represent a mix of playoff-bound squads and rebuilding non-contenders. Teams like the Bulls, Mavericks, and Knicks could use their open roster spots to take fliers on young players via 10-day contracts, while clubs like the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Raptors may be eyeing the buyout market for veterans who could fortify their respective benches.
Teams with two open spots:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Washington Wizards
NBA rules generally prohibit teams from carrying fewer than 14 players on their 15-man squads. However, clubs are permitted to dip to 13 – or even 12 – in special circumstances, as long as they get back up to 14 within two weeks. Roster moves made last week by the Hawks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Wizards left them below the limit, so they’ll each have to add at least one player by the end of the All-Star break.
Note: Roster info current as of Tuesday, February 13 at 2:00pm CT.
Bucks’ G League Team Claims Brandon Jennings
1:13pm: The Bucks’ G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd – has claimed Jennings off waivers, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Jennings began his NBA career with Milwaukee back in 2009.
10:21am: Veteran NBA guard Brandon Jennings has signed a G League contract, league sources tells Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link).
Having signed a G League deal, Jennings will be available on waivers, with the Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s affiliate – currently holding the No. 1 priority, Johnson notes (via Twitter). If no G League teams places a claim for Jennings, he would enter the league’s available player pool, freeing him up to sign with any club.
Jennings’ decision to play in the G League comes on the heels of his comments indicating that he’s looking to get back into the NBA. As we detailed on Monday, the 28-year-old sounds open to returning to the league in any way possible, suggesting he’d be happy to sign a 10-day contract. Signing a G League deal signals that Jennings wants to go out and prove he’s worthy of a spot on an NBA roster, rather than waiting around for a team to call.
Prior to going down with a torn Achilles in January 2015, Jennings had averaged 16.6 PPG in over 400 career regular season games. However, he didn’t look like the same player after the injury, recording just 7.0 PPG in part-time roles for the Pistons, Magic, Knicks, and Wizards.
Jennings, who says he has fully recovered from that Achilles injury, spent the 2017/18 season in China, posting 27.8 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 5.1 RPG for the Shanxi Brave Dragons. He has returned stateside now that Shanxi’s season is over.
Derrick Rose May Not Sign Until After All-Star Break
With just three more days of games scheduled before the NBA’s All-Star break begins, it’s increasingly possible that Derrick Rose‘s next move won’t be resolved until later this month, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Community Shootaround: Derrick Rose’s Future]
Traded by the Cavaliers to the Jazz in the three-team deadline-day deal that saw George Hill and Rodney Hood land in Cleveland, Rose wasn’t part of Utah’s plans and was subsequently released. The former MVP cleared waivers on Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent.
According to various reports, the Timberwolves and Wizards are among the teams with some interest in Rose. However, as Stein notes, the 29-year-old may not find a new NBA home until teams resume practicing following the All-Star break. That makes sense, particularly for clubs with luxury-tax concerns. For instance, signing Rose now instead of waiting until after the break would put the Wizards on the hook for nine extra days of salary and taxes, and they’d only get one extra game out of the veteran.
If the Wizards – who have also been linked to guards like Ty Lawson and Ramon Sessions – go in another direction and Tom Thibodeau opts to pass on a reunion with Rose in Minnesota, it’s not clear where the former No. 1 overall pick might land. League sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that several teams have heard from Rose’s agent in recent days, but have opted to pass on signing him.
Kristaps Porzingis Undergoes ACL Surgery
A week after suffering a torn left ACL that will end his 2017/18 season, Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis has undergone surgery to repair that ACL. The team confirmed today (via Twitter) that Porzingis’ procedure, which took place this morning, was a success.
While the Knicks’ latest update confirmed that Porzingis has undergone surgery and will begin his recovery process, the team didn’t announce a timetable for that recovery. ESPN’s Ian Begley had suggested over the weekend that the injury was likely to sideline Porzingis for 10 months, but cautioned that the team will set an official timeline at some point after the surgery.
Despite the lack of a specific timetable so far, we know that Porzingis’ torn ACL will keep him out of action until at least the start of the 2018/19 season. It will be interesting to see whether that knee injury complicates contract extension talks between his camp and the Knicks during the offseason. The 22-year-old will become eligible for a rookie scale extension on July 1, and he and the club will have until the start of the regular season to reach a new deal.
If Porzingis had finished this season healthy, I would have expected the Knicks to work quickly to finalize a lucrative new long-term extension with the former No. 4 pick after his eligibility window opens on July 1. However, the two sides may wait until closer to the deadline to engage in serious negotiations if the team wants to see how his recovery progresses.
With Porzingis at risk of missing the first couple months of the 2018/19 season, the Knicks appear unlikely to make any major win-now moves this offseason, opting to focus instead on the summer of 2019.
2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings
Throughout the 2017/18 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on what the 2018 draft order will look like. Our 2017/18 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.
Our Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what 2018’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. In addition to not considering the results of the lottery, our tracker lists teams in random order when they have identical records. At the end of the year, those ties would be broken via random drawings.
Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For instance, the note next to Oklahoma City’s pick says that the Thunder will send their pick to the Timberwolves if it’s not in the top 14. As of today, the Thunder are tied for 20th in the lottery standings, meaning their pick would head to Minnesota.
Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2018. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!
Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.
Community Shootaround: Derrick Rose’s Future
It was just over one year ago when ESPN.com’s Ian Begley reported that Derrick Rose, who was headed for unrestricted free agency, would seek a maximum salary deal. Despite his decorated injury history, Rose was enjoying a solid offensive season in New York and while a max deal seemed unlikely at the time, the idea sounds downright laughable a year later.
Just like in years past, Rose finished the 2016/17 season on his team’s injured list after he tore the meniscus in his left knee. Rose finished the year averaging 18.0 PPG, his highest in a season where he played at least 40 games since his MVP campaign in 2010/11. The Knicks had no clear solution at point guard and reports suggested that Rose wanted to stay in New York.
However, the Knicks were immersed in behind-the-scenes turmoil while then-team president Phil Jackson was in control. Jackson confirmed Rose wanted to stay and was open to the idea. Shortly thereafter, Jackson was fired, the Knicks drafted Frenchman Frank Ntilikina, and Rose was in search of a new home. Rose’s max contract did not materialize; the market for his services never developed and he signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with Cleveland.
“I get a chance to reintroduce myself back to the league. I get to bet on myself,” Rose said after signing the deal (via ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin). “That was one of the reasons I came here: I get to bet on myself. And I’m from Chicago, I’ve got that hustling side; it’s in me, man. Next time you’ve got to pay me, you’ve got to pay me double, so it’s fine with me.”
Rose’s stint in The Land was nothing short of forgettable. He left the team in late November to contemplate his future as injuries piled up. He reportedly considered retirement — something he denied later on. Rose returned to the court in mid-January, but the Cavaliers were falling apart and the former MVP — strictly a part-time reserve — was not much of a factor.
In 16 games with Cleveland, Rose averaged a career-worst 9.8 PPG. He was traded to the Jazz as part of a three-team deal on deadline day and was officially waived on Saturday. Reports have mentioned the Timberwolves and Wizards as two potential destinations. Minnesota is led by Tom Thibodeau, who was Rose’s coach during his best seasons in Chicago; the Wizards will be without star John Wall for a while and could use some point guard depth.
At 29 years old, both Rose’s production and body are unreliable. For many — particularly Rose — it is hard to accept that a player who was once the youngest MVP in league history is unemployed at an age where many assumed he would still be one of the game’s elite.
The pressing question is how much longer will Rose want to continue? Where do you see Rose finishing the 2017/18 season, if he plays at all? Should he sit out the rest of the year and try again in 2018/19? Rose averaged 18.0 PPG just one year ago; can he come anywhere close to that again? Please share your thoughts and comments down below.
Cavs Notes: Smith, Gudaitis, Roster Improvements
J.R. Smith‘s 2017/18 season has been a difficult one, but head coach Tyronn Lue‘s loyalty to Smith dates back to Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. In defense of his shooting guard, Lue referenced Smith’s eight straight points in the third quarter of that decisive seventh game and his overall value to the team.
“Sometimes your shot is going to come and go, that’s just part of the game,” Lue said. “For the most part, his effort is there every night. That’s why I wanted to stick with J.R. and I don’t want to lose J.R. Make sure keep him in good spirits, going in the right direction. He’s big for us. When he’s making shots, when he’s being aggressive, our team is a whole different team.”
Leading up to the trade deadline, Smith’s name was floated in several trade scenarios as the Cavaliers — who ended dismantling and restructuring the roster — looked to improve. Smith has played better recently, posting 15 points in Cleveland’s win over the Celtics on Sunday.
There’s more news out of the Cavaliers organization:
- As part of the three-team deal that netted the Cavaliers veteran George Hill, Cleveland also acquired the rights to Lithuanian big man Arturas Gudaitis. Gudaitis was a second-round pick of the Sixers in 2015 but he has been stashed away overseas. Per basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter), Gudaitis is on track to strike a lucrative deal with Italian team Olimpia Milano that runs until 2021 and will include flexible NBA opt-outs.
- It was just one game with the Cavaliers‘ reshaped roster, but the early results are promising, Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports writes. LeBron James look re-energized, the new players seemed to play their roles properly and the flow of the game was consistent. There are still several months to go in the regular season but, as Mannix notes, the opportunity the other Eastern Conference contenders had to bury the Cavaliers in the standings has likely dissipated.
Rockets Sign Brandan Wright
The Rockets have officially signed 11-year veteran Brandan Wright, the team announced on its website. Wright committed to signing with the Rockets once he was waived by the Grizzlies and cleared waivers on Monday.
Wright, 30, has appeared in 27 games with the Grizzlies this season, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 13.6 minutes per contest. Injuries have slowed Wright considerably in recent seasons, but he will provide solid bench depth for the Rockets. Houston remains a half-game behind the Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.
Houston opened up a roster spot for Wright by waiving veteran Bobby Brown on Saturday.
In addition to Wright, the Rockets will add seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson, who was waived by the Kings and committed to Houston. Johnson is expected to clear waivers on Tuesday.
California Notes: Thomas, Teodosic, Clippers, Kings
Isaiah Thomas has played in just one game with the Lakers since he was traded from Cleveland on Thursday, so it’s too early to tell how he’s adjusting to his new Lakers teammates. Still, the results of that one game were promising, Elliot Teaford of the Orange County Register writes.
Thomas came off the bench to contribute 22 points and 6 assists in Saturday’s loss to the Mavericks. After the game, Thomas admitted that he watched the Lakers as a spectator this season and was aware of the talent the roster wields.
“I just wanted to come in with energy,” Thomas said. “I just wanted to bring something to the table. I just wanted to bring that energy, bring that intensity and make plays. The ball happened to go in. All these guys are talented. I watched this team from afar.”
Check out other news pertaining to California’s NBA teams:
- Thomas’ journey from a top-five finish for the NBA MVP last season to Cavaliers castoff has brought uncertainty to his impending free agency, NBA.com’s David Aldridge writes. Opinions about Thomas’ future earning varied among several executives Aldridge questioned. One executive said Thomas’ Lakers debut made him look like a $12-$15MM per year player while others feel he will need to settle for a mid-level exception.
- Marc Stein of the New York Times has an entertaining feature on Clippers point guard Milos Teodosic. The Serbian playmaker was regarded as the best player in the world not signed to an NBA deal until he arrived stateside this past offseason. In his chat with Stein, Teodosic discusses the myth that he eats cheeseburgers for breakfast, as well as his NBA future.
- The Clippers are still in the thick of the playoff race, but their injury-riddled season has forced the team to get creative with lineups. After a busy trade deadline, the team can now focus on establishing a routine lineup for the remainder of the season, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.
- The Kings are in a good cap space situation, but the team’s vision is gearing toward the summer of 2019, James Ham of NBC Sports writes. That summer, the Kings will be rid of all veteran contract commitments and will be in prime position to strike in the market.