Central Notes: Hoiberg, Arcidiacono, Love, Evans
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is standing up for associate Jim Boylen after criticism from Jabari Parker, relays Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Boylen sets the team’s defensive schemes, which Parker felt were lacking in Friday’s loss to the Hornets, telling reporters after the game that the Bulls “didn’t adjust” while giving up 135 points.
‘‘You look at Jim’s track record in this league,’’ Hoiberg said. ‘‘He had the No. 1 defense in Indiana. He was on some really good Spurs defensive teams. … We have long film sessions. Jim does a great job in those. We have a young team. We have to keep growing, keep working.’’
It’s the first swipe at the coaching staff from Parker, whose stay in Chicago might be short after signing a two-year, $40MM contract with only the first season guaranteed. This is the third year with the Bulls for Boylen, who got his first job as an NBA assistant in 1992.
There’s more today from the Central Division:
- Ryan Arcidiacono has shown he deserves the backup point guard job at least until Kris Dunn returns from an MCL sprain in his left knee, contends Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago. Arcidiacono is shooting 53% from 3-point range, providing a much-needed outside threat for a team with few other long-distance shooters. He also supplies energy on both ends of the court that rubs off on his teammates, Walton adds.
- Kevin Love‘s aching left foot may turn out to be a lingering injury, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Love sat out his second straight game last night because of pain that has been bothering him since the preseason. Sources tell Vardon an MRI showed some fluid in the foot, and while it’s not thought to be serious, Love will need rest to get it under control.
- Tyreke Evans‘ one-game suspension was a result of being late for practice on Friday, according to Scott Agness of The Athletic. It was the final straw for the Pacers‘ guard, who had already accumulated multiple infractions early in the season. “We’ve got guidelines that we have to follow,” coach Nate McMillan said. “When you start to see a pattern with those guidelines being broken, then you have to be disciplined. Our players know those guidelines. We have a book with those rules, guidelines, laws in them.” Pacers president Kevin Pritchard spoke to the team after Friday’s practice, but players refused to reveal what was discussed.
Celtics Face Difficult Decision On Yabusele
The Celtics have three more days to decide whether to pick up the third-year-option on Guerschon Yabusele, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
The team’s other option decisions are easy, with Jayson Tatum sure to get $7.83MM in his third season and Jaylen Brown $6,534,829 in his fourth. Committing $3,117,240 to Yabusele, who isn’t part of the rotation, is a tougher call, especially with the team projected to be well into luxury tax territory if Kyrie Irving and Al Horford both opt out and re-sign as expected.
Adding in tax payments, the final cost for Yabusele would be in excess of $6MM, which is a high price tag for a player who is only playing 3.8 minutes per night and got into just 33 games as a rookie.
Yabusele said he hasn’t heard anything from team officials about their plans, but his preference is to remain with the franchise.
“I would love to be back here with the team,” he said. “The Celtics are a great organization, so if I have a chance to be back here, I would love to do that.”
The Celtics’ other choice is to decline the option now and take their chances on re-signing Yabusele as an unrestricted free agent in July. There’s risk involved because Yabusele could become much more expensive if he has a productive season. Other teams would also have an advantage because Boston would be limited to the $3,117,240 figure as a starting point for any new offer.
Bulpett notes that if the Celtics decide to pick up his option, they will face the same decision again next fall when he will have a fourth-year option of $4,781,846.
And-Ones: Team USA, G League, Sessions, D. Gordon
Steve Kerr and Brad Stevens are considered the most likely candidates to succeed Gregg Popovich as head coach of Team USA, but there could be other names in the mix, relays Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. During a recent podcast, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned Erik Spoelstra as a possibility, along with Nate McMillan and Villanova’s Jay Wright, although he added that the job will probably go to a current NBA coach.
ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst, who joined Wojnarowski for the show, questioned whether McMillan is really in the running, but called Spoelstra a “very strong” candidate, noting that he is highly respected around the league and is the second-longest-tenured head coach with the same team. Spoelstra’s main obstacle is that he’s not already on the Team USA staff.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- The G League’s new alternative to college basketball is getting mixed reviews from some of the nation’s top high school players, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The league plans to offer $125K “select contracts” to top prospects who are at least 18 years old but aren’t yet eligible for the NBA draft. Givony talked to a few five-star recruits who haven’t chosen a college — along with their families — and found both interest and skepticism about the new arrangement. “My first reaction was I’d like to hear more,” said Richard Hurt, the father of top-10 recruit Matthew Hurt. “… There are some things that are intriguing about it. It’s not the money. It’s the opportunity to focus solely on what your craft will be. Similar to what a trade school would be.”
- Ramon Sessions may be headed to Israel, notes Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Maccabi Tel Aviv is reportedly considering an offer for the 11-year NBA veteran, who played a combined 28 games last season for the Knicks and Wizards. Sessions may replace another former NBA player, Jeremy Pargo, who will miss several weeks with an injury.
- Drew Gordon tells NetsDaily.com that he sees the G League as his chance to return to the NBA after three years of being overseas. Gordon, who is playing for Long Island, has just nine games of NBA experience, all coming with the Sixers during the 2014/15 season. “I’ve basically been living my life out of four suitcases for the last five, six years,” he said. “It’s always interesting to immerse yourself into different cultures and having to live there for an extended period of time. You just have to learn to go with the flow with certain types of things and be able to adapt quickly and make changes with your game and everyday lifestyle.”
Wizards Notes: Wall, Beal, Porter, Gortat
The new version of the Wizards seems as dysfunctional as ever, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. John Wall and Bradley Beal both questioned the team’s effort and focus following Friday’s loss in Sacramento, which dropped Washington to 1-4.
“That’s the proof in the pudding. Everybody on their own agenda,” Wall said. “We showed glimpses when we do stuff as a team. We show how good we can be and then we go back to trying to do it individually, and that’s mostly on the defensive end. Not helping each other out, not team rebounding, and that’s what’s killing us.”
Wall also claimed that some players are “worried about who’s getting shots, where the ball is going on the offensive end,” while Beal suggested the team needs to “get out of our comfort zone.” Disunity and public disputes between players have plagued the Wizards in the past, Buckner notes, but there were hopes this season might be different after some offseason personnel moves.
There’s more Wizards news to pass along:
- Wall and Beal didn’t specify who their comments were directed at, but coach Scott Brooks may have provided a clue, Buckner relays in the same story. Kelly Oubre turned in a 22-point performance and played 29 minutes, taking time away from Otto Porter. “I don’t know if you’ve seen Kelly the last three games. He deserved more minutes. … He’s going to keep playing more minutes if he keeps playing well,” Brooks said. “ … Otto, you know, he has to just keep playing and can’t worry about your shots and worry about your shot-making, but Kelly is playing well.”
- The Wizards will get their first look at Marcin Gortat tomorrow since an offseason trade that sent him to the Clippers. Gortat was sometimes portrayed as a disruptive influence, but Brooks had nothing but kind words for his former center, Buckner tweets. “March was good. I had him for two years. He gave us consistent effort. He gave us consistency,” Brooks said. “He was the machine. The Polish Machine, and that’s a good name for him because he practiced every day, he played every game.”
- The Wizards have been carrying 13 players since opening night and have three more days to fill one of their open roster spots.
Wolves Demanding Eric Gordon From Rockets
The Rockets‘ latest attempt to get Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves by offering Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss and four first-round picks is a non-starter, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN, who hears from sources that Minnesota won’t consider any deal that doesn’t include Eric Gordon.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is focused on returning to the playoffs and wants a trade that will benefit the team right away. Knight and Chriss are both injured and neither has been effective over the past two seasons in Phoenix. Thibodeau still has three years and $24MM left on his contract, but there have been rumors that his job may be in jeopardy if the Wolves commit to a full rebuilding project.
Plan A for Thibodeau is to hold onto Butler for as long as possible — possibly until February’s trade deadline — to help with the playoff push, Andrews adds. However, the team is off to a 2-4 start, including a 30-point loss last night to the Bucks, so that strategy isn’t off to a great start.
Taylor has put GM Scott Layden in charge of working out a trade while Thibodeau coaches the team. The Heat and Sixers remain interested and Taylor has been hoping both teams will consider increasing their offers.
“I don’t consider anything drama,” Butler told reporters after a season-low four-point performance Friday. “I consider it business.”
New York Notes: Ntilikina, Kanter, Dudley, LeVert
Southeast Notes: McGruder, Butler, Kidd-Gilchrist, Ressler
Heat guard Rodney McGruder is boosting his chances for a contract extension with his productive start to the new season, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Through four games, McGruder is putting up numbers that dwarf his career averages, posting 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night. After missing all but 18 games last season with a leg injury, McGruder is making the most of his newly won spot in the starting lineup.
The 27-year-old is eligible for an extension that could pay him up to $47MM over four seasons. McGruder and the Heat can negotiate an extension through June 30, so there’s no rush to get a deal done. Miami could also opt to make him a restricted free agent by making a $1.9MM qualifying offer.
The Heat’s salary structure could be the main thing standing in the way of a McGruder extension, Winderman notes. If Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson and Goran Dragic all opt in, the team will have eight players earning at least $10MM next season. A long-term deal for McGruder would also cut into Miami’s cap room for 2020, when the organization hopes to be competitive in the free agent market with those three contracts off the books.
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Jimmy Butler‘s greatest value to the Heat could be to entice another star to join the team in 2020, Winderman suggests in a separate piece. Even if the organization gives Butler the maximum contract he wants, it would have enough to offer a max deal in free agency.
- Even though he’s no longer a starter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is enjoying the changes implemented by new Hornets coach James Borrego, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Kidd-Gilchrist also had his minutes reduced and was moved from small forward to power forward, but he’s thriving in the new system. “A new coach, a new way of playing, a new lifestyle,” he said. “It is easy and simple. It’s me running in transition. All my teammates helped me from Day One about not starting, saying, ‘It’s OK.’”
- Hawks owner Tony Ressler tells Jeff Schultz of The Athletic that he takes the blame for the team’s recent collapse and describes his former management team of Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox as “total dysfunction.” They frequently disagreed on personnel moves, with Budenholzer, who also served as coach, being focused on a win-now approach. “Bud was not the right coach for us,” Ressler said. “He was desperate to coach a superstar. I don’t know where Bud’s head was; you’ll have to ask him. But I do think when some people have a very short life as the decision-maker, and they no longer have it, sometimes they miss it.”
Lonzo Ball To Remain Starter Over Rondo
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers will keep Lonzo Ball in the starting lineup – where he has excelled during the suspension of Rajon Rondo – when Rondo returns from his three-game absence this evening against the Spurs.
The Lakers, who were 0-2 in Rondo’s starts to begin the season, went 2-1 in Rondo’s absence with Ball averaging 12.7 points on 53.6 percent shooting (40 percent from 3), 7.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.
Meanwhile, Rondo, 32, averaged 13 points on 57.1 percent shooting (50 percent from 3), 10.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the Lakers’ first two games. So, it’s not like Rondo wasn’t playing well. But, evidently Luke Walton has liked what he’s seen from Ball and wants to continue with the momentum his team has going.
It’s unclear from McMenamin’s report whether this is a permanent move with an eye to the future, or just a temporary one subject to change based on how both players perform moving forward.
Five Key Stories: 10/20/18 – 10/27/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s biggest stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
Three players – Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, Lakers guard Rajon Rondo, and Rockets’ guard Chris Paul – were suspended for their roles in a fight between the teams last week. Ingram, who commenced the entire issue with a push to James Harden, received four games, while Rondo got three and Paul two. After the suspensions were handed down, Rondo called Paul a “horrible teammate” after Paul accused Rondo of spitting on him during the fight. Rondo denied the spitting.
The Rockets have proposed a trade offer to the Timberwolves for All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler that consists of four first-round draft picks in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025. However, the T-Wolves are apparently showing no inclination to accept the offer, choosing instead to re-open negotiations with the Heat.
Nuggets swingman Will Barton, who was off to a solid start this season as the team’s starting small forward, suffered an adductor muscle injury in his right hip and core and is expected to miss a couple months. Barton has since undergone successful surgery to repair the injury and he will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The Pelicans will launch a G League affiliate that will begin play during the 2019/20 season. The team will eventually call Birmingham, AL its permanent home, but will start in Erie, PA while arena renovations are completed. The team isn’t expected to begin play in Birmingham until 2022/23, meaning it will spend three seasons in Erie. The Pelicans will become the 28th of 30 NBA teams with their own affiliate, with only the Nuggets and Trail Blazers still holding out.
The Kings have exercised the rookie scale options on five of their players. Guards De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, small forward Justin Jackson, and big men Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere will all now have guaranteed contracts for the 2019/20 season. Fox, the highest pick of the five, will have a salary just shy of $6.44MM next season.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- Grizzlies starting power forward JaMychal Green suffered a broken jaw and is out indefinitely, with no time table for his return.
- Bulls swingman Denzel Valentine remains out of action with a bone bruise in his left ankle.
- Celtics’ point guard Kyrie Irving says he would’ve considered his hometown Knicks in free agency next summer had he not been traded to such a good situation in Boston.
- Free agent guard Shaquille Harrison signed a standard NBA contract with the Bulls, who waived veteran center Omer Asik to make room for Harrison.
- Potential 2019 lottery pick Jontay Porter will miss the entire season for Missouri after tearing his ACL and MCL in his right knee during a scrimmage.
- In more injury news, Hawks big man John Collins is still weeks away from returning to action from an ankle injury.
- Nets’ guard Treveon Graham has been diagnosed with a torn left hamstring and is expected to be sidelined for the next two months.
- Bulls starting point guard Kris Dunn will be sidelined for the next four to six weeks after suffering a sprained MCL.
- Former NBA Commissioner David Stern called Pelicans GM Dell Demps a “lousy general manager.”
- In more Bulls injury news, Bobby Portis has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee and is expected to miss several weeks of action.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/20/18 – 10/27/18
Every week, our writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days, including an exclusive interview with an NBA veteran:
- Chris Crouse sat down for an interview with Sixers’ forward Wilson Chandler. Check out what the veteran had to say here.
- Luke Adams went through each club’s NBA G League affiliate players to start the 2018/19 season.
- We finished our 2018 Offseason in Review with the following franchises:
- 2019/20 rookie option decisions are due by October 31. Luke Adams takes a look at the decisions still to be made.
- In our four Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Did the Lakers actually dodge a bullet by missing out on Paul George in free agency this summer?
- Will the Cavaliers move on from Kevin Love before the trade deadline?
- Is the scoring spike we’re seeing so far this season good for the league?
- Should the Hornets be looking to trade All-Star point guard Kemba Walker?
- In his latest weekly mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding Joakim Noah, the one-and-done rule, and Nuggets’ head coach Mike Malone.
- Luke Adams analyzed how the Bulls surrendered a potentially valuable trade piece when they waived Omer Asik.
- In addition to his interview with Chandler, Chris Crouse gave us some early-season fantasy basketball analysis.
- In three different polls, we asked:
- Which team will stay undefeated the longest? It’s down to the Raptors, Bucks, Pistons, and Pelicans.
- Will Kyrie Irving keep his word and re-sign with the Celtics in 2019?
- Are the Rockets still the second-best team in the Western Conference?
- We began a new series, the NBA Trade Candidate Watch, beginning with the Central Division.
- In light of the report that the Rockets offered four first-round picks for Jimmy Butler, Luke Adams looked at how the mechanics of such an offer would work under the CBA.
- The Bulls are already looking at the hardship provision, just four games into the new season. Find out why/how here.
- As part our Hoops Rumors Glossary, Luke Adams explained for our readers how the poison poll provision works in the CBA.