Southeast Notes: Connelly, Walker, Lamb, Briscoe
Asked about the possibility that he might leave to run the Wizards‘ front office, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly passed on the chance to issue a denial, relays Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Washington has reportedly targeted Connelly as its top candidate after firing Ernie Grunfeld this week.
“To be honest with you, I was hoping not to have to answer that question on a night when we win the Northwest Division,” Connelly responded Friday as the team celebrated its title.
Connelly grew up in Baltimore and had his first NBA job as an intern with the Wizards. He signed an extension with the Nuggets in February, but Kiszla notes that the organization doesn’t have a history of paying executives especially well, which led to the departure of Masai Ujiri in 2013. Kiszla suggests that Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, should refuse any request from the Wizards to interview Connelly.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- With the Hornets as a long shot to reach the playoffs, Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders examines some situations that might be better for free agent guard Kemba Walker. Rhodes states that the Suns are intriguing with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton already in place and a high lottery pick about to join them. Rhodes names the Bulls, Knicks, Lakers and Mavericks as other possibilities.
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer examines whether the Hornets can afford to bring back Jeremy Lamb if they re-sign Walker. Lamb has established himself as a legitimate scorer and another crunch-time option, but the team would be well into luxury tax territory if it brings back both free agents. Bonnell speculates that it will probably take a max offer to keep Walker ($190MM over five seasons or up to $221MM if he makes an All-NBA team and qualifies for a super-max contract), plus something in the range of $10-$13MM annually for Lamb.
- The Magic are interested in working out a new deal with Isaiah Briscoe this summer, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Briscoe, who is sidelined by a torn meniscus, was waived this week to open a roster spot for Michael Carter-Williams. He cleared waivers yesterday and is an unrestricted free agent.
Heat Notes: Maten, Robinson, Haslem, Waiters
The Heat‘s confidence in Yante Maten‘s offensive game led the team to sign him a new contract this morning, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Playing all season on a two-way deal, the undrafted rookie forward out of Georgia was signed for the three games of this season, along with a partial guarantee over the next two years. His salary for 2020/21 becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster this fall.
Maten had a productive season in the G League, averaging 23.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game despite missing time in January and February with an ankle injury. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes Maten would have been in the running for MVP honors if he hadn’t gotten hurt.
“He’s got a great offensive skill set,” Spoelstra said. “You can’t teach that kind of touch for somebody of his size. He’s a gym rat, very coachable. We’re looking forward to growing with him. He’s a good kid.”
There’s more out of Miami:
- With an available roster spot remaining, the Heat are considering a standard contract for their other two-way player, Duncan Robinson, Jackson reports in the same story. Robinson played 13 games for Miami this season and must be given a standard deal to become eligible for the playoffs.
- Udonis Haslem has barely played over the past three seasons, but Spoelstra will lobby him to return for another year, Jackson adds. The team believes Haslem’s leadership is worth investing a roster spot, even though he has appeared in just eight games this season. “I’m going to try to convince him to keep on going,” Spoelstra said. “He has the right to take his time, and that’s what he’s going to do. But at least we got him to that point, where it’s not an automatic package deal with Dwyane [Wade]. That would be fitting, but I would like to see him continue. We need it and what he brings to the table is what so many organizations are missing — that leadership, knowledge, somebody that really understands your culture. I will respect whatever decision he makes, but I am going to recruit him hard this summer.”
- Dion Waiters‘ late-season performance may have dissuaded the Heat from trying to trade him this summer, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. However, he adds that conditioning will be important and Waiters will need to meet his weight requirement for training camp to prove his commitment to management. He still has two years and $24.75MM left on his contract.
Michael Frazier Signs With Rockets
APRIL 7: The deal is official, the Rockets tweeted.
APRIL 6: The Rockets will sign G League guard Michael Frazier for the rest of the season, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Frazier was honored as the league’s Most Improved Player after posting 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 45 games for Houston’s Rio Grande Valley affiliate. He has bounced around the G League since leaving Florida in 2015, but hasn’t played any games at the NBA level. Frazier also played for Team USA in this year’s World Cup qualifiers, alongside Chris Chiozza, who will be his teammate in Houston.
The Rockets only have 14 players under contract, so no move will be necessary before adding Frazier.
Bulls Notes: LaVine, Boylen, Markkanen
Zach LaVine doesn’t mind lashing back at critics who said the Bulls made a mistake when they matched the four-year, $78MM offer sheet he received from the Kings last summer, relays K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. LaVine is posting career highs in scoring (23.7 PPG), rebounds (4.7) and assists (4.5) while shooting a career-high 46.7% from the field.
“Now it’s looking like I’m a pretty good deal, right?” he said.
The only thing that hasn’t improved for LaVine this season is his team’s won-loss record. After three years in Minnesota, Lavine was hoping to be part of a resurgence in Chicago when he was acquired in a trade two years ago. Instead, the Bulls are limping to the finish line at 22-58. LaVine promises next year will be different, health permitting.
“I haven’t played in a meaningful game in five years of my career, so it’s getting to the point where you really want to start looking past ‘self’ things and moving toward you want to win,” he said. “We’re in the right direction moving forward, but we have to make some changes individually and as a team to get to that point.”
There’s more today out of Chicago:
- Injuries have left the Bulls with a depleted roster, but Jim Boylen hasn’t changed his approach to coaching, Johnson tweets. Chicago started recently promoted G Leaguers Rawle Alkins and Walt Lemon in last night’s loss to the Sixers, along with Wayne Selden, Shaquille Harrison and Robin Lopez. “It’s not an option for me to coach only the established guys or whatever,” Boylen said. “I can’t be different than I’m asking them to be. I talk about when they step on the floor, no matter where you’re from or how much you money you make, you gotta compete. Well, I gotta be the same way.” (Twitter link).
- The results are good so far for Lauri Markkanen, who has been shut down for the rest of the season because of a rapid heart rate, relays Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Boylen said Saturday that Markkanen has been working out while wearing heart monitors and all the medical tests have been encouraging. ‘‘We’re very positive about where he’s at and where he’ll be,’’ Boylen said. ‘‘He’s in great spirits. They’re still doing some daily evaluations of where he’s at.’’
- The Bulls changed the course of their franchise by trading away Jimmy Butler in 2017, but injuries have prevented them from assessing how their young core fits together, Johnson notes in a separate story.
Heat Sign Yante Maten To Multi-Year Deal
9:27am: The deal is official, the Heat confirmed on Twitter.
9:04am: Yante Maten, who has been a two-way player with the Heat all season, has agreed to a multi-year contract with the team, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami used part of its mid-level exception for the signing (Twitter link).
The deal is partially guaranteed and Maten will have a chance to earn $3.1MM over the next two seasons, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). He will be eligible for the playoffs is Miami can qualify.
Maten signed a two-way deal in July after going undrafted out of Georgia. The 22-year-old forward spent the entire season in the G League, averaging 23.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in 30 games.
Today marked the deadline for the Heat to add a player to reach the 14-man roster minimum. They still have one opening they can fill by Wednesday.
Knicks Notes: Durant, Thomas, Mudiay, Letter
Rich Kleiman is an NBA agent with only one client, but he’ll get plenty of attention this summer, especially in New York, writes Stefan Bondy of The Daily News. If Kleiman, a native New Yorker, can deliver Kevin Durant to the Knicks, he might be in line for a front office job as well, as a commission.
Kleiman and Durant go into detail about their relationship in newly released episodes of the ESPN series, “The Boardroom.” Durant says he was seeking guidance with his career in 2007 when he met Kleiman at a concert. They became friends, but their business partnership didn’t happen until 2013, making Kleiman his third agent in five NBA seasons. Durant also explains that he left the Thunder for the Warriors in 2016 because he wanted “another challenge,” possibly offering hope to the Knicks that he might view this offseason the same way.
“For us, it was stepping into a new chapter,” Durant said. “Let’s see how much we can conquer this totally, all the way around, not just on the basketball court, but as much as we can do in the community, as much as we can do for our businesses as well and obviously me as a basketball player.”
There’s more from New York:
- The Knicks are two losses away from the worst season in franchise history, bringing back bad memories for Lance Thomas, who was part of the team that set that record in 2015, Bondy adds in a separate story. “Nobody in any competitive setting likes to lose,” Thomas said. “But it takes a tough-minded individual to keep focus and to make sure things are done the right way to change things around. Myself, I’ve just been constantly working and pushing the guys to have the mindset I have.”
- Coach David Fizdale is dropping hints that Emmanuel Mudiay has played his last game for the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Fizdale kept Mudiay on the bench Friday with a sore shoulder and said afterward that he didn’t want to take the chance of Mudiay aggravating the injury with free agency upcoming. “I think about these guys’ careers from the standpoint of, we’re not going to the playoffs, this kid has now established himself and put himself in position to have an offseason where multiple teams are going to want to talk to him,’’ Fizdale said. “I don’t want to risk that after that he’s done so much to get to where he is.” The Knicks have other plans with more than $70MM in cap space, and Dennis Smith Jr. appears to be the point guard of the future unless Kyrie Irving comes to New York.
- The letter the Knicks sent to season ticket holders touting the team’s free agent prospects was a mixture of optimism and caution, Steve Popper of Newsday.
Draft Notes: Lawson, M. Johnson, Baxter, Sibande
Kansas forward Dedric Lawson, who projects as a second-round pick, will enter the NBA draft and sign with an agent, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
Lawson averaged 19.4 points and 10.4 rebounds as a junior. He is ranked as the 46th prospect overall and the 14th-best power forward on ESPN’s big board.
There are more draft decisions to pass along:
- North Carolina State’s Markell Johnson will also test the draft waters, according to a press release from the school. The junior guard averaged 12.6 PPG and 4.2 APG this season while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range. He is not listed in ESPN’s Top 100.
- Troy Baxter Jr. of Florida Gulf Coast will declare for the draft, the school announced (Twitter link). The sophomore forward was a four-star high school recruit who began at UNLV before transferring. In his lone season at FGCU, Baxter averaged 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He is also not in ESPN’s Top 100.
- Nike Sibande of Miami (Ohio) will enter the draft, the school announced in a news release. The sophomore guard was named MAC Freshman of the Year last season. He also falls outside the Top 100.
Five Key Stories: 3/30/19 – 4/6/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Ernie Grunfeld’s long tenure as GM of the Wizards came to an end Tuesday night. Washington got an early jump on the offseason by dismissing Grunfeld, who had been running the team since 2003. The Wizards will be among several organizations looking for a new GM this offseason.
A rape allegation against Kristaps Porzingis was made public. The incident allegedly occurred in New York City on the same day that Porzinigis suffered the ACL tear that ended his season last February. Mavericks officials said they were aware of the accusation when they traded for him in January.
The Lakers shut down LeBron James for the rest of the season to prevent any more damage to the injured groin that has been bothering him. James played just 55 games in his first year in L.A. and wasn’t able to end the team’s streak of non-playoff seasons that now stands at six.
Ja Morant of Murray State, one of the top prospects in college basketball, officially entered this year’s draft. The sophomore guard, who has been grabbing the attention of scouts all season, has been projected as high as No. 2 on many draft boards.
The status of another potential first-rounder is uncertain as Auburn’s Chuma Okeke suffered a torn left ACL in the NCAA Tournament. Okeke had been projected as a possible late first-round pick.
Here are more headlines from the past week:
- The Sixers added a big man for the postseason by signing Greg Monroe. He became available when his 10-day contract with the division rival Celtics expired.
- Michael Carter-Williams signed with the Magic for the rest of the season after impressing the organization with his performance on a pair of 10-day contracts. Isaiah Briscoe was waived to make room on the roster.
- Free agent center Tyler Zeller found a new home with the Grizzlies. He had been searching for an opportunity since being waived by the Bucks in the preseason and had spent 10 days with the Hawks.
- The Wizards decided to waive Wesley Johnson, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the Pelicans. The move allows Washington to get rid of his $9.2MM cap hold.
- The Nets gave extensions to GM Sean Marks, along with coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff. This has been a turnaround season for Brooklyn, which is in the midst of a battle for the playoffs after years of losing.
- The Pelicans started interviews for their open GM position, bringing in former Cavaliers GM David Griffin. Danny Ferry, currently serving as interim GM in New Orleans, is also among the candidates, along with Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Wizards interim GM Tommy Sheppard.
- Grizzlies assistant Jerry Stackhouse accepted a job as the new head coach at Vanderbilt. Stackhouse was in his first season with Memphis and interviewed for three NBA head coaching positions last year.
- The NBA reduced its projected salary cap for the 2020/21 season. The new projections of a $116MM cap and a $141MM tax level are $2MM less than the original figures.
- Chris Boucher of Raptors 905 was named Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the G League. Boucher collected the awards despite playing in just 28 of his team’s 50 games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: McCollum, Layden, Wolves, Craig
The Trail Blazers may have injured guard C.J. McCollum back in their lineup tomorrow, tweets Jason Quick of The Athletic. McCollum is listed as probable for a second straight division showdown with the Nuggets. He hasn’t played since suffering a left knee strain on March 16.
The return of McCollum, who is second on the team in scoring at 21.3 PPG, comes at an opportune time for Portland, which is trying to hold onto home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After last night’s loss to Denver, the Blazers stand at 50-29, just one game ahead of the fifth-place Jazz.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Timberwolves will decide the fate of GM Scott Layden after the season ends, with ESPN broadcaster Chauncey Billups and Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth among the top candidates if Minnesota decides to make a change, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Wolves owner Glen Taylor was reportedly unhappy with Layden and former coach/executive Tom Thibodeau over the way they handled Jimmy Butler‘s trade request. Thibodeau was dismissed in early January.
- A $9.2MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception will provide the Timberwolves with their best chance to improve this summer, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. All five starters will be under contract if Jeff Teague opts in to his $19MM salary, so Minnesota can use the MLE to try to fortify its reserves. Leroux suggests Marcus Morris, Tyreke Evans, Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington and Terrence Ross as possible targets.
- Torrey Craig has become the Nuggets‘ most disruptive force on defense, observes Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post. The second-year forward has increased his stats across the board this season and is a valuable part of the rotation heading into the playoffs. “I hate to see guys comfortable, just dribbling easy getting to their spots,” Craig said. “So I make sure they try to feel me all the time no matter what, coming off screens or bringing the ball down court. I just want to be a physical presence on them the whole time.”
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/30/19 – 4/6/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Listed below are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams broke down how the Eastern Conference playoffs could affect free agency decisions.
- He also examined Western free agents who have increased their value.
- We looked at important dates and deadlines for this year’s draft.
- We had an overview of the 10-day contracts that were issued this year.
- This week’s Community Shootaround asked about Jimmy Butler’s future.
- We identified the teams that still have roster openings.
- We opened our glossary to the Ted Stepien Rule.