Alex Abrines Talks About Possible NBA Return
In an interview with Georgios Kyriakidis of TalkBasket, former Thunder guard Alex Abrines says he hasn’t given up on a potential return to the NBA.
Abrines returned to Spain after being released and signed with Barcelona in July. He picked up a high-profile teammate in former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic, and the team is cruising through the EuroLeague with a 19-6 record.
“I think I needed a change, although I had some great times in Oklahoma,” Abrines said. “After what happened with my depression, it was tough. I needed a change, to come back home and I think FC Barcelona was the best team. I knew the club, I have friends in Barcelona and it’s pretty close to my hometown. I needed a change of air.”
Abrines describes European basketball as more intense than the NBA because the schedule is shorter and each game is more important. He also “missed playing for so many trophies,” with the King’s Cup, the Spanish League title and the Euroleague all at stake, rather than just the NBA championship.
Still, Abrines enjoyed the chance to compete against the best players in the world and would consider an NBA return in 2021 once he hits free agency again. He signed with Barcelona for two years, along with a third-year option.
“I haven’t closed the door on the NBA,” he said. “Right now, I’m focused on FC Barcelona. I’ve got one more year with them, but you never know what’s going to happen in the future. If I got the chance to go back, maybe I would take it. But it’s not an answer that I have right now.”
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/16/20 – 2/22/20
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams broke down the “starter criteria” language that determines exact rookie salaries for this week’s Hoops Rumors Glossary item.
- Adams also discussed the projected bi-annual and mid-level exception rates for the 2020/21 season.
- Malik Beasley and Jordan McRae number among the Northwest Division free agents-to-be in 2020 who have seen their stock rise this season, Dana Gauruder details in the latest installment of our Free Agent Stock Watch series.
- In our lone poll this week, we asked if you thought the NBA should stick with its new All-Star Game format or return to the old methodology.
- In our Community Shootaround conversations this week, we asked:
- Can the Grizzlies hold off the Trail Blazers, Spurs and Pelicans to secure a 2020 playoff berth? Or will one of these other teams make a playoff push of their own? (link)
- Who do you think will walk away with Coach of the Year hardware in 2020? (link)
- Can the Rockets succeed in the playoffs without a traditional center? (link)
- Can college coaches really win in the NBA? (link)
- Which of 2019’s free agent signings do you think teams will regret, even if they might not be considered full-fledged mistakes quite yet? (link)
Donta Hall Signs 10-Day Deal With Pistons
3:59pm: The Pistons have officially announced their new 10-day deal with Hall, issuing a press release to confirm the signing. The contract will run through March 2.
2:00pm: Grand Rapids Drive forward Donta Hall has inked a 10-day contract with that G League club’s NBA affiliate, the Pistons, according to Hoops Rumors reporter JD Shaw (Twitter link).
The Pistons recently freed up roster space when they bought out forward Markieff Morris, who reportedly plans to join the Lakers, and point guard Reggie Jackson, who signed on with the Clippers for the rest of the 2019/20 season.
Hall, a 6’9″, 230-pound 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Alabama, has averaged 16.4 points per game and 10.5 boards across 36 games for the Drive, according to Austin Kent of SLAM. Hall is connecting on 66.2% of his looks from the floor.
Detroit now has a full roster — 13 players on standard contracts, two on 10-day deals (Hall and Derrick Walton), and two on two-way pacts.
Alex Len To Debut For Kings Tonight
Kings coach Luke Walton said today that new center Alex Len, part of the trade that shipped an unhappy Dewayne Dedmon out of town, will suit up for the first time with his new team tonight, per Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento (Twitter link).
Len, who had been recovering from a hip flexor injury, is expected to play in small 3-4 minute stints at time today, and just 10-12 minutes overall, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).
After being taken with the No. 5 overall pick by the Suns in 2013, the Ukranian-born Len has proved to be a solid if underwhelming role player in Phoenix and, since 2018, Atlanta. He has started in just 180 of his 452 NBA games played. He will serve as a big body to shore up the injury-depleted Kings’ frontcourt, providing support for current starting Kings center Harry Giles.
Len will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a two-year, $8.5MM contract with the Hawks in 2018. This season, the 250-pound seven-footer holds averages of 8.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 0.8 BPG in just 18.6 minutes a night.
Joe Johnson Returning To BIG3
Seven-time All-Star swingman Joe Johnson will be returning to the BIG3 this summer for a second season with Ice Cube‘s 3-on-3 veteran league, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports (Twitter link).
Johnson, 38, is the reigning BIG3 league MVP. His team, the Triplets, won the BIG3 championship last summer, thanks in large part to Johnson’s sharpshooting heroics.
The 6’7″ wing out of Arkansas last saw some NBA heat this fall, where he was signed to the Pistons’ training camp roster after his stellar BIG3 performance. However, power forward Christian Wood beat him out for the team’s 15th and final roster spot heading into the season. Detroit waived Johnson in October.
In his 17 NBA seasons, Iso Joe played for solid playoff squads on the Celtics, Suns, Hawks, Nets, Heat, Jazz and Rockets. He holds a career slash line of 16.0 PPG/4.0 RPG/3.9 APG. He has converted 44.1% of his shots from the field, 37.1% of his 4.2 three-point attempts a night, and 80.2% from the charity stripe.
Lance Stephenson Hoping To Make NBA Return
NBA veteran Lance Stephenson is hoping to make a comeback to the league after a strong showing in China, tweets Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.
Stephenson, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Liaoning Flying Leopards in August. The Brooklyn native was Liaoning’s leading scorer with 26.7 PPG to go with 7.4 RPG and 3.8 APG in nearly 35 minutes per contest. It was the first time since he was selected 40th overall by the Pacers in 2010 that Stephenson did not open the year on an NBA roster.
“He’s willing to work out to prove his value,” Haynes noted.
The nine-year veteran spent four seasons in Indiana and then had stints with the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies and Pelicans before returning for a second stint with the Pacers in 2016/17. Last season, Stephenson suited up for the Lakers. He averaged 7.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG in 68 games for Los Angeles.
The mercurial Stephenson could provide some scoring punch and pesky defense off the bench for a team in the postseason hunt.
Chris Paul: I Want To Play 20 Seasons
In the midst of a resurgent All-Star season, Thunder point guard Chris Paul said he aspires to play for at least another five seasons, NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman relays.
In 55 games this season, the 34-year-old is averaging 17.6 PPG and 6.6 APG for Oklahoma City while stepping up to be one of the league’s best late-game performers. As Feldman notes, the 15-year NBA veteran became the oldest player to make an All-Star team after not being selected for the honor the three seasons prior.
“Especially the way that my body feels now, I definitely probably at least want to play at least 20 years,” Paul said.
It would be a lofty but not impossible goal for Paul, as seven players in NBA history have played at least 20 seasons. That list includes current Hawks veteran Vince Carter (22 seasons), who is in the midst of his final season. Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons), Kevin Garnett (21 seasons), Kevin Willis (21 seasons), Robert Parish (21 seasons), Kobe Bryant (20 seasons) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20 seasons) also suited up for 20-plus campaigns.
A 10-time All-Star, Paul seemed to be at a crossroads this summer when the Rockets unloaded his hefty contract to the Thunder. Injuries and inconsistency hampered Paul during his two-year run in Houston. Then, upon being traded to the Thunder, it seemed unlikely he would even suit up for the team. At 34-22, Paul has helped the Oklahoma City to the current sixth seed in the Western Conference as a likely postseason squad.
While it remains to be seen what Paul’s future holds after 2019/20, his first year in OKC has erased any doubt that he can still be a valuable contributor to a postseason team.
L.A. Notes: Morris, Jackson, George, Beverley, Bryant
After failing to land Marcus Morris, the Lakers are set to add his twin brother Markieff Morris after the forward negotiated a buyout with the Pistons on Friday. While Markieff is not the offensive contributor that his brother is, he can still pack some punch for the Lakers, Sporting News’ Jacob Hancock writes.
Marcus is in the midst of his best season, averaging 19.0 PPG and 5.4 RPG while shooting 43.2% from beyond the arc. Markieff has posted more a modest 11.0 PPG whilst shooting a career-best 39.7% from three. Markieff gives the Lakers another big body to see time in the frontcourt along with Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. Additionally, Markieff’s presence will allow Kyle Kuzma — who has seen time at power forward — to play his more natural position at small forward.
The move figures to become official once Markieff clears waivers on Sunday.
Check more notes surrounding the L.A. teams:
- To reach a buyout agreement with Detroit, Markieff gave up $4.3MM, the remainder of this season’s salary plus his player option for 2020/21, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
- Despite practicing for two straight days, Paul George (hamstring) and Patrick Beverley (groin) have been ruled out of the Clippers‘ Saturday tilt against the Kings, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. George’s hamstring has been a cause for concern this season while Beverley sat out the Skills Challenge to heal the groin. Head coach Doc Rivers has stressed the need for the Clippers to be healthy and establish chemistry heading into the playoffs.
- In addition to acquiring Marcus Morris, the Clippers were also busy in the buyout market adding veteran guard Reggie Jackson. While Jackson figures to help the Clippers’ second unit off the bench, the opportunity will also allow him to play alongside longtime friend Paul George, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes.
- The Lakers vs. Clippers game scheduled for January 28 that was postponed following Kobe Bryant‘s shocking death has been rescheduled for April 9 at Staples Center, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Northwest Division
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Northwest Division:
Malik Beasley, Timberwolves, 23, SG (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $7.8MM deal in 2016
Beasley turned down an extension offer with the Nuggets last offseason, which looked like a really bad decision when he struggled to get steady playing time on Denver’s deep bench. Freedom came in the form of a trade with the Timberwolves and Beasley quickly seized the opportunity. He averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 3.0 APG in his first three games with his new team. Of course, Minnesota made an even bigger deadline deal. The chemistry that Beasley forms with backourt partner D’Angelo Russell will determine how much Minnesota would be willing to fork up to re-sign the restricted free agent.
Jordan McRae, Nuggets, 28, SG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.65MM deal in 2019
The Nuggets made a series of minor moves prior to the trade deadline. In the short run, the most significant was the acquisition of McRae, who was quietly enjoying a career year with the Wizards. McRae, who also had stints with Cleveland and Phoenix during his NBA career, was averaging 12.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.8 APG in 22.8 MPG with Washington. Stats with bad teams can be shrugged off but McRae, who missed some games with hand and ankle injuries, has a chance to show that he can be a second-unit factor for a quality team. The Nuggets possess his Early Bird rights, which increases the possibility of re-signing him if they like what they see.
Andre Roberson, Thunder, 28, SF (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $30MM deal in 2017
It’s sad that Roberson hasn’t been able to resurrect his career after suffering a serious knee injury at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in January 2018. There have been many stops and starts during the rehab process since he ruptured his left patella tendon but Roberson has never been able to reach the point where he could play again. Oklahoma City was unable to move his expiring contract before the trade deadline. The last update on Roberson was that he was continuing his rehab in Los Angeles but there’s a strong possibility that the one-time lockdown defender has played his last NBA game.
Emmanuel Mudiay, Jazz, 23, PG (Down) – Signed to one-year, $1.74MM deal in 2019
Mudiay, the seventh overall pick of the 2015 draft, was signed as a backup to Mike Conley and was playing around 20 MPG until Conley returned from his latest injury. Mudiay hasn’t seen the floor for more than 15 minutes since mid-January and that’s not going to change when Conley suits up. Mudiay posted a career year statistically with the woeful Knicks last season but they didn’t make him a qualifying offer, which thrust him into unrestricted free agency. He can stick around the league for awhile if he’s willing to accept short-term, minimum-salary deals.
Mario Hezonja, Trail Blazers, 24, SF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3.66MM deal in 2019
Hezonja was hoping last summer that the Knicks would re-sign him. The call never came and Hezonja, who started 24 games with New York last season, wound up signing a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Portland. Hezonja, who is currently nursing an ankle injury, was playing regularly but not effectively before the team signed Carmelo Anthony. When he’s gotten opportunities to shoot it, he hasn’t been able to knock them down (38.5% overall, 28.4% from distance). Hezonja holds a $1.978MM player option on his contract for next season and it will be interesting to see if he opts in or chooses to see if another franchise will give him a chance to play regularly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rockets Notes: House, Gordon, Tucker, Westbrook
The Rockets will have to sort out their starting lineup and bench rotation due to recent additions and subtractions and coach Mike D’Antoni will do a lot of experimenting, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. The first order of business is to choose between forward Danuel House Jr. and guard Eric Gordon as the fifth starter in the team’s small-ball lineup. House started and played 19 minutes on Thursday against Golden State but Gordon was sidelined by a shin injury.
Gordon hopes that D’Antoni doesn’t waste too much time making up his mind. “As a player, it’s a totally different mentality when you’re starting or coming off the bench,” he told Feigen. “We definitely have to get our roles set as we go on.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- Golden State forward Draymond Green believes the Rockets’ small-ball look is working because of P.J. Tucker‘s unselfish play as a very undersized center, Feigen relays in another story. “They look good at it,” said Green, who has played a lot of center in small ball units with the Warriors. “And they have some guys that are good at it. It helps a lot having P.J. because he can anchor that lineup. If you throw another shooter, a guard out there, it’s not going to work. The person that makes it work is P.J.”
- By trading center Clint Capela, the Rockets opened up more space for Westbrook to operate, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic details. Westbrook believes it has made a difference. “I just try to find ways to make an impact,” Westbrook said. “Obviously, with this style of playing, different guys on the floor have to be able to guard in a lot of space, which is to my advantage. See, internally, we don’t think it’s small ball. We just play our personnel and go compete, and that’s it.”
- Westbrook becomes nearly as efficient a scorer as James Harden when there isn’t a true center on the floor, as Kelvin Pelton of ESPN details. His true shooting percentage in those lineups is the best in his entire career. Westbrook never developed pick-and-roll chemistry with Capela and he’s benefited from having help defenders pulled away from the basket since he’s surrounded by 3-point shooters, Pelton adds.