Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Sullinger, Thornton, Moore

February 27th, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Eddie Scarito

Jared Sullinger is in line to become a restricted free agent this offseason provided the Celtics submit a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683, but the big man would prefer to remain in Boston for the long-term instead of heading elsewhere, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7FM writes. “Most definitely. Most definitely. My oldest brother always told me that the worst thing to happen to me sometimes is change and that I don’t handle change well. I strongly disagree,” Sullinger said, responding to a question regarding his desire to remain in Boston. “Sometimes, you just don’t want to change the scenery. When you play for the greatest franchise in the NBA and you see all those banners and all the fans come at you, you don’t want to leave that place because you know it’s a special place in your heart. It’s the first team I played for in the NBA and hopefully it’ll be the last.”

The power forward has enjoyed flying under the radar this season thanks to the attention All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas has received, Petraglia adds. “It’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of fun. Growing up, I wasn’t really a high-profile guy,” Sullinger relayed. “Going into middle school, especially entering high school, and I kind of came out of nowhere and came into my own. My main thing was just to win. When they see you win, they see all the big-time games. That’s what I was told, especially in the AAU. Playing in the AAU, the more you win, the more you play against high-profile that get to this level, and the more you get exposure. The more you win, it just takes care of itself. As long as you focus on winning, the outcome is always greater.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Despite Marcus Thornton being part of the nixed trade for Donatas Motiejunas, the Pistons likely won’t have any interest in signing him now that the Rockets have waived him, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press notes (on Twitter). According to Ellis, Thornton was just “trade filler” and Detroit had no plans to use him in the rotation.
The Hawks were extremely interested in signing center Anderson Varejao after the Blazers waived him, but the veteran chose to head west and join the Warriors instead, Vivlamore tweets.
After languishing on Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s bench early in the season, E’Twaun Moore has flourished since being moved into a starter’s role, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “I’ve always been confident,” Moore said. “I know I’m capable of playing well. It’s not really a surprise. And I don’t think it’s a surprise to my teammates either. They see how hard I work and they’ve got faith in me. It’s no big deal to me.“

And-Ones: Diversity, Udrih, De Colo

February 26th, 2016 at 10:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There is growing concern that the NBA is overlooking qualified African-Americans when hiring top basketball executives, which has led to talk that the league may need to institute a policy similar to the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. For those not familiar, the Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for vacant head coaching positions. The league has thus far scoffed at implementing such a change, noting that there are loopholes in the policy and minority hires have actually decreased in the NFL in recent years, Goodwill adds.

“We have a long history of minorities being well-represented as top basketball executives. I think it’s a matter of time before the numbers move up,” deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told Goodwill, while also relaying that he believes hiring patterns are cyclical and noting nearly one-third of the basketball operations positions were held by African-American men in 1994/95. “But we’re always focused on committing to a culture of inclusion through our league. We’re not standing idly,” Tatum added.

Here’s more from around the league:

Beno Udrih underwent surgery as planned today on his right foot, the Heat announced, reiterating their expectation that he’ll miss three months (Twitter link). He’s said he’ll try to beat the three-month timetable, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter).
Former NBA player Nando De Colo has received interest from multiple NBA teams, but the point guard prefers to sign an extension with CSKA Moscow, his current team, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). De Colo, who last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 season when he split time between the Spurs and the Raptors, was reportedly considering a return to the NBA back in September.
The Hawks have assigned Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Both players will go to the Austin Spurs as part of the flexible assignment rule since Atlanta doesn’t have its own affiliate. This will mark Tavares’ eighth trek to the D-League on the season, and Patterson’s fourth.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Heat Favorites For Joe Johnson, Cavs Long Shots

February 26th, 2016 at 1:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:40pm: The Heat expect they’ll sign Johnson this weekend, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He clears waivers Saturday. So, it appears Miami is poised to cross back into tax territory.

1:25pm: Miami is “far and away the most likely” destination for Johnson, but he’s yet to make up his mind, a league source said to Zagoria (Twitter link).

12:02pm: The Cavaliers have become long shots for Johnson, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt hears (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 11:56am: Miami has pulled into the lead for Johnson, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link), as the longtime starter believes he’d see a more significant role with the Heat than with others, ESPN’s Chris Broussard says (Twitter link). Heat president Pat Riley expressed at least some level of openness Thursday to re-entering tax territory, though he spoke specifically about the team’s lack of point guards.

THURSDAY, 4:20pm: The Cavaliers are confident that they’re the favorites to land Joe Johnson now that he’s worked a buyout with the Nets, but the Hawks, in whom Johnson also reportedly holds interest, plan a concerted effort to lure him back to Atlanta, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (All Twitter links). The Heat are also among the teams he’s strongly considering, with the Celtics and Thunder close behind the trio of Cleveland, Atlanta and Miami, sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Johnson appears likely to wait a couple of days before making a decision, Stein adds. He’ll be on waivers until Saturday at 4:00pm Central time, at which point he’ll most assuredly become a free agent, since no team has the cap room or an exception large enough to claim his salary of almost $24.895MM. Johnson will give back approximately $3MM of that figure as part of the buyout deal once he clears waivers, Nets GM Sean Marks said today in an appearance on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York radio, notes Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).

Johnson was reportedly planning to sign with the Cavs, but the Hawks have a financial edge, since Atlanta can offer a prorated portion of the room exception now worth about $2MM. Cleveland is limited to the prorated minimum salary, which would give Johnson approximately $400K. The cost of signing Johnson would nonetheless be greater to the Cavs than it would be to the Hawks because of Cleveland’s position as a luxury tax team. The 15th-year veteran would represent an investment of between $1.2MM and $1.3MM in combined salary and taxes for the Cavs.

Miami is in a tough position, since the Heat would slip over the tax line if they signed Johnson to any more than the minimum salary at any time before March 6th. The Heat would pay repeat-offender tax penalties of at least $2.50 for every dollar they’re over the tax line on the final day of the regular season. The Celtics, Rockets, Thunder and Raptors are all among those pursuing Johnson, according to Stein, and the Thunder have the most to give Johnson with about $2.4MM remaining on their prorated taxpayer’s mid-level exception.

The Nets clearly aren’t in the picture for Johnson at this point, but he wouldn’t dismiss the idea of re-signing with them in the summer, as he said before the buyout, and Marks didn’t rule out the possibility as he spoke on the radio today, Mazzeo tweets. “You never know what’s going to happen,” Marks said. Still, Johnson has also said he places a premium on winning, a remark that’s an auspicious sign for the Cavs in their competition with the Hawks and Heat and casts doubt on the idea of a summer reunion with Brooklyn.

Southeast Notes: Riley, Johnson, Anderson

February 26th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Heat president Pat Riley acknowledged that injuries that have left the team with only 10 healthy players could prompt the team to change its tax-related stance against making a signing in the next two weeks, observes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Heat can’t sign anyone until March 6th without crossing the tax threshold, and Riley has said his plan is to wait even longer so Miami can fill both of its open roster spots before season’s end.

“We have our limitations financially as far as what we can do and how much and there’s a certain date,” Riley said. “But obviously being down another point guard, we may have to rethink that. But right now, that’s not a priority.”

Miami is reportedly among the contenders for Joe Johnson and would have interest in Kevin Martin if Johnson signs elsewhere. See more from the Southeast Division:

Johnson would be a cheap addition for the Hawks who would fill a need for scoring and help on the wing, where Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore have struggled, but he doesn’t seem like a fit within Atlanta’s offense, opines Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who questions whether Johnson would accept a secondary role.
Alan Anderson surprised himself with his performance Wednesday in his first game with the Wizards after injury knocked him out for most of the season, as J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic relays. Anderson, who signed a one-year, $4MM deal in the summer, led the team in plus/minus at plus 11, Michael notes. “He’s going to be competitive. He’s going to play with a chip on his shoulder, an edge. He’s always one of those physical players out there. He did one heck of a job for his first game back,” John Wall said. “His defensive pressure, intensity, his talking out there, made some big shots for us to get us back into the game. Once he gets his wind [back], he’s going to be great for us. That’s the reason we wanted him on our team.”
Soon-to-be free agent Hassan Whiteside‘s value depends on the eye of the beholder, as some teams would probably jump at adding him for the eye-popping production he delivers while others wouldn’t tolerate his mistakes, writes Rob Mahoney of SI.com, who details the Heat big man’s strengths and limitations.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Anthony, Splitter

February 25th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens declined to comment about whether the team had any interest in pursuing Joe Johnson, who was waived by the Nets earlier today as part of a buyout arrangement, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). The coach did specify what type of player Boston would be looking for to fill its open roster spot, saying, “I think versatility is huge. Certainly shooting’s a big deal. All those things come into play. Obviously, with Kelly [Olynyk] out, interior help is something that you’d have to consider, but hopefully he’s not out too long and I think the versatility stands out more than anything else.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t want to lose Carmelo Anthony as a teammate and looks at the veteran scorer as a role model, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade. “Oh well, obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis said regarding ‘Melo. “He is who he is on our team. He’s special and we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him so that would obviously not be something that I want.“
Hawks center Tiago Splitter underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his right hip, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. Splitter will miss the remainder of the season as a result of the injury and subsequent surgery.
Bucks big man Greg Monroe has been coming off the bench lately for the team, which isn’t necessarily what he had in mind when he inked a maximum salary deal with the team this past summer, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times writes. When asked if he regretted signing with Milwaukee, Monroe said, “It’s not something they had planned when I was coming here. So, no, I can’t answer that question because it wasn’t something that was planned all along.’’ The big man also admitted that he heard the trade chatter involving him but wasn’t fazed, Woelfel adds. “I didn’t get bothered by it. I’ve been in the league awhile; I’ve been in free agency and reports came out then and I know they were totally false. And these situations are basically the same, so I was sure it was all speculation.’’
The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s eighth jaunt of the season to Maine.

Nets Waive Joe Johnson In Apparent Buyout

February 25th, 2016 at 2:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets have waived Joe Johnson, the team announced via press release. The statement didn’t refer to it as a buyout, but the sides were in buyout talks, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier today. The 34-year-old was making almost $24.895MM in the final year of his contract and likely relinquished a portion of that in exchange for the chance to hit free agency.

“The Nets want to thank Joe for his many contributions to the team and the organization,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in the team’s statement. “Joe has been a quality professional since joining the Nets four years ago, was a valued member of three playoff teams, and provided many thrilling moments for his teammates and Nets’ fans. We wish him much success in the future.”

No team has enough cap room or any exception large enough to claim Johnson off waivers, so he’s poised to hit the open market Saturday. He’d been planning to sign with the Cavaliers in the event of a buyout, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, but Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears he has interest in rejoining the Hawks, the team he played for from 2005 to 2012. The Cavs and Hawks are among a group in pursuit of the 15th-year veteran that also includes the Celtics, Rockets, Heat, Thunder and Raptors, according to Stein. Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald first reported the Heat’s interest weeks ago, but Miami is unable to sign anyone prior to March 6th without crossing the luxury tax line.

The move leaves the Nets with two open roster spots. Brooklyn saved more than $1.5MM through a buyout deal with Andrea Bargnani this past weekend. Marks has been on the job for only a week, but both Bargnani and Johnson have hit waivers in that brief time. The Nets also released Deron Williams in a buyout deal this past summer under former GM Billy King.

Joe Johnson Interested In Playing For Hawks

February 25th, 2016 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Johnson has interest in joining the Hawks if he shakes free from the Nets, several sources tell Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That adds some doubt to the notion that Johnson would sign with the Cavaliers if he becomes a free agent this season, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer had heard. The Nets and Johnson have reportedly begun buyout talks, with the Hawks among a handful of teams interested in signing him.

Only three Hawks, Jeff Teague, Al Horford and Kirk Hinrich, remain from the seven seasons Johnson spent with Atlanta between 2005 and 2012, Vivlamore notes. The Hawks originally signed Johnson to the contract that pays him nearly $24.895MM this season before trading him to the Nets in the 2012 offseason. The 34-year-old would be giving up a portion of that salary in exchange for his way off the 15-42 Nets if the sides work a buyout deal, and he’d be available much more cheaply should he clear waivers, as would be expected.

Atlanta has an open roster spot and can offer Johnson a prorated portion of the room exception, which would work out to about $2MM. That’s not as much as he could get from the Thunder, who can offer about $2.4MM, but it’s more than the Cavaliers and several others can offer. The Celtics, Rockets, Heat and Raptors are also in pursuit, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who broke the story of the buyout talks between Johnson and the Nets. Johnson would have to hit waivers no later than March 1st to be eligible to play for the Hawks or any team other than Brooklyn in the postseason, and that would largely represent Johnson’s motivation to do the buyout, since the Nets have virtually no shot of making the playoffs.

Nets, Joe Johnson Start Buyout Talks

February 25th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Joe Johnson have begun talks about a would-be buyout deal, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Johnson would reportedly sign with the Cavaliers if he becomes a free agent this season, but Stein hears that the Hawks, Celtics, Rockets, Heat, Thunder and Raptors are also pursuing him (Twitter link). Multiple reports in recent weeks have cast doubt on the idea that Johnson would engineer a buyout, which would entail him giving back part of his nearly $24.895MM salary, and Johnson has said he wouldn’t rule out re-signing with the Nets this summer, when his contract is set to expire. Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who reported the Cavs link, heard that whether a buyout happens comes down to Brooklyn’s willingness to reap financial savings at the cost of a move that would help Cleveland.

Johnson, 34, is averaging 11.8 points per game on 40.6% shooting this season, his lowest figure in either category since the 2002/03 season. Still, he’s shooting 37.1% from 3-point range, mirroring his career average. He remains in a starting role and hasn’t appeared as a reserve in any game since 2003/04, though many of the teams that would sign him would probably ask him to come off the bench.

It’s nonetheless no surprise to see Johnson attract interest from multiple suitors in spite of his declining production, as he’s still capable of delivering an offensive boost. He put up 27 points and 11 assists on February 5th in Brooklyn’s win against the Kings. That was a few days after Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald reported that Johnson would stir the Heat’s interest if he came free on the buyout market.

The Cavs and Raptors only have the prorated minimum salary of about $400K to offer, while the Thunder have the most to spend among the teams connected to him, since they have a prorated portion of the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which is now worth about $2.4MM. The Hawks and Celtics have prorated portions of the room exception now worth about $2MM. The Heat can’t pay even the minimum salary on a contract for the rest of the season until March 6th without inviting repeat-offender tax penalties, while the Rockets are roughly $500K shy of the hard cap they triggered when they signed Montrezl Harrell earlier this season.

Johnson would have to hit waivers by the close of business on March 1st to be eligible to appear in the playoffs with a team other than Brooklyn, a club with no postseason hopes of its own. The Jeff Schwartz client has been in the postseason every year since missing out with the Hawks in 2007.

Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Richardson, Booker

February 24th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The presence of Kent Bazemore was one reason why the Hawks let DeMarre Carroll walk in free agency this past summer, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and over the first half of the season, Bazemore delivered on the team’s faith in him. However, Bazemore has slumped of late, as Vivlamore details. The fourth-year veteran heads into his own free agency July 1st, the same day he turns 27, with projections for next season’s salary varying widely between the mid-level and $12MM. Celtics coach Brad Stevens was the first to call him when he last became a free agent, in 2014, notes Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. That came on the heels of Bazemore’s first significant minutes in the NBA down the stretch of the 2013/14 with the Lakers, who had acquired him via trade from the Warriors at the deadline that season, and he’s grateful for the swap, cognizant that if he was ever to carve out a substantive role for himself in the NBA, he’d have to leave Golden State, Charania writes. See more on Bazemore’s current team amid news from the Southeast Division:

Bazemore’s slump, Kyle Korver‘s advancing age and the underwhelming impact of trade acquisition Tim Hardaway are among the reasons the Hawks have regressed this season, as Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders examines. Greene also wonders how much the looming specter of Al Horford‘s free agency and the unsettled situation at point guard, where Dennis Schröder‘s performance has pushed Jeff Teague for playing time amid trade rumors involving both, have also played into the team’s decline in play. Atlanta is 31-27 after going 60-22 a year ago.
The defensive versatility of Josh Richardson, who can guard every position but center, figures to come in handy for the Heat down the stretch this season, as Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald wrote Monday, and that’s doubly so in the wake of Tuesday’s news that backup point guard Beno Udrih is likely done for the year. A utility role isn’t new for this year’s 40th overall pick. “I was like that in college all four years,” Richardson said, according to Navarro. “It’s not any different now.”
The Wizards may well have been better served re-signing Trevor Booker in 2014 instead of signing-and-trading for Kris Humphries instead, given the team’s change of styles since then, observes J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Booker instead signed with the Jazz, while Washington traded Humphries along with DeJuan Blair and a protected first-rounder for Markieff Morris, creating a roster spot that the team is poised to fill with fellow power forward J.J. Hickson.

Southwest Notes: Dwight, Stephenson, Lee

February 24th, 2016 at 9:33am CST by Chuck Myron

Many executives believe Dwight Howard‘s slumping productivity and recent history of injuries will keep him from receiving the max in free agency this summer, but the Rockets still see him as preferable to Al Horford or Ryan Anderson, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick. Howard’s agent Dan Fegan sent word to the Bucks, Hornets and Hawks, among others, that Howard isn’t anxious to take any discounts this summer, and he didn’t indicate a willingness to opt in and push back his free agency until 2017, Amick notes, which reportedly turned off the Bucks, at least, if not other suitors. Adding to the confusion before the deadline was that Howard was giving serious thought to changing agents, Amick writes. The USA Today scribe indicates that Howard’s uncertainty regarding Fegan is in the past, though that’s not entirely clear. See more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies didn’t specifically target Lance Stephenson, Chris Andersen and P.J. Hairston, whom they garnered via trade before the deadline, and instead took them in merely because their contracts were a fit for the sort of draft asset collection the deals afforded Memphis, writes Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal. The protected 2019 first-rounder the Grizzlies received in the Stephenson trade is more likely than not to end up in another trade at some point, Herrington opines.
There’s talk that the Grizzlies will pick up Stephenson’s $9.405MM team option for next season, according to Herrington (Twitter links), but it’s unclear if that talk is coming from the team, and the Commercial Appeal scribe dismisses it as “irrational exuberance.”
David Lee said the Mavericks have told him rebounding will be his primary task, notes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter). Conversely, the cohesiveness of the Mavs helped sell the new signee on Dallas, as Sneed also notes (Twitter link). “You can see the chemistry from playing against [the Mavericks], and that’s something I want to be a part of,” Lee said.