Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic, Mavs, Hawks Eyeing Devin Ebanks

September 4th, 2013 at 6:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy reported more than a month ago that four clubs had interest in former Laker Devin Ebanks, and while three of them appear to have dropped out of the running, two more have joined the pursuit. The Magic, Mavericks and Hawks have expressed interest in Ebanks, Kennedy tweets this evening. Atlanta is the only team repeated from the late July report that also named the Bucks and Bobcats.

Ebanks has spent his entire three-year career with the Lakers, who drafted him 43rd overall in 2010. The team initially gave him a two-year contract, so he was up for restricted free agency last summer and wound up signing his qualifying offer. The Lakers decided against extending a QO this time around, making him an unrestricted free agent. The team hasn't been linked to him since, so it appears he won't be back in purple and gold.

The former West Virginia Mountaineer enjoyed his best pro season in 2011/12, when he began the year as the starting small forward for the Lakers. That assignment didn't last, and he's otherwise struggled to find playing time, averaging 11.3 minutes per game for his career. Still, he's only appeared in nine D-League contests, and the Lakers didn't assign him to the L.A. D-Fenders, their affiliate, at all last season.

The Mavs have 15 players, all of whom are on guaranteed contracts, while the Hawks and Magic have fewer than 15 guaranteed deals, as our roster counts show. That may give Atlanta and Orlando an edge for the David Bauman client.

Eastern Notes: Ayon, Cavs, Heat, Bucks

September 4th, 2013 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

While the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Nets, and Knicks are generally viewed as locks to earn postseason spots in the Eastern Conference, those final three spots are up for grabs, and Lang Greene of HoopsWorld argues that the Raptors are being overlooked as a contender. In his NBA AM piece, Greene takes a look at the Raps, writing that they'll be competing with clubs like the Pistons, Hawks, Wizards, Cavs, and Bucks for those last few playoff berths in the East. Here are a few more Wednesday items out of the conference:

Even when he was released by the Bucks, Gustavo Ayon didn't consider returning to Europe, as he tells Gonzalo Aguirregomezcorta of ESPNDeportes.com. The Hawks ultimately claimed Ayon off waivers, and the Mexican big man is looking forward to trying to carve out a larger role in Atlanta.
The Cavaliers are still working to finalize the details, but they'll hire Steve Hetzel to coach their D-League squad, the Canton Charge, according to Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. Hetzel has served as the Pistons' player development coach for the last several seasons.
Ira Winderman's Wednesday mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel is an all-Michael Beasley edition, but Winderman can't fathom the Heat looking into bringing back its former second overall pick.
The Bucks have officially announced the assistant coaches who will be a part of Larry Drew's staff in 2013/14.

David Lighty Accepts Hawks’ Camp Invite

September 4th, 2013 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Former Ohio State shooting guard David Lighty will be in camp next month with the Hawks, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Word that Lighty would accept a training camp invite from the team was first reported earlier in the summer by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Lighty, 25, went undrafted in 2011 as Chad Ford's 64th-best prospect in that year's rookie class. He has played overseas since then, most recently averaging 12.5 PPG and shooting 42.5% on three-pointers in 35 games for JSF Nanterre in France.

As Vivlamore notes, Lighty and Eric Dawson are the players confirmed to be camp invitees so far for the Hawks, while Shelvin Mack is on a non-guaranteed contract and Mike Scott only has a partial guarantee. Mack and Scott probably have a leg up on Lighty and Dawson for regular-season roster spots, but with only 12 guaranteed contracts on their books so far, the Hawks should have a few players competing for those last few openings next month.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Haddadi, Knicks, Bulls

September 3rd, 2013 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers' roster is currently light on veterans and heavy on young talent, which should make for a competitive training camp and preseason. GM Sam Hinkie tells Tom Moore of The Intelligencer that he thinks that competition will be good for the team.

"Everyone starts with a blank slate," Hinkie said. "That’s refreshing in a lot of ways. It’s less what you’ve done and more: what can you do from here? I think all of our players will sense an opportunity to play, show what they can do and expand their game one way or another. It’s important for the future of the Sixers and their own careers."

Here's more on the Sixers and the rest of the Eastern Conference:

Within the same piece, Moore notes that an NBA source says the league's minimum required payroll won't have an effect on the Sixers' roster moves, since there's no real penalty for falling short of the salary floor. I suggested as much when I examined the situation a few weeks ago.
The Knicks don't currently have interest in signing free agent big man Hamed Haddadi, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
Gonzalo Aguirregomezcorta of ESPNDeportes.com caught up with Luis Scola, who says he's looking forward to playing for a Pacers team that he considers to be a "serious title contender."
The Bulls have promoted Adrian Griffin to lead assistant on Tom Thibodeau's staff, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why starting the season with a 13-man roster and potentially adding another player or two before the playoffs could make the most sense for the Heat.
The Hawks and Bulls are unlikely to be too active on the trade market this season, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.

Odds & Ends: Telep, Jefferson, Griffin

September 1st, 2013 at 10:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs have always been about innovation in the front office and they made an out-of-the-box hiring today by hiring well-respected prep recruiting analyst Dave Telep, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Telep, who recently left a job at a cable TV outlet, will work in a scouting coordinator role for the NBA draft under GM R.C. Buford.

It's difficult to be excited about the offseason in the Southeast Division with the most exciting move being the Bobcats signing Al Jefferson to a hefty contract, writes CBSSports.com's Royce Young. However, there is a power shift with the Heat at the top and the Wizards and Bobcats are trending up a bit while the Hawks will probably take a step back.
Whether or not the Clippers can truly contend in 2013/14 depends on star forward Blake Griffin, opines Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
In his weekend mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes that Landry Fields, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM, deal with the Raptors last offseason, is slowly working to get his shot back while rehabbing his arm/elbow injury.

Washburn On Bucks, Johnson, Wilcox

September 1st, 2013 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In today's column, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes that much of the Bucks success lies on the capable shoulders of Larry Sanders. The big man inked a four-year, $44MM deal with Milwaukee this offseason that will put him at the center of a very different team than the one that went to the playoffs this past season. “He’s one of the key, if not the key, piece for us moving forward,” GM John Hammond said of Sanders. “Larry is one of the top shot-blockers in our business. And I think he’s only going to get better defensively. We’re really excited to have him part of our organization, moving forward long term.”

In an Eastern Conference where the Celtics and Hawks in rebuilding mode, and the Magic, 76ers, and Bobcats are lottery-bound, teams like the Bucks , Cavs , Pistons, Wizards, and Raptors will have an opportunity to take a step forward, in Washburn's estimation. Here's more from today's column..

The fact that former Hawks forward Ivan Johnson couldn't land a mini mid-level deal despite being a solid 29-year-old rebounder is an indication that it will be a tough market for the remaining free agents looking for more than the minimum. Teams with salary-cap space would much rather invest money in younger players and prospects than veterans while contenders have filled their rosters, leaving only training camp invitations. There's also speculation that teams are wary of the luxury-tax threshold with the increased penalties brought on by the new CBA. The Celtics are one team that has been in the process of shedding salary – like Shavlik Randolph and Terrence Williams – for that reason.
Former Celtics veteran Chris Wilcox is still without a club as September gets underway and he'll have to find a home rather quickly. While he wants to play in the NBA, he's open to other possibilities. “I am open to going overseas,” Wilcox said. “At the same time, I would love to stay here in the NBA. If it’s something that I have to do, then I’ll do it.”
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was appointed as GM of the Kings' D-League affiliate, could be an NBA GM candidate in the coming years. The retired forward has been in the Sacramento front office the past three seasons and has been considered a rising exec. It's worth noting that Abdur-Rahim stayed in the Sacramento front office in the face of the team’s ownership and coaching change.

Odds & Ends: Roster Spots, Hunt, Mavericks

August 29th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter) points out that the Lakers, Bulls, and 76ers are the three teams that still need to sign players in order to reach the league minimum of 13 players by opening night, although it's worth noting that L.A. is still yet to sign second round pick Ryan Kelly and Philadelphia is in the same boat with Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. Also, as we pointed out a few days ago, Dexter Pittman accepted a training camp invite with Chicago and could fill that 13th roster spot if they end up offering him a guaranteed contract.

Here are more of tonight's news and notes from around the league:

Jeff Haubner of ESPN.com offers a two part preview of the upcoming FIBA Americas tournament.
Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel notes that the Bucks/Suns deal keeps Milwaukee about $1.9MM under the salary cap and saves Phoenix around $5.6MM in cap space. Gardner also has more comments from Caron Butler regarding his happiness with the trade.
Former 76ers star Charles Barkley isn't happy with the way his former team handled their assistant coaching situation, saying that those who were released upon the Brett Brown hiring had worked for the team the entire summer and therefore didn't have the opportunity to look for another job (Michael Kaskey-Blomain of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Keith Schlosser of RidiculousUpside.com takes a look at Kyle Hunt, who while eligible for the D-League draft in the fall is also looking to earn an NBA training camp invite.
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW suggests Mavericks fans should be happy with 45 wins and a 7th seed in the Western Conference next season.
Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides a brief breakdown of the Nets' depth at the center position, profiling Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche, and Mason Plumlee.
Former Knick and now a member of the Canadian men's national basketball team, Andy Rautins tells Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun about how prepared he and his teammates feel heading into the FIBA Americas tournament.
NBA.com posted an article from Atlanta-based freelance writer Jon Cooper about Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. Though he stressed the importance of forming good relationships with each player up to the 15th man, Budenholzer specifically mentioned Al Horford and Jeff Teague as two players that he's very much looking forward to working with.
Suns.com passes along an article from the archives which delves into the mind of the late former Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.

Eric Dawson Accepts Camp Invite From Hawks

August 29th, 2013 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Eric Dawson has accepted an invitation to training camp from the Hawks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. According to Charania, Dawson's camp deal with Atlanta will be non-guaranteed.

Dawson enjoyed a brief NBA stint with the Spurs in 2011/12, when San Antonio inked him to a pair of 10-day contracts. Although he has only appeared in four career NBA contests, Dawson has plenty of experience overseas and in the D-League, having played for the Austin Toros as well as teams in the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.

A report in July indicated that Dawson had signed with Metros de Santiago of the Dominican Republic, so it's not clear what the status of that contract is now. Perhaps Dawson will return to the D.R. club if he fails to earn a spot on the Hawks' regular-season roster, though that's just my speculation.

Odds & Ends: Hawks, Bradley, Bobcats, Stern

August 27th, 2013 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA on Tuesday night:

The Hawks' offseason represents a step forward for the organization, writes Zach Harper of CBS Sports in his detailed offseason review of Atlanta. Harper condemns the former regime's running-in-place approach, and says the Hawks had a solid draft and made the right decision to replace Josh Smith with the much cheaper Paul Millsap. While he expects Atlanta to again end up in that familiar middle-of-the-playoff-pack area, Harper writes that the flexibility and roster construction created by Danny Ferry should give it a different feel.
Avery Bradley has focused on getting bigger and stronger this offseason in an attempt to stay healthy, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. Bradley says that, due to injuries and the lockout, this offseason has easily been the most productive of his career as a professional. He will certainly have an opportunity to shine on the new-look Celtics' roster.
While success and roster continuity are typically linked in the NBA, the Bobcats are this year's exception, writes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Charlotte will bring back 11 players that accounted for over 85 percent of the team's total minutes played last year, which is the third highest percentage in the NBA this offseason, The Bobcats have only added Cody Zeller, Anthony Tolliver and Al Jefferson at this point. It is not surprising that first, second and fourth teams on that list are the Heat, Thunder and Spurs, respectively.
In an Insider-only piece, David Thorpe of ESPN points out the burning questions facing each of the teams in the Southeast division this season, adding that the division is stocked with youth and talent as well as, of course, the two-time defending champs.
With Adam Silver set to take over the commissioner's office in February, Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld provides a retrospective look at David Stern's 30 year reign as the NBA's front man.

Odds & Ends: Ivey, Cavs, Fredette, Lakers, Draft

August 24th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former second-round pick Royal Ivey has never scored more than 5.6 points per game in the NBA, nor has he averaged as many as 20 minutes a night. Still, the 6'3" combo guard has consistently found work in the league, as he's spent the entirety of the last nine seasons on an NBA roster. He's unsigned this summer, but it looks like he'll have a chance to make it an even 10 years in the Association. Ivey will soon work out for the Hawks and Spurs, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Here's more on a few others looking to stick around the NBA awhile:

It was Carrick Felix's performance over the summer that prompted the Cavs to give the 33rd overall pick a slight bump in his first-year salary, the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes. Pluto refers to the contract as a four-year deal, as it was originally reported to be, but Mark Deeks of ShamSports and HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus have it as a three-year pact.
Pluto has heard renewed chatter linking the Cavs to Jimmer Fredette. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported in early July that the Kings were dangling Fredette and Chuck Hayes in discussions with the Cleveland, but Pluto says the Cavs haven't spoken to Sacramento in more than a month.
The deal Elias Harris signed with the Lakers isn't fully guaranteed, but he seems a strong bet to make the team, since he's one of only 12 players under contract. Lakers assistant Mark Madsen shares his thoughts on the undrafted Gonzaga power forward with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis checks in with a ranking of the top 40 prospects for the vaunted 2014 draft, and names 20 others who could hear their names called next June.
This week's trade for Tony Wroten is further indication that the Sixers are all-in on player development, opines Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer.