Heat Notes: Riley, Whiteside, Wade
With just nine days left before the trade deadline, Heat president Pat Riley is running out of time to decide whether his team will be buyers or sellers. Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel isn’t a firm believer in the current squad and cautions against overvaluing players who’ve seen their stock rise on the heels of Miami’s recent 13-game win streak.
Hyde writes that the decision to play and develop young players is an easier one to make when buried in the standings. Now that the Heat sit just two games back of the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s harder to make that justification.
Should Riley be convinced that his team is capable of making noise in the postseason – or is perhaps one player away from doing so – then he’ll have the rest of the week and a little bit of the next one to make something happen. The executive that landed Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning isn’t afraid of making big moves, Hyde reminds us, but his biggest decision this year may very well be deciding whether or not to pursue a move at all.
There’s more from the Heat today:
- Emotions are running high in Miami after the Heat dropped their second consecutive game after reeling off 13 straight wins, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. In the club’s Tuesday night loss to the Magic, center Hassan Whiteside was temporarily benched for a lack of rebounding. “When a team hasn’t lost in almost a month, guys forget what it feels like to lose a game,” Whiteside said. “I think that pain came back and it was a thing we forgot about for a while.”
- If there was ever any doubt, Riley established that winning is more important to him than having a high draft pick. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the team president said as much when he spoke with season-ticket holders following the club’s 13-game win streak.
- The Heat ultimately let Dwyane Wade walk in an effort to retain cap flexibility for this upcoming summer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reminds readers in a mailbag, so don’t expect them to open their pocket books just for the sake of nostalgia. The team’s salary-cap resources have to be used responsibly heading forward, Winderman says.
Northwest Notes: Nurkic, Plumlee, Jazz
The deal that landed Mason Plumlee may not be the last one the Nuggets make this month, suggests Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The reporter relays that his sources believe Denver could still move names like Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and even second-year point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
After years of stock piling assets, the Nuggets have emerged as a playoff contender in 2016/17. Leading the charge for the franchise has been sophomore center Nikola Jokic. With Jokic at the helm and the club finally focused on building around him, the the team is in a position to deal some valuable building blocks in an effort to fortify their new core.
Kyler suggests that the emergence of Juan Hernangomez, too, could expedite a formal regime change in Denver. The Nuggets currently sit eighth in the Western Conference.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Newly acquired Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic spoke with the media about his new home. “I think it’s the perfect place for me,” he told the media. “They need me, and I need them.” The 22-year-old also mentioned that he didn’t mind whether head coach Terry Stotts slotted him into the starting lineup or brought him off the bench.
- The Nuggets don’t anticipate having any issues working Mason Plumlee into their rotation, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Head coach Mike Malone expects to seamlessly integrate the new big man, adding that Plumlee’s playmaking abilities should help the team’s offense continue to flow well when Nikola Jokic is on the bench.
- The Trail Blazers will send $2.85MM to the Nuggets as part of the Nurkic/Plumlee swap, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. That, Pincus says, explains why Denver included a first-round pick in their outgoing package. For more details of the trade, consider Mark Deeks of Give Me Sport‘s break down of the deal.
- A Utah-based analytics firm will sponsor Jazz jerseys in 2017/18, but rather than plug the company’s own logo, they’ll promote that of a charitable organization generating funds for cancer research. The 5 For The Fight patch will be on Jazz jerseys for at least the first year of the organization’s three-year commitment with the team, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Week In Review: 2/4/17 – 2/11/17
The Knicks continued to show why they’re the most dysfunctional franchise in the league this week and several 10-day contract signees managed to convince their teams to invest in them long-term. Here’s a round-up of the week’s biggest headlines and some of our favorite rumors:
News
- The NBA announced plans to launch an eSports league.
- New BIG3 league adds Jamario Moon and Kenny Anderson.
- General manager Vlade Divac said explicitly that the Kings will not trade DeMarcus Cousins.
- The NBA suspended Kings center DeMarcus Cousins for accumulating 16th technical.
- The NBA suspended Suns center Alex Len for leaving the bench in an altercation.
- The Bucks announced that they’ll debut a D-League affiliate in Oshkosh, Wisconsin next season.
- Recently hired Magic Johnson wants to “call the shots” for the Lakers.
- The Knicks banned Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden after he was involved in an altercation.
Injuries
- Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine to miss rest of the 2016/17 season with a torn ACL.
- Timberwolves forward Adreian Payne will be out indefinitely with a blood disorder.
- Hornets guard Ramon Sessions will miss 4-6 weeks with a torn meniscus.
- Suns forward Dragan Bender will be out indefinitely after undergoing ankle surgery.
- Bucks forward Jabari Parker to miss remainder of 2016/17 with torn ACL.
Rumors
- There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not LeBron James is pushing the Cavaliers to trade for Carmelo Anthony.
- The Sixers and Pelicans were said to be discussing a Jahlil Okafor trade.
- The Pelicans are supposedly offering 2018 first-round pick in pursuit of center.
- The Rockets were non-committal about their approach to the trade deadline.
- The strong play of 10-day signee Okaro White put the Heat in a position to shake up their roster.
- New headlines continue to pour in regarding the Knicks, Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony.
- NBA agents have speculated that Phil Jackson’s approach to the Carmelo Anthony drama may sour free agents on signing in New York.
- General manager Mitch Kupchak has hurt the Lakers‘ chances of landing free agents in the past.
- Their winning streak could make the Heat buyers, not sellers at the deadline. They’ve been said to be looking into Serge Ibaka.
- Out of the NBA since 2014/15, 31-year-old Glen Davis hopes to return to action before the end of 2016/17.
Transactions
- The Nuggets signed Johnny O’Bryant to a second 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed Ronnie Price to a second 10-day contract.
- The Heat waived Derrick Williams and signed Okaro White to a two-year contract.
- The Mavs signed Yogi Ferrell to a two-year contract.
- The Timberwolves signed Lance Stephenson to a 10-day contract.
- The Hawks signed Lamar Patterson to a second 10-day contract.
- The Grizzlies signed Toney Douglas to a second 10-day contract.
- The Cavaliers signed Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract.
- Veteran guard Nate Robinson signed a D-League contract.
Central Notes: Butler, Maker, Drummond
Though he hasn’t been officially ruled out for Sunday’s contest, Jimmy Butler may have reaggravated the heel injury that kept him out of three games last week. On Friday night, in his first-game back, the Bulls swingman was seen limping on the court, visibly affected by the foot injury.
When asked if the pain on Friday will limit him heading forward, the Bulls All-Star didn’t seem sure. “That’s a good question,” Butler told ESPN’s Nick Friedell following a loss to the Suns. “That’s a really good question.”
In 49 games with the Bulls this season, the 27-year-old has put forth career-high averages of 24.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Even despite the lingering heel pain, Butler managed to post 20 points in his return from the injury.
Earlier in the week, an MRI concluded that there was no structural damage in the Bulls forward’s heel but it may be beneficial in the long run for the organization to rest their star before it grows worse. As of today, Butler is expected to play in the NBA All-Star Game on February 19.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Rookie Thon Maker started in place of the injured Jabari Parker for the first time Friday night but wasn’t as effective as he wanted to be. “I thought I came out a little flat, and I can’t do that from here on out,” the Bucks prospect told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I have to be effective. I can’t wait until we’re down 30 or whatever it was. I’ve got to do that from the jump.” To Maker’s credit, his energy in the second half led to the Bucks at least temporarily cutting into the lead before they ultimately lost to the Lakers.
- Second-year Bulls forward hasn’t seen as many minutes as he was seeing earlier in the season but he’s committed to staying ready, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “Before every game I psych myself up like I am going to play,” Portis says. Though typically efficient with the court time he’s given, Portis has averaged just 5.6 minutes per game in February after averaging 14.4 in January.
- Though he’s always posted decent steal numbers, Andre Drummond is starting to round out his game on the defensive end, writes Eric Woodyard of MLive. “I think he’s improved a little bit over the last three or four games, in terms of coming to block,” Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said. The Pistons have won four of their past six contests and currently sit eighth in the East with a 25-29 record.
Mavs Notes: Williams, Ferrell, Trade Chips
Sidelined since January 25, veteran point guard Deron Williams has had his status updated to “questionable” for Saturday’s contest between the Mavs and Magic. The point guard has missed eight games nursing a sprained big toe on his left foot.
In 37 games with the Mavs this season, Williams has averaged 13.5 points and 7.1 assists per game and, after participating in shootaround earlier today, will be a game-time decision says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News.
Williams’ absence, in addition to injuries and illness to J.J. Barea and Devin Harris, have contributed to the rise of 10-day signee Yogi Ferrell. Signed as a temporary replacement for previous 10-day signee Pierre Jackson, Ferrell was thrust into the spotlight in Dallas and did not disappoint. In seven games as a starter, Ferrell has averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 assists per game, enough to earn himself a two-year deal.
When Williams returns to the lineup, he will presumably assume his position in the starting five, but there’s no guarantee that the depth chart behind him will remain the same as it was prior to the Ferrell signing.
There’s more news out of Dallas:
- An inconsistent season has put the Mavs in a unique position where there’s no direct indication that they’ll either be buyers or sellers at the deadline. If they do decide to make moves, they have a number of valuable trade chips, writes Eddie Sefko in a separate piece for the Dallas News. Andrew Bogut and his $11MM expiring deal will be coveted, as will Deron Williams and his one-year $9MM contract. Similarly, Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson could stand out as valuable assets with bargain contracts.
- Since debuting with the Mavs at the end of January, undrafted rookie Yogi Ferrell has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season. Ferrell hit the ground running with Dallas, starting in his first game with the club and Barry Horn of the Dallas News suggests that he could be partly responsible for a boost in the team’s TV ratings.
- The Mavs will have the opportunity to draft a great player, regardless of position, writes Matt Mosley of the Dallas News. The writer specifies that, even despite the emergence of guards Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, if Lonzo Ball or Dennis Smith Jr. are available, them team should draft them anyway.
Community Shootaround: Durant Returns To OKC
It’s been seven months since Kevin Durant decided to leave the only franchise he ever knew to sign with the Warriors and today the eight-time All-Star will make his much-anticipated return to Oklahoma City. Sure, for nine seasons Durant helped put the Thunder on the map, but don’t expect his reception at the Chesapeake Energy Arena to be anything less than hostile.
On one hand, Durant treated the franchise that drafted him with relatively unprecedented respect, on the other, well… sports fan logic. As Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets, Durant didn’t force a trade out of Oklahoma City and he didn’t put up a stir mid-season and distract the Thunder from their 2015/16 campaign. He waited dutifully until the offseason before making a decision well within his rights as a player.
Still, though his decision is certainly defensible, it didn’t win over very many fans outside of the Bay Area. Shortly after Durant’s personal essay detailing his thought process regarding the move to Oakland was published, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN tweeted a sentiment to which skeptical fans could relate. Smith called Durant’s decision a “weak move”, lambasting the superstar for opting to sign with the team that just rallied to eliminate the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals.
Needless to say, when Durant takes the floor for the Warriors this evening, emotions will be at an all-time high. Earlier this morning Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweeted that the ugliest sports scene he ever witnessed first-hand was LeBron James‘ first game back in Cleveland after signing with the Heat in the summer of 2010.
How do you think Durant’s return to Oklahoma City will go? Do fans have the right to boo an ex-star that did so much for the franchise? If so, how far is too far when fans react negatively?
Weigh in below!
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/4/17 – 2/11/17
The Hoops Rumors staff published a series of original features this week. Here’s a look at some of our favorites:
- We’re right in the thick of 10-day contract season and remembering who signed where and whether or not they’ve been retained is no small task. We’ve published an official tracking tool that monitors the contract of each 10-day signee.
- The Sixers haven’t made a significant move to address their frontcourt logjam yet but when it does it will likely involve second-year center Jahlil Okafor. This week Chris Crouse explored the big man’s value as a trade candidate.
- Only two trade exceptions are set to expire this month and the Cavaliers own both of them. Luke Adams discussed where the trade exceptions came from and how they could prompt Cleveland to make a deal prior to February 18, five days ahead of the trade deadline.
- An ever-shifting backcourt in Dallas has made the Mavs one of the toughest teams to gauge in fantasy. Chris Crouse wrote about Yogi Ferrell and the value of the rest of the guards on the injury-depleted roster.
- The Raptors have most recently been linked to Serge Ibaka, but regardless, there’s a growing consensus that Toronto would benefit from making a move. Milo Taibi looked at the options that the franchise has ahead of the trade deadline.
- Every week we like to see what our readers think about certain trending topics, here are our Community Shootarounds.
- The Bucks suffered a blow when it was announced that Jabari Parker will miss the rest of the season. Should the club make a move? Or stand pat and wait for next year?
- The Nuggets have no shortage of valuable assets but who, exactly, should the team part with?
- And finally, here are the Hoops Rumors Originals from the previous week in case you missed them.
Atlantic Notes: Smart, Sixers, Ainge
The Celtics have been a mainstay in speculative trade discussions all season but one player whose value is constantly underestimated on a national scale is Marcus Smart. According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Smart’s flaws on the offensive end tend to be what people focus on, rather than all of the intangible impacts he has on the game.
Forsberg cites multiple hustle stats as indicators of Smart’s ability to influence the outcome on the game without consistently standing out on traditional box scores. He’s improved as a reserve point guard for the Celtics and is a jack of all trades on the defensive side of the ball. Recently, Forsberg claims, the 6’4″ guard even took turns matching up against the 7’2″ Kristaps Porzingis.
Properly gauging the value of players like Smart is one of the toughest things for general managers to do, especially as teams come calling ahead of the February 23 trade deadline. Currently second in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics will be pressured to make a dramatic move to position themselves better for an arguably inevitable showdown with the Cavaliers, but just as important will be that they don’t underestimate their current assets and set themselves backward.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Nearly every player on the Sixers has at least some trade value, says Bobby Marks of The Vertical. The analyst reviewed the rebuilding franchise in his recurring series leading up to the trade deadline. Still, Marks writes, even though the team has performed better than most expected, the front office would be wise to let their assets develop organically and not rush out to make a trade in haste.
- The Celtics are interested in making a deadline ahead of the trade deadline but nothing is imminent. “This time of year, nobody really has given their real price or what they will give you for the assets we have,” general manager Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSN New England. “So we will wait and see.“
- Following a Friday night loss in which they gave up 131 points to Denver, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek was critical of his starting lineup. “Look at the difference between the first group and the second. They play with effort,” Hornacek told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “They get after guys. A guy who got the ball, they get up on him. They help each other out. First group didn’t do that.”
- After yet another dramatic week in New York, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post suggests that Knicks fans revolt. The scribe cites baseball fans who vowed to stay away from the game after the 1994 lockout as inspiration but notes that following through on such ultimatums are often difficult.
Northwest Notes: Stephenson, Turner, Blazers
Newly acquired Timberwolves guard Lance Stephenson squared off against his former team Friday and Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry had nothing but positive things to say about the 26-year-old journeyman, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
“We had no problem whatsoever with him,” Gentry said regarding New Orleans’ decision to waive the then-15th man on their roster after a groin injury in November. “As a matter of fact, he probably raised our energy level as much as anyone. I think he’ll be fine. He’s playing for a great [Timberwolves] coach who loves energy and toughness and stuff like that.”
The Pelicans faced criticism at the time for parting ways with Stephenson as he recovered from the long-term injury but did so to free up space on their roster for Archie Goodwin (who has since been waived). Now Stephenson is back at full strength and on a 10-day contract looking to stick in Minnesota with a Timberwolves roster led by head coach Tom Thibodeau.
In two games with the Timberwolves so far, Stephenson has posted 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game. He’ll make $72K with Minnesota over the duration of his 10-day contract, in addition to the $1.2MM he’s owed by the Pelicans.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The news that Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner will miss 5-6 weeks comes just as the offseason acquisition was starting to find a rhythm in Portland, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Turner’s absence could thrust Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless into a bigger role defensively where Turner had been checking the opposing team’s most potent perimeter threat. In the same column, Richman also discusses the progress that Al-Farouq Aminu has made on the offensive end since being relegated to the bench.
- With a 23-31 record, the Trail Blazers remain very much in the hunt for the final Western Conference playoff berth (Denver sits in the eight-seed at 24-29) but TNT analyst Kenny Smith is skeptical that they have enough resources. “I don’t think they have a lot of talent, honestly. I think that’s the problem,” Smith said. Molly Blue of The Oregonian relayed both Smith’s and Charles Barkley‘s reservations about the guard-heavy roster.
- When budding Nuggets star Nikola Jokic dropped 40 points on the Knicks Friday, he became just the second Denver player to do so in Madison Square Garden, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. The last? David Thompson in 1978,
Pacific Notes: Green, West, Randle
Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were once again seen in a verbal altercation Saturday night. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, it was all part of a master plan by Green.
“Nothing in general” led to the altercation, the Warriors forward said Tuesday. “It was actually a tactic. But that’s for us to know and for everyone else to figure out.”
Green, Hayes writes, was trying to use reverse psychology to motivate his struggling teammate and supposedly followed it up by winking and smiling at some of the Warriors coaching staff.
Earlier this month Green and Durant were seen arguing with one another on the court when the Warriors lost to the Grizzlies.
Despite their interesting relationship, Green and Durant are said to have watched the Super Bowl together the day after the incident, suggesting that the altercation caused no hard feelings. With a 43-8 record, the Warriors have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to locker room chemistry.
There are more headlines out of the Pacific Division today:
- The Warriors may need to compete with the Lakers if they want to convince 78-year-old executive Jerry West to stay with the team after his contract expires in July, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
- Veteran forward P.J. Tucker knows how to get the most out of his younger teammates and his tough-love approach has been put in effect with current Suns rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic.
- The Lakers handed out significant contracts to veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng over the offseason but lately the tandem has been coming off the bench, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “I’m not going to say it’s permanent, but we’re going to see how it goes,” head coach Luke Walton said, citing the need to develop young players as the reason for the decision.
- Limited to just five minutes over the previous four games, Julius Randle has recovered from pneumonia and and returned to the lineup for the Lakers on Monday. The power forward is expected to be at full strength heading forward, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
- There are plenty of assets on the Suns roster, writes Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer. The scribe breaks down what could be next for Phoenix, including franchise cornerstone Devin Booker and “good-but-not-great” point guard Eric Bledsoe.