Charlie Adams | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Beasley, Bazemore, Magic

March 17th, 2015 at 7:29pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Hornets and Heat are two of the five clubs competing for the final pair of playoff spots in the East, and Charlotte will have a chance to move into a tie with Miami for the eighth seed if they can find a way to steal a win from the Clippers tonight in Los Angeles. While there’s still over a month left in the regular season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see four of the Southeast’s five teams end up with postseason berths. We’ve got the latest from around that division below..

Erik Spoelstra pointed to Michael Beasley’s familiarity with the Heat’s system as a major reason why the club went after him once his season ended in China, observes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (subscription required). The 26-year-old called the roster movement he’s been a part of throughout his career “humbling” and admitted he’ll need to continue to work hard every night if he wants to stick in Miami.
It wasn’t exactly a splashy signing when Kent Bazemore inked a two-year, $4MM deal with the Hawks last summer, but Jeff Teague and others from Atlanta’s locker room contend that the third-year guard’s presence has been a boon to the club’s chemistry and overall success, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com breaks down James Borrego’s coaching credentials and wonders if his popularity among the Magic players and relative success so far as interim head coach could lead Orlando’s front office to keep him at the helm of the club going forward.

Kalin Lucas To Sign With Turkish Club

March 17th, 2015 at 7:25am CST by Charlie Adams

TUESDAY, 7:25am: Lucas is heading to Turkey’s TED Ankara, not Turk Telekom, Pick now says (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 10:59pm: Kalin Lucas has signed with the Turkish team Turk Telekom on a deal that will cover the remainder of the NBA season, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter), although the team has yet to make an official announcement. Lucas had been playing with the Iowa Energy, the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, but will now head overseas as the 2014/15 season begins to wind down.

The Michigan State product went undrafted in 2011 and played with Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League following his four years as a Spartan. He hooked up with the Grizzlies for training camp this past autumn, and although he was cut before opening night, he eventually re-signed with the team twice during the regular season, appearing in a single contest.

There hasn’t been much chatter surrounding Lucas, as his rumors page shows, so it isn’t surprising to see the 25-year-old guard head overseas. Still, he was able to put up an impressive mark of 19.3 points per night and a sharp 43.1% three-point field goal percentage in the D-League this season, so it’s possible he could draw NBA interest again this summer.

Kalin Lucas

Draft Rumors: Porzingis, Winslow, Upshaw

March 16th, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Charlie Adams

Kristaps Porzingis‘ strong play in Europe is impressing NBA scouts, and the 7-footer is working his way into the top-5 of teams’ draft boards, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports passes along (on Twitter). At just 19 years old, it isn’t surprising to see clubs enamored with his potential. We’ll hear the latest on a few other potential first-rounders in tonight’s look at the upcoming draft:

A scout told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Duke forward Justise Winslow‘s toughness profiles him as a Metta World Peace-type and Shane Battier-like player. “Great size and toughness,” the scout told Spears. “High ceiling, but is a third or fourth option on a team. Poor shooter. He can be Shane Battier or Metta World Peace, which is not a bad thing.” Winslow was ranked eighth in Hoops Rumors’ latest 2015 NBA Draft Prospect Power Rankings.
Robert Upshaw was dismissed from the University of Washington basketball team late in January for a violation of team rules, but there’s still a chance he gets taken in the first round of the draft, as an executive tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Character issues aside, the unnamed executive called Upshaw “one of the most talented bigs” he saw this year. Upshaw was also dismissed from Fresno State two years ago before he transferred to Washington.
Syracuse big man Rakeem Christmas might have worked his way into the bottom part of the first round, Howard-Cooper observes in the same piece. At 23 years old, Christmas has less upside than younger bigs, but his intensity and athleticism have helped boost his stock, Howard writes.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Llull, Rockets, Anderson

March 16th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Charlie Adams

Each club playing in the Southwest Division possesses a realistic shot at making the playoffs this season in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. However, the Pelicans might come just short of a postseason berth thanks to a revitalized Thunder team playing hot down the stretch. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today look at the potential impact of changing the structure of the playoffs to include the 16 best teams, regardless of conference. Such an idea would stand to benefit a club like this year’s New Orleans bunch but hinder the postseason dreams of some Eastern Conference squads.

Adam Silver admits there are issues with the way the playoffs are constructed now but contests there’s no easy solution. For now, the Pelicans will just need to continue their strong play if they want to keeping competing past April. We’ll round up the latest coming out of the Southwest below:

Rockets draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull acknowledged that Houston has had interest in signing him over the past two or three years, as the point guard told Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype).
The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. The rookie out of UCLA has had four stints with the Austin Spurs so far this season, as our list of D-League assignments and recalls shows.
Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal looks at the struggling Grizzlies and wonders if Jeff Green‘s presence might be negatively impacting the club’s overall performance. Herrington compares Green to Rudy Gay and thinks in order to succeed, Memphis will need to potentially change the way they’re using him in the offense.
We heard this afternoon that the Mavs are no longer interested in bringing aboard JaVale McGee.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Kerr, Jones, Embiid, Wade

March 9th, 2015 at 10:49pm CST by Charlie Adams

Steve Kerr still has a small ownership stake in the Suns, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). Kerr was required by the NBA to sell his investment in Phoenix after he became the coach of the Warriors, but he’s been unable to complete the divestiture to this point. Here are more miscellaneous notes from around the league..

The NBA fined Dahntay Jones $10K for bumping into Draymond Green during a postgame interview after the Warriors’ victory over the Clippers on Sunday, as Greg Beacham of The Associated Press details.
Joel Embiid suffered a “minor setback” in his recovery from the broken right foot that’s kept him from debuting in the NBA this season, reports Tom Moore of Calkins Media (on Twitter). While a report in January indicated Embiid could potentially play this season, Brett Brown cast doubt on the possibility of such a scenario late last month.
Dwyane Wade expressed disappointment in Hassan Whiteside‘s lack of maturity following a Heat loss in which Whiteside was ejected after committing a flagrant-two on Kelly Olynyk, observes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). “Very [disappointed],” said Wade. “We all are. As a Heat fan you are. In this locker room we are. Everybody.” Whiteside, who’s put up impressive numbers with Miami, is signed through the 2015/16 season on a minimum salary deal.
John Zitzler of Basketball Insiders looks back at the path that led Khris Middleton to the Bucks and explores the unexpected value he’s been able to provide to Milwuakee. The 23-year-old swingman is poised to hit restricted free agency this summer.

Northwest Notes: Malone, Wiggins, Afflalo, KD

March 9th, 2015 at 9:41pm CST by Charlie Adams

Former Kings coach Michael Malone will be traveling with the Wolves during their next two games, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (on Twitter). This will mark at least the third time this season that Malone has spent time with Minnesota, but Flip Saunders described his presence as merely a “professional courtesy,” according to Zgoda. We’ll round up the latest on the Wolves and the Northwest Division below:

There are those around the league who feel that the Canadian-born Andrew Wiggins might one day join the Raptors, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter). Of course, the Wolves have control of the Kansas product until at least 2019, and likely beyond, but Toronto GM Masai Ujiri still hinted at interest in eventually luring Wiggins away from Minnesota, as Eric Koreen of the National Post relays (on Twitter).
Arron Afflalo doesn’t think Brian Shaw can be blamed for all of the problems that the Nuggets found themselves with this season, as the now-Blazer said in an interview with ESPN’s Jim Rome (link via ForwardCenter). “I’m the type of person who feels like everybody should look in the mirror first and hold their own in terms of responsibilities,” said Afflalo. “Obviously Coach Shaw had some responsibilities, but us as players, we have to find a way to connect with each other. It wasn’t all his fault.”
In a piece for DailyThunder.com, ESPN’s Royce Young insists there’s no chance the Thunder trade Kevin Durant next season in spite of Russell Westbrook‘s recent dominance and rumors that Durant might walk from OKC in the summer of 2016.

And-Ones: Griffin, McGee, Dragic, Garnett

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Charlie Adams

Clippers forward Blake Griffin could return as early as Sunday’s game against Golden State, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com tweets. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Griffin is running “full tilt” and participating in shooting drills, Markazi adds. Griffin has been sidelined since early February with a staph infection in his right elbow and was expected to miss four-to-six weeks. We’ll round up more from the league below..

Waiving JaVale McGee, who has one year and $12MM remaining on his contract, is a good indicator the Sixers will not pursue any top free agents next season, Tom Moore of Calkin Media tweets. McGee was released by Philadelphia on Monday, meaning he’ll still have the opportunity to sign with a playoff contender.
Suns management believes that Goran Dragic‘s representatives spent part of the All-Star break convincing the point guard to push Phoenix into trading him, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The BDA Sports client nonetheless insists his motives were his own, as Coro notes.
Doc Rivers called Kevin Garnett‘s allegiance to the Timberwolves “almost nutty loyalty,” recalling that KG twice held up being traded to Boston during his first stint playing in Minnesota since he didn’t want it to appear he was “bailing” on the Wolves. Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press has the full story.
The 2014/15 season has been a memorable one for the Knicks, but not for the right reasons. Still, Derek Fisher is confident that New York will have a chance to lure quality free agents this summer, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post details.

Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.

Amar’e Stoudemire Joins Mavs

February 18th, 2015 at 4:23pm CST by Charlie Adams

WEDNESDAY, 4:23pm: The Mavs have officially signed Stoudemire, the team announced in a press release. “I’m excited to be a part of a first-class organization,” Stoudemire said. “To play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and other great players, I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for me to compete for a championship.”

MONDAY, 8:37pm: Amar’e Stoudemire has committed to signing with the Mavericks once he clears waivers on Wednesday, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The reported agreement doesn’t come as much of a surprise, since Dallas was rumored to be the front-runner to ink the 32-year-old big man once he became a free agent, as Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein of ESPN.com passed along earlier this month. The Knicks cut ties with Stoudemire in a buyout deal this morning.

There was no shortage of suitors for the seven-time All-Star, as in addition to the Mavs, reports linked him to the Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Clippers, Raptors and Warriors. Still, the relationship between Dallas’ coaching staff and front office with Stoudemire’s agents at Relativity Sports looks to have played a key role in his choice to sign with the 36-19 Mavericks. Nothing can become official until S.T.A.T. clears waivers, but there isn’t a team in the league with enough cap space to put a claim in on his massive contract.

The transition from the league-worst Knicks to the playoff bound Mavericks will be a stark one, but it will give Stoudemire a legitimate shot at competing deep into the playoffs rather than putting in work for a lottery-bound New York club. After agreeing to a deal with the Knicks worth nearly $100MM in 2010, New York failed to get past the Eastern Conference Semifinals during Stoudemire’s tenure in the blue and orange. Much of his time with the squad was spent on the bench, as various injuries limited the forward/center from taking the court in four of his nearly five seasons with the team.

Dallas hopes to formally bring aboard Stoudemire on Thursday, according to Stein, who confirms Charania’s report that the 13th-year vet will indeed join the Mavs (Twitter link). Dallas is limited to paying players the minimum salary, so that’s what the agreement will need to be worth once it’s finalized. In 24.0 minutes per game this season, Stoudemire is averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. His 19.7 PER this season is below his career mark of 22.0, but comfortably above the league average of 15.0. He’ll fill the role of backup big man for the Mavs, who have been lacking frontcourt depth since Brandan Wright was sent away in the Rajon Rondo trade.

And-Ones: Blazers, Sanders, Trade Rumors, Bulls

February 16th, 2015 at 10:34pm CST by Charlie Adams

Jermaine O’Neal appeared poised to join the Mavs, but instead it’ll be another big man jumping aboard Dallas’ roster mid-season, as Amar’e Stoudemire has reportedly committed to inking a deal with Rick Carlise and company. While the seven-time All-Star hooking up with the Mavs is the biggest scoop of the night, we’ve got plenty more from around the league to round up below:

The Blazers “will not hesitate” to send a first-round pick, Thomas Robinson, and “another player” to the Nuggets in exchange for Wilson Chandler, reports Jabari Young of CSNNW.com. Portland prefers Chandler to Arron Afflalo, according to Young, but the team would be interested in adding Afflalo if Denver’s asking price on him is significantly lower than that of Chandler’s.
If Larry Sanders and the Bucks reach a deal on a buyout, the Cavs will be among the teams with interest in signing the 26-year-old big man, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). Sanders hasn’t suited up for Milwaukee since December 23rd.
There’s “plenty of interest” around the league in Brendan Haywood‘s uniquely structured contract, Amico reports in the same tweet.
The Bulls are interested in adding a shooter to their roster, but they won’t move any of their big men or sacrifice a future first-rounder to do so, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Such reluctance likely means they won’t be able to land the sharpshooting Afflalo, whom the team is reportedly high on, and Johnson indicates Chicago will look to the list of players who reach buyout deals as potential targets.
Andre Dawkins‘ second 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last week, but Boston doesn’t intend to re-sign him for the remainder of the season, reveals Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
While no signing is imminent, the Bulls and Ronnie Brewer have kept in close contact this season, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. Chicago has one open roster spot.
The Wizards hope to acquire a speedy point guard to back up John Wall and a shooter to help space the floor, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports passes along in his weekly power rankings.
Adam Silver doesn’t believe that the draft lottery is a broken system, but he confessed that fans’ generally negative perception of it has him contemplating a new way to determine the draft order, observes Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times.

Heat Rumors: Trades, Cole, Williams, Jerebko

February 10th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Heat are fighting to hold on to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, sitting just one and a half games up from falling out of a playoff position entirely. Injuries have been an issue for Miami this season, but the club’s lack of assets has prevented much roster movement, and one rival GM tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the same problem will stifle Pat Riley and company from making any moves before the trade deadline rolls around. We’ll provide Jackson’s latest on the Heat below:

The rival GM with whom Jackson spoke said Norris Cole‘s name has come up in trade discussions but downplayed the return Miami could reap for him. “What are you going to get for [Cole]?” the GM implored. “He’s a backup. They don’t have much to give up. Josh McRoberts would have value for a team out of the playoffs. Birdman [Chris Andersen] would have value for a playoff team but a playoff team is not trading you a quality [wing] for him.”
The Heat have arguably the worst point guard situation in the NBA right now and would surely like to swing a deal to land a reliable floor general, but the same GM told Jackson that Mo Williams was the only starting-caliber point guard who’s name was being shopped around. Williams, of course, was shipped from the Timberwolves to Miami’s division rival Hornets this afternoon.
Detroit offered Miami Jonas Jerebko in exchange for Cole, according to Jackson, who adds that the Heat’s insistence that the Pistons also take Danny Granger in any potential deal prevented the trade from taking place.

Author: Charlie Adams