And-Ones: Melo, Howard, NBA Owners
Carmelo Anthony is still searching for a team and one Western Conference executive tells David Aldridge of The Athletic that the Heat may be the best team for the small forward while cautioning that Melo’s game may need to adjust.
“Miami, if he is willing to work with [Pat Riley] hard on conditioning. He can replace D-Wade’s scoring,” the exec said. “Or, Portland. They play a lot of isolation basketball and they need another scorer. Carmelo is a dinosaur in today’s NBA. Everyone wants ball movement and three-point shooting; not ‘Melo’s forte.”
Aldridges spoke to numerous executives, scouts and coaches and there weren’t many optimistic responses. One Eastern Conference executive did say that if Anthony can accept a role off the bench and be a positive influence in the locker room, the 10-time All-Star could land a $5-7MM deal.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Anthony isn’t the only veteran left on the market, as Zach Harper of The Athletic details in his look at which players are available. J.R. Smith, Ryan Anderson, and Kenneth Faried are among the notable players who remain free agents.
- The Lakers made a mistake by signing Howard over Joakim Noah, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com contends on The Jump. Friedell believes adding Noah would have carried less risk, as the former Bulls center has shown he can accept a backup role.
- The league is exploring a pathway that would allow would-be owners to buy a minority, passive stake in NBA franchises, as Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg relays. The structure and terms have not yet been finalized and the idea will be discussed at an owners’ meeting later this month.
Suns Notes: Highsmith, Baynes, Booker
The Suns are working out Haywood Highsmith this week, Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops reports (Twitter link). The small forward, who split time between the Sixers and the G League last season, recently worked out for the Bucks as well.
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- The Suns traded for Aron Baynes early in the summer and Gina Mizell of The Athletic hears that Phoenix is hopeful that he’ll serve as a mentor for Deandre Ayton. Mizell discussed Baynes with The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, who believes the big man’s skill set meshes well with Ayton’s and that the veteran center will be a positive influence in the locker room.
- In the same piece, Weiss argues that new addition Dario Saric is the best frontcourt partner for Baynes. The scribe compares the Baynes-Saric fit to the Marcus Morris-Baynes combo in Boston last season.
- Devin Booker decided not to play for Team USA so he could get healthy for the upcoming NBA season, though the decision didn’t sit well with everyone. ESPN’s Nick Friedell believes Booker’s move was “awful,” as he explained on The Jump.
Josh Hart Says He Found Out He Was Traded Via Twitter
For nearly all professional athletes, getting traded is a hard reality, especially if a player works hard to find success in an organization. Josh Hart, who was sent from the Lakers to the Pelicans this offseason, believes his former team could have made the process of trading him easier to handle.
“I played my ass off for the purple and gold,” Hart said (via his Twitter account). “Played hurt and never had an excuse. I’m truly grateful to the Lakers organization and I do understand the NBA is a business. But as a player you just want the courtesy of a phone call saying I got traded and not finding out on Twitter.”
The Lakers jettisoned Hart, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram along with a bounty of draft picks to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade.
For the Lakers, it was a chance to raise their ceiling; for the Pelicans, it was a chance to begin a rebuild after realizing they were going to lose one of their best players in franchise history. Hart, along with Zion Williamson and a bevy of new faces, will usher in a new Pelicans era during the 2019/20 season.
Eastern Notes: Ntilikina, IT, Flourney, Washburn
Frank Ntilikina, who is playing for the French National Team in the FIBA World Cup, is beginning to showcase his potential, Marc Berman of the New York Post contends. The 6’6″ guard has risen up during international play, earning the starting point guard role for his country. He’s also caught the eye of his teammates.
“He’s a very, very talented player and an excellent defender, and I see a bright future ahead for him,” said Rudy Gobert, who is also playing for France in the tournament.
The Knicks selected Ntilikina with the No. 8 overall pick back in 2017 draft and he’s rumored to be on the trade market. Perhaps the FIBA World Cup can elevate his trade stock.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- With Isaiah Thomas landing in Washington, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports examines the Wizards‘ recent history of reclamation projects. Markieff Morris, Brandon Jennings, and Dwight Howard are among the former Wizards players who have joined the franchise with the hope of revitalizing their career.
- The Raptors are hiring Fabulous Flournoy as an assistant coach, Simon Rushworth of NewCastle-Eagles.com relays. Flournoy is a well-respected coach from the British Basketball League.
- The Sixers‘ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, has acquired Julian Washburn from the Austin Spurs in exchange for Matt Farrell, according to the team’s website. Washburn has appeared in 18 NBA contests, all of which came last season while he was on a two-way deal with Memphis. If he signs a G League contract for 2019/20, he’d play for Delaware.
Grizzlies Sign Matt Mooney To Exhibit 10 Deal
SEPTEMBER 4: The deal is now official, per a release from the team.
AUGUST 17: The Grizzlies have agreed to sign Matt Mooney to an Exhibit 10 deal, as the guard tells KeloSports. Mooney will likely end up playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
The 6’3″ guard helped lead Texas Tech to the National Championship game last season, though the team lost to Virginia. He’s the third member of that squad to ink an NBA contract this offseason with Jarrett Culver joining the Wolves and Tariq Owens finding himself on the Suns.
Mooney said he had been deciding between the Grizzlies and the Heat for his first deal in the NBA. He’ll join Memphis for training camp.
The Grizzlies currently have a full 20-man roster, so they’ll need to make a trade or a cut before officially signing Mooney.
Carmelo Anthony’s Camp Helping To Fight Negative Perception
We’re eight weeks out from the start of the 2019/20 NBA season and Carmelo Anthony remains unsigned. There’s a perception that Anthony isn’t willing to simply be a role player, something that he’ll need to accept if he’s going to join a new team, but efforts are being made to change that perception.
Anthony has made sports talk show appearances this summer claiming that he is willing to play any role a team asks of him. According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, his camp is now lobbying for him behind the scenes as well. Those close to Anthony are fighting the negative perception “aggressively,” Deveney writes. Carmelo’s camp is contending that he won’t be a distraction if he doesn’t get scoring opportunities or even minutes on some nights.
Anthony’s last few stops in the NBA have not had storybook endings. He was made a scapegoat for the underachieving Thunder during the 2017/18 season and his run with the Rockets during the 2018/19 season lasted just 10 games. Those came after an uninspiring end to his Knicks career.
Anthony has shown he can handle being a role player, though it’s only come in small sample sizes. On many occasions during his four Team USA stints, he thrived without a high usage role. Can he do that over an 82-game season? He’s claiming he can.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, both of whom have played with ‘Melo during international contests, have reportedly lobbied for the Nets to sign him. GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson have kept an eye on Anthony and the duo was reportedly impressed by the future Hall-of-Famer’s game.
Any team that adds Anthony will see an increase in its media attention. Reporters are going to ask him about his role and whether he is enjoying his time on the team among other topics. Anthony’s camp is arguing that he’ll be a net positive in this area.
“He’s got a lot of friends in the league, he is liked by other players. He’s got friends in the media. He doesn’t get into trouble off the court, he never has. [His camp is] really disputing this whole idea that he’s a team cancer,” a source tells Deveney.
Not many players could match prime ‘Melo on offense. Now, he’s seemingly ready to embrace the idea that there’s more to the game – both on and off the court – than scoring. Whether it’s with Brooklyn or another team, it would be surprising if the 10-time All-Star doesn’t get another chance in the league.
Heat Notes: Leonard, Butler, Rotation
The Heat have been quiet about their plans for Meyers Leonard, though Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes that if the big man remains on the roster through the start of the season, he’ll likely be the team’s backup center.
Miami acquired Leonard in a four-way trade over the summer that allowed the team to net Jimmy Butler as well. The Heat cannot aggregate Leonard’s salary in a trade until September 6 — two months after the acquisition date. It’s possible that the team hasn’t been vocal about Leonard’s role because they are planning to flip him. However, at this point, any Leonard trade talk is strictly speculation.
Here’s more from Miami:
- Leonard has privately made it known that he would like to make it work with the Heat, Winderman relays in the same piece. The big man has come off the bench for nearly the entirety of his career, so backing up Bam Adebayo at the five shouldn’t be a major issue.
- Don’t expect the Heat to take a load management approach with Butler, Winderman explains in a separate piece. That could change if Miami is able to clinch a playoff berth early. Yet, with the team making the postseason just once over the past three years, the club may not have the luxury of resting players this season.
- Assuming the team doesn’t make any major moves, Winderman (same piece) anticipates coach Erik Spoelstra will stagger the minutes of Butler, Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters. Winderman expects the Heat to have at least two of the three on the court the majority of the time.
Nets’ Rodions Kurucs Arrested In Brooklyn
Nets forward Rodions Kurucs was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly choking his now ex-girlfriend, sources tell Trevor Boyer and Graham Rayman of the New York Daily News.
Police sources told the Daily News that a verbal argument back on June 27 spiraled out of control and the 6’9″ forward allegedly choked and pushed his then-girlfriend among other actions that included slapping her, biting her, and tossing her onto a bed hard enough to cause injuries. Boyer and Rayman relay that the woman suffered bruising to her ribs and face, though at this time there’s no photographic evidence of those injuries, Kurucs’ lawyer notes.
The couple’s relationship lasted nine months. According to prosecutor Wilfredo Cotto, Kurucs and his then-girlfriend went on a scheduled trip to Las Vegas the following day (June 28). The Latvian native played for Brooklyn’s Summer League team in Vegas in early July.
Kurucs, who will make slightly under $1.7MM this upcoming season, was released with no bail. He was charged with obstructing the woman’s breathing and Judge Gina Abadi issued an order of protection for his ex-girlfriend while giving Rodions orders to stay away from her.
The NBA has a domestic violence policy, which was integrated into the league’s latest CBA. It’s likely that Kurucs, who appeared in 63 games for the Nets last season, will face a suspension.
The Nets have issued a statement confirming that they’re investigating the allegations, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays (via Twitter).
And-Ones: Drummond, Gasol, Leonard
Andre Drummond recently spoke about how he was excited for free agency next summer, leading some to speculate that he would like to leave the Pistons. He took to Instagram to clarify his comments.
“My point was I’m excited to go through the process because I never been [through] it, doesn’t mean I’m trying to leave Detroit. I love it here,” the big man said on his social media page.
Drummond has a player option for the 2020/21 season, though he called this upcoming campaign his “contract year,” insinuating that he’s preparing to opt out.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Marc Gasol doesn’t blame Kawhi Leonard for leaving the Raptors and joining the Clippers in a move that will put Leonard closer to his hometown. “I haven’t talked to him. Just a little through group text — that was it. You can’t blame the guy for wanting to go home. You can’t,” Gasol told Marc Stein of The New York Times in his latest newsletter. “If you tell me I can go back to Barcelona and make an absurd amount of money and play in the NBA — I understand completely the decision and respect it and wish him the best.”
- In the same piece, Gasol spoke about how he didn’t know that winning a championship would mean as much to him until after the Raptors took home the Larry O’Brien trophy. “It fulfilled me in a way that I didn’t know it could,” Gasol said. “Instantly you gain so much respect for everyone who has done this. Golden State, going to five straight finals and the rings that they have, I just instantly got so much respect for them. And LeBron going to eight finals in a row. Just doing it once put me beyond the limits I thought I had — physically and mentally. It was great to see, for myself, pushing those limits and leaving everything out there. It was awesome.”
- NBA agent James Dunleavy is joining Excel Sports Management, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dunleavy’s clients include Chandler Parsons and Gerald Green, among others.
Atlantic Notes: English, Redick, Knicks
The Sixers are hosting a free agent mini-camp on Thursday and A.J. English is among the players expected to be in attendance, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. The 6’3″ guard has spent time overseas since going undrafted out of Iona in the 2016 draft, playing last season for Lavrio B.C. in Greece.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Replacing J.J. Redick won’t be easy for the Sixers, Jack Winter of Basketball Insiders writes. Winter explains how the loss of Redick changes the team’s offensive identity.
- The Knicks are bringing in Malcolm Delaney for a workout, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Delaney, a former Virginia Tech guard who spent two seasons with Atlanta from 2016-18, will participate in drills alongside current Knicks players.
- Quinn Davis of Basketball Insiders makes a case for the Raptors remaining competitive in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. Toronto went 17-5 last year during the regular season without Leonard, though the team’s record in those games vs. playoff clubs was just 4-5.