Chris Paul, Rockets Appear To Be Long-Term Match
Chris Paul will be a free agent this offseason, but he’s not looking ahead to the possibilities that this summer could bring. “Not at all,” Paul said when asked if he’s thought about his upcoming free agency (via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). “Not one time. Not once. I just always worry about right now.”
The point guard is happy in Houston and it’s easy to envision him remaining with the franchise — after all, when he decided to join the Rockets, it wasn’t simply about him. His family moved with him to Texas, which means his free agency is about more than basketball options. It’s about life decisions.
“That’s what happened when the trade happened,” Paul said. “I love it here. I love it here.”
Paul will be eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $205MM this offseason. GM Daryl Morey wouldn’t discuss potential contract specifics, though he said that top-shelf point guards like Paul have a history of playing well late in their careers.
“Obviously, when we get someone as great as Chris Paul or James Harden, the plan is to keep him here,” Morey said during the season. “He’ll have a choice when the season ends. We feel like we set things up well. It should be an easy choice for him.”
Knicks Notes: LeBron, Jack, Hardaway Jr.
J.R. Smith, who spent three and half seasons with New York, can’t envision LeBron James ever joining the Knicks.
“Nah, don’t think so. Can’t see it [happening],” Smith said of LBJ playing home games in Madison Square Garden (via Peter Botte of The New York Daily News). “But that’s cool, though, man. A lot of cities have tried that already with [a billboard]. But we’ll see what happens.”
James can become a free agent this offseason and he’s seen several billboards recruiting him to cities that Cavs are visiting, including one reading “King of New York? Prove it.” that was put up last week in the Big Apple.
Dwyane Wade was also recently asked about LBJ’s chances of coming to the Knicks, responding simply with “good luck.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Jarrett Jack deserves credit for showcasing professionalism with the Knicks and being a mentor to the team’s younger players, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. The veteran has been helping the team’s stable of young point guards while trying to refrain from being overbearing. “If somebody kept the training wheels on your bike the whole time you would never know what it’s like when they take them off,” Jack said. “Sometimes you got to let them balance on their own, push them down the hill a little bit and see what happens.”
- Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract has been a topic of debate since his four-year, $72MM deal last summer. However, he’s had a solid season and one anonymous scout tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that he doesn’t believe the financials are hindering the Knicks. “Forget the name,” the scout said. “If I said you could sign a young, athletic wing who averaged 15 points on a playoff team [Atlanta], would you?”
- As we relayed earlier today, current Knicks point guard Trey Burke finished third in voting for the G League’s 2017/18 MVP award.
New Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak Talks Rebuilding, Kemba, Analytics, Draft
The Hornets appear to be stuck in the NBA’s no-man’s land—too good to get a top lottery pick, yet not good enough to make a real dent in the conference’s playoff race. However, despite the status, new GM Mitch Kupchak isn’t ready to undergo a full rebuild, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer relays.
“I don’t know the ins and outs much. I don’t know if that is the right word or not. To sit here and say this is a team that needs to be rebuilt, I don’t know if that’s fair,” Kupchak said at today’s introductory press conference.
The GM added he hasn’t made a decision yet on the status of coach Steve Clifford and that he doesn’t feel pressure to trade Kemba Walker.
“I don’t think [his distaste for losing is] something to overreact to. I want a player who doesn’t want to lose. That’s a good thing. I’m aware of [Walker’s comments]. Over the next several days, I will have player interviews. My understanding is he has another year under contract. It’s clearly a very favorable contract [for the team, at $12MM], but he’s going to be just fine going forward. I’m very aware of his talent. From what I hear, he’s great in the locker room and great in the community. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want that going forward.”
Kupchak talked about his approach to analytics, telling the media that if all others things are equal in evaluating a player, he’s trusting his instincts over the numbers.
“Gut instinct has been a big part of talent evaluation: watching the player, watching the player walking to the bench, how he interacts with the coach. Scouting games in person. Those things are the biggest,” he said. “Over the last 15 years, with the introduction of cameras on top of each building basically like GPS, it’s created a whole new form of data. That creates so much data every night; data uploaded every night and you have to have people to evaluate that data. That’s how the business has really changed.
“Every GM is different [as far as] confirming your instincts as a GM. If it ever was a tie I’d always go to my instincts. Might be 70-30 or 60-40.”
Charlotte is currently slotted to pick 11th in the upcoming draft, as our Reverse Standings indicate. In picking that far down the lottery, Kupchak believes the obvious strategy is simply taking the best available player.
“If we’re picking around 10 or 11, you would almost always go with the best player. If it was close, you might go with position. But you can always trade players if you have duplication,” he said.
Fantasy Hoops: Burke, Nets, Cook, Rozier
Whether you’re still alive in the fantasy basketball playoffs (congratulations!) or simply need an edge in daily fantasy, Hoops Rumors has you covered. Here are some basketball nuggets to help you take down the competition down the stretch:
Trey Burke is averaging 14.3 points per game while hitting 55.6% of his shots from the field over the last six contests. He’s a solid streaming option on Monday when the Knicks take on the Hornets — no team is allowing opposing point guards to shoot a higher percentage over the last 10 games.- The Nets are getting eaten alive on the boards by opposing fives, allowing a league-worst 15.1 rebounds to the position over their last 10 games. Brooklyn plays the Magic on Wednesday and Nikola Vucevic should provide nice value in daily fantasy leagues.
- Quinn Cook is a must-own for all those still playing in season-long leagues. Over his last eight games (seven starts), the Duke product is scoring 16.0 points per game while shooting 51.0% from the field and knocking down nearly two shots from behind the arc. He’s also adding 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and nearly a steal per contest over that span for a depleted Warriors team. Cook’s teammate and mentor, Stephen Curry, can be dropped in all leagues, as he’s expected to be sidelined through the end of the regular season.
- Both Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart are out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season, which means it’s the Terry Rozier show for the Celtics. Rozier went crazy against Sacramento on Sunday, scoring 33 points on 75% shooting. He also added five rebounds and three assists. He should be owned in all season-long leagues, and his usage makes his an attractive option in daily.
- The Raptors are the only team with two games this upcoming week. Every other team plays three or four.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Statistics are current through Monday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Sign Nigel Hayes To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 16: The Raptors have officially signed Hayes to a second 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.
MARCH 14: The Raptors are signing Nigel Hayes to another 10-day contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team’s roster will remain at 15.
The Wisconsin product has appeared in two games for Toronto during his first 10-day deal, scoring a total of six points in six minutes of action.
Hayes played for the Lakers earlier this season on a 10-day contract. He didn’t see much action in Los Angeles, tallying just 11 minutes over two contests. He came to training camp with the Knicks, but the team waived him before the season began.
Hayes’ initial 10-day pact with Toronto will expire on Thursday night, so the club will make his second deal official at some point after that.
Latest On Markelle Fultz
Rumors of Markelle Fultz making his return this coming Friday have begun to circulate, but Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter links) hears from multiple sources that there are no plans in place to have the rookie suit up this week. Bodner adds that the Sixers are encouraged by the point guard’s progress.
By many accounts, Fultz is looking better in practice. He appears to have re-discovered his jump shot, which had looked altered for much of 2017/18.
Still, coach Brett Brown indicates that no decision on whether to bring last year’s No. 1 overall pick back this season has been made, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The franchise may continue to hold Fultz out of action as it jockeys for position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Julius Randle Hoping To Remain With Lakers Long-Term
Julius Randle was “upset and angry” earlier this season when he didn’t receive an extension offer from the Lakers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. The franchise wanted to keep its cap sheet clean, even if Randle was willing to give a hometown discount. While the team’s rumored plan to pursue proven superstars this summer initially irked the big man, he’s taking it much better nowadays.
“Oh, man, it came to a certain point where I was just numb to it,” Randle said of the rumors linking stars like LeBron James and Paul George to the Lakers.
The team may have to let Randle walk if they are going to sign both superstars, but the power forward would enjoy sticking around, especially if James decides to join Magic Johnson’s squad.
“It would definitely be interesting because we are building something. We really see our young core developing, so it would definitely be something interesting,” Randle said of the possibility of playing with James. “I played with [Kobe Bryant]. … What you learn from Bean as far as mentality and just the little things, his work ethic, I would love to play with Bron and learn the same things.
“[Learning and soaking in] what makes him so great, what does he do that makes him so great and how does he make everybody else so great. He has made a living off of making teammates better. So you have a guy like that, it makes a lot of things easier, I would say.”
Randle, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is currently playing some of the best basketball in his career. He stuffed the stat sheet on Sunday against the Cavs, posting 36 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks — if the Lakers are simply going to let him walk, it won’t be an easy decision.
“I haven’t talked to a lot of other coaches about him, but what he’s doing right now, he has to be on everyone’s radar,” coach Luke Walton said. “He’s playing unbelievable basketball. He’s a matchup nightmare for teams; he’s versatile. This is just me guessing, but I would imagine most teams are pretty impressed with what he’s doing.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks (in the same story) pegs Randle’s market value in the $12-14MM-per-year range. While the former No. 7 overall pick will undoubtedly look for a raise on his current salary, which is approximately $4.2MM, it sounds like money won’t be the only factor in his decision-making process this summer.
“It would be tough to say no to L.A., honestly,” Randle said when asked how much he wants to remain a Laker. “It is the place that drafted me. I would love to be here. I have to do what is best for the family and hopefully, they want me here as well.”
Grizzlies Sign Briante Weber To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 14: The Grizzlies have officially signed Weber to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Friday, March 23.
In order to create room on the roster for Weber, Memphis waived Xavier Rathan-Mayes, whose 10-day contract had been set to expire tonight. We had previously noted that Rathan-Mayes wouldn’t be getting a second 10-day pact from the Grizzlies.
MARCH 13: The Grizzlies have agreed to a deal with Briante Weber, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The contract will be a 10-day pact.
Weber appeared in 13 games for the Rockets earlier this season, playing under a two-way deal. The point guard saw 118 minutes of action and scored 7.9 points per contest. After the Rockets waived him, he caught on with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the G League.
This will be Weber’s second stint with Memphis, as he played seven games with the club during the 2015/16 season. He has also spent time with the Warriors, Heat and, Hornets. For his career, he has 40 games (four starts) under his belt and nearly 500 minutes worth of court time.
Brandon Jennings Makes Immediate Impact For Bucks
Brandon Jennings, who signed with Milwaukee on a 10-day contract over the weekend, was just two rebounds away from notching a triple-double in his first game back with the Bucks. The point guard started the season playing for Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association and he credits his international experience as part of the reason he was able to make an immediate impact.
[RELATED: Michael Beasley’s Journey Sets Him Up For The Future]
“I just was able to find myself again mentally [in China],” Jennings said (via Nick Friedell of ESPN.com). “I was really mentally messed up in the head because of my so-called career-ending injury. I always wanted to bounce back from that … but I just did a lot of manifests. I manifest a lot about positivity. So I tried to get a lot of negative thoughts and things out of my head and it really helped me. It really helped me off the court being a better father too.”
Jennings suffered an Achilles tear during the 2014/15 campaign while he was a member of the Pistons. He made stops in Orlando, New York, and Washington over the ensuing two seasons, but he never resembled his old self.
“It’s just all the hard work I was putting in in China,” Jennings said “People don’t understand, I was still hurt with my Achilles injury, so now I’m finally healthy. I was able to really just revamp my whole self, just focus on basketball and be able to just work out. So when I was in China, I just felt like I was at Oak Hill [Academy] again, just working on my game and trying to get to that level again.”
Jennings appeared much closer to his peak form during Monday’s win than he did the last time he was in the league. Coach Joe Prunty called the performance “a really positive night” and John Henson, who is the only member of the Bucks who played with Jennings during his first stint with the club, believes the team lucked into a rare opportunity with the point guard in the fold.
“I don’t think it’s a question whether he can play in the NBA,” Henson said. “Obviously, it’s about the right situation. Especially this summer, it was a rough summer for free agents. But he can clearly play, so I’m excited to have him. On a 10-day, for a guy like that to have that type of talent, it’s rare.”
Jennings is scheduled to play in three more contests before his 10-day deal expires.
New York Notes: Okafor, Lee, LeVert
Jahlil Okafor hasn’t found much success on the court since being traded to the Nets, but coach Kenny Atkinson believes the big man is simply a “victim of circumstance,” as Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays.
“Sometimes it’s just circumstances,” Atkinson said. “I’d say his approach, his buy-in to what we’re doing, has been phenomenal. His buy-in to our performance team and getting his body, improving his body has been phenomenal. So, very pleased.”
Atkinson had shortened his rotation before giving the Duke product some run against the Sixers on Sunday. Okafor, who will be a free agent after the season, had four points in his five minutes of action and he may see more court time during the last month of the season.
“He has some days where he gets a little down, which is normal,” the coach added. “But he picks it right back up and has really busted his tail. So hopefully in these last games we can find opportunities for him to get there. I’d like to see more, so hopefully we get to that point.”
Here’s more from the Big Apple:
- Courtney Lee, who was the subject of trade rumors earlier this season, isn’t happy with the Knicks‘ effort on the court lately. “Effort is the key to everything,” Lee exclaimed (via Fred Kerber of the New York Post). “It takes no talent to run from the paint out to contest a 3-point shot, that’s just all effort. We have to get everybody’s effort. Everybody’s got to be locked in.” The shooting guard is under contract with New York through the 2019/20 season.
- Nets GM Sean Marks always believed former No. 20 overall pick Caris LeVert would develop into a reliable playmaker despite criticism from naysayers who argued that the team made a mistake by taking the Michigan product that high, as Bryan Fonseca of SB Nation relays. LeVert, whom the team gave up Thaddeus Young in order to acquire, is averaging 5.3 assists per contest this season.