Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Porzingis, Powell, Sixers
The Celtics will include one of their main backcourt pieces if they make a major trade, Chris Mannix of The Vertical anticipates. Boston will have trouble affording the quartet of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier in the long run and can’t add an impact player without shedding one or more of them, Mannix continues. Smart is eligible for an extension next summer and will command a starting salary of at least $10MM, while Thomas and Bradley can become free agents in the summer of 2018. It will take a good chunk of the salary cap to retain both, in Mannix’s view. The starting backcourt can also have their contracts renegotiated this summer but Mannix is skeptical that GM Danny Ainge would eat into future cap space to make that happen.
In other developments around the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and other players with rookie contracts will get a significant boost in pay once the new CBA is ratified, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Porzingis will receive a 15% increase next season and a 30% bump in the final year of his four-year rookie-scale deal, Berman continues. Sources informed Berman that Porzingis’ revised salary will increase from $4.5MM to $5.1MM next season and from $5.6MM to $7.3MM in 2018/19.
- The Raptors need another elite player to become true title contenders but they should try to hold onto shooting guard Norm Powell, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun opines. Powell has the ability to play three positions and could play some minutes at point guard if Toronto includes current backup Cory Joseph in a blockbuster deal, Wolstat continues. In any case, coach Dwane Casey should try to give Powell, 23, more consistent minutes, Wolstat adds.
- Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will continue to start together in the Sixers’ frontcourt during their upcoming West Coast swing, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports. According to Seltzer’s research, that duo has 52 shared minutes over the Sixers’ last four contests, producing an offensive rating of 95.0 points per 100 possessions, and a defensive rating of 113.3 points per 100 possessions.
Community Shootaround: Hall of Fame Players
The NBA players inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame this year were household names — Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming.
Shaq and AI were “no-brainer” inductees, superstars whose accomplishments made them first-ballot inductees. Ming’s impact from an international perspective overshadowed his early retirement due to foot issues.
There’s a lot more mystery concerning the next class that receives basketball’s ultimate honor. The nominees for the 2017 Hall of Fame among NBA players includes plenty of big names, many of whom have been passed over numerous times by the voting committee.
Topping the list of newcomers are Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace and Muggsy Bogues. McGrady was a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection and two-time scoring champion. Wallace won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award four times, while the 5’3” Bogues proved that even a guy his size could carve out a lengthy career.
Other nominees in the player category include Chris Webber, Paul Westphal, Jack Sikma, Maurice Cheeks, Mark Price, Swen Nater, Sidney Moncrief, Tim Hardaway, Bobby Jones, Kevin Johnson, Marques Johnson, Mark Aguirre, Junior Bridgeman, Terry Cummings and Geese Ausbie.
Out of the latter group, Webber might be the most surprising holdover. The five-time All-Star has failed to make the cut the last two years.
This brings us to our question of the day: Which 2017 nominees do you think are most deserving of induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame?
Jump into the comments section below and share your selections for next year’s Hall of Fame class.
Will Barton Wants To Stay With Nuggets
Guard Will Barton is well aware of the trade rumors swirling around him and hopes the Nuggets retain him, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post reports.
Several teams have reportedly expressed interest in Barton, including the Wizards and Pelicans. The Nuggets were offered a first-round pick for him last year, but they declined, according to Dempsey.
Barton would prefer to stay put.
“They know I want to be here. It’s no secret,” he told Dempsey. “I want to be a part of this core that gets it right. I feel like we’re making huge strides. We’re right there, kind of fighting for that eighth seed. I feel like we’ve just gotten our team completely healthy, and I want to be part of that and they know that.”
Part of Barton’s appeal to other teams is his modest contract. He is making approximately $3.5MM this season and the same amount next season. He has been productive since returning from an ankle injury, averaging 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Barton’s name probably won’t come off the rumor mill any time soon. Denver has a logjam at shooting guard with Gary Harris and Jamal Murray also competing for minutes.
Barton does see a silver lining, according to Dempsey.
“Teams calling trying to check my availability means that I’m doing something right,” Barton said. “My body is still getting better. I feel like my game is getting better.”
George Karl Blasts Carmelo In Upcoming Book
Carmelo Anthony was “addicted to the spotlight” and had no commitment to defense when he played for the Nuggets, his former coach George Karl writes in a book that is scheduled for release next month.
Excerpts from the book, “Furious George,” were published after an advance copy was obtained by the New York Post’s Marc Berman.
Karl coached Anthony for six seasons and clearly still has issues with the current Knicks star forward. Karl called Anthony “the best offensive player he ever coached” but Anthony drove him crazy with his self-indulgence and refusal to play hard at both ends of the court, Berman continues.
“He really lit my fuse with his low demand of himself on defense,” Karl said in the book. “He had no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy. My ideal — probably every coach’s ideal — is when your best player is also your leader. But since Carmelo only played hard on one side of the ball, he made it plain he couldn’t lead the Nuggets, even though he said he wanted to. Coaching him meant working around his defense and compensating for his attitude.”
Karl admitted that he was happy when Denver traded Anthony to the Knicks in 2011, viewing it as “a sweet release for the coach and the team, like popping a blister.” Karl added that Nuggets got the better of the deal in the long run. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, two of the players acquired by Denver, are still rotation pieces there.
Karl also took current Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith and former NBA forward Kenyon Martin to task, calling them “spoiled brats.”
Martin responded on Twitter by calling Karl a “terrible person” (Twitter link).
Karl, 65, was fired by the Kings in April after a disappointing 33-49 season.
Stan Van Gundy Ready To Shake Things Up
DECEMBER 19, 11:42am: While Van Gundy and the Pistons may shake things up at some point, it doesn’t appear it will happen tonight. The Detroit head coach told reporters today that there will be no lineup changes for Monday’s game, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 18, 9:44pm: A lineup change could be coming as early as Monday for the Pistons, coach Stan Van Gundy told the media after his team was blown out on consecutive nights this weekend. Van Gundy has been exasperated by his team’s inconsistent play and the return of point guard Reggie Jackson from knee tendinitis has only led to more choppy performances. “There’s no question we’ve not been as good,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve played eight games, seven of them against teams below .500, and we’re 3-5. So there’s no question we’re not as good as we were before. That’s just a fact. Now, is that all on him? No. No, we have a lot of guys not playing as well.”
While Van Gundy didn’t elaborate on the potential lineup change, he really has only two viable options:
- He could reinsert Ish Smith, who started while Jackson was rehabbing his knee, at point guard. Van Gundy isn’t sure if that’s the answer. “Even before Reggie came back, that starting lineup with Ish was outscored by opponents, too,” he said. “Not by as much, but outscored by opponents. So that has not been as good a lineup. We were surviving basically because our bench was coming in and outplaying people.”
- He could move power forward Jon Leuer into the starting five and have either Marcus Morris or Tobias Harris come off the bench. Leuer has arguably been the Pistons’ most consistent player, averaging career highs in points (10.8) and rebounds (6.4). However, Leuer missed the 105-90 loss to the Pacers on Saturday with back spasms.
It’s clear that Van Gundy doesn’t intend to sit back and wait for the team to come around. “We’ve definitely gotta look at some things, lineup and rotation-wise,” he said. “That unit is clearly not working. At least not right now. “
Van Gundy also criticized his team for playing too selfishly in recent outings, with players more concerned about getting shots than getting back on defense. The players held a team meeting after the Indiana game to address that, as well as other issues.
“We’ve got guys upset they’re not touching the ball, and everything else, so they’re not as engaged in the game on the defensive end of the floor,” he said. “There’s all kinds of things that have to go into the game, and the ball has to move. There has to be an unselfish offense, and a committed defense, and the last two nights, there have been neither.”
Detroit is still just one game under .500 and one of many Eastern Conference clubs trying to find a way to go on a hot streak. But heightened expectations for the Pistons, who made the playoffs last season, have led to frustration over their mediocre play through 29 games. What changes should Van Gundy make to get his team going? Take to the comments section and give us your input.
Atlantic Notes: Noel, Sixers, Noah, Celtics
The Sixers’ decision to remove Nerlens Noel from the rotation is baffling and short-sighted, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The team didn’t even attempt to take a long look at him playing alongside either Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before benching him, Cooney continues. Philadelphia’s coaching staff and front office simply quit on the process of trying to mesh the skills of the three big men and that doesn’t send a good message to the other players, Cooney adds. Cooney hedged on his position, saying there might be something more to the decision than has been revealed publicly.
In other developments around the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers’ chances of getting the Lakers’ first-round pick have dropped from 91% to 66.6% because of Los Angeles’ losing streak, according to Neil Johnson of ESPN Analytics. The Lakers originally dealt the pick to the Suns in 2012 while acquiring guard Steve Nash. Philadelphia acquired the pick in 2015 in a three-way deal with the Suns and Bucks. The pick is top three protected in the next draft and unprotected in 2018. The Lakers’ expected draft position per BPI is currently 4.8, according to Johnson, meaning the Sixers would get the No. 4 or No. 5 pick from L.A. if the odds hold up.
- Joakim Noah has been a major bust and the Knicks center may soon lose his starting job, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Coach Jeff Hornacek said to Berman and other media members that Noah’s starting status is “something we have to keep our eye on.’’ Noah, who was signed to a four-year, $72MM contract as a free agent, has been a major liability on offense, which more than offsets the occasional energy boost he provides with his rebounding and defense, Berman adds.
- Teams have a better chance of retaining their top free agents under the new CBA and that could hurt the Celtics’ chances of becoming a top contender, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald opines. The Celtics were able to land Al Horford and make a serious run for Kevin Durant but that probably wouldn’t have happened if the new CBA had been in place this past summer, Bulpett continues. It will be tougher to attract top free agents in the future, which will force the Celtics to rely on trades and the draft to improve, Bulpett adds.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/18/16
Here are the D-League assignments and recalls for Sunday:
- The Spurs assigned guard Bryn Forbes to the Austin Spurs, the team announced on its website. Forbes scored 23 points against the Westchester Knicks on Sunday afternoon.
- The Thunder recalled forward Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. In nine games with the Blue this season, Huestis is averaging 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.11 blocks in 31.7 minutes. Huestis has appeared in five games with the Thunder, averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.0 minutes.
Rockets Release Motiejunas, Sign Bobby Brown
FRIDAY, 11:00am: Brown has officially been re-signed, according to a tweet from the Rockets.
THURSDAY, 6:34pm: In a somewhat unexpected move, the Rockets have released forward Donatas Motiejunas, the team announced on its website. Motiejunas will enter the market as an unrestricted free agent.
This provides a surprise ending to a long saga that began when Motiejunas became a restricted free agent this past summer. Motiejunas had agreed to a four-year, $35MM deal with the Rockets after Houston matched an offer sheet from the Nets. He was set to make $8.3MM this season.
When the Rockets first matched the Nets’ offer sheet and Motiejunas failed to report to the team, the two sides scrapped his four-year sheet and negotiated a similar new deal, according to The Vertical’s Shams Charania.
The Rockets will sign guard Bobby Brown with the opening on their roster, Charania reports.
League representatives were contacted last week regarding Motiejunas’ situation, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reported earlier this week. He appeared to have a new four-year deal in place on Friday, then was sent home before the team’s game on Saturday after taking a physical. At the time, Rockets officials offered few public comments on that decision.
Motiejunas was traded to the Pistons in February, only to have that deal voided when Detroit’s medical staff expressed concerns over his surgically repaired back. He passed a physical with the Nets before signing the offer sheet, according to Feigen. Motiejunas, who had been the lone restricted free agent on the market until he signed that sheet, was limited to 37 games last season after the surgery.
Motiejunas cannot sign with the Nets at the present time, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. But that could change as the NBA reviews the unusual situation, Zillgitt adds.
Brown, 32, was waived by the Rockets earlier this month when they match Motiejunas’ offer sheet. He has appeared in six games with Houston after being out of the league since the 2009/10 season.
Sixers Big Man Nerlens Noel Changes Agents
Sixers center Nerlens Noel has parted ways with agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports and is expected to sign with Dan Fegan, multiple sources told Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).
The timing of Noel’s decision to switch agents is intriguing. Noel can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Sixers, as expected, extend his qualifying offer of approximately $5.85MM.
He has expressed reservations about Philadelphia’s frontcourt logjam with fellow lottery picks Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid, among others, also fighting for playing time at the power positions.
This could be a signal that Noel will push harder for a trade, or he might simply feel Fegan will negotiate a better deal for him over the summer.
As Luke Adams detailed in our Trade Candidate series, there have been rumblings about Noel’s desire to be dealt. Both Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders have reported that Noel would prefer to be moved.
According to recent tweets by Kyler, all indications are that Noel wants to be traded this season, and the Sixers will do everything they can to accommodate him (Twitter links).
Philadelphia’s Big Three could all be available for the first time against the Lakers on Friday. Coach Brett Brown declared that he can successfully juggle their playing time if they make sacrifices. However, it’s generally assumed the Sixers will eventually deal one of them. Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opined this week that Okafor will likely be the odd man out because his skill set doesn’t mesh with either Noel or Embiid.
Noel made his season debut on Sunday after undergoing knee surgery during training camp, playing 10 minutes against the Pistons. He missed the Sixers’ game against the Raptors on Wednesday with an ankle injury.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/15/16
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Raptors assigned point guard Fred VanVleet and forward Bruno Caboclo to their affiliate, Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed (Twitter links). They both played against the Oklahoma City Blue on Thursday, with VanVleet scoring nine points and dishing out 12 assists, while Caboclo had 13 points. VanVleet has seen action in six games with Toronto this season, while Caboclo has appeared in three games.
- The Magic assigned guard C.J. Wilcox and center Stephen Zimmerman to the Erie BayHawks, the team announced on its website. Wilcox has played in 10 games this season with the Magic. Zimmerman has appeared in four games this season with the Magic. He was previously assigned to Erie on November 28th.
- The Suns recalled point guard Tyler Ulis and big man Alan Williams from the Northern Arizona Suns, the team tweets. Ulis, an early second-rounder, has played in 14 games with Phoenix this season. Williams has played nine games with the NBA club.
- The Jazz assigned forward Joel Bolomboy to their affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced. This marks the fifth assignment this season for Bolomboy, who has played eight games this season with the Jazz.
- The Grizzlies assigned guard Wade Baldwin IV to their affiliate, the Iowa Energy. Baldwin, who has appeared in 20 games with Memphis, played two games for the Energy last month.