And-Ones: Baynes, Kilpatrick, Early
Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy cannot understand why Aron Baynes has so many social media critics, he told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors. Van Gundy signed Baynes to a three-year, $20MM contract last summer to back up All-Star center Andre Drummond and believes he’s gotten his money’s worth. “Some of you guys tell me that some fans on comment boards don’t like him. I don’t know what they’re watching,” Van Gundy said. “He’s certainly one of the top backup centers in the league. You compare him to the other backup centers, he’s been absolutely terrific. He plays with great passion and emotion.” Baynes scored a career-high 21 points against the Nets on Saturday.
- Sean Kilpatrick‘s offensive ability earned him some long-term security, Nets interim coach Tony Brown told the media, including Hoops Rumors, over the weekend. The shooting guard agreed to a multiyear deal that includes a guarantee for next season after his two 10-day contracts with the team expired. “He’s very effective shooting from deep and he’s been getting some good looks off the dribble,” Brown said. “Obviously, the new deal for him is well deserved. They’re thinking down the road, for the future of the ballclub, that he’d be a nice piece to have on the roster.”
- The anticipation for next season is growing in Philadelphia as the current season winds down, Sixers coach Brett Brown told Brian Seltzer of NBA.com. “Names get associated with prospective draft picks that we’re studying now that the [NCAA] Tournament’s going on,” Brown said. “The end is near where you’re looking at our existing players and how we’re going to respond to some of the people that are out of contract. You start talking a little bit more seriously about some of the free agent strategies. You start talking a little more seriously about the Joel Embiid situation, and Dario [Saric] situation, how it all fits.”
- Former Bucks and Pelicans point guard Nate Wolters is leaving his Turkish team Besiktas, international journalist David Pick tweets, citing a source. Wolters chose to play overseas in July after playing for the Clippers’ summer league team.
- The Trail Blazers recalled shooting guard Luis Montero and power forward Cliff Alexander from the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors on Sunday, the team informed Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Both rookies appeared in four games with the Warriors’ D-League affiliate during their assignment and have played seven games apiece for the Blazers this season. Alexander will likely be active for the Blazers’ game against the Mavericks on Wednesday because big man Meyers Leonard is out indefinitely with a dislocated shoulder, Richman adds.
- The Knicks assigned small forward Cleanthony Early to their D-League affiliate in Westchester on Monday, the team tweets. The Knicks activated him on Sunday for the first time since he was shot in the right knee during a December 30th robbery.
Arthur Hill contributed to this report.
Potential Top Pick Ben Simmons Headed to NBA
LSU freshman Ben Simmons will hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, he told ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman. “I’m making it official,” Simmons told Goodman.
Simmons’ decision was a mere formality, as it was widely assumed he’d be a one-and-done prospect when he signed with the Tigers, who finished 19-14 and were not chosen for the NCAA Tournament.
The 6’10” Australia native averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and has been at the top of most draft lists throughout the season, though he’s now vying for that honor with Duke freshman swingman Brandon Ingram.
Simmons has been compared to LeBron James and Magic Johnson because of his versatility and ballhandling skills, according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford, who still has Simmons atop his Big Board rankings. Simmons’ size, athleticism and passing ability will allow him to play multiple positions, anywhere from an oversized point guard to power forward. He prefers to play point forward, Ford adds, though there are questions about his motor.
Simmons’ best traits in the half-court revolve around his tremendous ballhandling and passing ability because of his court vision, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress notes in his in-depth analysis, though he hasn’t shown much range with his jump shot. Givony currently has Simmons ranked No. 2 behind Ingram.
Simmons plans to sign with Klutch Sports and agent Rich Paul, league sources recently told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Paul is also James’ agent.
Celtics Sign Coty Clarke To Second 10-Day Deal
FRIDAY, 9:24am: The signing is official, the team announced.
THURSDAY, 5:40pm: The Celtics will sign Coty Clarke to a second 10-day contract, a source told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Clarke, a 6’7” combo forward out of Arkansas, has played just three minutes in two games with the Celtics thus far and also had a stint with the team’s D-League affiliate in Maine during that span. Clarke was the team’s choice to fill the roster opening when it reached a buyout agreement with David Lee. Lee signed with the Mavericks after clearing waivers.
He has spent most of the season with the Red Claws, appearing in 40 games and averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.9 minutes.
“Our front office has been thrilled about him and thrilled about his play in Maine the whole year,” Coach Brad Stevens recently told the Celtics media. “We obviously have a familiarity with him from being here in the fall and so we thought it was a great opportunity to bring a guy on board while we have some practice time to really get a chance to evaluate him within our system, with our team, as the season has progressed.”
This season has represented a return stateside for the former University of Arkansas player who spent last season with Hapoel Kazrin in Israel after going undrafted in 2014. He gives the team additional depth at the forward spot with Jae Crowder expected to sit out at least two more weeks with an ankle injury.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/17/16
The NBA regular season has approximately four weeks to go and two teams have created separation from the pack in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs and Raptors are virtual locks to nab the top two seeds in the East, with the only question being whether Toronto can catch Cleveland and steal away the No. 1 seed. The Raptors are two games back in the loss column.
The real intrigue surrounds which teams will nail down the bottom playoff seeds in the conference. Entering Thursday’s action, the Pistons and Bulls were tied for the seventh and eighth spots but the suddenly revived Wizards are just one and a half games back.
Detroit has lost three of its last four but plays its next eight games at home. The Bulls, who have gone 3-7 over their last 10 games to put their playoff lives in jeopardy, have two fewer home games remaining than the Pistons. However, they do have top scorer Jimmy Butler back in the lineup after he missed 15 of 17 games with a knee injury.
The Wizards have just six home games remaining but have seemingly regained their stride, knocking off the Pistons and Bulls in blowout victories this week.
The sixth-place Pacers have built a four-game cushion on the Wizards, but they cannot feel totally comfortable with their position.
This leads us to our question of the day: Among the Pacers, Bulls, Pistons and Wizards, which Eastern Conference team currently fighting for a playoff berth will fail to reach the postseason?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Pacific Notes: Lieberman, Ayres, Clarkson, Booker
- Power forward Jeff Ayres is relieved he can settle into one place now that the Clippers have signed him for the remainder of the season, Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com reports. The power forward, who played under two 10-day contracts with the Clippers earlier this season, played two games for the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders after being traded from Boise before the Clippers came calling again. “I was telling somebody this morning, I’ve been living out of my suitcase – like really living out of a suitcase,” Ayres told Kavner.
- Lakers coach Byron Scott isn’t concerned about Jordan Clarkson‘s shooting slump, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. The second-year shooting guard has averaged 9.7 points, shot 29.5% from the field and made just two of 17 3-point attempts over the past three games. “I don’t put a whole lot of stock into it,” Scott told Oram and other members of the media. “You’re going to have stretches of this season, which is a long season, where you’re going to have some bad games.”
- Rookie shooting guard Devin Booker is being groomed as the Suns‘ go-to player at the end of games, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Interim head coach Earl Watson is putting the ball in his hands during those situations to see how he responds, as Watson relayed to Coro. “Devin has to learn how to finish games at the elbow like Kobe Bryant,” Watson said. “He knows that. We talked about that. That’s the progression of him finishing games.”
NBA, NBPA Agree To Shorten Moratorium
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have agreed to shorten the free agent moratorium to five days, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. This year’s free agency moratorium will last from July 1st-6th. Free agent contracts can now be signed much sooner after verbal agreements are reached, Wojnarowski points out. (Twitter links).
The league office sent a memo Thursday to team owners, front-office executives, financial representatives and team counsels regarding the change, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. Any changes to the current collective bargaining agreement typically require a side letter signed by the league and the players, and rules regarding the moratorium fall under the CBA, Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes (Twitter link).
The moratorium lasted until July 9th during last season’s free agency period and controversy arose over DeAndre Jordan‘s late switch during his unrestricted free agency. Jordan made a verbal agreement with the Mavericks, then changed his mind and remained with the Clippers after some heavy lobbying by his Los Angeles teammates. A shorter free agency period will make it more difficult for such flip-flops to take place once a verbal agreement is reached.
The moratorium period gives the NBA a chance to audit its finances, project next season’s revenue and set salary cap levels. Those salary cap levels determine crucial financial items such as maximum and minimum player salaries, the luxury tax threshold, and signing tools such as the mid-level exception.
The moratorium was to run through July 11th for this summer and next prior to Thursday’s agreement, so this speeds up the free agency process by nearly a week, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out. The fact that the NBA and NBPA were able to find common ground on this issue bodes well for future negotiations, Pincus adds (Twitter links).
Nets, Sean Kilpatrick Close To Two-Year Deal
The Nets are closing in on a two-year contract with shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. The deal will include a guarantee for next season, sources added to Wojnarowski.
Kilpatrick, who is making $49,709 on his second 10-day deal, also played eight games with the Nuggets this season and 28 games with the Sixers’ D-League affiliate. Kilpatrick has reached double digits in five of his last six outings, including a trio of 19-point performances. He had 19 apiece against the Bucks and Sixers in the Nets’ last two games despite averaging just 22.5 minutes in those games. He’s shooting 50% from the field and 48.4% on 3-point tries in seven games this month.
Brooklyn has the ability to take on Kilpatrick without making any other roster moves. It has only 13 other contracts that run through season’s end and newfound financial leeway beneath the tax in the wake of buyouts with Joe Johnson and Andrea Bargnani.
Prior to this season, the 26-year-old Kilpatrick had only appeared in four NBA games, all with the Timberwolves last season.
The University of Cincinnati product recently told ESPN.com’s Mike Mazzeo that he was tired of trying to find an NBA home. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase I would say for the past six months. It’s crazy, man,” Kilpatrick said. “That’s why when you ask, ‘Do I want to be here?’ Like, I’m tired of living out of a suitcase.”
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/14/16
DeMarcus Cousins was back in the news last week and, not surprisingly, it involved a disciplinary issue. The mercurial Kings big man received a one-game suspension from the team following a verbal tirade directed at head coach George Karl. Cousins then complained that Karl was responsible for the suspension, not the front office.
Cousins’ relationship with the coach has been volatile since Karl took over during the middle of last season. It hasn’t gotten any better this season as Sacramento has fallen out of the playoff race over the past six weeks. Cousins recently aired some his grievances to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears, complaining that there’s “a lot of chaos” and “extra unnecessary stuff” going on in the organization.
Of course, Cousins’ hot temper often rubs officials the wrong way as well. He leads the league with 15 technical fouls and has also received an ejection.
It’s been widely speculated that Karl won’t return next season, but that doesn’t mean Cousins will get along with his potential replacement. However, Nuggets coach and former Kings head man Michael Malone recently said it’s possible to coexist with Cousins by using as a no-nonsense approach.
“I was real with him, I was honest with him, I coached him, I disciplined him, I held him accountable,” Malone told Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. “I never tried to be his buddy. I never tried to coach around him.”
No one questions Cousins’ talent. In his sixth NBA season, the 25-year-old is averaging a career-high 27.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. With a dearth of quality centers in the league, Cousins would certainly draw plenty of interest if the Kings decided to move him. The Kings could get plenty in return for him, despite all the baggage.
Any possible suitor would have to determine whether Cousins would thrive in another environment, or whether his abrasive personality would lead to locker room strife anywhere he goes.
This leads us to our question of the day: Will the Kings trade DeMarcus Cousins this summer? If so, where do you think he’ll end up?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Mozgov, Calderon, Embiid
Cavs center Timofey Mozgov has cost himself millions with his poor play this season, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal opines. Mozgov, who is making $4.95MM this season and will head into unrestricted free agency, has been dealing with unspecified personal problems that have contributed to his lack of on-court production, Lloyd continues. Mozgov has been particularly ineffective defensively, which has led to a drop in playing time and teammates yelling at him after breakdowns, Lloyd adds. “I’ve got a lot of [stuff] in my head,” Mozgov told Lloyd. “I’m not going to share it to nobody. You ask me what’s going on in my head, you’re not going to find out.”
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Jose Calderon will play for the Spanish National Team during this summer’s Olympic Games, but his Knicks future beyond this season is uncertain, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Calderon has one year and approximately $7.7MM remaining on his contract but the Knicks could use the stretch provision and save $5MM on next season’s cap, Berman continues, though he’s a viable option as a backup point guard. Calderon’s thoughts concerning the offseason are centered around winning a gold medal, Berman adds. “It will be my fourth Olympics,” he told Berman. “I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to play more. I think four is a good number.”
- Sixers center Joel Embiid will have restrictions if and when he returns next season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft is expected to finally make his debut after foot surgeries wiped out his first two seasons, but the team will exercise caution with him, as coach Brett Brown relayed to Pompey. “We have to be responsible with some minute restrictions with him,” Brown said. “You would assume that he’s not going to play back-to-back games. All those things will be determined.”
- Power forward Chris Bosh returned to the Heat bench in street clothes on Monday night, his first appearance there since blood clot issues sidelined him at the All-Star break, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Wallace and The Associated Press. However, it remains unclear if Bosh will return this season, the story adds. Bosh released a statement last week in which he expressed optimism about playing again before season’s end.
And-Ones: Lakers, Kilpatrick, Meeks
Point guard D’Angelo Russell has star potential, but rival executives have doubts about power forward Julius Randle’s ceiling, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports. Polling a dozen front office executives, Berger found that Russell is the more highly regarded of the Lakers’ duo. Randle, their 2014 lottery pick, is viewed more as a piece to the puzzle or an energy guy, Berger continues. It’s conceivable the Lakers deal one or both for a proven star, Berger adds, but a lot of the their decision-making this offseason is contingent on whether they keep their lottery pick. They must convey their pick to the Sixers if they fall out of the top three.
- Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, who has signed two 10-day contracts, hopes he can stick around for the remainder of the season and beyond, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. Kilpatrick is averaging 13.6 points in his last five games with the club. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase I would say for the past six months. It’s crazy, man,” Kilpatrick told Mazzeo. “That’s why when you ask, ‘Do I want to be here?’ Like, I’m tired of living out of a suitcase.”
- Shooting guard Jodie Meeks is back in uniform but will have a tough time cracking the Pistons rotation, according to David Mayo of MLive. Meeks broke his right foot in the team’s home opener and required a lengthy recovery. Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy prefers to utilize no more than nine players, and swingman Stanley Johnson and power forward Anthony Tolliver have recently returned to the rotation after recovering from injuries. “I can’t control that,” Meeks told Mayo. “So whenever my number’s called, I’ll be ready.”
- The Celtics recalled rookie power forward Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. Mickey has made 11 appearances with Boston this season.
- The Thunder assigned small forward Josh Huestis to their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the Thunder’s website. Huestis has already started 19 games for the Blue this season, averaging 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per contest.