Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Saturday.
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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/26/16
According to a recent report by Russia’s TASS news agency, former Cavs coach David Blatt is “priority one” for the Nets as they seek a new head coach. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders first reported that the Nets were interested in Blatt, but an article by Fred Kerber of the New York Post this past weekend relayed that Tom Thibodeau was Brooklyn’s probable top target. Team owner Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly wants to hire a GM before he hires a coach, and the team’s goal is apparently to have a GM in place before the February 18th trade deadline. Blatt has also been linked to the Lakers and Timberwolves, though both teams have publicly stated that they are committed to their current coaches.
Tony Brown has been serving as Brooklyn’s interim coach since the team fired Lionel Hollins earlier this month. It is highly unlikely that he will land the position on a long-term basis, though that is merely my speculation. Prokhorov, like TASS, is from Russia, and Blatt used to coach the Russian national team, which has received significant financial backing from Prokhorov in the past. That could give Blatt a leg up on his competitors for the position, provided he’s interested of course.
Earlier reports have linked the Nets to Luke Walton, John Calipari, Monty Williams and Chris Mullin, but Prokhorov has so far reportedly balked at Calipari’s price tag. The owner has also expressed a preference for a separate GM and coach, which isn’t the dual role that Calipari is reportedly seeking to make the jump back to the NBA. This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Which of the potential targets for the Nets listed above would be the best hire for the franchise? Why?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Karl, D-League, Smith
Kings coach George Karl, a two-time cancer survivor, says that he’s healthy but his well-being is always a concern for him after his previous scares, Joe Davidson of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Cancer hangs with you,” Karl told Davidson. “You always wonder. If you wake up in the morning and your stomach hurts, you wonder if it’s stomach cancer. If your back hurts, same thing. If it’s a headache in a place you’re not used to having a headache, you wonder. Every little ache and pain makes you question your health. And you value every day that you’re healthy. No question, health has moved into my priority more than it ever has in my life. In my coaching journey, balance is becoming more important in my life.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Josh Smith feels completely comfortable as a member of the Rockets, and the team should benefit from his return to Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “We understand Josh and his teammates understand him,” interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Josh just wants to hoop. That’s where the problems come in, because if he doesn’t get to play, like any competitor, you want to play and you’ve proven you can play. So for us there’s a fit, and Josh and I go back a long way. We have a good understanding of one another. And even with Mac [former coach Kevin McHale], because of Mac’s personality, Josh could thrive with him.”
- The NBA D-League is not a surefire way for aging veteran players to make their way back into the NBA, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor writes. In his analysis of D-League trends, Reichert notes that since the 2011/12 season there have been 220 NBA call ups and only 10 of those have gone to players at least 30 years old with at least 100 games of NBA experience already under their belts. As the league continues to expand, older players may have a tougher time catching on with D-League teams since NBA franchises will look to use their affiliates to develop younger players, Reichert adds.
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was McGary’s fifth stint with the Blue on the season and Huestis’ ninth.
- The Raptors have assigned Lucas Nogueira, Norman Powell and Delon Wright to their D-League affiliate, the team announced.
Dead Money: Southeast Division
Not every dollar of each team’s payroll shows up on the court, as franchises often dish out funds to players who are no longer on their rosters. Players with guaranteed money who are waived, either through a standard waiver release, use of the stretch provision, or when a buyout arrangement is reached, still count against a team’s cap figure for the duration of their contracts, or the amount of time specified by the collective bargaining agreement for when a player’s salary is stretched.
There are even situations that arise, like the one with JaVale McGee and the Sixers, where these players are actually the highest-paid on the team. McGee is set to collect $12MM from Philly, and he won’t score one point or collect one rebound for the franchise this season. The next highest-paid athlete for the Sixers is Gerald Wallace, who was also waived, and he is scheduled to earn $10,105,855 for the 2015/16 campaign. In fact, the total payroll for the Sixers’ entire active roster this season is $32,203,553, which is merely $3,709,857 more than the amount being paid to players no longer on the team!
Listed below are the names and cap hits associated with players who are no longer on the rosters of teams in the Southeast Division:
Atlanta Hawks
- Terran Petteway (Waived) — $75,000
Total= $75,000
Charlotte Hornets
- Elliot Williams (Waived) — $80,000
Total= $80,000
Miami Heat
- None
Orlando Magic
- Joe Harris (Waived) — $845,059
- Melvin Ejim (Waived) — $150,000
- Keith Appling (Waived) — $100,000*
- Jordan Sibert (Waived) — $100,000
*Note: Appling recently re-signed with the team on a 10-day pact, but his original contract still counts as dead money.
Total= $1,195,059
Washington Wizards
- Martell Webster (Waived) — $5,613,500
- Ryan Hollins (Waived) — $200,426
- Jaleel Roberts (Waved) — $10,000
Total= $5,823,926
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Durant, Burke, Cauley-Stein
Thunder small forward Kevin Durant maintains that his mind is not on his impending free agency this summer, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. “I’m just really, to be honest with you, I haven’t sat down and thought about it,” said Durant. “The season moves along so quickly. Every time I get alone, it’s on the plane or in the city thinking about the game the next day. Of course, I can’t say I haven’t totally thought about it at all. But I haven’t sat down and really put a lot of time into what I’m looking for. Just focusing on my teammates, focusing on the season and how I can be better as a player, as a leader. Everything else comes after that.”
When asked if his friendship with point guard Russell Westbrook would make him think twice about leaving Oklahoma City, Durant responded, “Like I said, I haven’t really thought about that much. I’m just enjoying every single moment. I told myself that before the year. It’s easy for me to kinda stray off path and think about the future. It’s my ninth season in the league and I can remember my first game in Madison Square Garden like it was yesterday. Just try to stay in the moment and we’ll worry about that stuff when I get there. I know that’s people want to hear, information, want to get it out and talk about everything right now. But to be honest, I’m just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy where I am. I’ll tell you everything you need to know when that time comes.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Trey Burke is settling into his new role with the Jazz as a reserve point guard and he believes that the early results have been positive, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. “It’s been great; for me, it’s just been doing whatever the team asks me to do,” Burke said. “Coach told me he wanted me to be a spark coming off the bench and being a team guy, I’ve always just wanted to win. That’s really what it’s all about for me. I’ve grown a lot this year, mentally as a player, going through some adversity, but it’s helped me out.”
- Kings rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein believes that he has found a home in Sacramento and in return the franchise has clearly let him know that he is wanted, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee writes. “When I came here [for a predraft workout], I sensed they wanted me,” Cauley-Stein said, “and I loved it. I can’t really explain it. It’s just a feel.”
Atlantic Notes: Blatt, Porzingis, Ujiri
Despite a report by the Russian news agency TASS that former Cavs coach David Blatt is the Nets‘ top priority as they seek a replacement for Lionel Hollins, league sources have cast doubt on the likelihood of Brooklyn hiring Blatt, Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. It appears only logical to link Blatt to the Nets considering team owner Mikhail Prokhorov is from Russia and Blatt used to coach the Russian national team, which has received significant financial backing from Prokhorov in the past, as was noted by NetsDaily. The team has stated its intent to hire a GM before hiring a coach, and the target is to have a GM in place before the February 18th trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has the difficult decision between banking on the idea that the team has enough talent for a deep playoff run and sacrificing some of the team’s stockpiled future draft picks in an attempt to make a significant upgrade, Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun writes. Toronto may wait until the offseason to make any moves, with the Raptors believing that their current roster is more likely to sustain their level of play because they have a solid defensive foundation, as opposed to last year’s squad, which relied more heavily on offense to win, Ganter adds.
- A number of veteran players on the Knicks admit to having had doubts when New York selected Kristaps Porzingis with the No. 4 overall pick last summer, but the rookie quickly won them over with his toughness and work ethic, writes Lee Jenkins of SI.com in his profile of the big man. “I tested him, the way I would anyone,” combo forward Lance Thomas told Jenkins. “Body him up, get in him, foul him hard, make him uncomfortable. I wanted to see if the toughness was there. I wanted to see what he does when adversity hits. Nothing fazed him. I’d score on him, talk some [expletive], and then he’d come down and ask for the ball back. He won me over right there. I think he won Melo [Carmelo Anthony] over as well.”
Southeast Notes: Katz, Smart, White, Watson
Heat minority share owner Ranaan Katz refuted a report made earlier today by international journalist David Pick in which it was relayed that Katz indicated that LeBron James tried and failed to oust coach Erik Spoelstra when they were together in Miami, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter links). According to Jackson, Katz maintains that he has no information relating to James attempting to have Spoelstra removed from his position. “That was my opinion. I am very careful with what I say,” Katz told Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “I have no knowledge of what happened. The only thing I said to the reporter was, ‘It’s up to you to figure it out yourself.’”
Blatt‘s camp reportedly believes that James was the sole catalyst for the Cavs coaching change, and the belief is much more than simply a fringe theory among people around the league, according to TNT’s David Aldridge. Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Heat assistant coach Keith Smart will be taking a second leave of absence from the team for another round of treatment for skin cancer, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald relays. Miami did not set a definitive date for Smart’s return, though his absence is likely to be measured in weeks, not days, Skolnick adds.
- The Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv recently tried to acquire Wizards 2015 second round draft pick Aaron White, but the buyout attempt was declined by his German club, Telekom Baskets Bonn, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. White, the No. 49 overall pick last June, went to Europe to develop because he considered it a better option than the D-League, Michael notes.
- Magic point guard C.J. Watson, who has missed 35 consecutive games with a calf injury, is nearing a return to basketball related activities, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “It’s like night and day,” Watson said regarding his calf. “So, hopefully, pretty soon I’ll get to start practicing, do some conditioning and running on the court. But right now I’m [doing] just a little spot shooting, just taking it one day at a time and just seeing how I feel the next day.” Orlando inked Watson to a three-year, $15MM deal this past offseason.
Dead Money: Central Division
Not every dollar of each team’s payroll shows up on the court, as franchises often dish out funds to players who are no longer on their rosters. Players with guaranteed money who are waived, either through a standard waiver release, use of the stretch provision, or when a buyout arrangement is reached, still count against a team’s cap figure for the duration of their contracts, or the amount of time specified by the collective bargaining agreement for when a player’s salary is stretched.
There are even situations that arise, like the one with JaVale McGee and the Sixers, where these players are actually the highest-paid on the team. McGee is set to collect $12MM from Philly, and he won’t score one point or collect one rebound for the franchise this season. The next highest-paid athlete for the Sixers is Gerald Wallace, who was also waived, and he is scheduled to earn $10,105,855 for the 2015/16 campaign. In fact, the total payroll for the Sixers’ entire active roster this season is $32,203,553, which is merely $3,709,857 more than the amount being paid to players no longer on the team!
Listed below are the names and cap hits associated with players who are no longer on the rosters of teams in the Central Division:
Chicago Bulls
- Richard Hamilton (Waived via stretch provision) — $333,333
Total= $333,333
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
Detroit Pistons
- Josh Smith (Waived via stretch provision) — $5,400,000
- Danny Granger (Waived) — $2,170,465
- Cartier Martin (Waived) — $1,270,964
- Aaron Gray (Waived via stretch provision) — $452,049
- Adonis Thomas (Waived) — $60,000
Total= $9,353,478
Indiana Pacers
- Toney Douglas (Waived) — $600,000
- Terran Petteway (Waived) — $6,178
Total= $606,178
Milwaukee Bucks
- Larry Sanders (Waived via stretch provision) — $1,865,547
Total= $1,865,547
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Del Negro, Lue, D-League
The rash of injuries the Heat have suffered this season are taking a toll on the players, who have been asked to log significantly more minutes than normal as a result, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “The toughest part about it is that you always worry about the health of your teammate, first and foremost,” Chris Bosh said. “You always want guys to be as healthy as possible, but when it’s another guy going down, it’s just tough. Two weeks ago, we were going into a West Coast road trip, really trying to prove ourselves with a whole roster and now we’ve got six guys out. It’s just a tough pill to swallow.”
While the situation is far from ideal, Bosh did note that the team’s younger players were benefiting from the increased playing time, Kennedy adds. “We’re constantly just trying to digest what’s going on, take the hit on the chin and then regroup,” Bosh continued. “Our young guys are trying [to fill in], but they’re inexperienced and they’re really learning on the fly. I think the best part about it is it’s going to help us in the long run because these guys are getting minutes under stressful situations, and that’s how it’s going to be later on.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Celtics big man Jared Sullinger is a big fan of new Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, and he raves about the former Boston assistant’s demeanor and knowledge, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. “I like Ty Lue,” Sullinger told Blakely. “He knows a lot about the game. He helped me out big-time when he was here, as far as helping me stay calm, staying confident and just staying ready at all times.”
- Vinny Del Negro expects to coach in the NBA again, as he told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports in an appearance on the “The Vertical” podcast. Del Negro confirmed that he has had interviews with the Pelicans, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Cavaliers since the Clippers let him go in 2013, adding that he had extensive player personnel duties in his final year with L.A. “From Jamal Crawford to Matt Barnes to Chauncey [Billups] to Grant [Hill] to everyone, doing the sign-and-trade for Willie Green, everything that was involved. All the front office did was the paperwork,” Del Negro said (audio link, scroll to 28-minute mark).
- The Rockets have assigned Montrezl Harrell and K.J. McDaniels to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Harrell’s third trek to Rio Grande Valley and McDaniels’ fifth on the season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Fournier, Gordon, Temple
The Magic will likely need to decide between shooting guards Evan Fournier and Victor Oladipo in the near future, with both players set to hit restricted free agency over the next two summers, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. Fournier, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer, may be an attractive trade option for other teams since they would possess the right to match any offer sheet Fournier were to ink this offseason, Taylor notes. Oladipo won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2017, but his trade value is currently low given his struggles this season and injury concerns, Taylor adds.
Here’s more from out of the Southeast:
- Magic second-year forward Aaron Gordon is biding his time as he awaits a larger role with the team, but he desperately wants to do more to help a slumping Orlando squad, John Denton of NBA.com writes. “It’s hard, but you just have to do what you can do and control what you can control,’’ Gordon said. “I’m a firm believer in that and if I just do that, I’ll be ready when it’s my time. I’m just trying to be solid and be someone that [coach] Scott [Skiles] can count on to be in the right spots and make plays for our team. Really, my heart is pure and if I’m not playing well or doing what I’m supposed to, then I am the hardest one on me. I just need to continue to improve and do what I can to help this team.’’
- Garrett Temple feels a deep loyalty to the Wizards organization because they gave him an opportunity in the NBA when other teams wouldn’t, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. “[Washington] called me to work on out on the 17th of December in 2012 and I went back home because they didn’t sign me,” Temple told Brigham. “Then right before Christmas, they called me and told me they were going to sign me up. And that showed how much [the Heat] wanted me because when Washington came after me, Miami reached out and was like, ‘Well, we want you to come back here.’ But it was a nah-you-had-your-chance type of thing with them. Washington was the one that gave me the opportunity, so I wanted to be loyal to them. Everything happens for a reason, and I’ve been very happy here.”
- The Hornets have recalled Aaron Harrison from the D-League, the team announced.