Western Notes: Williams, Mavs, Randle
The Mavericks say that they look at each game as a recruiting opportunity for future free agents, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “It’s an all-year-round process,” small forward Chandler Parsons said. “Every game you go into — I know Ryan Anderson is a free agent, I know Kevin Durant is a free agent. You have relationships with guys and you understand when they’re free agents. I just try to be myself and go about the business of playing and winning games. But at the same time, you definitely have an understanding of what’s going on and what’s coming up each summer.”
“You don’t recruit individual free agents,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said. “You define your brand as a team and attractiveness as a team to all free agents. We don’t do something geared to one guy. We try to show: ‘Here, this is who we are and this is what we stand for and this is our culture.’ That’s our recruiting message. We don’t try to be anything to anybody. We try to be ourselves and hope that that’s a good fit. You can’t try to alter who you are for one free agent. It just won’t work.”
Here’s what else is happening out West:
- Lakers coach Byron Scott says his relationship with young power forward Julius Randle is like that of a father and son, and the coach believes that Randle requires some tough love from time to time, Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times writes. “The thing that I told him is that he’s probably never had adversity in his life on a basketball court because he’s been so good everywhere he’s been,” Scott said. “This is the first time that he’s had to face it. I told him, ‘You’re going to have to deal with it. And the way you deal with it is going to determine how great you’re going to be as a basketball player.’”
- Elliot Williams, who inked a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies this past week, believes he can provide a spark with his fresh legs and defensive abilities, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays. “I can fit in pretty well defensively,” Williams said. “I know most of the guys already from staying here in the offseason and playing with them in the offseason. I’m familiar with the team and I’m looking to come in here and make an impact.”
Hoops Rumors Originals 1/3/16-1/9/16
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Will Joseph answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- Chris Crouse examined Jahlil Okafor as a trade candidate, while Chuck Myron looked at Caron Butler.
- We ran down the 2015/16 season salary rankings for the league’s small forwards, point guards and shooting guards.
- Chuck explained how 10-day contracts work in the NBA.
- If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- Chuck looked at the 2015 offseason signees who’ve yet to make their debuts this season.
- You can keep track of where your favorite team currently stands in relation to the 2016 NBA Draft lottery with our reverse standings tracker.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
- Chuck ran down the whereabouts of each player waived via the amnesty provision since 2011.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
Eastern Notes: Jennings, Butler, Biyombo
Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings is growing tired of all the trade speculation and questions regarding his next contract, when all he really wants to do is focus on returning to form as he makes his way back from an Achilles injury, David Mayo of MLive relays. “The worst stuff, the stuff I’m tired of getting asked about, is my contract for one, if I’m going to be here next year, and if I’m going to start. Obviously, you guys have heard the trade rumors,” Jennings said. “All I get is Knicks feed in my Twitter mentions. So it’s kind of like, all right, we just won last night, how about our game? How about this person played bad, this person played good? I’m just getting all types of questions that has nothing to do with how I feel or how I’m playing.”
Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:
- With the Magic‘s record currently sitting at 20-17 and the franchise holding a half-game lead over the Celtics for the final playoff spot in the East, the team is facing unfamiliar pressure to win while rebuilding, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando is a team still learning how to compete and close out games, and the question still remains as to whether or not the past few seasons of losing basketball has impacted the players’ outlooks, Schmitz adds.
- The Bulls‘ offense is starting to round into the form the franchise envisioned when it hired coach Fred Hoiberg this past offseason, and it is due to the team moving the ball and playing unselfishly, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Much of the credit should go to Jimmy Butler, who is playing less one-on-one ball and more within Hoiberg’s system since his comments regarding the coach’s laid-back coaching style caused a stir, Friedell adds. “I think we all got a lot of love for each other,” Butler said. “Everybody wants to see everybody be successful. That’s why we’re winning games. We’re buying into any given night. It could be anybody that’s scoring. It could be anybody that’s got it going. You get the ball to them and they’ll take us where we need to go. But that’s special just showing how much everybody wants everybody else to be successful.”
- The struggles on the defensive end the Hornets are enduring can’t be placed solely on the absence of small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but on the organization’s offseason focus to add more offense, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Bonnell points to the Hornets’ decision to allow Bismack Biyombo depart as a free agent without so much as tendering him a qualifying offer, and the team’s failure to add a rim protector to replace the center, who signed with the Raptors over the summer.
Week In Review 1/3/16-1/9/16
The Sixers signed veteran power forward Elton Brand this week in an effort to add some veteran leadership to the young team. “I’m not coming here to hold Jahlil [Okafor]’s hand — or anyone else’s, for that matter — because that’s not what he needs,” Brand noted about his decision to join Philadelphia. “But I do believe my experience and wisdom can benefit him and my other young teammates. It’s about communicating with them like men, starting to grow together, and — hopefully, eventually — winning some ballgames. That’s what [GM] Sam Hinkie and I talked about when he approached me about joining the team, and what has me so excited about this opportunity.”
Here’s more from the week that was…
Miscellaneous News
- Nets point guard Jarrett Jack will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL and a small meniscus tear in his right knee. Brooklyn applied for a disabled player exception to compensate for the loss of Jack.
- Cavaliers reserve shooting guard Joe Harris underwent surgery to remove a bone in his right foot and he is expected to miss two to three months of action.
- The NBA suspended Rockets point guard Ty Lawson three games for the second of his two DUI arrests last year.
- Grizzlies shooting guard Jordan Adams is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right knee this Tuesday and there is currently no timetable for his return to action.
Signings
- Bo McCalebb, who was cut by the Pelicans during the preseason, signed with the French club Limoges CSP.
- The Grizzlies signed Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed Lorenzo Brown to a 10-day contract.
- Dionte Christmas, whom the Cavaliers waived shortly before the season started, signed with the Greek club AEK Athens.
Waivers
- The Sixers waived Christian Wood.
- The Jazz waived Elijah Millsap.
- The Nuggets waived Kostas Papanikolaou.
- The Suns waived Cory Jefferson.
- The Suns waived Bryce Cotton.
- The Grizzlies waived Ryan Hollins.
D-League News
- Former NBA second-round pick Pierre Jackson signed with the D-League, where the Jazz affiliate holds his rights.
- Four-year NBA veteran Greg Smith, who played on the Mavs last season, signed with the D-League and will join the Raptors’ affiliate.
- The D-League affiliate of the Raptors acquired DeAndre Daniels, whom Toronto selected 37th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
- Eight-year NBA veteran Ryan Gomes signed with the D-League and was claimed by the Lakers’ affiliate.
- The Magic have begun work to have a D-League affiliate in Florida starting with the 2017/18 season.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 1/8/16
Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov has seen himself go from a starter to a reserve this season, which has multiple teams inquiring about his availability via trade, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Cleveland has not expressed any desire to move the center publicly, but the team’s daunting luxury tax bill, as well as Mozgov’s pending free agency, could eventually persuade the team to deal him, Spears noted.
Mozgov’s role has been diminished by the insertion of Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup, and the results of have been positive thus far for the team. The 29-year-old Russian has appeared in 30 games for the Cavaliers this season, including 25 as a starter, and he is averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per night. While he may be going through a rough patch currently, Mozgov’s addition was most certainly a turning point in Cleveland’s 2014/15 season, with the big man solidifying the team’s interior defense after his acquisition from Denver.
Cleveland is likely concerned about the luxury tax, and parting ways with Mozgov and his $4.95MM expiring contract could help alleviate a bit of the exorbitant sum the team is in line to be on the hook for this season. But is saving money worth the potential risk of parting ways with a valuable defensive asset like Mozgov? Well, that’s the question I’m posing to all of you for today’s topic, which is: Should the Cavs look to deal Timofey Mozgov prior to the February trade deadline?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter, as well as to weigh in on what sort of return the team should look to extract if it does decide to trade the big man. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Papanikolaou, Fredette, Kelly
Combo forward Kostas Papanikolaou was surprised by the Nuggets waiving him prior to Thursday’s leaguewide guarantee date, his agent George Sfairopoulos told Greek radio station Sport FM, according to Eurohoops.net. “Papanikolaou had many talks with people of the team, both from the front office and the coaching staff, and also I have spoken with assistant general manager Arturas Karnisovas. We have been told that the team will pick up his option for the rest of the season. However, that’s life and we are ready to respond to every situation,” Sfairopoulos said.
The agent also noted that if Papanikolaou decides to return to Europe to play, Barcelona of Spain would have the first opportunity to sign him. “Barcelona has his rights for Europe and the first word. If Kostas gets an offer from an other team, Barcelona can match it and sign him,” said Sfairopoulos. “At this point Kostas wants to get minutes on the court. That’s his number one priority.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- While he would prefer to be on an NBA roster, combo guard Jimmer Fredette is enjoying the opportunity to play he is receiving in the D-League, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. “It wasn’t necessarily a letdown because I knew I had to do some things to get onto a team where I can thrive,” Fredette told Spears about being in the D-League. “That wasn’t going to be the case at the beginning of the year if you get to that 15th roster spot and then you sit there and don’t play much. It was kind of a breath of fresh air to go out and know you’re going to get some playing time, be able to play, do what you do, gain some confidence and get some reps. That was the biggest thing for me when I talked to my agent and my family, was to get reps, get confidence back and be able to show people what I can do again.”
- Fredette also told Spears that he considered overseas options in Italy, Greece, Serbia and Australia before deciding to join the D-League, and returning to the NBA is his primary goal. “I am playing basketball for the love of the game, but I also want to do what’s best for my career and my family. So whatever that is, we will take that path. We will see what happens in the future,” Fredette said.
- The Lakers have assigned Tarik Black and Ryan Kelly to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the fourth stint with the D-Fenders on the season for both players.
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release.
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.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
2015/16 Salary Rankings: Shooting Guards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of ranking the cap hit for each NBA player by position. We already ran down how the league’s centers, power forwards, small forwards and point guards stacked up financially, and next we’ll check out the shooting guard position. All told, NBA teams have committed approximately $432,763,125 in salary this season to the men who man the two spot around the league. The average salary for a shooting guard this season is a respectable $3,934,210, with Kobe Bryant topping the list with a hefty $25,000,000 to help him ride off into the sunset at the end of the season.
The purpose of this list is to show the relative pay scale by position, which is why all contracts are included in this post. The league’s shooting guards are listed below, in descending order of salary. Please note that the official roster for each team was used for determining what position we listed each player under, and some of the players below may spend time at other spots on the hardwood:
- Kobe Bryant (Lakers) — $25,000,000
- Dwyane Wade (Heat) — $20,000,000
- Jimmy Butler (Bulls) — $16,407,500
- Wesley Matthews (Mavericks) — $16,407,500
- James Harden (Rockets) — $15,756,438
- Eric Gordon (Pelicans) — $15,514,031
- Klay Thompson (Warriors) — $15,501,000
- Khris Middleton (Bucks) — $14,700,000
- Nicolas Batum (Hornets) — $13,125,306
- Tyreke Evans (Pelicans) — $10,734,586
- Monta Ellis (Pacers) — $10,300,000
- DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) — $10,050,000
- Danny Green (Spurs) — $10,000,000
- Alec Burks (Jazz) — $9,463,484
- Iman Shumpert (Cavaliers) — $8,988,765
- Corey Brewer (Rockets) — $8,229,375
- Arron Afflalo (Knicks) — $8,000,000
- O.J. Mayo (Bucks) — $8,000,000
- Avery Bradley (Celtics) — $7,730,000
- Kevin Martin (Timberwolves) — $7,085,000
- J.J. Redick (Clippers) — $7,085,000
- Lou Williams (Lakers) — $7,000,000
- Jodie Meeks (Pistons) — $6,270,000
- Marco Belinelli (Kings) — $6,060,606
- Gerald Henderson (Blazers) — $6,000,000
- Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves) — $5,758,680
- Kyle Korver (Hawks) — $5,746,479
- Bradley Beal (Wizards) — $5,694,674
- Jamal Crawford (Clippers) — $5,675,000
- Courtney Lee (Grizzlies) — $5,675,000
- Victor Oladipo (Magic) — $5,192,520
- Dion Waiters (Thunder) — $5,138,430
- J.R. Smith (Cavaliers) — $5,000,000
- Mike Miller (Nuggets) — $4,582,368 (This amount includes the $3,083,181 he is owed by the Blazers, who waived him)
- Vince Carter (Grizzlies) — $4,088,019
- Alan Anderson (Wizards) — $4,000,000
- Mario Hezonja (Magic) — $3,741,480
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Nets) — $3,425,510
- Anthony Morrow (Thunder) — $3,344,000
- K.J. McDaniels (Rockets) — $3,189,794
- Ben McLemore (Kings) — $3,156,600
- Randy Foye (Nuggets) — $3,135,000
- Jeremy Lamb (Hornets) — $3,034,356
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons) — $2,891,760
- Nik Stauskas (Sixers) — $2,869,440
- Manu Ginobili (Spurs) — $2,814,000
- Sonny Weems (Suns) — $2,814,000
- C.J. McCollum (Blazers) — $2,525,160
- Leandro Barbosa (Warriors) — $2,500,000
- Evan Fournier (Magic) — $2,288,205
- Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) — $2,148,360
- Devin Booker (Suns) — $2,127,840
- Kent Bazemore (Hawks) — $2,000,000
- James Young (Celtics) — $1,749,840
- Rashad Vaughn (Bucks) — $1,733,040
- Zoran Dragic (Waived by Celtics) — $1,706,250
- Gary Harris (Nuggets) — $1,587,480
- Wayne Ellington (Nets) — $1,500,000
- Jason Terry (Rockets) — $1,499,187
- Justin Anderson (Mavericks) — $1,449,000
- Jordan Adams (Grizzlies) — $1,404,600
- Sasha Vujacic (Knicks) — $1,356,146
- Rodney Hood (Jazz) — $1,348,440
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Nets) — $1,335,480
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Hawks) — $1,304,520
- Andre Roberson (Thunder) — $1,210,800
- P.J. Hairston (Hornets ) — $1,201,440
- Archie Goodwin (Suns) — $1,160,160
- C.J. Wilcox (Clippers) — $1,159,680
- R.J. Hunter (Celtics) — $1,148,640
- Ian Clark (Warriors) — $1,131,960
- Garrett Temple (Wizards) — $1,100,602
- Glenn Robinson III (Pacers) — $1,100,000
- James Anderson (Kings) — $1,015,421
- E’Twaun Moore (Bulls) — $1,015,421
- John Jenkins (Mavericks) — $981,349
- Jared Cunningham (Cavaliers) — $981,348
- Allen Crabbe (Blazers) — $947,276
- Troy Daniels (Hornets) — $947,276
- Justin Holiday (Hawks) — $947,276
- Hollis Thompson (Sixers) — $947,276
- Wayne Ellington (Waived by Kings via the stretch provision) — $882,630
- Markel Brown (Nets) — $845,059
- James Ennis (Grizzlies) — $845,059
- Joe Harris (Cavaliers) — $845,059
- Nick Johnson (Waived by Nuggets) — $845,059
- JaKarr Sampson (Sixers) — $845,059
- Carlos Delfino (Waived by the Clippers via stretch provision) — $650,000
- Norman Powell (Raptors) — $650,000
- Pat Connaughton (Blazers) — $625,093
- Aaron Harrison (Hornets) — $525,093
- Josh Richardson (Heat) — $525,093
- Jonathon Simmons (Spurs) — $525,093
- Richard Hamilton — $333,333 (Waived by Bulls via stretch provision)
- Jamaal Franklin (Waived by Grizzlies via stretch provision) — $163,297
- Jordan Sibert (Waived by Magic) — $100,000
- Elliot Williams (Waived by Hornets) — $80,000
- Treveon Graham (Waived by Jazz) — $75,000
- Terran Petteway (Waived by Hawks) — $75,000
- Wesley Saunders (Waived by Knicks) — $75,000
- Adonis Thomas (Waived by Pistons via stretch provision) — $60,000
- Michael Frazier (Waived by Lakers) — $50,000
- Marshall Henderson (Waived by Kings) — $25,000
- Levi Randolph (Waived by Celtics) — $25,000
- Corey Walden (Waived by Celtics) — $25,000
- Dahntay Jones (Waived by Nets) — $17,637
- Jabari Brown (Waived by Lakers) — $9,942
- Jordan McRae (Waived by Sixers) — $6,178
- Terran Petteway (Waived by Pacers) — $6,178
- J.P. Tokoto (Waived by Sixers) — $3,089
Central Notes: Kidd, Jennings, Ellis
Bucks coach Jason Kidd is doing his best to remain close to the team as he recovers from right hip surgery and will know more about his timetable to return to the sidelines after meeting with his doctor this coming Sunday, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. “I feel great,” Kidd said. “Everything went well with the surgery. I’ve been around the team of late, for the shootaround and also for the game with San Antonio. I was here today and here yesterday [Wednesday], so making more progress. We’ll find out more or less the game plan once we meet with the doctors on Sunday in New York. We’ll see what they say, what I’m able to do. As much as I would love to get back, we’ve also got to look at travel, which could be tough. It could create a blood clot or something like that. You don’t want to go down that [road]. The doctors will have the answers for us come Sunday, we hope.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons don’t want to compromise their cap flexibility for the summer ahead, and they feel as though Brandon Jennings is more valuable than anyone else on an expiring contract they could get in exchange for him via trade, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (All Twitter links).
- Monta Ellis is averaging his fewest points and shot attempts per game since his rookie season, but he is pleased with how he is adapting to the Pacers after signing with Indiana this past offseason, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “I’ve been around [the NBA] for a long time; with this group of guys, everybody gets along, everybody wants to win and everybody is dialed in so that makes it so much easier [to make the transition to this team],” Ellis told Kennedy. “It’s been easy and I’m very comfortable here.”
- Newly released city documents show that the Bucks have a March 1st deadline to submit detailed design plans for their new arena, and a June 1st deadline for construction to start, reports Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The new arena, parking structure and entertainment center is projected to be completed prior to the start of the 2018/19 NBA season, Daykin adds.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Adams, Pachulia, D-League
Grizzlies shooting guard Jordan Adams is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right knee this Tuesday and there is currently no timetable for his return to action, the team announced. The procedure Adams will undergo is similar to the one big man Brandan Wright had back in December, and Wright was given a timetable of six to eight weeks for his recovery, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal notes (via Twitter). The team also relayed in the press release that power forward Jarell Martin sustained a bone bruise in his left foot while on assignment to the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate in Iowa and his condition will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks center Zaza Pachulia is currently in his 13th season in the NBA and he appreciates all the opportunities that he has been given throughout his career, the big man told Rainer Saban of The Dallas Morning News. “I wouldn’t change anything, honestly. I would just keep everything because there is a reason why I am here at this point,” Pachulia said. “As you know, the average career for an NBA player is 4.5 years, 5 years. I doubled it so I must be doing something right — not only being out here, but I am enjoying playing basketball and I have great teammates, I am in a great organization with a great coaching staff. And we’re winning the games. I am fortunate to be in this situation. I wouldn’t change anything, obviously.“
- The Pelicans have been attempting to replicate the fast-paced offense of the Warriors but have experienced mixed results thus far, Brett Dawson of The New Orleans Advocate writes. “I think it’s been OK,” said coach Alvin Gentry, who was the lead assistant for the Warriors last year. “At the end of the day, we still want to play with more pace than we’re playing with.” The Pelicans are currently ranked 10th in the NBA in pace, averaging 98.8 possessions per 48 minutes, Dawson notes.
- The Grizzlies have recalled James Ennis and Martin from their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced. Ennis is averaging 20.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 38.1 minutes per game for the Energy this season.