Bulls Waive Jake Anderson, Stefhon Hannah
The Bulls have waived point guards Jake Anderson and Stefhon Hannah, the team announced via a press release. Both players were in camp on non-guaranteed deals, so Chicago won’t be on the hook for any funds as a result of these moves. The Bulls’ roster count now stands at 17 players, including 13 with full guarantees.
Anderson, 28, began his professional career in the NBA D-League after going undrafted back in 2009. He spent 2014/15 with the Gateway Steam for the inaugural season of the Midwest Professional Basketball Association. In 21 games for the Steam Anderson averaged 16.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
The 6’1″ Hannah averaged 5.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game in 22 D-League appearances last season, when he split time between the affiliates of the Kings and the Pistons. The 30-year-old had won back-to-back D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.
Southwest Notes: Gentry, Dekker, Aldridge
While the Pelicans organization believes that former coach Monty Williams did a good job during his tenure with the team, the franchise thinks it can get more out of its current roster with new coach Alvin Gentry at the helm, Rob Mahoney of SI.com writes. “It was an organizational decision,” New Orleans GM Dell Demps said. “Monty did a lot of good things for us; I thought that Monty did a great job of establishing a blue-collar approach. I thought our guys played hard. We did feel that we had come to a point where we wanted a change in leadership and our goal is maximizing our team. We wanted to get a coach that was the best fit for our current team in the short term and the long term, and for our organization and our community. We felt Alvin was the ideal choice. His style of play will be a little different than what we’ve done in the past. Our goal is to maximize our group. The West is so tough right now that you have to maximize your team just to compete.”
Here’s more out of the Southwest:
- New Orleans decided to enter the 2015/16 campaign with the majority of its roster returning from a season ago based on the recommendations of the players, Mahoney relays in the same piece. “We felt our group played with a sense of desperation in the latter part of last season,” Demps said. “And at the end of the year, in talking to the players, we felt—and they expressed to us orally—that they enjoyed playing with each other and wanted to continue that. We listened.”
- Sam Dekker, who is a small forward by trade, will be utilized by the Rockets primarily as a stretch-four this season in an effort to get him on the court more often, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays. “If [Dekker] gets time this year, unless there is an injury, it’s more likely at the four than at the three,” coach Kevin McHale said. “We’ll keep him there. We’ll probably play him a little three also.”
- LaMarcus Aldridge is still adapting to life with the Spurs, a transition that he is still struggling to be comfortable with, writes Kevin Ding of BleacherReport.com. “I don’t really handle change well,” Aldridge told Ding. “It’s been weird because I was in Portland for so long, and I kind of know the ways,” he continued. “Things were a little bit tailored to me in a way. Wasn’t too much to have to figure out.“
Pelicans Sign Jerome Jordan
OCTOBER 11TH, 12:40pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
OCTOBER 10TH, 11:19am: The Pelicans have agreed to a deal with center Jerome Jordan, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the deal are unclear, but Spears refers to it as a “make good contract,” so it’s likely a non-guaranteed training camp pact. The move will give New Orleans 19 players, 13 of whom have full guarantees, as our roster count shows.
This is New Orleans’ second attempt to add depth at the center position, after revealing that starting center Omer Asik is set to miss three weeks with a right calf strain, and they’re also without backup center Alexis Ajinca for about four to six weeks as he recovers from a strained right hamstring. The team had reached an agreement with four-year NBA veteran Greg Smith, but he reportedly failed his physical, so the deal was called off.
Jordan, 29, appeared in 44 contests for the Nets last season, averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game. His slash line was .532/.000/.864.
Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 13)
The NBA preseason has officially begun, and teams are now in the process of paring down their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the 13th best overall record. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
- No. 27: Lakers
- No. 26: Nets
- No. 25: Timberwolves
- No. 24: Trail Blazers
- No. 23: Magic
- No. 22: Pistons
- No. 21: Kings
- No. 20: Hornets
- No. 19: Jazz
- No. 18: Suns
- No. 17: Celtics
- No. 16: Pacers
- No. 15: Mavericks
- No. 14: Bucks
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Southeast Notes: Pierce, Lin, Green
The Wizards are intending to utilize smaller, faster lineups this season, something they would have done a season ago if they had the proper personnel, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic.com writes. According to point guard John Wall, the presence of Paul Pierce, who is now a member of the Clippers, was a big reason why Washington needed to play at a slower pace during 2014/15, Michael notes. “No disrespect to Paul but we wanted to kind of be a half-court team. He couldn’t get up and down the floor,” Wall said. “He’s not the young Paul anymore. He helped us out a lot in so many other ways in making big shots and being a leader. Now this is an opportunity to let Otto Porter excel, running the floor, being able to create off the dribble, slashing to the basket.” This desire to play at a quicker pace also led to the team swapping Andre Miller for Ramon Sessions at last season’s trade deadline, the CSN scribe adds.
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Hornets owner Michael Jordan, in an interview with Hou Qiang of Xinhuanet.com, was cautiously optimistic about Charlotte’s chances this season, saying, “They [the team] should be OK. We changed a lot of personnel. Everybody is excited I’m very excited but I don’t want to get overexcited.” Jordan specifically mentioned the team’s signing of point guard Jeremy Lin as a boon to the franchise, adding, “We just got Jeremy Lin, who I think is going to be our biggest acquisition. His penetration, his shooting capability, his point guard savvy, he can really pass the basketball, and [we like] his energy about the game of basketball.“
- With the Heat‘s excellent depth heading into the 2015/16 campaign, Gerald Green will need to be more of a two-way player if he wants to log significant minutes for Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “Offense comes easy for me,” Green said. “I know if I go down and lock my defense down, nine times out of 10 we’re going to win. I know my role is to have energy on both ends of the floor. I’m really focusing on defense, that’s what I’m really trying to focus on. Scoring is easy for me. I’m not really worried about scoring. It’s the defense that I’m trying to work my best at. I know that’s the only way we can become a better team, if I’m a better defender.” The addition of the 29-year-old via a one-year, minimum salary deal is easily one of the best bargains of the offseason, regardless of how much playing time he receives.
Hawks Waive Edgar Sosa, Arsalan Kazemi
3:35pm: Both players have officially been waived, the team announced in a press release.
1:12pm: The Hawks have waived point guard Edgar Sosa and power forward Arsalan Kazemi, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter). Both players were in training camp on non-guaranteed deals, so Atlanta won’t be on the hook for any funds as a result of these moves. This reduces the Hawks’ preseason roster count to 18 players, including 13 with full guarantees on their deals.
Sosa, 27, went undrafted out of Louisville back in 2010 after posting career NCAA numbers of 9.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He joined the Pistons summer league entry that year, but he ended up signing overseas with the Italian club Angelico Biella. The point guard spent the 2014/15 campaign playing for Dinamo Sassari in Italy. Sosa’s numbers last season were 10.7 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 3.5 APG to accompany a slash line of .387/.320/.789.
Kazemi, a native of Iran, played last season for ChongQing AoLong of China in his second year as a pro after he became the 54th overall pick of the 2013 draft. He spent the majority of his college career at Rice before transferring to Oregon for his senior season, when he notched averages of 9.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 10/4/15-10/10/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“What’s with Markieff Morris‘ sudden change of heart regarding Phoenix? Is he for real, or just putting on a show for the media?” — Stu
I’d think it’s a combination of both at this point. Morris most likely realized that rocking the boat publicly is not a great way to boost your perceived value around the league, and it also makes the front office’s job that much more difficult to swing a deal and get anything of value in return for him. I’d also think that getting around his teammates in Phoenix calmed him down a bit, and changed his perspective.
Is everything fine between Morris and the team now? Probably not. But with the Suns better served to hold off trading Morris until at least December 15th, which is the date when most players around the league can be dealt, it’s certainly in both sides’ best interests to remain somewhat cordial with each other. It should be noted that Morris is eligible to be traded immediately, but the franchise will have a much wider pool of players to discuss after December 15th passes. In the end, I do think Morris gets traded at some point this season, but I’d expect Phoenix will perform its proper diligence and not just give Morris away. At least he’s currently saying the right things to the press…for now. That will only serve to help his cause, though I’m not so sure he’ll end up in Detroit with his twin brother when all is said and done.
“Let’s get your preseason predictions for who will be Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player. Who do you have?” — Juan
I have to throw out the obligatory caveat that it’s still early, so these will be major guesses, but here goes:
- Coach of the Year: This is a tough one. I’ll go with Jason Kidd of the Bucks. Milwaukee, with the addition of Greg Monroe, looks poised to take a major step forward in the East, and if so, Kidd could take home the award.
- Rookie of the Year: Jahlil Okafor. He’ll likely end up being the focal point of Philly’s offense, which should translate into some decent stats this season.
- Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert. The “Stifle Tower” appears tailor-made to win this award, and if he can avoid a backslide this season, he’ll have a great shot at snagging this honor.
- Most Valuable Player: James Harden. It’s tough to go against LeBron James on this one, but there were arguments made that Harden should have won the award last season, and this year’s Rockets team is superior (on paper) to last year’s squad, which bodes well for Harden’s hardware chances.
“Should the Knicks start Kristaps Porzingis this season?” — Kyle
If he earns it, then absolutely. If not, then the Knicks have themselves a bit of a conundrum. Porzingis certainly has talent, and the more I see of him, the more I like what he can bring to the franchise. The problem for New York is that it has an aging star in Carmelo Anthony, who’s not getting any younger, which adds quite a bit of pressure to win immediately. The young Latvian rookie is still extremely raw, and he needs to take his lumps on an NBA court, not in the D-League or practice, if he is to reach his potential. But throwing him into the fire too soon as a starter could hurt his confidence and development, which is something the team cannot afford.
I’d think the best course of action is for Porzingis to begin the season in the rotation, but have him coming off of the bench. If the season starts going downhill, then throw him into the starting lineup and see what he can do. If the Knicks are winning, then they should stick with what’s working, and if Porzingis shows he can handle the job, then possibly have him start toward the end of the season. It really doesn’t matter if Porzingis is the starter as much as how many minutes he logs this season. I’d say that playing 20+ minutes per night, regardless of whether he’s on the court for the opening tip or seeing duty as a reserve, would be a solid target for him during his rookie campaign.
“Who will be the better NBA player…Emmanuel Mudiay or D’Angelo Russell? Please say Russell!!” — Lyle
I’m guessing that you’re a Lakers fan. … Both players have had mixed preseason results thus far, and Russell has been slowed by a minor injury, so the jury is still most assuredly out for deliberation on this one … and will be for some time. But I won’t shy away from taking a crack at calling this one. Both rookies are extremely talented, and I believe each of them will have successful NBA careers, but now I have to disappoint you and opine that Mudiay will ultimately be the better player in the long run. Sorry about that, but here is my reasoning. …
Mudiay is the superior athlete and physical specimen, and he has barely scratched the surface of his potential. Remember, he barely played last season while over in China due to injury, so he’s way behind the curve as far his development goes. So I think that Russell’s career will have a brighter start, but I put quite a bit of stock in physical tools when trying to predict a player’s career arc, and that edge clearly goes to Mudiay. Don’t get me wrong though, I love Russell as a player, and Lakers fans should be stoked that the team nabbed him in this year’s draft. But I see Mudiay becoming a future All-Star and franchise centerpiece, whereas I think Russell will top out as an above-average point guard who will certainly justify his draft position, but he will be more of a second-star type of player, and not a superstar.
That’s all the space I have for this week. I’d like to thank all those who sent in their inquiries. Please keep them coming, and I’ll be back here next Saturday with more responses.
Atlantic Notes: Seraphin, McConnell, Anthony
Kevin Seraphin, who signed with the Knicks this offseason after being dissatisfied with his playing time with the Wizards under former coach Randy Wittman, took exception to some comments that Wittman had made regarding Seraphin’s time in Washington, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. “Listen, the players dictate who plays and what minutes they get,’’ Wittman said. “I’m not going to get into inconsistent minutes or not. He played. I wish him luck.’’ In response to Wittman, Seraphin said, “He said players dictate playing time? I don’t really agree there. What can I say. I was doing pretty much everything right, working hard. I’m not mad at all. That’s the business. He has the right to play me at the end of the day. … I don’t think he didn’t want to play me.’’ The 25-year-old made 79 appearances for the Wizards during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 15.6 minutes per night, which was actually an uptick from the 10.9 minutes per night Seraphin averaged the previous season.
Here’s more from out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks are flush with players who can play the power forward position, which should limit the time that Carmelo Anthony sees at the four spot this season, a position he has excelled at in the past, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. Anthony, who says he prefers playing small forward, notes that this was part of the team’s offseason plan, Bondy adds. “I think that spot is wide open, just as far as who’s going to play it, when they’re going to play,” Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure you’ll see some times with me at the four throughout the course of the season. To be honest with you, throughout these first 10 days of camp, Seraphin showed some shine at that position, K.P. [Kristaps Porzingis] showed some upside at that position. Guys we brought in at that position are showing why we brought them.“
- T.J. McConnell is considered a longshot to make the Sixers‘ regular season roster, but he has been impressing the team’s coaching staff with his solid all-around play, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We want to encourage him to get a set shot going,” coach Brett Brown said regarding the undrafted point guard out of Arizona. “The other stuff is proven. He’s a heady defender. He passes the hell out of it. He plays with amazing pace. I think he will be very popular in the city.” Brown acknowledged that McConnell is still in a “fist fight” to make the team, but added, “But what we’ve seen so far, you say he’s done well.“
Cavs Sign Dionte Christmas, Waive Dunigan
SATURDAY, 11:30am: The signing is official, the team announced.
THURSDAY, 10:24pm: The Cavaliers are close to signing shooting guard Dionte Christmas, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The deal is contingent on Christmas passing his physical, which will be administered on Friday, Spears adds. In order to clear a roster spot, the Cavs will release center Michael Dunigan, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Cleveland currently has a roster count of 20 players, which is the preseason maximum.
Cleveland is limited to offering Christmas a minimum salary contract, and Spears termed the pending arrangement as a “make good deal,” which likely means that there will be no guaranteed money involved. Christmas, 29, last played in the NBA during the 2013/14 campaign when he made 31 appearances for the Suns, averaging 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per contest. He spent last season with Paris-Levallois of France.
Dunigan, 26, was in training camp with the Grizzlies back in 2012, but he’s primarily played overseas since going undrafted in 2011. The Mike Naiditch client came to the U.S. to spend part of last season with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, notching averages of 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game across 24 regular season appearances. It’s possible that the Cavs are eyeing Dunigan for a spot on the Canton Charge for 2015/16, though that is merely my speculation.
Hoops Rumors Originals 10/4/15-10/10/15
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban offered up a suggestion on how to supplement the NBA Draft in a Hoops Rumors exclusive.
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- As a part of our continuing series, “The Beat,” Chuck Myron interviewed Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Chuck ran down the players who have the right to veto trades this season.
- As part of our “Top Bloggers” series, I interviewed William Lou of TrueHoop’s RaptorsRepublic and Jason Patt of SBNation’s Blog A Bull, while Chuck spoke with Eric Griffith of SB Nation’s Blazer’s Edge, and Zach Links chatted with Ian Levy of Fansided’s Hardwood Paroxysm.
- I broke down the 2015/16 salary cap commitments for each NBA team.
- Chuck looked at seven players who were traded this offseason for virtually no return.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- 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 early preseason roster cuts from the 2014/15 season.
- I answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- Chuck broke down some roster spot battles from the Northwest Division.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
- Chuck ran down the list of players who have inked five-year deals since 2012.
- We asked readers to rank where each NBA team will finish the 2015/16 campaign. Here are the results for teams No. 18, No. 17, No. 16, No. 15, and No. 14.