Pelicans, Others Interested In Corey Webster
SEPTEMBER 4TH, 8:05am: Webster will work out for the Pelicans, a source indicated to Niall Anderson of The New Zealand Herald.
AUGUST 22ND, 11:03am: There are multiple NBA teams interested in signing New Zealand’s Corey Webster to a training camp deal, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports (Twitter link). It is unknown at this time which teams have expressed interest in the 26-year-old shooting guard. Webster went undrafted back in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Webster attended a three-day mini-camp the Pacers held in June. Prior to the event he told Tom Hersz of Downtownball.net, “I am looking forward to the whole opportunity, being in the NBA environment and the chance to show them what I can do on the court. It’s an amazing opportunity that I am ready to take advantage of.”
This past NBL season, Webster was a large part of the New Zealand Breakers winning the league championship, which was the squad’s fourth in the past five seasons. Webster finished eighth overall in the NBL in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per contest, and he led the league in three-pointers made (71), and drained 42% of his shots from deep overall.
He inked a new three year contract with the Breakers in June, but the pact did include an NBA out clause, which would allow Webster to come stateside and compete for an NBA roster spot if he desires.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/3/15
Their have been quite a few prognostications of doom unleashed regarding the Nets’ 2015/16 campaign, and much of this pessimism revolves around Jarrett Jack, who is projected to be the team’s starting point guard this season. While Jack is not likely to earn an All-Star nod anytime soon, it’s not like he’s replacing Chris Paul or Stephen Curry in the team’s rotation. Former starter Deron Williams certainly wasn’t getting the job done for the franchise, and the team was all too happy to reach a buyout deal with him earlier this offseason.
Jack started 27 games for the Nets last season, and they went 11-16 overall in those contests. For the season, the 31-year-old averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists to accompany a slash line of .439/.267/.881. The veteran isn’t a neophyte to starting in the NBA, with a total of 310 starts over the course of his 10 year NBA career. But it should also be noted that Jack hasn’t been a starter for an entire season since the 2006/07 campaign, when he was on the court for the opening tip during 79 times for the Trail Blazers that campaign. That season Jack notched averages of 12.0 points and 5.3 assists and Portland finished an underwhelming 32-50.
This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Do you feel that the Nets are better off with Jarrett Jack as the starter, or would the team have been better served to retain Deron Williams?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Western Notes: Exum, Williams, Hayes
Jazz point guard Dante Exum underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to the ACL in his left knee, the team announced. The 20-year-old, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, was injured in early August while playing for the Australian National Team, and he is out indefinitely as a result. Exum appeared in 82 contests as a rookie, including 41 starts. His numbers for the 2014/15 campaign were 4.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 22.2 minutes per contest to accompany a slash line of .349/.314/.625.
Here’s more out of the West:
- New Mavericks point guard Deron Williams doesn’t like that he has been labeled as a “coach killer,” Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). Williams played for four different head coaches during his three seasons in Brooklyn, Mazzeo notes. Lionel Hollins, who was Williams’ final coach while with the Nets, recently said that the 31-year-old is no longer a franchise player.
- J.J. O’Brien‘s deal with the Jazz is a three-year, minimum salary arrangement that includes a partial guarantee of $75K for the 2015/16 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- The one year pact that Chuck Hayes signed with the Clippers is non-guaranteed, and includes limited injury protection, meaning that it is likely an Exhibit 9 contract, Pincus relays (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves intend to add one or two more players to their roster prior to training camp commencing, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (on Twitter). Minnesota currently has a roster count of 17, which is three below the preseason maximum.
Atlantic Notes: Valanciunas, Celtics, Knicks
The Raptors feel confident that center Jonas Valanciunas, who signed a four-year, $64MM extension with the team this offseason, will continue to develop and that he will justify the long-term commitment from the franchise, Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com writes. “JV is 23 years old,” Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said. “The contract gives him some security and lets him now concentrate on playing basketball and winning. It’s big for us, but we feel he made progress. He’s a great kid. Loves the city, loves the fans, loves everything about Toronto and that’s what we want to embrace here. He showed us a lot on the basketball court and we think he’ll get better.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens believes that the team’s roster continuity from the 2014/15 campaign will lead to improvement this coming season, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays. “[Continuity] should be a benefit. Again, I think my phrase will be, ‘Time will tell,’” said Stevens. “I mean, we’ll see. I think my curiosity lies in how we go to work, how we come together, how much we’re willing to sacrifice for one another and see how this thing plays itself out. But I think you’d rather have guys for a longer period than not and that continuity is a good thing. We have basically nine guys back from our roster that played quite a bit. That’s a good thing, too.“
- The Knicks are still in a state of flux because they still lack a second star player, even a borderline one, to team up with Carmelo Anthony, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes in his preview of the team. Powell does praise team president Phil Jackson for not overspending on second-tier free agents this Summer after New York’s top targets signed elsewhere.
- In his look ahead at the Celtics‘ 2015/16 season, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines that Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, and Jonas Jerebko are all poised to have breakout seasons for the team.
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 11)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We are in the process of taking you on a journey back to June of 2003, and revisiting a draft that saw the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh available to potentially change the fortunes of a few struggling franchises. Wade was the first of that group to win an NBA championship, though James and Bosh would later join him in Miami and go on to win multiple titles together years later, while Melo is still seeking his first trip to the NBA Finals. Detroit, which owned the No. 2 overall pick that season, chose to go with Darko Milicic, who didn’t work out so well for the Pistons. Not all picks pan out, but that one is especially painful given the talent that the Pistons passed over to select the big man, who owns career averages of 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, and has been out of the NBA since making a single appearance for the Celtics back in 2012/13.
We continue our revisionist history with the Warriors, who used the No. 11 overall pick to select Mickael Pietrus. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Golden State’s pick and check back Friday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Thunder will select with the No. 12 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 11 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Picks
- Cavaliers: LeBron James
- Pistons: Dwyane Wade
- Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
- Raptors: Chris Bosh
- Heat: David West
- Clippers: Kyle Korver
- Bulls: Mo Williams
- Bucks: Chris Kaman
- Knicks: Boris Diaw
- Wizards: Kirk Hinrich
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/2/15
Restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, who has already rejected a five-year, $80MM contract offer from the Cavaliers this offseason, also nixed a four-year, $52MM extension offer from the team last fall. The power forward’s agent, Rich Paul, has reportedly informed the Cavs that his client would not put pen to paper on a new deal unless it was a maximum salary arrangement, and that Thompson would be OK with signing his one-year qualifying offer worth $6,777,589 if a deal can’t be worked out between the two sides prior to the deadline in October.
One reason that Thompson is reportedly willing to risk playing without the security of a long-term pact in 2015/16 is that Paul believes he can wrangle a max deal out of the Raptors next offseason, as was noted by Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops had previously broached the possibility of Thompson, a native Canadian, joining the Raptors in 2016/17. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has stated that he considers it a priority to add Canadian born players to the team, which obviously makes Thompson a natural target for the franchise.
This brings me to the topic for the day: Which would be a better situation for Tristan Thompson long-term, re-signing with the Cavaliers or joining the Raptors next Summer?
Would the young forward be better served to remain a key reserve in Cleveland, and have the opportunity to chase NBA titles for as long as LeBron James is still on the roster? Or would he be better served to chase the bigger dollars and a likely role as a starter for the Raptors back in his country of birth? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Jack, Sixers
Markel Brown picked up an extra $50K in guaranteed salary when he remained on the Nets roster through Tuesday, when his partial guarantee increased from $150K to $200K, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders first reported and as is shown on our Schedule of Salary Guarantee Dates. You can view Brooklyn’s full 2015/16 salary cap outlook here.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Despite being regarded as one of the worst teams in the league for the past two seasons, the Sixers are finally ready to be competitive, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. Taylor isn’t predicting that Philly will make the playoffs in 2015/16, but does believe that a 10 win improvement over last season’s total of 18 certainly is within reach, and that the franchise could use that as momentum moving forward. The Basketball Insiders scribe also defends the selection of Joel Embiid with the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, noting the unusually high rate of injury among that draft class, and believes that the center could still end up being regarded as a solid choice by GM Sam Hinkie.
- Nets point guard Jarrett Jack isn’t worried about those who doubt his ability to run a team and take over as the starter for Deron Williams, Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News writes. “I’ve started in New Orleans,” Jack said. “And I’ve had countless other times- I started in Toronto. I’ve started in a few places so we’re just going to have to wait and see. Just answering questions is not going to show or prove anything on my behalf, so I’m just waiting until I can show and prove.” Williams and the franchise reached a buyout arrangement in July.
- Jack, who was teammates with Andrea Bargnani in Toronto, believes that the oft-injured forward can have a productive season in Brooklyn if he can remain healthy, Abramson also relays. “Yeah, me and Dre [Bargnani] played together in Toronto,” Jack said. “So I know the type of player he’s capable of being, the talent he possesses. I think just the thing with him man, hopefully his health. Hopefully he can stay healthy throughout the course of the season and be that player that people thought he was when they drafted him No. 1 overall in Toronto.“
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 10)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We are in the process of taking you on a journey back to June of 2003, and revisiting a draft that saw the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh available to potentially change the fortunes of a few struggling franchises. Wade was the first of that group to win an NBA championship, though James and Bosh would later join him in Miami and go on to win multiple titles together years later, while Melo is still seeking his first trip to the NBA Finals. Detroit, which owned the No. 2 overall pick that season, chose to go with Darko Milicic, who didn’t work out so well for the Pistons. Not all picks pan out, but that one is especially painful given the talent that the Pistons passed over to select the big man, who owns career averages of 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, and has been out of the NBA since making a single appearance for the Celtics back in 2012/13.
We continue our revisionist history with the Wizards, who used the No. 10 overall pick to select Jarvis Hayes. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Washington’s pick and check back Thursday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Warriors will select with the No. 11 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 10 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Picks
- Cavaliers: LeBron James
- Pistons: Dwyane Wade
- Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
- Raptors: Chris Bosh
- Heat: David West
- Clippers: Kyle Korver
- Bulls: Mo Williams
- Bucks: Chris Kaman
- Knicks: Boris Diaw
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Jarell Martin Breaks Foot, Out Indefinitely
Grizzlies 2015 first-rounder Jarell Martin will be out indefinitely after fracturing his left foot today during a workout today, the team has announced (hat tip to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who first reported the injury). He will undergo surgery on Thursday, and there is no timetable for Martin to make his return to basketball related activities. The 21-year-old was selected by Memphis with the No. 25 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The loss of Martin for a prolonged period of time, while not ideal, shouldn’t negatively impact the Grizzlies’ playoff hopes this season, as he was not likely to be a major part of the team’s rotation this year. It will certainly set the big man’s development back a step or two, and if he is able to return to action during the 2015/16 campaign, he’ll likely require an extended stint in the D-League prior to being able to bang around in the paint area with NBA-caliber players.
Martin made 33 appearances for the LSU Tigers during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.1 minutes, with a slash line of .509/.269/.690. His career collegiate averages were 13.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 1.4 APG.
Florida Notes: Winslow, Vucevic, Chalmers
Justise Winslow, who was selected No. 10 overall by the Heat in this year’s draft, is excited about the creative ways that Miami’s coaching staff is planning on utilizing his diverse skillset this season, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. “It’s going to be good,” Winslow said. “The way they’re using me I think is going to be really special, really going to help me showcase a lot of my skills.” Winslow has been working with the coaching staff to improve the mechanics on his outside shot, which was one of the areas of his game that was criticized heading into this year’s draft, Jackson adds.
“I definitely feel comfortable shooting from three-point range but it’s working on everything – pull-ups, mid-range, posting up, finishing. There has been a huge emphasis on my shooting mechanics, trying to get everything more fluid and more natural so I can become a better three-point shooter. But there hasn’t been an over-emphasis on three-point shooting,” said Winslow.
Here’s more from the Sunshine State:
- Winslow isn’t sure what position he’ll play this season, but noted that the Heat‘s system is built on versatility, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “The offense, all the positions are pretty interchangeable. And so I’m working on all my skills,” Winslow said. “Just playing alongside all the great players, some of the things will be limited,” he continued. “So just trying to find spots where if I’m in the game with Dwyane Wade , Goran Dragic and Chris Bosh, how I can be most efficient?“
- One of new Magic coach Scott Skiles‘ goals this season will be to get center Nikola Vucevic to be more aggressive and consistent on the defensive end, and to get to the foul line more on offense, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes in his profile of the big man. Vucevic is entering the first season of the four-year, $53MM contract extension he inked with Orlando.
- Though he is reportedly on the trading block, Mario Chalmers still remains the Heat‘s best option for a solid backup point guard, opines Winderman in his daily mailbag. The Sun Sentinel scribe notes that though Chalmers can be frustrating at times, he can thrive if placed in the right situations.