Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 8/27/15
Wednesday brought with it an entertaining Twitter debate (hat tip to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel) between Heat center Hassan Whiteside and Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had a back-and-forth exchange regarding the merits of small ball versus traditional big men holding down the pivot. It should go without saying that Whiteside was in the pro-big man corner, while Green, whose Warriors captured the NBA crown this past season using a smaller lineup, was firmly in the opposing camp.
The last four NBA titles have been won by teams willing, and in the case of Golden State, preferring, to utilize smaller, faster, non-traditional lineups to get the job done, so that helps Green’s point. It would appear in today’s NBA that outside shooting and positional versatility, and perhaps ambiguity, are more valuable than size and strength. Having grown up with the privilege of watching the likes of Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Alonzo Mourning, and Shaquille O’Neal play in their primes certainly makes it difficult at times for me to embrace the league’s new style of play. The basketball purist in me still bristles at 6’8″ power forwards playing center, or seeing 7-footers who are more adept at launching three-pointers than they are at scoring with their backs to the hoop. But on the flip side of the coin, I can certainly appreciate the skill and athleticism that today’s taller players possess.
This segues into the topic of the day: Is the traditional NBA big man a thing of the past, or is small ball just a passing fad?
Do you think that the league has completely moved on from the concept of back-to-the-basket big men, or will the next revolutionary concept be a return to the post-up game? Is this shift more a result of a lack of talent at the position, or is the ever-increasing athleticism of players rendering the traditional ideas we had regarding positions obsolete? Do you miss the older style of play and watching two 7-footers wrestling for post position, or are you a fan of the quicker tempo and reliance on the deep ball of today’s frontcourt players?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions, or to just wax nostalgic about your favorite big man you watched while you were growing up. We look forward to what you have to say.
Pacific Notes: Jordan, D-League, Suns
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer stressed that the team’s sale pitch to DeAndre Jordan which included an endorsement deal with Lexus for $200K a year, and subsequently garnered the organization a $250K fine from the league, played no part in the center’s decision to spurn Dallas and return to Los Angeles, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “Today, the NBA announced it has fined the team for violating NBA rules in our presentation to DeAndre Jordan on July 2nd,” Ballmer relayed in an internal team memo (hat tip to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register). “The League’s investigation concluded that the presentation of a potential third-party opportunity had no impact on DeAndre’s decision to re-sign, and having been a part of the process, I can attest to this fact. As we, and the basketball world, observed DJ ultimately chose to stay with the Clippers because he felt it was his best opportunity to win a championship, and because of his desire to remain part of the Clippers family.”
Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- The L.A. D-Fenders, the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate, filled out head coach Casey Owens‘ staff with Paul Woolpert, Brian Walsh, Jermaine Byrd, and Will Scott, who were all named as assistants, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
- The one-year, minimum salary training camp deals that Henry Sims, Deonte Burton, and Cory Jefferson inked with the Suns include no guaranteed salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (via Twitter).
- Lakers 2015 first-rounder D’Angelo Russell believes that he and 2014 second round pick Jordan Clarkson can be an effective tandem playing together in the backcourt, as he told ESPN 710’s Mychal Thompson and Mike Trudell during a radio appearance. “I feel like we’re dangerous for our team,” Russell said of he and Clarkson. “We both rebound. We both can push the break, and we both can run the wing. So if he gets it and I’m running the wing, he can set up the offense or make the right decisions and vice versa with me. I feel like it’s dangerous, and we can play together easily. I think it will just take some time.“
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 5)
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 Heat, who used the No. 5 overall pick in 2003 to select Wade, but was nabbed by the Pistons at No. 2 overall in our draft. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Miami’s pick and check back Friday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Clippers will select with the No. 6 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. 5 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
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Eastern Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Beasley, Thompson
Steve Clifford believes the reasons were numerous for the Hornets to sign Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to his four-year, $52MM extension, but chief among them is Charlotte’s performance with him in the lineup as opposed to without, the coach said Wednesday, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press. The Hornets went 62-55 when he played and 14-33 when he didn’t the last two season, Reed notes. “As much as anybody that we have had in the two years I’ve been here, he’s been the guy that we can’t play well without for any long period of time,” Clifford said.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Several executives around the league can envision Toronto native Tristan Thompson signing with the Raptors next summer if he signs his qualifying offer with the Cavaliers this year, reports Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. Agent Rich Paul has said Thompson won’t re-sign with Cleveland in 2016 if he takes the qualifying offer. One Eastern Conference GM said he’d thought Thompson would end up in Toronto this summer. Thompson is friends with Raptors signee Cory Joseph, who’s also from Toronto, Scotto notes.
- One Eastern Conference GM who spoke with Scotto estimated Thompson’s worth at $15MM a year, regardless of the expected spike in the salary cap over the next few years. That would put him beneath the max-level salaries he’s believed to be seeking in negotiations with the Cavs.
- In a response to a reader question, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel opines that one reason the Heat haven’t re-signed Michael Beasley is that the team is looking to keep its 15th roster slot open for a developmental player who can be shuttled between the main club and the D-League. Miami currently has 12 fully guaranteed pacts on its roster
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Thunder, Batum, 2016 Draft
The ESPN Summer Forecast panel tabs the Thunder as the team most likely to vault in the standings this year, which is no surprise given the return of Kevin Durant and the team’s decision to match the Blazers’ offer sheet for high-scoring big man Enes Kanter . The Heat, who re-signed Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic and get Chris Bosh from his blood clot ailment, and the Jazz, who surged late last season, also appear in the top three.
There’s more on Oklahoma City amid other NBA-related news:
- The Thunder allowed a trade exception that had been worth $1.25MM to expire when they didn’t make a move by Wednesday’s deadline to use it. It was a vestige of the trade that sent Hasheem Thabeet to Philadelphia. Oklahoma City still has other trade exceptions, the largest of which is worth $2.75MM thanks to the last of this summer’s many deals involving Luke Ridnour.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford says that he envisions Nicolas Batum having a more prominent offensive role in Charlotte than he did with the Blazers last season, as Adi Joseph of The Sporting News relays (via Twitter). Charlotte acquired Batum, 26, from the Blazers in June as part of the trade that shipped Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson to Portland.
- ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider subscription required) released his initial mock draft for 2016, and snagging the top spot is LSU freshman small forward Ben Simmons, followed by Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere and California swingman Jaylen Brown.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Gal Mekel Signs To Play In Serbia
WEDNESDAY, 7:46am: The signing is official, the team announced (on Twitter). “I’m excited to meet the best fans in Europe, win titles,” Mekel said, according to Pick (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 4:35pm: Former NBA guard Gal Mekel has signed a deal with the Serbian team Crvena Zvezda, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). The pact is for two seasons and includes an NBA out clause, according to Pick.
Mekel appeared in four contests for the Pelicans last season, averaging 1.5 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 10.8 minutes per contest before being waived by the team in December. The point guard then signed with Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod, and finished out the 2014/15 campaign playing overseas.
The 27-year-old had reportedly had contract talks with three NBA teams this offseason, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com noted back in July, but no NBA deal apparently materialized from those discussions.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 8/26/15
OKC shooting guard Dion Waiters is eligible to sign a rookie scale extension prior to the deadline this fall. The Thunder are reportedly open to extending the 23-year-old’s deal if he would do so at a discounted rate, something that Waiters might not be too keen on, especially given the impending salary cap jump next offseason. Further complicating matters is that Waiters is coming off a poor statistical season that saw him post career lows in points (11.8), assists (2.0), overall field goal percentage (39.6%), and three point shooting percentage (29.7%).
To be fair to Waiters, his production was likely affected by the Cavs’ multitude of roster additions, as well as by the trade that landed him in Oklahoma City, though few would argue that he was at his best during the 2014/15 campaign. Unfortunately for Waiters and his agent, Rob Pelinka, the decline in the guard’s numbers won’t aid them at the negotiating table this offseason.
This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Should the Thunder sign Dion Waiters to a rookie scale extension? If so, then what sort of deal would be fair for both sides?
Waiters is set to earn $5,138,430 this season, and if he doesn’t ink an extension he’ll be eligible to become a restricted free agent next Summer, provided that the Thunder tender him a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589. It’s unknown just how much Waiters’ camp will be looking for on his next contract, and if it is anywhere near the ballpark of a maximum salary request, the two sides will likely have difficulty reaching an accord since the franchise has more pressing financial concerns, namely the upcoming free agency of Kevin Durant next offseason followed by Russell Westbrook in 2017.
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on whether or not the Thunder should sign Waiters to an extension prior to the deadline. Would the franchise be better served to see how he performs this season? That would risk him hitting restricted free agency during an offseason when numerous teams should have ample available cap space. If you don’t believe he’s worth extending, tell us why you feel that way. If you agree that OKC should pony up the cash and lock up Waiters on an extension, chime in with what length and terms you believe would be warranted. We look forward to what you have to say.
Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot us a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com.
Suns Sign Deonte Burton
The Suns have signed unrestricted free agent Deonte Burton, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). It is a non-guaranteed training camp pact, adds Pincus, and most likely for the league minimum, though that is merely my speculation. The agreement will also include limited injury protection, Pincus adds, so it is likely an Exhibit 9 contract. The addition of Burton will give Phoenix a roster count of 18 players, including 13 with fully guaranteed deals.
Burton, 24, went undrafted out of Nevada in 2014 after averaging 20.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists against 2.0 turnovers in 38.6 MPG as a Senior. His career NCAA numbers were 16.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 4.0 APG to accompany a shooting line of .439/.337/.751.
The guard appeared in the 2014 summer league with the Wizards before catching on with the Kings for training camp. Burton was cut by Sacramento last October and later signed with Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm for the remainder of the 2014/15 season. His numbers in 31 appearances for Ratiopharm were an underwhelming 2.6 PPG, 0.6 RPG, and 0.5 APG in 10.1 minutes per contest. Burton played in the 2015 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League for the Sixers’ squad.
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 4)
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 Raptors, who used the No. 4 overall pick to select Bosh, who still happens to be available in our draft. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Toronto’s pick and check back Thursday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Heat will select with the No. 5 overall pick with Wade already off the board. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 4 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Picks
- Cavaliers: LeBron James
- Pistons: Dwyane Wade
- Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Latest On Glen Davis
The Clippers remain interested in signing unrestricted free agent Glen Davis, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter links). Team coach and executive Doc Rivers spoke with Davis’ representatives this week, but no deal has been struck just yet, according to Turner’s sources. The two sides have reportedly been circling each other since early July. Los Angeles currently has a roster count of 15 players, 14 of whom possess fully guaranteed deals.
The Mavericks have also contacted Davis’ representatives recently to discuss a potential deal, and playing overseas in China or Europe also remain possibilities for the veteran, Turner adds. The Bucks were also mentioned as potential suitors early in free agency, but the signing of Chris Copeland effectively removed Milwaukee from the mix for Davis’ services.
Davis said recently that he expects to sign by month’s end and wants to play for a contender, and he is hopeful that he’ll return to the Clippers, as he told the Gio & Jones show on CBS Sports Radio. “I would love to go back,” Davis said. “Doc and his system works for me. He needs a guy to set picks and do the dirty work and stuff like that. I feel at home there. It’s just about getting [a deal] done.” Rivers had reached out to Davis on the opening day of free agency, and they share a lengthy history dating back to their time with the Celtics.
The 29-year-old appeared in 74 contests for the Clippers during the 2014/15 campaign and averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.2 minutes of action per night. His career numbers through eight NBA seasons are 8.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 0.9 APG with a slash line of .447/.182/.700.