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Eastern Notes: Jackson, Ainge, Henson
According to sources around the NBA, Celtics executive Danny Ainge is still looking to make a major trade to improve the team’s roster, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays. Ainge understands that more talent needs to be acquired in order for Boston to become a contender, and with the early chatter calling the 2017 NBA draft one of the deepest and most talent-laden in many years, it will only serve to increase the value of the Nets’ first-rounder, which the Celtics have the right to swap for their own pick next June, Bulpett adds.
Boston’s roster doesn’t blend well, which is a by-product of drafting for talent rather than need, the scribe adds. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich faced a similar situation in 2011, which led to the team dealing George Hill in exchange for the rights to Kawhi Leonard, Bulpett notes. “We’d be exaggerating if we said we knew what he [Leonard] was going to be,” said Popovich. “Kind of like Manu Ginobili. We didn’t know Manu was going to be Manu or Tony Parker, Tony. It just worked out for us. But we needed size when we made that trade, because it didn’t make sense to have Tony, George Hill and Manu Ginobili out there. It’s just too small. So we were looking for size. George Hill was one of my favorite players all-time. We’re still involved together in some charity stuff, off-court activities, so it was real difficult. But Kawhi had such size, and we thought he had the foot speed to move from an inside player to the 3 position, so we decided to roll the bones.”
Here’s more from the East:
- Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, who hasn’t played since receiving plasma injection therapy to treat tendinitis on his left knee October 10th, has been cleared to participate in full contact drills and practices, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays. Jackson’s exact return date is still undecided, Beard adds. “I’ve seen him for a couple weeks; he looks fine playing,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said regarding the player. “Obviously, stamina is going to be an issue; I don’t think he can play 33 minutes a game right now. Whenever they tell me he’s ready to go and he tells me he’s ready to go in his mind, then he’ll go.”
- Bucks big man John Henson recently regained his spot in the team’s starting lineup, but the player noted that coach Jason Kidd‘s decision to have him come off the bench didn’t affect his attitude, John Raoux of The Associated Press writes. “It’s a long season with too many opportunities to get stressed about it,” Henson said. “[Kidd] said all the roles are open and you’ve got to be ready for whatever comes at you. Hopefully, I can keep this going.”
- The Heat are still struggling to recover from the loss of Dwyane Wade via free agency this past summer and are likely headed to the 2017 Draft lottery as a result, Marc D’Amico of NBA.com writes.
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted each Sunday.
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.
Western Notes: Walton, Barton, Jones
Kevin Durant shared his thoughts on the state of Lakers franchise, noting that Los Angeles’ collection of young talent reminds him of his early seasons with the Thunder, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “You can tell they enjoy playing with each other. You can tell [Lakers coach] Luke Walton has come over there and changed the culture a bit,” Durant said. “I’ve been on a team like that. You’re young and just want to go out there and have fun with the game with no expectations. You’re just playing. It did wonders for me at that age, being around a bunch of guys that were just as hungry as me and wanting to win. But when we lost games, we weren’t upset with ourselves. There weren’t any feuds. We knew it was a process.”
Durant continued to praise Walton, telling Medina, “They got great management, ownership and that seeps through the organization. It falls down to Luke Walton. Being here now, you can tell the atmosphere they have and how it’s the same. A lot of stuff we run, they run. A lot of things we do, they do over there with the Lakers. It starts with being in an environment where it’s about the players and it’s about wanting them to get better.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Nuggets guard Will Barton is still experiencing discomfort in his ankle and is expected to miss an unspecified amount of time, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The 25-year-old is considered day-to-day moving forward, the scribe adds. In six appearances for Denver this season, Barton is averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 28.0 minutes per night to accompany a slash line of .367/.438/.808.
- Warriors rookie Damian Jones is expected to make his debut for Golden State’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz this evening, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets. The late first-round pick has been out of action since undergoing surgery back in June for a torn right pectoral muscle, which he suffered during a weight-lifting session.
- The Pelicans have been much improved since the return of Jrue Holiday, but much of the credit still goes to Anthony Davis, who has elevated his game to another level this season, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com.
Kevin Martin Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA player Kevin Martin has officially called it a career, officially announcing his retirement in his hometown paper, The Zanesville Times Recorder. The No. 26 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft played 12 seasons in the league and is an unrestricted free agent.
In his announcement, Martin wrote: “Thank you, thank you, thank you. There’s not a more perfect day for me to express those feelings. There are so many ways to announce your after professional career plans. My family and close friends have known since June of the direction I wanted my life to go….
To my community, I think the way I have always wanted to do it was on a personal level with the place that has always been there for me as I started this journey as a 18 year old kid. That place is Zanesville, OH! It was always about you! Special is just the start to describe you guys as part of my journey from day 1. Honestly, there isn’t enough pages or enough days in a year for me to name everyone that has had a positive impact in my life…. Thank you so much and I’m excited to see who the next kid will be to experience the professional sports world but most importantly… for them to experience the reception from our community every time they are able to come back home and give hope for the next generation!!!
In appreciation to you… The Kevin Martin Youth Foundation will be donating $100,000 to enhance the talents of our young children, on and off the sporting fields, in the Zanesville and surrounding area! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!“
Martin played for the Kings, Timberwolves, Rockets, Thunder and Spurs during his time in the league. His career regular season averages through 714 games (504 starts) are 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists to accompany a shooting line of .437/.384/.870.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Channing Frye On Indefinite Leave
Channing Frye will be on leave indefinitely from the Cavaliers as he grieves the loss of his father, Thomas, who passed away on Thursday, Tom Withers of The Associated Press reports. Frye has been excused from the team and won’t suit up tonight against Dallas. The team’s next contest is on Sunday at Philadelphia. Frye is the second player to lose a parent over the holiday, with Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies also going on leave after the passing of his mother on Thursday.
Frye posted a message Thursday on Instagram saying: “Be thankful for the person next to you. My father passed away today. Y’all better love on your family.” The 33-year-old lost his mother, who succumbed to her battle with cancer, approximately a month ago. Frye missed two games after her passing.
The big man has appeared in 11 games for Cleveland this season, averaging 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 18.0 minutes per outing. Frye’s shooting line on the campaign is .439/.485/1.000.
And-Ones: Crawford, Gay, Jackson
Jordan Crawford is hoping to use the D-League, which he believes will provide the quickest return path to the NBA, as a means to jumpstart his career, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor writes. The guard is also looking at his time in the D-League as an opportunity to give back some of his hard-earned knowledge to the younger players, Reichert adds. “I really want to help these young guys, show ’em the ropes a little bit,” Crawford told the scribe. “It’s easy to lose confidence when things aren’t going your way and I think I can really help them out.”
Crawford is also trying to shake the perception that he is a selfish player who only cares about scoring, Reichert adds. “When I first got to the league I wanted to be the greatest player…ever,” Crawford said. “More than anything that’s what I wanted. But once you learn there’s more to life than basketball, it’s easier to simply play and enjoy what you’re capable of doing on the court. My journey has been humbling and this is just part of the change I’ve had.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Thunder have shown interest in Kings forward Rudy Gay, who has indicated that he will opt out of his deal and head elsewhere after the season, but Sacramento isn’t ready to trade the player yet, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who has been sidelined for over a month because of tendinitis in his left knee and right thumb, has been cleared for limited contact drills, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (via Twitter).
- Marcus Smart‘s agent, Josh Ketroser, has left the Wasserman Media Group, Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal reports (on Twitter). It is unclear how or if this will affect Smart’s relationship with Ketroser and Wasserman.
Atlantic Notes: Hernangomez, Lin, Noel
Sixers big man Nerlens Noel, who had surgery on October 24th because of inflamed tissue above his left knee, has rejoined the team after doing his rehab work in Alabama, notes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Coach Brett Brown is thankful that Noel is back with his teammates, noting that he wants the center to embrace the concept of team and challenge of earning his playing time, Camerato relays. “First, [I want Noel] just embracing the team aspect of everything,” Brown said. “To come into this and to try to draw his own line in the sand and reclaim minutes that he will want. This is going to be on a deserved basis. We have a lot of people at that spot. We will help him. I will coach him. I will put him in an environment where he can succeed and get him back in shape and integrate him with the team.”
No specific time frame was given for when Noel will be cleared for game action, Camerato adds. “Most people that I talk to talk about a few week period that’s just going to let him play basketball again,” Brown said. “After that, when he actually plays a game, I don’t know. But it’s going to take, for sure, a few weeks just to get him back, moving around and playing basketball again. I think after that base, that limited base, has been established, we can be more sort of specific of what it really means time-wise.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- There is still no timetable for when Jeremy Lin will take the court once again for the Nets, as coach Kenny Atkinson told Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily (Twitter link). The point guard is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered earlier this month.
- Based on early returns, the Knicks signing of Willy Hernangomez to a four-year, $5.86MM contract may end up being team president Phil Jackson‘s second best move during his tenure (No. 1 is drafting Kristaps Porzingis), Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes.
- Doug Smith of The Toronto Star revisited the trade which sent Rudy Gay from the Raptors to the Kings, which was a swap that turned Toronto into contenders and rejuvenated the franchise, according to the scribe.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 11/13/16-11/19/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- We looked at the dead money on the books for each of the teams of the Atlantic Division, Southeast Division, Southwest Division and Pacific Division.
- Here’s a rundown of a number of the site’s notable features.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag. Here’s how you can submit your own questions for our mailbag feature.
- Here’s where we track all the trades that occur during the season.
- In our Community Shootarounds this week we discussed:
- Under the circumstances, do Alvin Gentry or Brett Brown deserve to be fired? And if they are, who would be the best replacements for the Pelicans or Sixers?
- Do the Wizards need to make a move in order to compete for a playoff spot?
- What the Suns should do with Brandon Knight.
- Who is your early pick for the MVP award?
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Week In Review: 11/13/16-11/19/16
With the regular season entering its fourth week, here’s a look back at all the notable news and events from around the NBA this past seven days:
Waivers
- The Nuggets waived forward Jarnell Stokes.
- The Mavericks waived Quincy Acy.
Signings/Agreements
- After being waived by the Nuggets last month, D.J. Kennedy signed with China’s Foshan Lions.
- Perry Jones III signed with the Iowa Energy of the D-League.
- The Nuggets signed Alonzo Gee.
- The Mavericks signed Jonathan Gibson.
News/Rumors
- The agent for Kings forward Omri Casspi met with team officials this week, but Casspi denies that a trade was requested.
- Mario Chalmers, who continues to recover from the Achilles injury that ended his 2015/16 campaign prematurely, remains on track to get healthy this season, and is hoping to land with a title contender.
- Chris Patrick, formerly a member of Relativity Sports, left the agency to start the Sports Law Group, which will represent athletes, coaches, and schools.
- Nuggets starting shooting guard Gary Harris could be sidelined up to four weeks with a foot injury.
- Derrick Rose is seeking $70K in court costs related to his civil trial that concluded last month.
- Grizzlies power forward Brandan Wright underwent an arthroscopic debridement of his left ankle and will be out of action for at least two months.
- Kevin Durant is baffled by the notion that Celtics fans are angry at him for not signing with their team.
- Mavericks veteran point guard J.J. Barea will be sidelined approximately six weeks because of a left leg injury.
- Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson joined a group of investors seeking to build an NBA and NHL arena in Seattle.