And-Ones: James, Deck, Sefolosha
Despite recent rumors, veteran point guard Mike James is set to stay with CSKA Moscow for three more seasons, according to Varlas Nikos of Eurohoops (Twitter link).
James, 29, is a talented two-way point guard who originally signed a one-year contract with the club last summer. He averaged a scorching 21.1 points per game in the EuroLeague this season, also dishing out 4.3 assists while grabbing 3.3 rebounds per contest.
James holds NBA experience with the Suns and Pelicans, making stops with several teams overseas during his career. He played college basketball at Eastern Arizona (2008-10) and Lamar University (2010-12), later going undrafted in 2012.
Despite transactions being temporarily locked in the NBA and NBA G League, several overseas teams continue to add and lose players amid the coronavirus pandemic. There has been increased optimism about a potential NBA return in recent weeks — something that could happen as early as July.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- There is growing concern within Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid that the team may lose forward Gabriel Deck to the NBA, according to Spanish newspaper AS (as relayed by Sportando). Deck’s contract with the team is set to expire in 2021, with the 25-year-old going undrafted three years ago. Deck averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 20.1 minutes per game in the EuroLeague this past season.
- Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press interviewed Thabo Sefolosha to get his thoughts on the death of George Floyd and the ongoing topic of police brutality. “I was just horrified by what I saw,” Sefolosha said. “That could have been me.” Sefolosha was involved in a well-documented incident with the New York Police Department in April of 2015 while playing for the Hawks, which resulted in a broken leg upon being arrested.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Jones Jr., Magic, Raptors
The Knicks have several areas in need of improving this offseason, with some in the franchise believing that acquiring a lead guard who creates shots should be a top priority for the team, Ian Begley of SNY writes.
Other focal points (prior to Leon Rose being hired) included finding a big man who can spread the floor, Begley notes, adding that one opposing executive in contact with New York said part of the team’s offseason thinking will be finding players who complement RJ Barrett.
“If you want to complement Barrett, that’s where I’d go,” the executive said. “Adding (a guard and big man who can shoot from the perimeter), you space the floor and make things easier for him. The floor was so crowded for them this year.”
The Knicks held a 21-45 record when the NBA season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, good for fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference and sixth-worst in the league. The team had an underwhelming 2019 offseason and fired head coach David Fizdale 22 games into the campaign.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference tonight:
- It remains to be seen whether the Heat will be able to retain Derrick Jones Jr., Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Jones, a gifted athletic forward who has noticeably improved on offense, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end with COVID-19 likely to impact the league financially and Miami trading for wing players Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder in February. The Heat also have several other players set to reach free agency, complicating matters even further.
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic examines why the Magic will prioritize finding a backup point guard for Markelle Fultz in free agency, with both D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams set to become free agents. Fultz averaged 12.1 points and 5.2 assists in 28.3 minutes per game, proving his worth on both ends of the floor at just 22 years old.
- Eric Koreen and Blake Murphy of The Athletic explore how various return-to-play scenarios would impact the Raptors. Toronto currently holds a record of 46-18, sporting a nucleus of Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and others.
Hiatus Notes: Cuban, Paul, Season, EuroLeague
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is the latest NBA figure to discuss why the league should consider starting the regular season on Christmas Day, as he explained on ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols (Twitter link).
The current NBA season begins in mid-October and ends with the NBA Finals concluding in early June. The NBA draft happens shortly after that, with free agency commencing at the end of June and early July.
“I think you work backwards from next season,” Cuban said after being asked when he believes the league should release its official plans for the season. “I’ve always been a proponent of starting on Christmas Day when we go to broadcast. And so if you work backwards from there and say, ‘We want to have two months off for the draft and everything, for players to recover’, so you have all of November and all of October and we don’t have to finish (this season) until the end of September.”
If the league chooses to work backwards from next season and finish this campaign in September, the 2020/21 season likely won’t start until December. This could open a pathway toward a brand new schedule, so long as the league can overcome some of the various obstacles it will likely encounter.
Cuban also gave his opinion on whether we’ll see a traditional 16-team playoff format this year, which includes eight teams from the East and West.
“I don’t think it’ll be regular,” he said of this year’s format. “This is our chance to experiment and learn. Unique circumstances, unique opportunities. So I’m confident we’ll take advantage of it and do something differently. I just think that’s smart from a business perspective and I think the players want that too.”
Here are a few more items related to the NBA’s hiatus:
- Royce Young of ESPN details the role Thunder guard Chris Paul has played during the coronavirus pandemic, with Paul currently serving as president of the players’ union. The NBA season has been on hiatus for roughly two-and-a-half months to date.
- Steve Popper of Newsday makes the case for why only 16 teams should play in the event the NBA season is resumed. The league is planning a Thursday vote between the Board of Governors on how and whether to restart the season, with owners expected to approve a plan, according to an ESPN report.
- Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype discussed the EuroLeague’s decision to cancel the season and more with veteran forward Bostjan Nachbar, who believes the biggest fear from EuroLeague players was related to injuries following the long layoff — not COVID-19. Nachbar plays a key role in the EuroLeague Players Association, which was recently created to represent players across the league.
Southwest Notes: Curry, Pelicans, Harden, Mavericks
Despite having multiple opportunities to join the Warriors and play with his brother to this point, Mavericks guard Seth Curry has decided he’d rather compete against Stephen Curry and has turned down those chances, as he explained on Uninterrupted’s “Go Off” with Austin Rivers.
“I thought about it,” Curry said, as relayed by DallasNews.com. “Earlier in my career, I had some opportunities to play on the Warriors and go there and, obviously, take on a much lesser role having teams stacked the way they’ve had them the last few years… I always turned him down, I never really wanted to play on the team, I wanted to play against him. I’m going to be compared to him in some way, in his shadow whether I’m on the team or not so it’s going to multiply if I were on the same team. I’d like to create my own path and doing my own thing…
“He wants me to stay on my path and do my thing. He knows the kind of pressure I get under when compared against him, playing against him and being on the same team. He knows what it will be like so he’s kind of pushed me the opposite direction of going my own separate way.”
Curry, 29, is coming off an impressive season with Dallas, averaging 12.6 points in 24.5 minutes per game. He shot 50% from the floor and 45% from deep, raising those marks from the previous season.
Curry also discussed what it’s like to play with Luka Doncic, his thoughts on the NBA returning to play and more in the video.
Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division:
- William Guillory and Danny Leroux of The Athletic examine the futures of Derrick Favors and Jrue Holiday, with Favors on track to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and Holiday set to turn 30 next month. Despite Favors entering free agency, the Pelicans‘ top priority is still re-signing Brandon Ingram in restricted free agency.
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores James Harden‘s boot camp, detailing how the Rockets star has stayed in shape throughout the NBA’s hiatus. “I’ve been doing a lot of cardio,” Harden said. “I’ve got treadmills in my houses, weights, and all that good stuff. It really hasn’t affected me like it’s affected a lot of other players.”
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is making sure his players stay ready ahead of the NBA’s decision on whether to resume, as The Athletic’s David Aldridge writes. Dallas has yet to open its practice facility, with Mavericks players relying on virtual instructions, at-home workouts, yoga sessions and more since the league went on hiatus. “I don’t have any doubt that the players are very motivated to play, but (they’re) also, very smart guys, and they understand, I think, that we’re in a very serious part of our history, and things need to be handled the right way,” Carlisle said.
Greg Whittington Attracting NBA Interest
Free agent forward Greg Whittington has received interest from multiple high-level NBA teams throughout the year, his agent told Hoops Rumors.
Whittington impressed scouts during a shortened campaign with Turkish team Galatasaray in the EuroCup, playing against some of the toughest competition overseas. He posted averages of 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 14 Turkish League contests, shooting 52.8% from 3-point range.
“Greg’s put in the work, and now he knows he’s graduated to being able to pick his next opportunity,” agent Jerry Dianis said. “He can now cherry-pick his next opportunity, and obviously he has some high-level NBA and international interest. I think Greg is going to be the most coveted free agent outside of the NBA because of his versatility and ability to shoot the ball.”
Whittington also averaged 18.4 points per game for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel the season before, shooting 41.5% from deep in 30 contests while leading the country in rebounding (9.6 per contest). His versatility and unselfishness are two major reasons why he’s registered NBA interest, with the 27-year-old also being named forward of the year this season.
Whittington, a lengthy 6’9″ combo forward, went undrafted in 2015 after spending two seasons at Georgetown. He joined the Heat for summer league and earned a training camp deal with the team that fall, spending the rest of the season in the NBA G League. He’s since made stops in Australia, Sioux Falls, Japan and Israel.
Whittington’s consistent play has made him a strong candidate for an NBA contract, though all transactions across the league remain on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Several teams around the association are actively preparing for a return to action, possibly as early as July. The season was suspended indefinitely on March 11.
Heat Notes: Season, Playoffs, Adebayo, Free Agents
The Heat hope to hit the ground running in the event the NBA season is resumed, staying ready and waiting for Adam Silver‘s decision, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.
Silver is expected to make a decision within the next few weeks on the season’s fate. However, the Heat are already working to take advantage of the newly-opened practice facility and hold individual workouts with hopes of getting back to game shape earlier than most teams.
“I definitely tell guys that we have this little period where we can go in and do these voluntary workouts, take advantage,” Udonis Haslem said on ESPN’s Now or Never, as relayed by Winderman. “Hit the ground running. If the season comes back, we want to hit the ground running.”
Haslem, who turns 40 next month, is no exception to this lifestyle. Despite weighing potential retirement, the three-time NBA champion is keeping the same work ethic he’s held throughout his career.
“The younger guys, they can adjust a lot faster than the guys my age,” Haslem said. “But, for me, I guess that’s why I just never stop working. At his stage of my career and at this stage of my life, it’s a choice to make and a lifestyle. It can’t just be a decision that I make. It’s a lifestyle. So I tell all my young guys that I’ll never ask you anything I won’t do myself.”
Here are some other notes out of Miami tonight:
- In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman examines which first-round opponents the Heat could meet in the playoffs and which team they might prefer to play. The top tier of the East is full of talented clubs with championship aspirations, including the Bucks, Raptors, 76ers, Pacers and Celtics.
- Miami should wait to offer Bam Adebayo a contract extension due to the team’s complex salary-cap situation, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. By agreeing to a max contract extension with Adebayo this offseason, as Jackson notes, the Heat would limit their salary-cap space for the summer of 2021 when the team hopes to pursue the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo. By waiting and keeping Adebayo’s more modest cap hold on its books, Miami could sign other free agents in 2021 before going over the cap to ink the big man to a long-term deal.
- NBA teams could benefit from having some sort of a “quarantine team” made up of current free agents if the NBA season is resumed, Winderman opines. Players from this group of free agents could be added to rosters in the event that multiple players get sick or quarantined during the playoffs, ensuring that each team has enough players. These players could also come from the G League if the rest of its season is canceled.
Jon Leuer Announces Retirement
Former Pistons big man Jon Leuer has announced his retirement after spending eight seasons in the NBA, the 31-year-old wrote on social media.
Leuer, who made stops with Milwaukee, Cleveland, Memphis, Phoenix and Detroit across his career, officially bid farewell to the game on Sunday.
“I love the game of basketball. I still want to play, but I know deep down it’s not the right decision for my health anymore,” he wrote on Instagram. “The past three years I’ve dealt with a number of injuries, including two that kept me out this whole season. It’s taken me a while to come to grips with this, but I’m truly at peace with my decision to officially retire.
“As disappointing as these injuries have been, I’m still thankful for every moment I spent playing the game. Basketball has been the most amazing journey of my life. It’s taken me places I only could’ve dreamed about as a kid. The relationships it brought me mean more than anything. I’ve been able to connect with people from all walks of life and forged lifelong bonds with many of them. What this game has brought me stretches way beyond basketball. I’m grateful for this incredible ride and everyone who helped me along the way.”
Leuer was the No. 40 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and last played with the Pistons in April of 2019. Detroit traded him to Milwaukee last June; the Bucks later waived him in early July.
Leuer ended his career holding per-game averages of 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds, mostly serving as a player off the bench. Perhaps his best season came during the 2016/17 campaign, which saw him average 10.2 points, four rebounds and 25.9 minutes per game in 75 contests.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: Barton, Niang, Nuggets
Nuggets guard Will Barton understands it may take awhile for players to get back into game shape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 29-year-old is still mentally prepared to return to the hardwood, Alex Labidou of Nuggets.com writes.
Barton discussed a number of topics with Katy Winge of Altitude, including returning to Denver’s practice facility, his thoughts on The Last Dance and more.
“You can try to do as much as you can, but without getting on the court and playing 5-on-5, nothing can prepare for game shape,” he told Winge, as relayed by Labidou.
Many practice facilities around the NBA are beginning to open with strict restrictions and protocols in place, allowing some players to return to a court for the first time in roughly two months.
In addition to Zoom calls and virtual training sessions, players have resorted to watching game film and weekly episodes of The Last Dance, and Barton is no exception.
“I don’t miss an episode… Mike [Jordan] was insane and I mean that in the best way possible,” Barton said. “Just how driven he was, his mindset mentally he was just different. We all know how gifted he was, how talented he was. But to get a live look into a mindset, what made him tick, is amazing.”
Here are some other notes out of the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Georges Niang gave insight into his first workout at Utah’s practice facility, which was recently reopened amidst the coronavirus pandemic, as relayed by Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The guy that is on our training staff has to be in full [personal protective equipment] — whether that’s a mask, gloves; I know he’s carrying around a spray bottle and a towel,” Niang said. “So, basically every step that I take or wherever I go, that place is getting sprayed down.”
- Nick Kosmider of The Athletic examines what the Nuggets must do in order to compete for a championship, listing seven questions to answer if the playoffs take place. Denver has a deep roster headlined by the likes of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, but the franchise has failed to achieve postseason success in recent years.
- Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com provides a peek into the Nuggets‘ first week of workouts back at the practice facility. Denver formally opened its facility last week, becoming one of the first teams to do so.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Embiid, Bulls, Bucks
The Celtics haven’t hosted a game in over two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that hiatus is expected to be extended further as the league sifts through scenarios to return to play.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh outlined the requirements needed for sports teams to host games this summer — albeit with restrictions and protocols — in a recent interview with Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe.
“There will be no fans in Fenway Park in July, there will be no fans in Fenway Park in August — we won’t even be near a situation where there’s herd immunity and there certainly won’t be a vaccine,” Walsh told Silverman, as relayed by Dave Green of NBC Sports Boston.
The chances of a major sporting event commencing with fans this year have continued to dwindle in recent weeks, with just over 1.5 million positive COVID-19 tests being recorded in the United States and nearly five million recorded worldwide as of Sunday.
Walsh understands the importance of pushing sports to return, but only if the proper protocols are followed to ensure that players remain both safe and healthy.
“Certainly on the fan side and the psychological side, I think if baseball could come back like we’re seeing in Taiwan and South Korea, I think that that’s good for people to have a distraction,” he said. “I think sports is one aspect of that. People have different reasons for distraction and sports is one, and I think it would help a lot people’s psyches as far as having baseball and sports back.”
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Derek Bodner of The Athletic ponders what could’ve been if Joel Embiid started his NBA career healthy. Embiid, the No. 3 pick in 2014, missed both of his first two seasons in the league due to injuries and made his debut in October of 2016. He’s since transitioned into one of the league’s most dominant big men, averaging 23.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in 44 games this season with the Sixers.
- K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago examined a number of topics in his latest mailbag, including the Bulls’ front office structure, Jim Boylen‘s job security and more. The Bulls recently revamped their front office by hiring Arturas Karnisovas as executive president of basketball operations and Marc Eversley as general manager.
- Eric Nehm and John Hollinger of The Athletic explore the future of the Bucks, examining the team’s current situation and what’s to come. Milwaukee posted an impressive 53-12 record before the NBA season was suspended, dominating opponents at home and on the road.
Southeast Notes: Leonard, Brown, Crowder, Hawks
Heat big man Meyers Leonard is set to reach unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, but the 28-year-old is comfortable with his current situation in Miami, he explained this week.
Leonard, who was acquired by the Heat in July of 2019, was set to make $11.2MM and has started in all 49 of his games with the team this season.
“I’m in a good place here in Miami,” Leonard said on a podcast with John Canzano of The Oregonian, as relayed by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “I really feel as though I help Jimmy (Butler) and Bam (Adebayo) in a lot of ways. I space the floor, I give them opportunities to attack driving lanes and get out in transition. Again, I don’t mind taking the physical demand. I don’t mind boxing out every single time. If the ball comes to me, fine. If we get it, that’s great and that’s what I want.”
Leonard is among multiple Heat players set to reach free agency this summer, along with Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr., Udonis Haslem and Solomon Hill. Kelly Olynyk holds a player option worth $13.2MM for the following season.
Leonard has fit in seamlessly with the Heat, spreading the floor alongside Adebayo while shouldering some of the workload on the glass. He’s averaging 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per contest, shooting an impressive 43% from deep.
There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:
- Wizards guard Troy Brown is looking to improve his lateral quickness in order to defend smaller guards next season, as relayed by Fred Katz of The Athletic. “The thing I want to work on this offseason is definitely to keep on improving my 3-point shooting and then just working on my lateral quickness and guarding small point guards,” Brown wrote.
- In his latest mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman ponders whether Jae Crowder could become more valuable for the Heat than Andre Iguodala. Miami traded for both players in February, sending away the likes of Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters to Memphis in exchange for the duo.
- Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines which Hawks players might return in free agency for next season. Jeff Teague, Treveon Graham and Vince Carter (retirement) are all slated to become unrestricted free agents, with DeAndre’ Bembry, Skal Labissiere and Damian Jones set to enter restricted free agency.