Will Barton Talks Nuggets, Free Agency, Future
Will Barton has steadily improved in each of his six NBA seasons and the 2017/18 campaign has been no different. The 27-year-old guard is averaging career-highs in PPG (15.0), APG (4.1), and MPG (32.6) for a Nuggets team that two games back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Barton will hit unrestricted free agency for the first in his career this summer. That gives the University of Memphis product a choice on where he can continue his career. If all goes according to plan, however, Barton will not leave the Mile High City and will continue his career with the Nuggets.
In an interview with Christopher Dempsey of Altitude Sports, Barton addressed his future and his plans for free agency. The veteran admits that he has become comfortable in Denver since being traded from the Trail Blazers to the Nuggets in February 2015, and does not want to leave the team and the city behind. Here are those comments and more from Barton:
On wanting to remain in Denver:
“My ultimate goal is to return to Denver. You know me, I’m a real loyal guy. I’m real big on that. They gave me a chance to really showcase what I could do. So, I would love to finish what I started here.”
Why he is comfortable with the Nuggets:
“I like Denver. It’s given me a good place to focus on my career, where I can just focus on basketball a lot. It’s great people there. A lot of food places, and it’s growing. Just like me, the city is growing. When I first got here it wasn’t that many people. Now, people are moving to Denver, so it’s cool.”
Where Barton has made the most significant improvement:
“You guys have watched my game really grow and evolve. And my playmaking ability, being able to now play multiple positions, (point guard) through (small forward). Just making better reads – everything just evolved.”
What he wants to improve on:
“Just to be more consistent on the defensive end, staying locked in. Staying disciplined on that end. And just keep being aggressive, keep being myself, knowing that teams are kind of game-planning and knowing my game. So, just reading defenses and seeing what they are giving me and making plays off of that.”
Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Cook, Harrell
The Warriors have hit a rough patch with injuries as their four All-Stars – Stephen Curry (ankle), Klay Thompson (thumb), Kevin Durant (rib), and even Draymond Green (midsection) – have all been sidelined recently. From the trio of Curry, Durant, and Thompson, Curry is closest to returning, ESPN’s Chris Haynes writes.
“I think Steph is closer to playing than KD and Klay,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “…We’re going to be cautious with all of them. … This is not like a timetable of two to three days. It’s just more of a feel thing.”
Golden State owns second place in the Western Conference, four games behind the Rockets. With a postseason spot wrapped up, the Warriors by all indications will focus on getting their core players healthy rather than push for the first seed.
Check out more notes from the Pacific Division below:
- Battling injuries, the Warriors have relied on their bench to shoulder the load. Undrafted point guard Quinn Cook, who has bounced around the league the last few seasons, has been a pleasant surprise for Golden State. In his last three games, Cook has finished with 20+ points. Cook hopes to remain with the team long-term and the interest is mutual, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. “I would love to be with this team for the next 10 years of my career,” Cook said.
- Cook has also received help from Curry via a text message at halftime during the Warriors‘ matchup against the Suns last Saturday, Melissa Rohlin of The Mercury News relays. Cook struggled in the first half, but a text from the two-time MVP helped him finish with a career-high 28 points.“I don’t care if you go zero-for-25, that 26th shot you better not hesitate,” Curry said in the text, per Cook.
- Clippers forward Montrezl Harrel has been a steady presence for the team this season, averaging a career-high 10.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 64 games. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes that Harrell has been one of the most efficient scorers in the entire NBA in the 16.2 minutes per game he averages. Harrell is set to hit restricted free agency this summer.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/21/18
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic recalled 10-day contract recipient Rodney Purvis to their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, per an official tweet from the team. Purvis, 24, has averaged 20.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 37 G League games this season.
- Lakers‘ rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been recalled from the South Bay Lakers, the team announced today. Bryant, 20, has averaged 19.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 34 G League games this season.
- The Warriors have assigned Damian Jones to the Santa Cruz Warriors, tweets Mark Medina of The Mercury News. The center has averaged 15.0 points and 8.0 boards in 43 games with the affiliate. Also, two-way forward Chris Boucher has also been assigned to Santa Cruz. He appeared in one game with the Warriors.
New York Notes: Hornacek, Hicks, Crabbe
The Knicks will conclude their fourth consecutive 45+ loss season next month and the future of the team remains unclear. Outside of Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis — who is recovering from a torn ACL — it appears there are no locks for the roster or coaching staff after this season.
As Marc Stein of the New York Times writes in his newsletter (via CBS Sports), it’s likely that head coach Jeff Hornacek does not return next season despite having one year left on his deal. The organization has moved swiftly to distance itself from almost anything related to former president Phil Jackson, which could include Hornacek.
“It’s difficult to fault Hornacek for much of the chaos that has engulfed the Knicks during his two seasons in charge,” Stein writes. “But there’s no avoiding the fact he was a Phil Jackson selection, which could well doom him now that the organization seems intent on cutting every non-Porzingian tie to the Phil era as possible.”
The Knicks have gone 57-96 under Hornacek since last season, but injuries, poor roster creation, and a rebuilding effort hindered both the head coach and the team from being competitive. Early possible candidates to replace Hornacek are Mark Jackson and David Blatt, Stein notes.
Check out more notes coming out of New York:
- Whether or not Hornacek is the head coach next season, he feels the Knicks should seek depth at small forward, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Sources tell Bondy that the Knicks have scouted both Miles Bridges and Mikal Bridges as possible draft targets, which would echo Hornacek’s suggestion. “I think if you look around at the top teams that are in the league they have multiple guys that are in the 6’7″, 6’8″ range with length. We had a lot of guys that are in the 6’5″ ish range,” Hornacek said. “I think the longer guys you get, it gives you more opportunities to switch on defense, which if you look at the league today, the best teams are switching all the time.”
- With the Knicks eliminated from playoff contention, the goal for the rest of the season will be auditioning young talent, which includes 23-year-old Isaiah Hicks. In nine games, Hicks is averaging just 4.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG, but he has impressed with his basketball IQ and athleticism, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Hicks is on a two-way deal and the Knicks will have to decide whether they want to re-sign him.
- The Nets‘ record has hovered near the bottom of the league in recent seasons, but the organization has bought into the mantra of building a positive culture with promising talent. Allen Crabbe, who is finishing up a strong first season in Brooklyn, said he is willing to recruit free agents this offseason, Bryan Fonseca and Net Income of NetsDaily relay. “Oh yeah. Whatever I can do, just getting guys on board and looking at the vision that Sean Marks and coach (Kenny) Atkinson have for this organization moving forward, I think guys will buy in,” Crabbe said.
Pelicans Notes: Davis, Benson, Gentry, Jackson
Pelicans owner Tom Benson passed away earlier this week at 90 years old. Benson, who struggled for almost a month with flu-like symptoms, has been posthumously honored by many in the sports world and earned praise for his efforts to keep professional football and basketball in the city of New Orleans.
Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis was among those to speak highly of Benson. Davis sent out a tweet thanking Benson for all his contributions, both to him personally and the city of New Orleans, William Guillory of NOLA.com relays.
“Mr. Benson has meant so much to this city & to my career in NOLA,” Davis said in the tweet. “Mr. B & his wife Gayle treated me like family since I arrived & I’m forever indebted to them for their kindness & generosity.”
Check out more notes from the Pelicans below:
- Following Tom Benson’s death, it was reported that his wife, Gayle Benson, would take over as the owner of the Pelicans. In a statement released to NBA.com, Benson promised to do her best to ensure future success for both the Saints and Pelicans. “I would like to assure you that we planned carefully for this day and, while my husband could never be replaced, I am blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful leadership team and staff and we will move forward successfully together,” Gayle said in the statement. “We cannot thank you enough for all of the joy you gave my husband and will continue to do everything within our power to make you proud of our teams and city.”
- Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has been fined $15K for critical comments of the officials in the team’s loss to the Rockets on Saturday, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
- As we relayed yesterday, the Pelicans have given up on rookie Frank Jackson playing this season. Jackson suffered a foot fracture in August and despite a modest three to four-month recovery projection, Jackson did recover as hoped. The team has denied that any setbacks occurred.
Northwest Notes: Gobert, Stockton, Nurkic, Brewer
Rudy Gobert missed 26 games due to two knee injuries earlier this season, but has been a focal point in the Jazz‘s recent nine-game winning streak. Gobert has always been praised for his defense and the Utah center said he deserves to be rewarded for it, Eric Woodyard of Desert News writes.
“To me, there’s no question right now,” Gobert said about whether or not he should be Defensive Player of the Year. “Like I said, my goal is to make my teammates better defensively and to make my team better, but yeah, there’s no question.”
Gobert has been a double-double machine for the Jazz, averaging 14.0 PPG and 10.7 RPG. While the team struggled in his absence, Gobert said the team needed to go through it to enjoy its current success.
“The team had to go through this kind of slump, and when I came back the second time, I felt I was better,” Gobert said. “I felt like it made everyone better. Everyone got better by going through this moment.”
- Corey Brewer joined the Thunder for the stretch run and he has played a vital role in a short time. His success can be attributed to his family, Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman writes.
Hornets Notes: Hernangomez, Front Office, Offseason
Willy Hernangomez has not played much since he was traded from the Knicks to the Hornets. Following a strong rookie season in New York, Hernangomez fell out of the rotation and rode the bench for the most the season. He has played fewer minutes in Charlotte and head coach Steve Clifford said there’s a reason for that, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
“Unfortunately, in the world the players live in, they don’t hear that,” Clifford said. “It’s the organization, it’s the coach, the assistant isn’t working with him right . . . No, come on. The reality is this: He wasn’t playing here for a reason. You know, he’s going to have to change things.”
Hernangomez, 23, has appeared in 10 games with the Hornets, averaging just 2.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG. The production and playing time has waned, but Hernangomez said he likes the environment from Charlotte because of the blunt honesty on where he needs to improve.
“He tells you things that’s going on and what he wants,’’ Hernangomez said of Clifford. “He wants to you to improve if you want to play. It’s very clear. Here, everybody follows rules, defense and offense. Maybe in New York, it was a little freer, defense, offense. Here, everyone follows rules, everybody helps each other. I’m really surprised when I came here to see the difference.’’
Check out more Hornets notes below:
- The Hornets promoted Fred Whitfield to president and vice chairman, Pete Guelli to executive vice president and chief operating officer and James Jordan to executive vice president and chief administrative officer, the team announced in a press release.
- Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer examines how the Hornets can escape the middle class of the NBA. The team is headed for another losing season but possesses too much talent to dwell among the league’s non-contenders. Sorensen writes that getting rid of high-priced guaranteed contracts on the payroll and targeting Miles Bridges, Mikal Bridges or Kevin Knox in the draft is a crucial first step.
- Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders gives his take on how Charlotte can improve for the 2018/19 season. Rhodes writes that the Hornets need to accept their strengths (Kemba Walker) and acknowledge their weaknesses (lack of cap space) to make the right moves.
And-Ones: Davis, Roberts, Maker, Referees, Travel
NBA veteran Glen Davis was arrested in a Maryland hotel room last month on drug possession charges, reports Brian Kuegler of ABC 2 WMAR in Baltimore. The former NBA champion reportedly gave signed consent for his room to be searched after the hotel owner called police complaining of a strong scent of marijuana coming from Davis’ room.
“They recovered 126 grams of marijuana,” Aberdeen Police Lieutenant William Reiber said. “In addition to that, there was a briefcase that contained 92,164 dollars of U.S. currency along with a ledger that contained language which is consistent with someone involved in the sale and distribution of narcotics.”
The 32-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 74 games for the Clippers. He had signed on to participate in the BIG3 this season.
Davis’ attorney said that his client is innocent of the charges and looks forward to his day in court. Davis is due back in court next month.
Check out more news around the basketball world:
- The executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, Michele Roberts, plans to seek a new deal when her current contract expires in September, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Roberts, 62, assumed her post in 2014 and seemed to be interested in leaving the job when her deal expired, but she has reportedly changed her mind, Wojnarowski writes.
- Thon Maker‘s younger brother, Matur Maker, will be eligible for the NBA Draft in June and the Bucks’ young center feels his brother can be a first-round pick, Gery Woelfel of Woefel’s Press Box writes. “He does a lot of things well at both ends of the floor,’’ Thon said. “Offensively, he handles the ball well; he’s a playmaker. When I say playmaker, I don’t mean like he just passes first or passes only. He makes the right play every single time. He’s very unselfish.”
- There may be an issue brewing between the NBA and its referees. After the official Twitter account for the NBA’s referees criticized the Last 2 Minute report and its effectiveness, an official NBA Twitter account fired back, calling the referees’ take “inaccurate.”
- It’s possible that the NBA changes its playoff format in the near future but going to a 1-16 format seems unlikely, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops writes. Commissioner Adam Silver indicates that the league is not ready to make a change and that geographically, it would be a difficult proposition.“We’re serious about looking at it. We’re far from a place where there’s a solution,” Silver said. “Of course it makes sense to seed teams 1-16 in the league but we have two conferences that are geographically apart.”
Jazz Sign David Stockton To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 17: The Jazz have officially signed Stockton to a 10-day contract, the team announced.
MARCH 16: The Jazz will sign point guard David Stockton, the son of Jazz legend John Stockton, to a 10-day deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Stockton, 26, has played for the G League’s Reno Bighorns this season, averaging 16.2 PPG and 5.3 APG in 39 games. After four years at Gonzaga, Stockton went undrafted in 2014 before ultimately signing a 10-day contract with the Kings in Feb. 2015. He appeared in just three NBA games in 2014/15, averaging 2.7 PPG and 3.0 APG.
Stockton latched on with a pair of international clubs in 2016 but the rest of his professional time in the states has been in the G League with the Bighorns.
David’s father John is the NBA’s all-time assist leader with 15,806. The 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer spent all 19 of his NBA seasons with the Jazz.
Raul Neto (fractured left wrist) and Ricky Rubio (left knee contusion) are sidelined with injuries, but 22-year-old Dante Exum made his season debut on Thursday. Exum will likely see the most action as the Jazz deal with injuries with Stockton serving as a depth piece.
Knicks Notes: Hernangomez, Beasley, Point Guards
Entering the 2017/18 season, Willy Hernangomez seemed to be the exact type of the player the Knicks wanted on their roster. A talented, young and cheap big man who needed more work but had tremendous upside. Instead, he fell out of the rotation and was sent to Charlotte before the trade deadline.
Hernangomez will return to New York on Saturday, this time as a member of the Hornets. The Spaniard has found even less playing time in Charlotte, seeing the court less than five minutes per game. Former teammate Enes Kanter spoke glowingly of Hernangomez and his potential, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
“I still talk to him,’’ Kanter said. “He’s doing an unbelievable job working out and an unbelievable job of working on his body. I think he’s a young version of Marc Gasol. If he works hard enough, he can be as a good as Marc Gasol.”
The 23-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 72 games for the Knicks last season but his numbers have dropped to 3.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 35 games split with New York and Charlotte.
Check out more Knicks notes below:
- Leo Sepkowitz of SLAM Magazine profiled Knicks swingman Michael Beasley, who had one of his best games of the season, posting 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in a loss to the Sixers. Beasley has carried a reputation as a potential liability due to his off-court exploits earlier in his career. However, Beasley tells Sepkowitz he hopes the reputation is changing.
- The Knicks could be on the verge of shaking up their point guard situation, Berman writes in a separate story. Deadline acquisition Emmanuel Mudiay has struggled as the starting point guard since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Jarrett Jack has not played one minute since the break and Trey Burke — who has not started a game yet — has continued his strong performance. “Kind of everything is on the table,’’ head coach Jeff Hornacek said.