Reactions To Kobe Bryant’s Plan To Retire
Lakers coach Byron Scott told reporters, including Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link), that he was the first person Kobe Bryant told about the superstar’s plan to retire after this season. Scott said Bryant informed him on Saturday. Scott reiterated that Bryant plans to play the rest of the season, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweets.
Here’s more news, notes and reactions on Bryant’s announcement:
- Scott also told reporters that he believes Bryant had at least one more year in him, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Bryant, 37, is averaging 15.7 points per game on a career-worst 31.5% shooting percentage (heading into action Sunday).
- Bryant notified the Lakers of his intentions to retire on Sunday, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register tweets. Bryant’s decision comes across as a strategic one because it turns attention away from the dissection of his statistics, and it comes before a home game and then a game at his native Philadelphia, Oram also notes on Twitter.
- USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Bryant remains in contention for a spot with the USA Basketball team in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics (Twitter link). Bryant said earlier this month that he would be thrilled to play for USA Basketball. Bryant won gold medals the past two Olympics.
- Stein also relays on Twitter that Bryant previously told him he has no plans to play a season overseas.
- Bryant believes the next chapter of his life will revolve around telling stories in various media forms, he told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press before making his announcement.
- Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement regarding Bryant’s decision. “With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” Silver said. “Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game. I join Kobe’s millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories.”
Eastern Notes: Carter-Williams, Heat, Raptors
Michael Carter-Williams, whom the Bucks acquired last season in a trade, has struggled mightily and was therefore not surprised he was benched Sunday, of the Journal Sentinel relays.
“The past couple games my play has been down,” Carter-Williams said. “If I’m a coach, I wouldn’t start me, either. Whatever minutes I get, I’m going to come in and try to help the team, cheer from the bench and try to cheer my teammates on. I know it’s hard right now. I think things will get better.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Heat‘s commitment to Gerald Green, who signed a one-year deal with Miami during the summer, shows that the next veteran who accepts a minimal free agent deal with the team also has the opportunity for a significant role, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes in his mailbag feature. Green has played well in nine appearances, averaging 10.4 points per game.
- The Magic started a rebuilding process when Orlando traded Dwight Howard in 2012, but even now the question remains of who will still be on the team when it is ready to compete for the playoffs, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. The Magic, as Robbins points out, have a group of talented young players such as Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris, Mario Hezonja, Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton and Nik Vucevic. Yet, according to Robbins, it remains to be seen if the Magic can successfully dip into the free agent pool to add to their nucleus.
- The Heat announced they have recalled forward/center Jarnell Stokes from their D-League affiliate. He averaged 23 points and 9.7 rebounds in three games with the the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
- The Raptors recalled Delon Wright and forward Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via Twitter.
Western Notes: Rondo, Lakers, Nuggets
The Mavs should have never acquired Rajon Rondo in a deal with the Celtics, according to Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Rondo had a mostly tumultuous four months with the Mavs last season and he often clashed with Carlisle, MacMahon writes. Rondo, as MacMahon points out, averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in 46 games with the Mavs, who were 26-20 when he played and 24-12 without him last season.
“Listen, we all did everything we could to make it work. It was challenging,” Carlisle told MacMahon. “Going back in time, it’s a deal we should have shied away from, for the sake of us and for the sake of him. It’s a deal we shouldn’t have made. I think we all realize that now, but when you do a deal like that, you’ve got to do everything possible to make it work. I learned a lot going through the year with him and trying to be creative and use some of his unique abilities. He’s a very talented player, and he’s having a great year this year, which is basically no surprise.”
Rondo, now with the Kings, is averaging 12.4 points and 11 assists per game.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference:
- Kings coach George Karl is unsure if DeMarcus Cousins will return Monday, but believes it was best Cousins didn’t play over the weekend because the center has been injured, with a lower back strain, and frustrated, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee relays.
- Despite the fact Kobe Bryant is experiencing his worst season, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post opines that the superstar’s minutes should not be reduced. The topic has been debated by several scribes, especially with the Lakers struggling to win games.
- Darrell Arthur, who re-signed with the Nuggets during the summer, has added an improved 3-point shot to his arsenal lately, Dempsey writes in a separate story.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Blazers, Wolves
Nuggets rookie center Nikola Jokic is emerging as one of the biggest surprises of Denver’s season, Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes. “I did not expect Nikola Jokic to be our starting center 14 games into the season. But he has earned it. … He’s a guy who was wearing a pink uniform and playing in the Adriatic League last year. Now he is in the NBA, starting and doing great things,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. Jokic, who is averaging 7.8 points per game and five rebounds per game, signed a four-year deal worth $5.5MM in July after sitting out last season as a draft-and-stash prospect.
Here’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Malone believes it is important to keep Wilson Chandler, who is out for the season, around the team as the small forward begins his rehab, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays. “That was one thing that I felt very strongly about,” Malone said. “Make sure he feels a part of it, still. So once he starts traveling, we’ll have him travel with us the whole time. I might even give him a clipboard so he can be one of our coaches.”
- Karl-Anthony Towns‘ lack of playing time recently in the fourth quarter for the Wolves is the result of reserve Gorgui Dieng being a more experienced defensive player, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune details.
- Noah Vonleh, with whom the Blazers exercised their rookie scale team option for the 2016/17 season, is experiencing foul trouble while making five starts at power forward as Meyers Leonard recovers from a dislocated left shoulder, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. Vonleh has struggled to make an impact because fouls have forced him back to the bench, Quick adds.
Central Rumors: Jackson, Bucks, Bulls
It’s still too early to declare a winner in the three-way trade that sent Reggie Jackson from the Thunder to the Pistons, but Detroit certainty should not be called the loser in the deal, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. There was a lot of verbal jabbing from some Thunder players (most notably by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant) regarding Jackson’s return to Oklahoma City for a game Friday. Yet Jackson, as Ellis points out, is averaging 18.2 points, eight assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the 43 games he has played since joining the Pistons (heading into action Sunday). The Pistons re-signed Jackson to a five-year, $80MM contract in the offseason.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Jackson heard a lot of boos from the crowd as the visiting Pistons lost to the Thunder, the team Jackson spent his first three seasons with, on Friday, but he anticipated that reaction, David Mayo of MLive.com relays. “I kind of love to be hated. It’s flattering,” Jackson said. “I think it’s the greatest kind of love. It’s love and spite at the same time. They wouldn’t boo me if I didn’t do anything to build some memories here, so obviously, if they booed me, that means I did something special.”
- The Bucks‘ slow start can partly be attributed to their drop in defensive efficiency this season compared to last season after Milwaukee signed Greg Monroe and traded center Zaza Pachulia, Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com details. Monroe, as Smith notes, is a talented offensive player, but Pachulia is a rugged defender and is adept at switching on pick-and-rolls — which is something the Bucks appear to be missing, Smith adds.
- Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy Jr., who underwent back surgery in September after re-signing with Chicago during the summer, will visit a doctor on Monday after experiencing soreness, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune relays. “We should have a better update after that,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. Dunleavy had been increasing his individual workouts without incident as recently as last week, according to Johnson.
Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Enes Kanter: Four year, $70.06MM. Matched Trail Blazers’ offer sheet. Fourth year is a player option.
- Kyle Singler: Five years, $24.3MM. Signed via Bird rights. Fifth year is non-guaranteed.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired Charlotte’s 2016 second round pick (top-55 protected in 2016, unprotected in 2017) and Luke Ridnour from the Hornets in exchange for Jeremy Lamb.
- Acquired the draft rights to Tomislav Zubcic from the Raptors in exchange for Ridnour and $250K.
- Acquired Boston’s 2018 second round pick (top-55 protected) from the Celtics in exchange for Perry Jones III, Detroit’s 2019 second round pick, and $1.5MM.
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Cameron Payne (Round 1, 14th overall). Signed via rookie scale exception to rookie scale contract.
- Josh Huestis (Round 1 2014, 29th overall). Signed via rookie scale exception to rookie scale contract.
- Dakari Johnson (Round 2, 48th overall). Playing in the D-League.
Camp Invitees
- Michael Cobbins — Waived.
- Mustapha Farrakhan — Waived.
- Michael Qualls — Waived.
- Julyan Stone — Waived.
- Dez Wells — Waived.
- Talib Zanna — Waived.
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Steven Adams (fourth year, $3,140,517) — Exercised.
- Mitch McGary (third year, $1,526,040) — Exercised.
- Andre Roberson (fourth year, $2,183,072) — Exercised.
Unable to satisfy those in the organization who believed the Thunder should have at least one title by now, Oklahoma City replaced Scott Brooks with new coach Billy Donovan in a bold offseason move. The decision made sense to critics of Brooks because the team failed to make the playoffs and things seemed rather stagnant offensively. On the other hand, the timing of the coaching change was interesting because many supporters of Brooks pointed to the fact that health was a significant issue last season for the Thunder. Kevin Durant, most notably, missed 55 games and Russell Westbrook was out for 15.
The Thunder returned a talented nucleus and were without a glaring weakness on the roster heading into the offseason, so the coaching change was all about wanting a new leader with a new voice, in my opinion. Perhaps it will be what this team needs. It seemed inevitable for Donovan, who won two titles with Florida and is well-respected by players around the league, to land a job like this one, but his success will likely be measured by how well the Thunder perform in the postseason.
Assuming health doesn’t become a repeat issue for Oklahoma City, the Thunder seem poised for a deep run and should be in the championship mix. Durant and Westbrook still have several years left in their respective primes. Besides making a coaching splash, the Thunder didn’t do much in the offseason because they didn’t have to.
Of significance, however, the Thunder matched the Blazers’ $70MM, four-year offer sheet for then-restricted free agent Enes Kanter. Many fans and columnists asked if Kanter was worth the money and the common opinion was no. The deal nonetheless signaled the Thunder were all in. Kanter, a center who is adept at hitting elbow jumpers, is performing well and is currently averaging 12.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The move was widely expected because Oklahoma City offered Kanter about $62MM, not much less than the max deal he ultimately wound up with, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). While critics pointed out his inconsistent defense, Kanter, 23, excelled after Oklahoma City acquired him from the Jazz. He averaged 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season with the Thunder and Jazz. The new deal for Kanter pushed the team far beyond the $84.74MM tax threshold at the time.
To help alleviate some of the financial hit, the Thunder traded Perry Jones III to the Celtics. They made the move with luxury tax savings in mind. It saved the Thunder about $7MM in combined salary and tax payments, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com. Oklahoma City did not acquire much in return (a protected 2018 second-round pick), but shedding Jones’ money was somewhat vital. Still, star power comes with a price and the Thunder currently have a payroll of $97,749,910, second-highest in the league. The Thunder also cut ties with Jeremy Lamb when they dealt him to the Hornets for Luke Ridnour and a conditional 2016 second round pick. The Thunder flipped Ridnour to the Raptors for the rights to draft-and-stash prospect Tomislav Zubcic. Oklahoma City also got to create a trade exception worth $2.75MM.
The Thunder didn’t quite stop at Kanter, though, as far as bringing guys back. Oklahoma City re-signed Kyle Singler to a deal worth nearly $25MM over five years. Singler, a reserve small forward, provides bench depth. Singler, 27, appeared in 26 games for the Thunder last season after being acquired by the Pistons at midseason, averaging 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per contest.
The good thing about not making the playoffs last season is that it enabled the Thunder to draft Cameron Payne as the No. 14 overall pick. Payne starred at mid-major Murray State, averaging 20.2 points and six assists per game. His rookie contract did little in terms of having an effect on the Thunder’s financial flexibility because the team was well over $70MM cap anyway. The Thunder make sense for Payne because he won’t be asked to do too much as a rookie, considering all the other talent on the team.
The Thunder had a mostly quiet offseason (aside from the hiring of Donovan and matching the offer for Kanter), but they could have benefited, in my opinion, from acquiring a defensive-minded shooting guard. Even with Donovan, a good defensive coach, guiding the team, the Thunder have still struggled to stop opponents, allowing 103.8 points per game (ninth-worst in the league).
Still, there is no doubt that the Thunder are a title contender if they remain healthy. They are gambling that their coaching change pays off in the postseason. After all, next summer should be far more interesting for an obvious reason: Durant is set to be a free agent. Playing with Westbrook and being on a title contender likely hold a lot of weight when it comes to Durant re-signing next summer, so it behooves the Thunder to have strong season.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.
And-Ones: Scott, Daye, Lawson
Lakers coach Byron Scott believes he still has the support of GM Mitch Kupchak and executive vice president of basketball personnel Jim Buss, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details. The Lakers are 2-12 so far this season. Scott, as Medina points out, is in the second year of a four-year contract worth $17MM, with a team option for the final season.
“We still understand that this is a process,” Scott said, per Medina. “We have a lot of young guys on this team that we feel will be very good players. But it’s not going to happen in a month. It’s going to take some time. It might take a year or two.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Austin Daye, who the Cavs waived in October, is close to signing overseas with Victoria Libertas Pesaro, a team in Italy, according to Italy news source Spicchi d’Arancia (h/t Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Daye agreed to join the Cavs in September on a non-guaranteed deal. The 27-year-old former 15th overall pick averaged 5.0 points in 11.9 minutes per game in six preseason appearances. Daye’s career numbers through 293 NBA contests are 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
- Ty Lawson‘s playing time is being compromised because of his poor play and Patrick Beverley‘s return from an injury, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. Lawson, whom the Rockets acquired in July despite his legal problems, was held scoreless Wednesday for the second straight game.
- The Knicks are better this season, but in order for New York to continue to play well, Carmelo Anthony needs to step up as a leader internally and remain heavily invested in the team, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders opines.
Central Notes: Parker, Jackson, Bulls
Jabari Parker chose Dr. Charles Tucker as his new agent after leaving the Wasserman Media Group and agent B.J. Armstrong earlier this month for familiarity and trust reasons, Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times details. Parker, according to Woelfel, got to know Tucker and his son, Charles Jr., while playing basketball on the AAU circuit as a kid. Both the younger Tucker and Parker, whom the Bucks chose with the second overall selection in the 2014 draft, have remained friends and religion is a big reason why, Woelfel writes.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Reggie Jackson does not anticipate a warm reception when he returns to Oklahoma City Friday for the first time since the February trade that brought him to the Pistons, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Jackson, as Mayo adds, grew tired of his backup role under Russell Westbrook while with the Thunder. The Pistons acquired Jackson last season after Brandon Jennings was lost to a season-ending injury. The Pistons re-signed Jackson to a five-year, $80MM contract over the summer. “I know what to expect,” Jackson said, per Mayo. “I know how it was. I was booed when I came out there to start there last year. So I expect some of the same treatment. It’s like every other arena. I get booed in other arenas when I come out, so I’m just ready to go out there and play.”
- With Pau Gasol wanting more touches and Joakim Noah struggling, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has a problem regarding his big men, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com explains. Hoiberg, in his first year with the team, is still trying to figure out what works best, Friedell writes. Noah is a 2016 free agent while Gasol has a player option on the final season of a three-year, $22.3MM contract that brought him to Chicago in 2014.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/26/15
We at Hoops Rumors wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. While many of us connect today’s holiday to football, there is plenty to be thankful for in the basketball world. For starters, there is the entertainment the Warriors seemingly provide each time they play (and win).
Our question of the day is an easy one to digest: What are you most thankful for regarding your favorite NBA team so far this season?
As someone who grew up rooting for the Knicks, I (surprisingly) have a few things to be thankful for so far this season. What we appreciate the most are usually things we did not anticipate. That’s why I’m thankful the Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis because he has been a sensational double-double machine and someone who could possibly help lead the team to a playoff spot.
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to learning about what you have to share.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/22/15
It’s still very early in the season and to put the Clippers’ poor start in perspective, let’s remember that the Cavs started last season with a 5-7 record before making it to the finals. Still, there is reason for concern. A roster like the Clippers’, with so much talent, should not have as much difficulty securing wins. After Sunday’s loss, the Clippers are 6-7.
There is plenty of blame to go around. After all, Blake Griffin, J.J. Redick, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford are all capable of doing more. The addition of Paul Pierce was supposed to bring a stronger mentality to the team, but we’ve seen the Clippers take opponents lightly and consistently get beat on the boards.
Few saw this sort of start for the Clippers, so here’s the topic for today: How will the Clippers finish the season? What is mostly to blame for the poor start?
Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.