Alvin Gentry On Hot Seat?
Alvin Gentry is on the hot seat after the Pelicans’ woeful start to the season, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.
Gentry is on a relatively cheap contract worth a total of $13.75MM over four years. That figure includes a $4MM team option on the final season. Last March, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported Dell Demps expressed reservations on numerous occasions last season about the previous year’s decision to hire Gentry, but Demps denied the report.
Gentry was hired to take the next step with the Pelicans after they claimed the final playoff spot in 2014/15, but the team was slowed by a slew of injuries last season and underachieved. New Orleans went 30-52 last year and finished 12th in the Western Conference.
Hoops Links: Nets, Wade, Clippers
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Jump Ball names the surprise team in the Eastern Conference.
- The Hardwood Nation discusses Dwyane Wade‘s career.
- Same Team Page relays emerging storylines around the league.
- Daily Knicks explains Brandon Jennings‘ “old-school” loyalty.
- Blazer’s Edge wonders if fans should be more fair.
- Denver Stiffs is on prospect watch for the draft.
- Raptors HQ looks at five interesting Toronto stats.
- Liberty Ballers outlines what the Lakers’ success means in Philly.
- Clips Nation details what the national perception is of the Clippers.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Will at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Latest On Lance Stephenson
Lance Stephenson will be re-evaluated after the Pelicans announced Saturday he suffered a groin injury and would need surgery, and the expectation is for the shooting guard/small forward to miss weeks — not days, a source told Justin Verrier of ESPN.com.
The Pelicans are 0-6 and are already without Jrue Holiday (personal), Tyreke Evans (right knee) and Quincy Pondexter (left knee). They can apply for an injury hardship waiver, which allows a team to temporarily add a 16th player to the roster, but New Orleans is currently unlikely to do that, according to Verrier.
Stephenson’s contract is for the minimum, but is only guaranteed for $100K. Stephenson, who won a roster spot after the preseason, has averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 assists in 27 minutes per game during the team’s six contests this season.
Pistons Notes: Jackson, Johnson, Leuer
Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who has yet to play this season and has missed the last month after having treatment for tendinitis in his left knee, will begin basketball activities Monday, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. It seems like Jackson is on track because the original timeline for his recovery was 6-8 weeks, as Beard points out. Jackson was the team’s leading scorer last season. It appears he will be able to return later this month, Beard surmises.
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- As Jackson continues his recovery, offseason addition Jon Leuer and second-year player Stanley Johnson have bolstered the Pistons’ bench, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. The Pistons picked up Johnson’s option for the 2017/18 season last month, and he seems to be playing with a better mix of confidence and focus, Langlois adds.
- The Pistons inked Leuer to a four-year, $41MM deal over the summer, and now coach Stan Van Gundy wants to see the 6’10” forward shoot more, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. Interestingly, however, through six games, Leuer is averaging 9.3 points on 51 percent shooting and he is attempting nearly eight shots per game, as McMann notes. Van Gundy wants Leuer to be more aggressive in looking for his shot, McMann adds.
Hoops Links: Sixers, Warriors, Wizards
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Jump Ball relays why Joel Embiid was worth the wait.
- Sir Charles In Charge discusses moves with Warriors assistant GM Kirk Lacob.
- Bullets Forever lists reasons for optimism in Washington.
- Daily Knicks wonders if Derrick Rose has found his form.
- Silver Screen & Roll is beginning to trust the young Lakers.
- Clipperholics analyzes why the Clippers’ defense is shining.
- The Dream Shake identifies the Rockets’ X-factor.
- Orlando Magic Daily sees a bright spot emerging for the Magic.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Will at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Rockets Pick Up 2017/18 Option On Sam Dekker
OCTOBER 31: Houston has officially exercised its option on Dekker for 2017/18, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
OCTOBER 30: The Rockets are expected to pick up their team option on Sam Dekker for the 2017/18 season, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays (ESPN NOW link). Watkins notes that the Rockets will also pick up the team option on center Clint Capela, which we relayed earlier in the week.
The option would be for Dekker’s third year and is valued at $1,794,600. Dekker played in only three games last season because of back issues and surgery. He was the 18th overall pick in the 2015 draft.
The 22-year-old small forward enjoyed a productive summer league for the Rockets. Dekker, a Wisconsin product, has appeared in both of the Rockets’ games this season. He played 13 minutes against the Mavs and 14 minutes against the Lakers. The only other rookie-scale team option decision for 2017/18 salaries for the Rockets is whether or not to pick up the fourth-year team option on Tyler Ennis.
Hoops Links: Dedmon, Rose, Pistons
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Jump Ball explains why the Spurs need Dewayne Dedmon.
- The Hardwood Nation discusses what it means that Derrick Rose is cleared.
- Same Page Team guesses who will outperform expectations.
- Detroit Bad Boys appreciates The Palace.
- Indy Cornrows believes the Pacers have a dynamic duo emerging.
- Bullets Forever surmises this is a defining year for John Wall.
- Daily Knicks relays positive takeaways from the Knicks’ latest win.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Will at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Caldwell-Pope, Bullock Extensions Seem Unlikely
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters, including our own Dana Gauruder, that extensions for swingmen Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock seem unlikely with the Monday deadline looming.
“We haven’t been able to reach an agreement with either guy right now,” Van Gundy said, per Gauruder. “We’ll see what happens. I don’t think it’s a make or break thing for us. Obviously last year for other reasons, we chose to forego it with Andre and he made the sacrifice not to do it. I don’t look at it as necessary but we would like to get something done.”
Caldwell-Pope and Bullock would become restricted free agents next off-season if they don’t sign agreements by 5 p.m. Monday. Pistons owner Tom Gores will likely face a luxury tax bill for being over the league’s tax line next year, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Regarding Caldwell-Pope, Gores has said he wants the Pistons to retain the defensive stalwart and has indicated he will willingly pay the tax, Ellis adds.
“We like both guys and we’d like to have them around a long time,” Van Gundy said. But it has to be something that works for both sides and at this point, we don’t have that.”
Nets Pick Up Options On Hollis-Jefferson, McCullough
The Nets announced they have exercised team options on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough for the 2017/18 season, Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays (on Twitter).
The decisions to pick up the options on both young forwards are not surprising. Hollis-Jefferson’s option is for $1.45MM and McCullough’s is for $1.24MM.
Hollis-Jefferson, selected with the 23rd pick in the 2015 draft by the Blazers and acquired by the Nets that night in a trade, has appeared in 32 career games, including 20 starts, averaging 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. McCullough, the 29th pick in the 2015 draft, has seen action in 25 career games, including four starts, with averages of 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game.
Latest On Extension Negotiations
The Thunder is negotiating extensions with representatives for Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Discussions are in the $100MM range for Adams, and the $80MM range for Oladipo. Our own Luke Adams examined the extension candidacy of Adams recently, while Arthur Hill looked at Oladipo’s situation.
[RELATED: Players eligible for rookie-scale extensions]
There’s more extension chatter as the October 31st deadline draws near:
- It is still unlikely that deals for Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee and Tim Hardaway Jr. will get done before the midnight deadline, Wojnarowski tweets.
- The Wolves are in talks with Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, while the Hornets are talking about a deal with Cody Zeller, Wojnarowski relays (Twitter link). The Jazz are also in discussions with Rudy Gobert.
- The Kings will extend a qualifying offer to Ben McLemore after the season, and the team is still not looking to trade him, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets.