Atlantic Notes: Cousins, Sullinger, Brown, Harper
The price that the Kings have asked of other teams seeking to trade for DeMarcus Cousins has dissuaded the Celtics from so much as inquiring thus far, multiple sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who suggests that Cousins’ maturity has made the Celtics wary, given the high cost. A Western Conference GM confirmed to Bulpett that the Kings sought Julius Randle and No. 2 pick from the Lakers prior to this year’s draft, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported at the time that Sacramento asked for Jordan Clarkson and other draft assets from the Lakers, too. The Kings also wanted to attach Carl Landry, since traded to the Sixers, to any Cousins deal, Wojnarowski wrote. See more on Boston talks — or lack thereof — amid our look at the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said over the offseason that the team was engaged in extension talks with Jared Sullinger, later saying he would continue that discussion. Agent David Falk, speaking to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald last week, painted a different picture. “We didn’t spend one second discussing an extension for him,” Falk said. “Danny wasn’t in a position to give the max, so there was really nothing to talk about. I’ve never done a contract extension for a rookie who didn’t make the max since 1996. You have to understand I’m not a rookie in this league. The GMs all know.” Falk doesn’t necessarily see Sullinger as a max player and simply doesn’t believe in agreeing to terms for a young player before he’s had a chance to hit the market, Bulpett explains. He’s nonetheless optimistic about Sullinger’s prospects, especially given the relative dearth of quality 2016 free agents beyond the top few names.
- Gregg Popovich wouldn’t want to coach this Sixers roster but says Brett Brown, his former Spurs assistant, is fully engaged, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News relays. Brown, in third year of a four-year contract, is, “the most positive person that I know,” Popovich said. “I honestly don’t know who else could be in Philadelphia doing what he’s doing,” Popovich added. “I couldn’t do it. I’d last a month. Two years ago, I mean. A month. Not in the third year.”
- Nets preseason cut Justin Harper is joining the D-League affiliate of the Lakers, the minor league team announced. The power forward was the 32nd overall pick in 2011.
Atlantic Notes: Stauskas, Wood, Porzingis
The Sixers may have taken Nik Stauskas with their second first-rounder during the 2014 draft if the sharpshooter was there, but the team is happy to have the guard on the roster now, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports (Twitter links). “He’s been good. I think his upside is high. I think the bounce and the athleticism has always intrigued us,” coach Brett Brown said. Philadelphia instead took Elfrid Payton with the No. 10 overall pick and traded him to Orlando for the rights to Dario Saric and a future first-rounder.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Prior to the 2015 draft, Christian Wood believed he could have been selected as high as No. 13 by the Suns and that he wouldn’t fall past the Grizzlies at No. 25, but the forward understands why that didn’t happen, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes. “Memphis told me how much they liked me,” Wood said. “A lot of NBA teams didn’t want to take the risk. Some teams thought I was lazy, some teams thought I didn’t give effort 100% all of the time. I think that played a big part into it.” Wood signed a four-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers before the season started.
- The Nets will send their first round pick this season to the Celtics as a result of the Kevin Garnett trade and with the team struggling so far, the pick is looking like it will be a top selection. While sending that kind of asset to a division rival isn’t ideal, Brooklyn shouldn’t sacrifice any more future assets in order to improve the team this season and therefore send a worse asset to Boston, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post opines. Bontemps notes that Brooklyn could have close to $40MM in cap space next summer, so while the team may endure a down season, it’ll have an opportunity to make a quick turnaround.
- Kristaps Porzingis has exceeded expectations for the Knicks and some around the league are comparing him to Dirk Nowitzki, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “That kid is going to be a heck of a player,’’ said Raptors coach Dwane Casey, who coached Nowitzki for three seasons. “He’s long — nowhere near Dirk yet. But he’s Dirk-like from his length, his range with his 3-point shot. He’s fearless and he’s long and a rebounder. He rebounds with his length. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in this league for a long time.’’
And-Ones: Tavares, King, Chalmers
The Nets, who are off to an 0-7 start to the 2015/16 campaign, are interested in reworking the roster through the trade market, though GM Billy King doesn’t anticipate anything drastic occurring, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post relays. With Brooklyn set to have in the neighborhood of $40MM in available cap space next summer, the team doesn’t want to make a short-sighted move, Bontemps adds. “We can trade now and eat all that space up, get to 30-something wins and make the playoffs in the eighth spot,” King said. “[But] then, where’s the future now? So it’s about adding the right pieces and being patient. We didn’t get here overnight, and we are not going to get out of it overnight. That’s reality. There is not something where it’s, ‘OK, this is the magic wand and we are going to do this and it’s going to change overnight. We knew that going in, we knew that when we made those decisions and it didn’t work, and so now we’ve got to gradually, systematically dig yourself out of it.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Hawks have assigned center Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Since Atlanta is without its own affiliate, Tavares will be subject to the league’s flexible assignment process to determine the team he’ll report to, Vivlamore adds. This is the first D-League assignment of the year for Atlanta.
- The Euroleague’s new alignment and format opens the door to the possibility of a future partnership with the NBA, and a possible “Euro Conference,” international journalist David Pick tweets. Euroleague Basketball A-Licence Clubs and IMG have agreed to a 10 year partnership wherein the two parties will oversee the commercial operation and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing, according to the official release.
- The Heat created a trade exception worth approximately $2.1MM as a result of dealing Mario Chalmers to the Grizzlies earlier today, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald notes (via Twitter). The precise figure is $2,129,535, the difference between the salaries of Chalmers and Beno Udrih.
Eastern Notes: Drummond, Prokhorov, Green
With Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov making a series of moves recently that expanded the Russian’s holdings in New York’s sports and entertainment market, some concern exists that these real estate moves may diminish his interest, as well as financial commitment, to the team, according to NetsDaily. Dmitry Razumov, Prokhorov’s CEO and chairman of the Nets, disputed any notion that team ownership is losing interest in the franchise or the NBA, NetsDaily adds. “Without doubt ownership is focused on team performance,” said Razumov. “Our new projects will contribute to the team’s ultimate success by providing a best-in-class practice facility and a D-League team as a resource for players and coaching staff.”
The team has made a series of roster moves that have reduced the team’s payroll since Paul Pierce departed as a free agent prior to the 2014/15 season, but Razumov suggests these decisions were not just about the money, and added that fans should give the rebuilding process a chance to bear fruit, the NetsDaily scribe relays. “We also understand that a team of largely new, younger players needs time to come together and we have to give the coach and the players a chance to do their work without breathing down their necks,” Razumov continued. “The many devoted fans who have been with us through thick and thin will recall we have been through this before, and have managed to get to the playoffs three times in the last three seasons. We have every hope that the same thing is possible this season.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Heat have suspended swingman Gerald Green for two games, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links), and the team confirmed. The suspension is for what the team is referring to as “detrimental conduct,” Wojnarowski adds. Green has been away from the team following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
- Pistons center Andre Drummond is off to a spectacular start to the 2015/16 campaign, and much of his success is due to the departure of Greg Monroe, who signed with the Bucks this offseason, Adam Woodard of For the Win writes. Drummond, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer, could see offer sheets for deals worth approximately $100MM come his way, Woodard opines.
- Drew Gooden has played for 10 different teams during his 13-year NBA career, and he now finds himself an important rotation piece on the Wizards, a longevity that the player attributes to his versatility, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays. “I’m like a tunnel rat,” Gooden told Mannix. “Every situation I’m in I have to reinvent myself, have to do what I can do to fit in. I came [to Washington] on a 10-day contract and I made the best of it. But the league has changed, in a good way for me. When I came in the league, the biggest knock was that I was a tweener, that I couldn’t play the three or the four. Now there is value in that. It’s made its way full circle.”
Eastern Notes: Nets, Beal, Durant, Young
Nets GM Billy King has made exploratory trade calls in response to the team’s 0-7 start, as he told reporters today, including Newsday’s Roderick Boone (Twitter link). It would be tough for Brooklyn to engineer a deal before December 15th, the date most of the players signed this past offseason become eligible to be traded, but the GM isn’t hiding from the blame even as he conceded a quick fix is unlikely, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com relays (ESPN Now link).
“I’m not sitting in here shirking accountability,” King said. “… It stops at me. I’m the GM. You make decisions along the way, and it’s my job now to figure it out and turn it around. … It doesn’t happen overnight. We knew when we traded [the first-round] picks and went down this road that if it doesn’t go well you have to dig yourself out of it, and that’s what we’re doing now.”
See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Kevin Durant called the less-than-subtle affection that surrounded him during the Thunder’s game at the Wizards last season “disrespectful,” and Bradley Beal concurs, notes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “It is disrespectful because he plays for Oklahoma City,” Beal said. “He doesn’t play for Washington.” The Wizards have made no secret of their desire to attract Durant, a D.C. native, to Washington, and, for what it’s worth, Durant’s friend John Wall said he and the former MVP worked out together over the summer, notes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (on Twitter).
- Beal echoed many of the sentiments of Joakim Noah in praising Billy Donovan, their former college coach who’s now the bench boss for the Thunder, as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater observes. “He’s always been like a second Dad to me,” Beal said of Donovan. “He’s a family first guy and granted me a lot of freedom. We talk a lot.” Noah and Beal are both poised for free agency in the summer, but the Wizards can match offers for Beal, who’s said he has no desire to leave Washington.
- The Celtics have recalled James Young from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Young’s assignment, already his second on the season, lasted just one day. Rookie Jordan Mickey, whom the team sent to Maine with Young, remains with the D-League club.
Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Celtics, Sixers, Nets
The fate of the Knicks — and possibly team president Phil Jackson — is now linked to Kristaps Porzingis, writes Mike Breshnahan of The Los Angeles Times. The fifth overall pick in June’s draft, who was loudly booed at the time by the New York crowd, has been an early success, averaging 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds through the Knicks’ first six games. With Jackson hoping to start luring big-name free agents to New York, he needs Porzingis to be part of a solid foundation to sell them on the future. Porzingis is showing early signs that he can do that. “Porzingis is their best player on the court,” an unidentified scout told Breshnahan. “Hands down.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that he understands the trials former teammate Danny Ainge, who holds the same title in Boston, is facing as he tries to rebuild the Celtics. “It’s definitely a four-year deal,” said Bird. “The problem in our league is that if you get stuck in the middle [of the draft] like with the 14 to 18th pick, you can get good players there, but they’re not game-changers.” Boston could take a giant step forward next summer when it will have the Nets‘ first-round draft pick, and possibly first-rounders from the Mavericks and Wolves.
- T.J. McConnell has been a pleasant surprise for the Sixers, but Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer warns that his playing time could be affected when Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten return from ACL tears. Coach Brett Brown said Friday that he isn’t certain when the injured point guards will be back. Previous estimates had Marshall returning sometime this month and Wroten available in December. “I’m doing my part to come back,” Wroten said. “Obviously, they said December. But I want to come back earlier if it’s right. So I’m taking it one day at a time, and hopefully I’ll come back sooner.”
- One bright spot for the winless Nets has been the play of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. The rookie made his first start Friday, replacing Markel Brown, and Bontemps says the move could be permanent.
Southwest Notes: Williams, Ginobili, Anderson
The Mavericks hope Saturday’s game was a breakthrough for new point guard Deron Williams, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Williams, who signed with Dallas in July after agreeing to a buyout with the Nets, hit two key shots late in a victory over the Pelicans. “I don’t like to talk about my time in Brooklyn,” Williams said, “but a lot of times I was in the corner waiting and watching, so it felt good to just have the ball at the end of the game and be able to make a play.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- At age 38, Manu Ginobili has become less reckless on the court, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. The longtime Spur received a new two-year deal over the summer worth $5.7MM, with a player option for the second season. “I am changing the way I play a lot,” he said. “I still have that essence, but, of course, I don’t have the ability to go all the way as I used to do, or get to the line, or throw my body onto defenders. I have to mix it up, pick my battles, less minutes. But the good thing is I’m still having fun and I’m enjoying the season. I’m very happy and optimistic about our chances.”
- Second-year player Kyle Anderson admitted “everything surprised me” during his rookie season with the Spurs, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Anderson is still seeing limited playing time in San Antonio, but the team displayed confidence by exercising its third-year option on him for the 2016/17 season. “You kinda think you have a feel from what’s going on because you’re in high school and you know a few NBA players and they tell you what it’s like,” Anderson said, “but I’ve come to know, in my second year, that what you think you know… It’s not that.”
- Despite bringing back the core of last season’s Western Conference finalists, Rockets coach Kevin McHale told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com he sometimes feels like he has “a new team.” Houston’s only major offseason deal was trading four players to Denver for Ty Lawson, but with forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas out with injuries and center Dwight Howard not playing in back-to-back games, McHale has had to shuffle his lineup. “It’s a lot of hit and miss,” McHale said. “It feels, honestly, like live darts you’re throwing at the dartboard and seeing what you get.”
Nets Formally Add D-League Team For 2016/17
FRIDAY, 5:55pm: The Nets have officially announced via a press release that the franchise has acquired the right to own and operate an NBA D-League team, which will be called the Long Island Nets. “Today’s announcement is an exciting one – not only for the NBA D-League, which welcomes the league’s record 21st team; or the Nets, who will have a place for young talent to develop; but for Nets fans,” said Malcolm Turner, NBA D-League President. “The NBA D-League is a place where talented young athletes refine their skills and develop into NBA contributors, and fans in Brooklyn, and later on Long Island, are sure to enjoy watching current and future NBA talent in an affordable, family-friendly atmosphere. I’m excited to work with the Nets’ executive staff as we ramp up to the start of the 2016/17 season together.”
“The creation of a D-League club goes hand in hand with the building of a younger, more athletic Brooklyn Nets team,” said team owner Mikhail Prokhorov. “It will provide additional roster opportunities that will serve us well as we focus on realizing the full potential of our coaches and players, current and future.”
THURSDAY, 11:19am: The Nets will officially announce Friday that they’re starting up a D-League team to serve as their one-to-one affiliate for the 2016/17 season, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The team has repeatedly said that finding a D-League affiliate of their own for 2016/17 has been a goal, and CEO Brett Yormark tipped his hand today, saying that a “major announcement” would take place about a pro basketball team coming to the renovated Nassau Coliseum in the future, Bontemps notes. The team will play at Barclays Center for a year before moving into Nassau for 2017/18, according to Bontemps, and it’ll be called the Long Island Nets, according to NetsDaily.
The Brooklyn Nets will own the D-League team outright, NetsDaily reports, unlike their former one-to-one D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, which had independent ownership. That team moved to Michigan for the 2014/15 season and is now the Pistons affiliate. The Nets are paying the NBA a $6MM startup fee, the same amount of money the Knicks paid when they began the D-League Westchester Knicks before last season, NetsDaily also reports.
It’ll be one of at least two new D-League teams for next season, as the Hornets and the D-League finalized a deal last month for an expansion team in North Carolina. The Bulls also recently announced tentative plans to start an Illinois-based D-League team in 2016/17, as Eric Peterson of the Daily Herald detailed. The D-League would have 22 teams next year if the Nets, Hornets and Bulls all add affiliates, leaving the Hawks, Nuggets, Clippers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Wizards as the only NBA teams without D-League partners.
Atlantic Notes: McConnell, Ellington, Young
- The proximity of Brooklyn to his native Philadelphia “played a huge role” in Wayne Ellington‘s decision to sign with the Nets this summer, he told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News Group. The move was also thrust upon the shooting guard to a degree, since Lakers prioritized signing others instead of re-signing him, Medina points out. Ellington and his family suffered through the loss of his father, who was murdered in Philadelphia last year, as Medina recounts.
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James Young isn’t discouraged about his latest trip to the D-League, an early-season assignment that’s already the 12th of his career, as the 20-year-old points to his status as the youngest player on the Celtics, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Young, the 17th overall draft pick in 2014, still hasn’t won a spot in the NBA rotation. “Ultimately to play on our team, you have to beat out the people in front of you,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And that’s the reality of the situation.”
- The Knicks are just 2-3, but with the play of rookies Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant, plus the continued success Langston Galloway is having on his partially guaranteed contract, the Knicks have hope for the future, observes Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
And Ones: Love, Kidd, Morris, D-League
Kevin Love and LeBron James didn’t get along during the 2014/15 campaign, Love’s first with the Cavaliers, and much of the discord stemmed from Love arriving to the team out of shape, which frustrated James immensely, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. Love, who was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, says that he always intended to re-sign with Cleveland, and he approached James shortly after the NBA Finals to let LeBron know that he wanted to play a larger role in the team’s offense, Lloyd relays. “More than anything I just wanted to see what he thought about where the team was going and what we wanted to accomplish,” Love said. “It was always ‘we’ or ‘us.’ It was never like, ‘You need to tell me this.’ Never.”
Many within the Cavs’ organization believe that James, who loves challenges, has taken Love on as his own special project this season, and his primary goal is to build up Love’s confidence, Lloyd adds. “Some of the finer points and perhaps things people overlook is how he influences his teammates and how he influences the flow of the game just by recognizing what helps other guys function better when he trusts in something or someone on the court,” coach David Blatt said of James. “Bron also understands this is a long season and the more he empowers those around him, the better it’s going to be going down the line.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jason Kidd‘s move from the Nets to the Bucks was certainly a wise one given Milwaukee’s much brighter future outlook, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. For his part, Kidd enjoys the challenge of developing and coaching the team’s younger players, Mazzeo notes. “Coaching is hard no matter what — whether you’re coaching veterans or young guys,” Kidd said. “Being able to use certain vocabulary with the older guys — they get it and they can go out and execute it. Sometimes with the younger guys, you have to show them on video or walk through it and then have them do it. So you might have to spend a little more time teaching, but that’s fun. That’s why I like being in Milwaukee, to help put these young guys in a position to have success.”
- Pistons combo forward Marcus Morris said that he has learned from his negative experience of being traded away from his twin brother, Markieff Morris, after inking a contract extension with the Suns, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “This is the NBA. I let relationships overcome business. That will never happen again,” Morris said. “I’m learning from it. My brother’s learning from it. We’re going to continue to grow.“
- The Clippers have assigned Branden Dawson and C.J. Wilcox to the D-League, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Since Los Angeles does not possess its own affiliate, both players are going to the Bakersfield Jam, the Suns‘ affiliate, Pincus adds.