And-Ones: Millsap, Lin, D-League
The Magic offered Paul Millsap a max contract on July 1st and the power forward told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that Orlando’s pitch was impressive before he ultimately decided to re-sign with the Hawks.
“I was their first priority, and everything about their team was looking good at the time,” Millsap told Robbins. “It intrigued me. The presentation was great.”
Millsap, per Robbins, chose to stay in Atlanta, however, because he grew a fondness for the area and he got used to calling it home. Millsap added that his teammates and the Hawks’ coaching staff had a lot to do with his decision to re-sign because he believes Atlanta has “built something special thus far.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The non-guaranteed minimum salary of recent Wizards signee Ryan Hollins becomes fully guaranteed if the team doesn’t waive him by the end of December 27th, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders in a roundup of guarantee dates. Pincus also reveals that Bryce Cotton, who signed with the Suns last month, is on a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary that covers just this season and wouldn’t become guaranteed until next month’s leaguewide guarantee date.
- Hawks big man Mike Muscala, previously thought to have a $473,638 partial guarantee on his $947,276 minimum salary, has no guarantee at all, Pincus shows in the same post and on Twitter.
- Jeremy Lin, who signed a two-year, $4.4MM contract with the Hornets in July, said his new team is a very good fit for his style and strengths, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays.
- The Mavs recalled Justin Anderson, Jeremy Evans and Salah Mejri from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release. Evans has appeared in 19 games with the Mavs while Anderson has played in 17 and Mejri has seen action in five.
- The Thunder assigned Josh Huestis to the D-League, the team announced. Huestis has appeared in nine games this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s D-League affiliate.
- The Celtics recalled Terry Rozier and Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release.
Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Lin, Oubre
Victor Oladipo, a former No. 2 overall pick who’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, is playing like a first-team All-Defensive player, according to Magic coach Scott Skiles, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel relays. Oladipo is adept at guarding one-on-one, pressuring ball-handlers and contesting entry passes, Robbins explains. All of that has contributed to making the Magic a better defensive team this season, Robbins adds. Skiles moved Oladipo to the bench earlier this season, but the third-year shooting guard responded well.
Here’s more on the Southeast Division:
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman believes Drew Gooden and Nene should be able to return at some point this week, Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic.com relays. Nene has missed 12 straight games with a left calf strain while Gooden has missed 21 games because of a right calf strain, as Standig notes. Nene is set for free agency at season’s end.
- Wizards rookie Kelly Oubre is gaining confidence lately after scoring 18 points Wednesday and earning his first start on Saturday, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.
com writes. Oubre must be cognizant of not allowing himself to get into foul trouble early in games going forward, Michael adds, because there is a decent chance the Wizards will look to use more of him soon. “I told him he had to play a little bit differently now than when I have put (him) in games and it’s been a cause-havoc situation,” Wittman said. “I told him he had to learn situations. We’re short-handed. You get the first one and you’ve got to be smart. It was trying to get him to understand the difference between starting and being in the position where he had been.” - While Jeremy Lin‘s numbers aren’t as eye-opening as they were during his “Linsanity” run, the point guard has added lineup flexibility for the Hornets and his turnover percentage is at a career low, Jesus Gomez of SB Nation’s Pounding the Rock details.
Eastern Notes: Ainge, Jefferson, Wizards
The Celtics are seeking to acquire a player who is a reliable scorer, especially during crunch time, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. “I think the one thing that we could really use is a go-to scorer,” team executive Danny Ainge said. “We have some guys that have carried us — Kelly Olynyk has carried us, Avery Bradley has carried us, Isaiah Thomas has carried us, Jared Sullinger has carried us at moments during the season, Evan Turner has carried us — but it would be nice to find another player that’s a reliable scorer at the end of games, night in and night out.”
During an appearance on the “Toucher and Rich” show, Ainge was asked if he would be leery of adding a player like DeMarcus Cousins, who has a reputation of being difficult, to which Ainge replied, “I think [disruptive personalities are] a problem in any locker room. There’s a time — first of all, we have good character on our team right now and we have some mature kids, even though we don’t have an old team. I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to have players that are disruptive to your team, on the court and off the court.”
Here’s more from the East:
- With Al Jefferson in the final year of his contract the Hornets could look to trade him prior to this season’s deadline, a prospect that will be made more challenging by team needing to recoup more than just expiring contracts in any swap, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. With Charlotte’s offseason priority likely to be re-signing Nicolas Batum, and with little desire to pay luxury tax, dealing Jefferson may be a palatable option for the franchise if it could secure some usable assets in any exchange.
- The Wizards are a team caught between wanting to compete now and trying to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible for a run at Kevin Durant next summer, which is hurting the franchise in the short term, writes Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post. Washington risks regressing significantly as a team this season, which could serve to turn off a top-tier free agent like Durant, Brewer adds.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wade, Dragic, Mathis
The Hornets are averaging 10.0 made 3-pointers this season, up drastically from 6.1 last year, and most of that is because of the team’s offseason pickups, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
“Not only just for our shooting, but also our playmaking ability out there. We have so many – both perimeter and big players – who can make plays. A huge difference from last year,” said Marvin Williams, a free agent at season’s end. “When you bring in a Jeremy Lin – a very good pick-and-roll player. When you bring in a Jeremy Lamb, also a very good pick-and-roll player. Spencer Hawes, who can pass and shoot the ball. Frank [Kaminsky], the rookie, a very good playmaker. Nic Batum can do everything.”
See more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat committed more than $105MM in the offseason to Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, and while they each thrive at a different pace and might not be an ideal backcourt pairing, they’ve shown signs of being able to play together successfully, argues Michael C. Wallace of ESPN.com.
- The play of Luol Deng, in the final year of his contract, is holding the Heat‘s rotation together with his ball movement and versatility, as well as his status as one of the few who’s found a rhythm with Dragic, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in a mailbag column.
- The Mavericks let former assistant coach Monte Mathis join Scott Skiles‘ new staff in Orlando over the offseason as part of a larger shift toward more game-to-game consistency on defense and away from a customized approach for each opponent, Mavs sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Dallas has risen from 18th in defensive efficiency last year to 14th this year, but Mathis has helped the Magic surge from 25th to seventh, according to NBA.com.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Bulls, Hornets
The early returns on the Heat‘s investment of $90MM over five years in Goran Dragic are not very good because the point guard and Dwyane Wade have been struggling to work together all season, Israel Gutierrez of ESPN.com details. Dragic’s seeming lack of confidence and reluctance to take open shots are not helping to resolve the issue, Gutierrez adds. This is not a new revelation, but Gutierrez expresses concern because many thought the problem would be behind the Heat by now.
“I like seeing guys go through a struggle to see how they respond, and he responded in a very positive way,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think it was great to see him show some character when the chips are not going your way. You can grind through it and help your team.”
Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:
- The addition of coach Fred Hoiberg was supposed to gin up the Bulls offense, but instead it’s been the mainstay of their defense that has the Bulls in third place in the Eastern Conference in spite of some disconcerting signs early this season, observes TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford did not dismiss the idea that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who has a dislocated right shoulder, would appear in the playoffs, but added there is no timeline for the small forward to return, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
- Ian Mahinmi, who is in the final year of his contract with the Pacers, has solidified his role as a solid shooting center and veteran locker room presence, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes.
Eastern Notes: Irving, Porzingis, Zeller
Kyrie Irving is ready to play, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin, but Cavs coach David Blatt told reporters the star point guard won’t see the court Tuesday. Despite Irving practicing well and looking good, according to Blatt, the Cavs prefer to use extreme caution with Irving, McMenamin details. While it was reported that Irving would play before January, a Cavs source told McMenamin that the he wouldn’t mind if Irving sat out until February if it meant Irving’s chances of being healthy for an extended playoff run would increase.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Cody Zeller, whom the Hornets exercised their 2016/17 rookie scale team option in November, is thriving in the role of center after playing his first two years in the league as a power forward, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.
- Kristaps Porzingis has likely hit a rookie wall, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines. The Knicks‘ European sensation went scoreless for the first time in his NBA career on Saturday and finished a three-game road trip with averages of 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on 24% shooting, Bondy writes. Porzingis played in only 50 games last season in Spain over nearly seven months, and he is already more than halfway toward reaching his minutes total from last season, according to Bondy.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Wizards, Hornets
Former Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, in his first extensive interview since the trade that sent him to the Grizzlies, told to shed salary.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Gary Neal, whom the Wizards signed to a one-year deal in July, has filled the role of capable bench scorer, which is what Washington hoped for in inking the veteran point guard, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes. Neal’s contract, which is worth $2.1MM, fit into both the Wizards’ short-term plans and long-term flexibility, Castillo adds. The move has paid off with Neal averaging 10.6 points per game.
- After being traded to the Hornets from the Blazers, Nicolas Batum is playing the best basketball of his career, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com details. Batum’s all-around game has been so strong this season, Celtics coach Brad Stevens thinks the small forward has a good shot to make the All-Star team, as Toscano adds.
- Speaking of Batum, taking chances on him, Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes — who were each at uncertain points of their respective careers — in trades during the summer has made the Hornets dramatically better offensively, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains. In obtaining the players, the Hornets added size and versatility, Bonnell adds. “We made a concerted effort to improve offensively, improve our versatility and find more skilled players,” Hornets GM Rich Cho said. “I knew Nic from [working in] Portland; we knew Spencer had tremendous basketball IQ and could shoot the ball and spread the floor. Jeremy was someone we pursued for a long time. We liked him in college and saw him play a lot of games in the NBA and the D-League.”
Southeast Notes: Beal, Hawks Drafts, Batum
Bradley Beal‘s repeated leg problems are part of the reason the Wizards have been reluctant to commit to an extension, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The Wizards confirmed today that Beal has “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula.” He will miss at least seven games as he will be kept out of action for two weeks before being re-evaluated. Michael notes that the injury is in the same vicinity as his last stress reaction in February and is part of Beal’s “long and complex” injury history since being drafted in 2012. Michael also speculates that the latest injury could hold down Beal’s value when he becomes a restricted free agent next summer, possibly allowing Washington to sign him at a lower price.
There’s more tonight from the Southeast Division:
- Despite the injury, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post doesn’t believe Beal’s market value will be reduced. He writes that Beal is still likely to get a max offer from someone, especially with the coming rise in the salary cap linked to television revenue. Beal is trying to stay positive despite the latest setback. “I can’t worry about it,” he said. “If I do, it ruins me as a player. It ruins my confidence. It kind of makes an excuse for me, and I don’t want to live with myself in that category.”
- The Hawks‘ recent run of success is being threatened by their draft decisions, according to Jonathan Tjarks of Real GM. Atlanta posted the best record in the East last season, but Tjarks worries that the franchise is being hurt by poor use of its draft picks. The Hawks emerged from the draft with Lucas Nogueira in 2013 and Adreian Payne in 2014, then traded this year’s pick to the Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr. Atlanta ultimately traded Nogueira to Toronto and Payne to Minnesota, and Hardaway has spent time in the D-League this season.
- The Hornets‘ Nicolas Batum has already proven himself worthy of a max contract next summer, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Batum, whom Charlotte acquired from the Blazers in a June trade, has helped the Hornets get off to a 14-9 start, third best in the Eastern Conference. Fowler says Batum has stepped into the point forward role and has accepted much of the playmaking responsibility. The columnist estimates it will take nearly $20MM per season to keep Batum in Charlotte, but contends it will be worth it.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/10/15
The NBA announced on Wednesday that Hornets center Al Jefferson was suspended for five games without pay for a violation of its anti-drug program. He’ll serve the suspension once he returns from the strained left calf that’s kept him out since the end of last month, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, a Jeff Schwartz client, is poised to hit free agency in the summer, so the timing of the suspension certainly isn’t ideal for the big man. The 30-year-old is earning $13.5MM this season in the final year of the three-year, $40.5MM contract he signed with Charlotte back in 2013.
This brings me to the topic for today: What impact, if any, do you think Al Jefferson’s drug-related suspension will have on his upcoming free agency?
Do you believe that Jefferson’s wallet will take a hit when he inks his next deal, or are you of the opinion that teams will overlook the suspension because of Jefferson’s talent level? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Jackson, Lin, Butler, Sixers
Reggie Jackson is starting to quiet those who doubted he was worth the five-year, $80MM deal he inked with the Pistons this past offseason, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “He’s a guy who can really turn the corner and get in the paint,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said of Jackson. “It’s tough to keep him away from the rim without committing two guys to him, and that opens up people. When he’s driving and attacking and finding people, I mean, we can get good shots pretty much at will. … When he’s really aggressive and decisive and just goes, he’s a [expletive] good player.”
For his part, Jackson believes that the Pistons should be playing better as a team than they have been, and he expects improvement in the near future, Kennedy adds. “We have a lot of new players on the team, so we are still trying to figure it out,” Jackson said. “We should be ahead of where we are right now, but we have our ups and downs. We are taking our bumps and bruises and trying to move along with this season.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers have strongly denied a recent report by Forbes Magazine that asserted that co-managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer want to sell the franchise, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “Those are inaccurate and not true,” Sixers spokeman Mike Preston said. “Josh has said in early October that he intends to be involved in the Sixers for many, many years to come. That has not changed.“
- Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin is enjoying the low-key nature of playing in Charlotte, and he’s glad he no longer has to try and live up to the hype of “Linsanity,” something he was unable to do with the Rockets and the Lakers, Adi Joseph of The Sporting News writes. “They were just expecting me to do what I did in New York, which — it’s just not possible if you don’t have the ball in your hands,” Lin said regarding his time in Houston and Los Angeles.
- The Bulls are now Jimmy Butler‘s team, with former leaders Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah reduced to secondary roles, something that all three players are still getting used to, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. “I mean, we’re still adjusting,” Rose said. “There’s still a process here of just having a new system, having a new defensive system, having new strategies and all that. It’s just trying to figure things out, and it’s nothing to worry about, to tell you the truth. I think we’re going to be fine.”