- The Bulls‘ Joakim Noah is unlikely to play again this season, but he tells K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune that his focus is on getting healthy, not his upcoming free agency. Noah had surgery on his separated left shoulder on January 19th, with a projected recovery time of four to six months. “It’s not about free agency right now,” the veteran center said. “People can say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t think about it.’ You’re always going to think about it. But out of respect for my teammates who are going through the grind, which I know very well, I’m trying to stay focused on what they’re going through.”
- Taj Gibson, the subject of trade rumors before last month’s deadline, has emerged as a team leader as a wave of injuries has hit the Bulls, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “This is where young guys have to be veterans, suck it up and do the job,” Gibson said. That’s the way we’ve been playing the last couple of years and what I am trying to transfer to the young guys now.”
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is unsurprisingly a major fan of soon-to-be free agent big man Al Horford, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com tweets. Horford will reportedly prioritize the fifth year that the Hawks, and no one else, can offer him in a new contract this summer, but he hasn’t made any commitments despite his fondness for Atlanta, and he reportedly has a degree of interest in the Magic. Portland wouldn’t offer the geographical advantage of no state income tax and proximity to his college home of the University of Florida that the Magic could, but the Blazers have an intriguing backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to showcase to Horford and other free agents this summer, when the team will have only about $47MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a salary cap expected to be twice that amount. See more from around the league:
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey was mum when ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan asked him whether he planned to re-sign Dwight Howard this summer, as Matt Dollinger of SI.com notes in a roundup of last week’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Agent David Falk regards Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the toughest negotiator he’s ever gone against, Dollinger notes in the same piece.
- Positional versatility and a strong overall package make Michigan swingman Caris LeVert an intriguing prospect, but he looks ill-suited to become a go-to guy, and his history of injuries is a concern, write Josh Riddell and Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News sides with LSU combo forward Ben Simmons in the debate over whether Simmons or Duke small forward Brandon Ingram is the top prospect in this year’s draft, listing Simmons atop his first mock draft. Ingram follows, with European power forward Dragan Bender at No. 3.
A dispute in the Grizzlies‘ ownership group may prevent a planned sale of the Timberwolves, as Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com examine. Steve Kaplan was set to sell off his share of the Memphis franchise and purchase 30% of the Wolves, with an opportunity to become Minnesota’s controlling owner. However, Kaplan and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera have been embroiled in a months-long dispute, as Windhorst and Lowe detail, advancing earlier reports. Their disagreement was recently settled through a confidential agreement when Kaplan threatened arbitration, but the delay has imperiled Kaplan’s deal with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, Windhorst and Lowe write.
Windhorst and Lowe also cite unidentified sources who say Pera has become “distant” from the Grizzlies and has prevented minority owners in having a say in important decisions. Kaplan fears that once word spreads about these practices, it will be difficult for him to sell his 14% share of the team. Sources tell the ESPN scribes that he has been asking for $100MM, while estimating the Grizzlies’ value at about $700MM. Windhorst and Lowe also mention sources close to Taylor who claim he is reconsidering his desire to sell, given the complications in Memphis and the Wolves’ stockpile of talented young players.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Wolves elected to stretch Kevin Martin‘s contract over the next three seasons when he agreed to a buyout, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Martin’s cap hit for Minnesota will be $1,229,584 next year and $1,229,583 in each of the following two seasons.
- Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post believes Luke Walton is the favorite to take over as head coach of the Lakers if Byron Scott gets fired this summer. Bontemps cautions that L.A. isn’t certain to dismiss Scott, whose salary is guaranteed for next season, but Walton’s history with the franchise and success as an assistant with the Warriors make him a natural successor. In assessing the Lakers’ future, Bontemps said they need to establish a new identity with the retirement of Kobe Bryant and re-emerge as a force in the free agent market.
- Joakim Noah is a realistic option for the Mavericks in free agency this offseason, and although he would provide Dallas with an upgrade at the center spot, he wouldn’t give the team the personnel to compete with the top frontcourts in the league, opines Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed that Joakim Noah will not return to the court this season as he recovers from surgery that that repaired his dislocated left shoulder, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Noah has not played since the middle of January.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Phil Pressey will head to the Idaho Stampede of the D-League after the Suns declined to bring the point guard back after consecutive 10-day contracts, Chris Reichert of Upside Motor tweets.
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. Huestis averaged 12.2 points and 1.32 blocks in 19 D-League games this season.
- The Warriors have assigned Kevon Looney to their D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to Golden State’s website.
- The Clippers have recalled Branden Dawson from the D-League, per a team press release. Dawson was on assignment with the Erie BayHawks.
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy downplayed the idea of a Brandon Jennings trade in the weeks leading up to the deadline, but Steve Blake nonetheless readied himself for more playing time in case a Jennings trade happened or a deal that sent Blake himself to another team took place, MLive’s David Mayo notes. Of course, the Pistons traded Jennings to the Magic and kept soon-to-be free agent Blake, who’s glad he’s stuck around.
“I easily could have ended up somewhere else,” Blake said, according to Mayo. “I was praying it wouldn’t happen but I knew it could happen. I knew it was a possibility.”
Reggie Jackson is a fan of his backup, acknowledging that he seeks advice from Blake, a 13th-year veteran, as Mayo also relays. See more on the Pistons amid news from the Central Division.
- The Pistons aren’t worried about the implications of a grievance that the union is reportedly giving strong consideration to filing in the wake of the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade, Van Gundy said, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons want to cultivate a reputation as a player-friendly organization, but they don’t think the flap over the failed deal, which prompted some harsh words from Motiejunas, will hurt the team.
- Jordan McRae‘s potential to develop was one of the reasons the Cavaliers signed the 58th overall pick from 2014 to a two-year deal this week, GM David Griffin told Sam Amico of Amico Hoops. The sides decided against a second 10-day contract to strike a long-term deal after only a single 10-day stint. “He has fit in well, understands his role and embraces the opportunity he has to improve,” Griffin said. “Jordan has a unique combination of length and scoring ability, and we are intrigued by his versatility and upside.”
- The Bulls have fallen flat this season, but injuries have played a major role in that, and the team would be unwise to execute a major overhaul in the summer, argues Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Jimmy Butler is a legitimate centerpiece and Derrick Rose is probably better than anyone they could trade him for, so the Bulls should concentrate on marginal changes instead, using their rookie contracts and Taj Gibson as trade bait, Berger contends.
The Rockets were willing to replace Ty Lawson with Michael Beasley, which underscores the risk the Pacers assume with their new point guard, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. Taylor nonetheless believes Lawson and Indiana need each other. Much depends on how Lawson performs down the stretch, Taylor believes, and his debut for the team Monday was inauspicious, since he left after five minutes with a sprained foot, as Taylor notes in a separate piece. Lawson is day-to-day, coach Frank Vogel said, according to Taylor. See more from the Central Division:
- LeBron James and Kyrie Irving don’t have a personality conflict, but a disconnect exists between their games on the floor, said several scouts and coaches who spoke with Chris Mannix of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. It’s one of many challenges facing the Cavaliers who face a situation James couldn’t have envisioned when he returned, with a stacked roster that still hasn’t found a groove, Mannix writes.
- The Bucks are giving Giannis Antetokounmpo minutes at point guard, but they probably don’t envision him as a full-time solution at that position, as the key for the team down the stretch is simply to see how Antetokoumpo and Jabari Parker can continue to mesh together, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says in a video. Injured starting point man Michael Carter-Williams has a “murky” future with the team, leading Gardner to believe Milwaukee will look for a point guard this summer.
- E’Twaun Moore delivers at both ends and at both guard positions, making him indispensable for the Bulls as he enters free agency this summer, opines K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
The Sixers acquired swingman Sonny Weems to reach the salary floor but they plan to take a hard look at him, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Sixers claimed Weems from the Suns on Monday, allowing them to reach the minimum team salary requirement for the season since they’ll get credit for his full $2.814MM salary, even though they’ll only have to pay less than $700K, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (Twitter link). The Sixers made similar moves to reach the floor last season, including a claim of power forward Thomas Robinson, whom they did not re-sign, Pompey notes. Weems may be a different case. Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas and Hollis Thompson are the only true wing players on the roster, and thus Weems should get some opportunities to play, Pompey adds. A league source conceded to Pompey that it looks unseemly for the Sixers to work the system to meet the salary floor two years in a row but argued that the team has a legitimate need for a wing player that Weems can fulfill.
In other news around the league:
- Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic has to prove he’s part of their future, now that he’s returned from an appendectomy, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines. He endured major growing pains during his second season with the team prior to the injury and he now has to work his way back into shape and be productive, Cowley continues. “You can’t play scared that if you get hit, something may happen, or you’ll have a setback,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told Cowley and other members of the Chicago media. “You just have to go out there and react and play. I think it was big step for Niko. Now it’s a matter of getting his lungs in shape and getting his wind back.’
- Point guard D.J. Augustin has revived his career with the Nuggets, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Augustin averaged 12.8 points and shot 54.3% on 3-point attempts in his first nine games with Denver after he was acquired in a trade deadline deal from the Thunder. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has averaged 16.4 turnovers, fourth-most in the league, since the trade, Horne notes.
- The Warriors recalled power forward Kevon Looney from their D-League affiliate, as the Santa Cruz Warriors tweet.
- The Thunder assigned forwards Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. Huestis has already appeared in 16 D-League games this season, while McGary has played 17 games with the Blue.
Terrence Jones and Meyers Leonard would be attractive free agent options for the Pistons in their search for a backup power forward, according to David Mayo of MLive. Both will enter restricted free agency this summer, which means the Rockets and Blazers can match any offers they get. Mayo notes the teams may want compensation for letting Jones or Leonard go, which could tempt the Pistons to give up a first-round draft pick, something they were willing to do to get Donatas Motiejunas from Houston last month before that deal was voided. Mayo suggests keeping Anthony Tolliver might be the best strategy now that Tobias Harris is on board as the starting power forward. Tolliver is making $3MM in the final season of his contract and is averaging 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per night.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pacers expect to finalize a deal with free agent point guard Ty Lawson on Sunday or Monday, tweets Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. Lawson is still working out in Houston after the Rockets waived him Tuesday in a buyout agreement.
- Chase Budinger‘s brief stay in Indiana was a “dud,” Buckner tweeted after the Pacers waived the seventh-year small forward today. She also laments last summer’s trade that sent Damjan Rudez to the Wolves in exchange for Budinger, saying the Pacers gave up a badly needed 3-point shooter (Twitter link). She credits Budinger for being “a pro” during his time in Indiana, though he never fully understood what the organization expected from him (Twitter link).
- Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg says shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who has been out of action since February 5th with a sprained knee, is “ready to go” for tonight’s game, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Combo forward Nikola Mirotic, who had acute appendicitis and underwent surgery January 27th, is “close,” Hoiberg adds (Twitter link). Injured center Joakim Noah won’t play anytime soon, but he’ll rejoin the team for “leadership,” tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
- The Pistons have shooting guard Jodie Meeks, who hasn’t played since suffering a right foot injury October 29th, listed as questionable for tonight’s game, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Talks between Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Grizzlies part-owner Steve Kaplan about a would-be deal for 30% of the Minnesota franchise have “hit a wall,” sources told Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. The proposed arrangement, which would reportedly involve Taylor eventually ceding control of the Wolves to Kaplan, isn’t dead, Krawczynski hears, but a source who spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune suggested no deal may ever come to pass. Kaplan has encountered trouble in his effort to sell his Grizzlies stake, a requirement before he buys into the Wolves, Krawczynski’s sources say. Regardless of what happens on that front, Taylor and Kaplan still must sort through issues about how much say Kaplan would have in hiring for the team’s GM and coaching positions and whether Taylor would indeed eventually give up control, Zgoda writes. For now, Taylor is preparing to make decisions about interim GM Milt Newton and interim coach Sam Mitchell on his own and is actively investigating his options, according to Zgoda. See more on the Wolves amid a look around the NBA:
- The Timberwolves are seeking an athletic wing player for their open roster spot, with Mitchell saying he wants someone with NBA experience who’d have a legitimate chance of making the opening night roster next season, Zgoda reports in the same piece. “We have to improve our athleticism,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think we’re a bad athletic team, but we’re not as athletic as we need to be. We need to look at guys who can defend, a guy who can shoot, and see how this team can look if we can spread the floor a little bit more.”
- The Bulls will have to continue to try to build a contender if they want to re-sign Pau Gasol, as he indicated to Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype), reiterating that he’ll opt out and that, all things being equal, he’d prefer to stay with Chicago. Money won’t be his first priority, Gasol also said, adding that the offer from the Bulls should nonetheless reflect that they value his performance.
- The Kings interviewed former Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks on Thursday for a job within their front office, as USA Today’s Sam Amick hears (Twitter link). Marks currently works as a writer for The Vertical on Yahoo Sports.