Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/24/16

February 25th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies’ season was dealt a crushing blow with the news that Marc Gasol would miss the rest of the campaign after undergoing surgery to repair his broken right foot this past Saturday. In addition to potentially derailing any realistic notion the team had about competing for an NBA title in 2015/16, the injury to Gasol could also spell the end of point guard Mike Conley‘s tenure in Memphis.

Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and any potential long term impact to Gasol’s health and productivity could nudge the point guard toward another franchise come July. While the Grizzlies remain publicly optimistic that Gasol will make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2016/17 season, a physical therapist who is well-versed in the recovery process the big man will undergo told Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal that there is less than a 10% chance that the Spaniard will return to his pre-injury form. Only time will tell if Gasol will be the player we are used to seeing when he makes his way back, but this offseason will likely be Conley’s last chance at a significant long-term payday. He may decide that risking his last remaining peak seasons on the durability of Gasol’s right foot isn’t the smart play and bolt for what he perceives to be greener pastures.

That brings me to the question/topic for today: What impact, if any, will Marc Gasol’s injury have on Mike Conley’s upcoming free agency?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts, predictions and potential doomsday scenarios for what Gasol’s injury potentially does to the Grizzlies’ chances of retaining Conley. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/23/16

February 24th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The trade deadline deal that sent Markieff Morris to the Wizards brought to a close to the unhappy relationship between the power forward and the Suns organization. The bad blood between the two sides had begun last summer with the trade that sent Marcus Morris, Markieff’s twin brother, to the Pistons. The siblings had inked rookie scale extensions mere months earlier with designs on playing alongside one another, a dream that was scuttled with Marcus heading east.

But it wasn’t merely the notion of playing for different teams that upset the brothers, Marcus told Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher recently. “Everybody thinking that we’re upset because we don’t get to play with each other,” Marcus said. “Kieff can’t deal with adversity? We’re from north Philadelphia. This isn’t adversity. This is betrayal.” The alleged betrayal that Morris refers to is that of Suns team owner Robert Sarver, who had maintained a close relationship with the twins, not providing them with any advance warning that one was about to be traded, according to Bucher’s article.

Today’s topic for discussion is not about the Morris twins directly, but rather about their argument that they should have been informed prior to the deal being consummated. Do franchises owe it to players to inform them they are about to be dealt?

The majority of us can’t fathom earning what NBA players do, so it is sometimes easy to discount the human element involved in any form of player movement. Don’t forget that many of these players have families whose lives are impacted by trades and that isn’t a trivial concern. Keeping this in mind I can certainly empathize with the Morris twins, though I don’t necessarily agree with how they have conducted themselves since Marcus became a Piston. The flip side to this argument is that any deal between two or more teams is a fragile thing that is never officially done until the trade call with the league office is complete. What if a player who was told he was about to be traded took to social media to express his feelings about the pending deal? This is something that could kill the negotiations or make them significantly more difficult to complete.

What do you have to say on the matter? Are you of the opinion that because of their exorbitant salaries, NBA players aren’t owed any warning or input when they are being discussed in a potential trade? Or do you sit on the other side of the fence and believe that teams owe it to players to keep them 100% in the loop regardless of any potential secrecy risks? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/22/16

February 23rd, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

We saw quite a bit of activity during the final days leading up to last Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, though there were no earthshaking moves.

The biggest names in the rumor mill — Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Pau Gasol — stayed put. There were still some eye-catching trades.

The Pistons and Magic fired an early salvo as Detroit acquired a young, prolific scoring forward in Tobias Harris in exchange for point guard Brandon Jennings and power forward Ersan Ilyasova. Both were previously coached by Scott Skiles and can help Orlando’s playoff push while giving the Magic flexibility this summer. Jennings has an expiring contract, and Ilyasova’s contract for next season isn’t fully guaranteed.

The Clippers dealt away Lance Stephenson to the Grizzlies for Jeff Green, giving Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers a better scoring option at small forward.

The Grizzlies were also involved in a three-team deal earlier in the week, sending shooting guard Courtney Lee to the Hornets.

The Thunder picked up a quality guard in Randy Foye from the Nuggets, shipping out guards D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak and a couple of second-round picks for him.

The Wizards made a significant frontcourt move, acquiring talented but controversial power forward Markieff Morris from the Suns. Phoenix received Washington’s first-round pick (top-nine protected) and a couple of veteran power forwards, Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair (who was waived).

Channing Frye was shipped by the Magic to the Cavaliers, giving the Cavs a stretch four at their disposal for the playoffs. Orlando got rid of Frye’s contract, which runs through the 2017/18 season, while also receiving Jared Cunningham and an unprotected second-round pick.

The Trail Blazers received the Cavaliers’ top-10 protected 2018 first-round pick as an incentive to take Anderson Varejao‘s contract off their hands and help their luxury-tax situation.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which team made the best trade last week?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/16/16

February 16th, 2016 at 11:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat franchise power forward Chris Bosh may be dealing with another serious health situation involving blood clots that could knock him out of action for the rest of the season if the worst case scenario comes to pass. Bosh is expected to meet with doctors on Thursday to determine how serious the situation is and how much time he is projected to miss, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. There is still a chance that a regimen of blood thinners could correct the issue enough to allow the big man to suit up for Miami again in 2015/16.

Bosh sat out the entire second half of last season after potentially life-threatening blood clots were found in his lungs, but his current problem is reportedly not life threatening. The 31-year-old was previously on blood thinners for seven months after last season’s diagnosis. If Bosh is indeed sidelined for a prolonged period, the Heat’s chances of making the playoffs would obviously be dealt a severe blow. The Heat’s depth in the frontcourt is even thinner now with today’s reported three-way trade that is sending Chris Andersen to the Grizzlies, which may force team president Pat Riley into making additional moves prior to Thursday’s deadline.

Miami entered the All-Star break with a mark of 29-24, which currently has it slotted in the fifth overall playoff spot in the East, possessing a one game lead over current No. 6 seed Indiana. Any prolonged loss of Bosh’s services would likely doom the Heat’s playoff chances, or at the very last, make them severe underdogs in any series. This unfortunate development regarding Bosh could also alter the franchise’s strategy heading into the trade deadline, which bring me to the topic for today: Should the Heat become sellers at the trade deadline because of Chris Bosh’s medical situation?

If you were the Heat, how would you approach this year’s trade deadline? Would you stand pat and pray that Bosh was able to return to action this season? Or would you attempt to extract as much value as possible from your roster via trades and attempt to retool for 2016/17? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. If you think that the Heat need to start thinking about next season, who should the team look to deal in addition to Andersen? Who or what should Miami look to nab in return? Or do you have faith that Bosh will be back on the court again this season and think that Riley shouldn’t hit the panic button and start tearing down his roster? We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/15/16

February 16th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder possess the most dynamic 1-2 punch in the league in All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both players have stayed healthy this season and, not surprisingly, put up big numbers. Durant is averaging 27.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while Westbrook, the All-Star Game MVP, has been a triple-double machine while averaging 24.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 10.0 assists.

Oklahoma City collected 40 wins before the break and have a realistic shot at 60 before the playoffs. With Durant and Westbrook leading the way, the Thunder would seem a like a major title contender in almost any season.

Instead, the amazing consistency of the Warriors and Spurs has relegated the Thunder to an afterthought. A Western Conference finals matchup between those powerhouses seems almost inevitable, given that both clubs have been invincible at home and show no signs of letting up.

Is there anything Oklahoma City can do to change that perception? Perhaps adding another starting piece by this week’s trade deadline could make people think twice about the Thunder’s chances of upsetting the Spurs and Warriors and reaching the NBA Finals.

Seemingly, the Thunder have enough “bigs” to compete with the other top echelon teams with Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Nick Collison giving them impressive depth at power forward and center.

Oklahoma City could use an upgrade at the wings. The shooting guard spot has been an issue for the Thunder, with Dion Waiters seeing the most action at the position. They could also seek a starter-quality small forward and go smaller with Durant playing more minutes at power forward. That would help them match up better with the Warriors, who use Draymond Green at power forward and even center at times while “downsizing” their units.

This leads us to our question of the day: What player should the Thunder target in trade talks this week?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 2/14/16

February 14th, 2016 at 11:55pm CST by Will Joseph

It wasn’t that long ago when many people (myself included) figured Hassan Whiteside factored heavily in the Heat’s plans for the future. After all, the center emerged last year as one of the league’s best shot-blockers. At 26 years old, Whiteside was expected to take the next step in his development this season, the final one of his contract with Miami. For the most part, he has — Whiteside is averaging 12.2 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. Whiteside, however, has also looked lost at times defensively and has been inconsistent.

The Heat recently gauged what the market was for Whiteside, who has been coming off the bench after returning from an oblique injury. It would be difficult for the Heat to trade Whiteside since his minimum-salary contract and the league’s salary-matching rules don’t give them the ability to reap much value in return. Still, reports from earlier today said the Heat’s front office is debating whether or not it is worth re-signing Whiteside, who would command a lucrative deal, and is thinking about trading him.

That leads us to today’s shootaround topic: Should the Heat trade Hassan Whiteside?

Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/13/16

February 13th, 2016 at 11:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chatter about a blockbuster three-way deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Cavaliers, Kevin Love to the Celtics and an assortment of players and draft picks to the Knicks interrupted NBA All-Star weekend on Friday night. The proposed trade would align Anthony with another star player, which is something that would appease the 31-year-old. “I think everybody always kind of dreams and hopes that they can play with another great player, another star player,” Anthony said. LeBron James has since dismissed the rumors and Anthony, who holds a no-trade clause in his contract, said he isn’t leaving New York.

Anthony has played well this season, accumulating 21.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while sporting a 20.3 player efficiency rating. He had trouble with his surgically repaired left knee this season, which along with a January ankle injury, has caused him to miss seven games and play others at less than 100%.

The Cavs have reportedly been shopping Love, though their asking price is very high. Netting Anthony would be a nice return for a player of Love’s caliber, but it would be a move with the short term in mind. In tonight’s shootaround, let’s assume Anthony is willing to waive his no-trade clause for a deal that sends him to Cleveland. Would acquiring Anthony be the best move for the Cavs or is there a Love trade that makes more sense for Cleveland?

Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/12/16

February 13th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

It seems as though former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau‘s name is brought up in connection with virtually every new head coaching slot that becomes available. All the interest and speculation surrounding him is a testament to how Thibs’ coaching abilities are respected around the league, and the smart money is certainly on him returning to NBA sidelines sooner rather than later. Some “cursory contact” has reportedly taken place between the Timberwolves and Thibodeau, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, though the talks were not classified as serious. Thibodeau has apparently long wanted the Knicks coaching job, and while that currently appears unlikely to occur, he’s reportedly of interest to the Lakers and Nets as well. It should be noted that Los Angeles still has Byron Scott calling the shots, but his job security appears dubious at best for 2016/17.

There’s no denying that Thibodeau is a solid coach, but his style and system do have their detractors. Thibs was knocked for focusing too much on defense while in Chicago at the expense of the Bulls’ offense. He also had a tendency to overuse his veteran players, which progressively wore them down over the course of long NBA campaigns. Also of concern, especially for teams with youthful rosters, is Thibodeau’s reputation of being extremely hard on his players, which doesn’t always play well with today’s crop of stars. This would be of great concern in a spot like Minnesota, where a young team needs a coach who will nurture and develop that talent and challenge the players to become better.

This brings me to the topic for today: Which team in need of a head coach (or rumored to soon be in need of one) would Tom Thibodeau fit best with?

Do you think Thibs would be a good fit with the Wolves’ young roster, or should he look for a team that has more of a veteran presence given his past resistance to playing younger players when veterans were available to take those minutes? If you don’t think the Knicks, Wolves, Nets or Lakers would be the right match, tell us what post would be the ideal fit for Thibodeau. Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/10/16

February 10th, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are looking at power forwards in advance of the trade deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who relayed that Toronto has checked on the availability of Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris. The Raptors’ current salary structure would make it tough for the team to deal anyone from its existing roster, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca pointed out, but the team has an extra first-round pick for each of the next two drafts, and GM Masai Ujiri has signaled that he wants to trade at least one of those picks at some point. Despite its apparent willingness to upgrade at the four spot, Toronto doesn’t have the cap room or trade exception to absorb either Young, Faried or Morris without relinquishing salary in return.

Toronto has started veteran Luis Scola at power forward in each of its first 51 contests, whose averages of 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds aren’t anything to get excited about. Any of the three players mentioned above would provide a clear upgrade at the four spot for the Raptors, though acquiring any of them would likely leave a hole elsewhere on the roster thanks to the team’s need to send out salary in any transaction. But if Toronto is set on making a splash at this year’s trade deadline, nabbing either Faried, Morris or Young would certainly qualify as an impact move.

This brings me to the topic for today: If the Raptors make a move to acquire a power forward, who would be the best fit — Kenneth Faried, Markieff Morris or Thaddeus Young?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the matter, including who and what it might take to land one of the three men mentioned above. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/9/16

February 10th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic are open to trade offers that would add useful veterans to their roster, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. One player who isn’t currently being shopped is small forward Tobias Harris, but Orlando isn’t discouraging teams from making their best offers for him, Stein relayed. Magic GM Rob Hennigan recently cited the youthfulness of the team’s roster for its recent struggles, though Magic players said before the season that age wouldn’t be used as an excuse. The team has been struggling and is battling to remain on the fringes of the playoff race.

Harris, who’s mere months removed from re-signing with the Magic for four years and $64MM, has seen his role in the offense reduced under new coach Scott Skiles. His scoring is down to 13.7 points a night from his career-high mark of 17.1 last season despite a nearly identical field goal percentage. However, the 23-year-old has seen a dip in his long-range accuracy this season, only connecting on 31.1% of his three-pointers this year after posting a mark of 36.4% a season ago.

This bring me to today’s topic: Should the Magic trade Tobias Harris?

The Magic could certainly use a roster shakeup, though dealing away a solid two-way talent like Harris is a risky move. Harris’ contract is reasonable and will likely look like a bargain after the free agent frenzy that is likely to occur this summer. It’s unknown just what Harris’ trade market would be, but it’s only reasonable to assume some past suitors still hold some interest. The Kings reportedly had a max offer sheet lined up for Harris before he re-signed with Orlando. Detroit and Boston were reported to be the leading contenders for him heading into free agency, while his hometown Knicks were also reportedly planning to make a run at him. The Lakers, Sixers and Hawks were all linked to Harris as well.

So take to the comments section to weigh in on whether or not the Magic should look to deal Harris. But don’t stop there. If you think Orlando should make a move, who and/or what would be a reasonable return? Extra brownie points will be given for salary-cap accurate trade proposals. If you don’t think Harris should be dealt, what changes should the franchise look to make by the trade deadline? We look forward to what you have to say.