Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/26/16

January 26th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

According to a recent report by Russia’s TASS news agency, former Cavs coach David Blatt is “priority one” for the Nets as they seek a new head coach. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders first reported that the Nets were interested in Blatt, but an article by Fred Kerber of the New York Post this past weekend relayed that Tom Thibodeau was Brooklyn’s probable top target. Team owner Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly wants to hire a GM before he hires a coach, and the team’s goal is apparently to have a GM in place before the February 18th trade deadline. Blatt has also been linked to the Lakers and Timberwolves, though both teams have publicly stated that they are committed to their current coaches.

Tony Brown has been serving as Brooklyn’s interim coach since the team fired Lionel Hollins earlier this month. It is highly unlikely that he will land the position on a long-term basis, though that is merely my speculation. Prokhorov, like TASS, is from Russia, and Blatt used to coach the Russian national team, which has received significant financial backing from Prokhorov in the past. That could give Blatt a leg up on his competitors for the position, provided he’s interested of course.

Earlier reports have linked the Nets to Luke Walton, John Calipari, Monty Williams and Chris Mullin, but Prokhorov has so far reportedly balked at Calipari’s price tag. The owner has also expressed a preference for a separate GM and coach, which isn’t the dual role that Calipari is reportedly seeking to make the jump back to the NBA. This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Which of the potential targets for the Nets listed above would be the best hire for the franchise? Why?

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 1/25/16

January 25th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s easy to dismiss the Sacramento Kings, given their recent track record and the volatility of their top players.

Center DeMarcus Cousins and point guard Rajon Rondo have made plenty of headlines over the years for their emotional outbursts aimed at coaches, officials and teammates. Their veteran coach, George Karl, isn’t afraid to speak his mind or criticize his players, fostering the notion that the Kings are a fragile team as presently constructed and could implode at any time.

During the first two full months of the season, the Kings seemed headed for another forgettable campaign. They entered the New Year eight games under .500 and rumors were abound that Cousins would be dealt.

Rather than rolling over and continuing another slide into oblivion, the Kings have suddenly found a winning formula and there’s a new vibe around the franchise. They have reeled off five consecutive wins and currently hold the eighth and last playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Naturally, the Kings are benefitting from the Western Conference’s general decline, with only seven of 15 teams above the .500 mark. But give the Kings some credit. Karl has them playing with fire and passion, led by the mercurial Cousins.

Cousins has posted strong numbers all season but he’s been a monster this month, averaging 32.5 points and 13.7 rebounds. Rondo is averaging 12.9 assists in January and the team has also received a big boost from rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein, who has solidified their backline defense.

The Jazz are currently the Kings’ closest pursuers for the final playoff berth, with the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and revived Pelicans also in the hunt.

This leads us to our question of the day: Will the Kings make the playoffs this season?

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 1/24/16

January 24th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Will Joseph

It’s rare for a trade in late January not to be the major news of that particular day. The Rockets’ acquisition of Josh Smith in a trade with the Clippers on Friday, however, was overshadowed by David Blatt‘s firing. At 30 years old, Smith was experiencing the worst season of his career this year with the Clippers, but judging from his play Sunday, he already looks to be more inspired. Check out this Vine from the Rockets’ Twitter account, for example. Smith checked out of Sunday’s game to a standing ovation.

At an underwhelming 23-22 entering action Sunday, the Rockets have the talent to turn things around. Adding Smith, who averaged 12 points per game last season in Houston, should theoretically expedite that process. But by how much? Do the Rockets, who have played better of late, have deeper problems? Or will a familiar face provide the lift needed for a deep playoff run? At the very least, the move likely means the Rockets are seeking to upgrade this year’s team.

That leads us to today’s shootaround topic: How much will Smith help the Rockets?

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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Community Shootaround

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/23/16

January 23rd, 2016 at 11:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt wasn’t out of work for 24 hours before rumors of other teams showing interest began to emerge. The Nets, Wolves and Lakers have all been linked Blatt, who was canned Friday in Cleveland despite having the Cavaliers on top of the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record.

Blatt reached the Finals in his only full season as an NBA coach, but complaints about his style could be heard in the locker room and throughout the organization. There were rumblings that he couldn’t relate to players and that he wasn’t willing to challenge LeBron James or point out the star’s mistakes. James and his agent reportedly had been trying to get Blatt fired since last season.

Blatt’s coaching brethren have been speaking out to defend him and denigrate the Cavs’ decision. Kings coach George Karl calls it “embarrassing,” tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Former Cavaliers coach Paul Silas says Blatt should have been allowed to hire his own assistants, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer tells Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he hopes Blatt gets another chance to coach in the NBA. The harshest criticism has come from Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, who said to David Mayo of MLive about the Cavs, “We have jobs, maybe, because our front offices aren’t quite as crazy as theirs, but that’s about it.”

Blatt has been successful everywhere he has gone. He won Israeli League Coach of the Year honors four times and captured the same award in the Russian Super League and the Euroleague. Coupled with his brief NBA success, there’s sure to be a job waiting for Blatt somewhere.

That brings me to the topic for today: Where do you think Blatt will be coaching next season?

Could he be the answer for Brooklyn, Minnesota or L.A.? Is there another job ready to open that Blatt might be more suited for? Or is his best option to return to Israel or Europe?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/22/16

January 22nd, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The league officially announced the starters for the 2016 All-Star game on Thursday and Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant led all players with a total of 1,891,614 votes, in this, the final season of his career. Also named starters in the West were: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. LeBron James, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Kyle Lowry are the starters for the Eastern Conference.

As with every season, there are a number of deserving players who won’t be on the court for the opening tip for February 14th’s exhibition. The Pelicans’ Anthony Davis took the biggest hit by not being voted in, needing a starting nod to trigger the Derrick Rose rule, which would have given Davis a salary of a projected $24.9MM instead of $20.4MM next season. The difference could amount to $25.875MM over the life of his contract, based on those same projections, though he could still invoke the rule if he earns an All-NBA nod or wins the MVP award in the spring. But Davis certainly wasn’t the only star player to miss out on being selected.

Which brings me to the topic for today: Which player not being named an All-Star starter was the biggest snub?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/21/16

January 21st, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets thought they had solidified their bench this past summer with the free agent signings of Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani. Unfortunately for the team, and its fanbase, none of those additions has paid much in the way of dividends as of this writing. All four signings were considered low-risk at the time, but NetsDaily opined recently that one or all of these arrangements could potentially hurt the team’s cap flexibility this summer.

All four players were given player options in their deals, and with the struggles of the team and the players, an increasing chance exists that those options will be exercised, according to the NetsDaily scribe. The amounts of the options are listed below:

Ellington — $1,567,500
Bargnani — $1,551,659
Larkin — $1,500,000
Robinson — $1,050,961

None of these figures would be crippling individually, and even in the worst-case scenario (as posited by NetsDaily) where all four opt in, their salaries would only total $5,670,120. But Brooklyn is bereft of draft picks for the near future and sorely lacking in tradeable talent, so any forward progress will likely need to occur via free agency. The Nets, like most franchises, are likely to aim big when filling out their free agent wish list for this coming offseason. The team is currently projected to possess in the neighborhood of $32MM-$38MM in cap space, a number that includes all four of the aforementioned players.

That amount wouldn’t be sufficient to sign two max salary players, which would likely be required to make the Nets a contender next season. Even if the franchise were lucky enough to entice one top-tier free agent, it wouldn’t leave much cap space to supplement the roster. But if you subtract the four player options, the team would have a bit more in the coffers to restock its talent.

This brings me to the topic for today: Out of the four offseason signees who possess player options (Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani), which, if any, should the Nets look to retain? Why?

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 1/20/16

January 20th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets center Dwight Howard is widely expected to turn down his player option for next season, which is worth $23,282,457, in pursuit of a long-term deal. Many league executives and agents believe that the NBA’s salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, which is a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season. As a result of this increase there will be significantly more teams with enough available cap space to offer maximum salary deals, something that is not likely lost on Howard and his representatives.

Members of Houston’s front office told Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle prior to the disappointment of the season setting in that they had no intention of letting the big man depart this summer, but GM Daryl Morey said to Smith more recently that he’s not thinking too far in the future at this point. “We’re just focused on this season. So is Dwight,” Morey said. “If … he as a player play[s] like we know he’s capable [of] … all that stuff takes care of itself.”

The Rockets are clinging to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, and even if they do indeed make the playoffs a deep run isn’t likely given the talent present in the West. Howard is having a bit of a down year statistically, but that is due more to him receiving fewer touches in the team’s offense than him performing poorly. At this point in his career, Howard has almost assuredly peaked as a player, and he will likely never again become the dominant force that he was during his time in Orlando.

This brings me to the topic/question for today: Should the Rockets re-sign Dwight Howard to a long-term deal this offseason if the center opts out of his contract?

Houston has the look of a franchise that needs to hit the reset button, and if that is indeed the case, it has to decide if the 30-year-old Howard should be a part of its future. The team currently is projected to have approximately $7MM-$10MM in cap space this summer, a number that includes Howard’s 2016/17 salary. If the team decides to re-sign Howard, provided he opts out, that will prohibit the Rockets from adding a significant piece via free agency unless some salary is cleared via trade. The big man has had injury issues and he’s not likely to grow more durable with age, which makes any long-term deal a risk. But he’s also one of the more talented centers in the league and would be an extremely difficult player to replace.

So what say you? Should the team look to keep Howard no matter the cost, or should the Rockets look to use their cap space in a different manner and let him depart? 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 1/19/16

January 19th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mike Conley is one of the top two-way point guards in the league and there’s no doubt he’ll become an extremely rich man this summer.

Conley holds the No. 3 spot in our current 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, behind only superstars Kevin Durant and LeBron James. It would be a shock if James leaves Cleveland for the second time in his career, so Conley could be the most sought-after free agent aside from Durant. Certainly, he tops the list of available floor leaders.

Last week, the New York Post reported that both the Knicks and Nets will be “all over” Conley when he hits the open market. The New York City teams could certainly use an upgrade at that spot.

The Knicks have used the combination of Jose Calderon and rookie Jerian Grant this season. Adding a top-notch point guard to feed the ball to Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis would make them a much more dangerous team in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets are starved for talent, particularly in the backcourt. Conley was their top free agent target as far back as November and it’s unlikely that has changed, even though Conley’s former Grizzlies coach, Lionel Hollins, was fired. They lost journeyman Jarrett Jack to a season-ending injury and are now using the unimposing combination of Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin at that spot.

There will be other suitors out there, with the Kings, Jazz, Bucks, Nuggets and Pacers — just to name a few — potentially seeking an upgrade at that spot.

Conley will be eligible for a projected maximum starting salary of $24.9MM for 2016/17 — based upon the league’s official cap projection of $89MM — and it could be more if the actual cap number rises. However, most teams will have ample cap room to sign a big name free agent and there’s the sign-and-trade option for clubs that don’t have that much to spend.

The favorite to sign Conley is his current team. He recruited Marc Gasol last summer to stay put, so it would be surprising if Conley turned his back on the franchise this summer. The Grizzlies have every intention of re-signing him, though he turned away their offers for an extension last spring because of salary limitations. But Conley does want to see what’s out there, as he told SI’s Chris Mannix this season.

“This is where I’ve had my whole career,” he said. “At the same time I understand this is a business. I have to weigh my options just like [Gasol] did. Hopefully it will be an easy decision, whatever it is.”

This leads us to our question of the day: What team do you think Mike Conley will sign with this summer?

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 1/18/16

January 18th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have gotten plenty of advice since Joakim Noah dislocated his shoulder over the weekend. The injury will sideline the popular veteran for four to six months and may signal the end of his career in Chicago.

Noah was headed for free agency this summer anyway, and nearing age 31, he has seen his role on the team diminish. The ninth-year center out of Florida started just two games this year and is averaging 21.9 minutes of playing time, the lowest since his rookie season. As a result, his numbers across the board — 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game — are down dramatically from his best years.

As soon as the news broke about Noah’s condition, columnists started submitting their prescriptions to fix the Bulls. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com advocated a full-scale roster shakeup that included moving Pau Gasol — who can opt out of his contract in July — before next month’s trade deadline. Steve Rosenbloom of The Chicago Tribune agrees, saying the team should also deal away Derrick Rose if possible. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider only) advocated keeping Gasol to give Chicago a shot in this year’s playoffs and predicted more playing time for 6’11” rookie Bobby Portis. Sam Smith of Bulls.com saw the incident as an opportunity for the Bulls to negotiate a short-term deal with Noah while other suitors might be scared away by the injury.

This leads me to today’s question: What would you do if you were running the Bulls instead of Gar Forman and John Paxson?

Would you try to unload as many veterans as possible and rebuild around Jimmy Butler and the younger players? Or would you keep the veteran core in place and make a move to attempt to win this season? And how hard would you try to re-sign Noah when he enters free agency?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/16/16

January 16th, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Job security is a rare thing for NBA coaches, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron examined earlier this week. Eight of the 30 teams have changed coaches since the end of last season, and every underachieving team lives with the understanding that its coach could be on the way out.

The Nets‘ Lionel Hollins was the most recent victim, getting fired on Sunday after a 10-27 start. He became the second coach to lose his job this season, following the Rockets‘ Kevin McHale, who was replaced in November following a 4-7 start, even though he led his team to the Western Conference Finals last season.

The Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the Pelicans’ Monty Williams were both dismissed during the offseason despite guiding their teams to the playoffs. Other coaches fired over the summer were the Thunder’s Scott Brooks and interim coaches James Borrego in Orlando and Melvin Hunt in Denver. The Wolves turned to Sam Mitchell as their new coach after the death of Flip Saunders in September.

This brings me to the question for today: Which NBA team should be next to make a coaching change?

Philadelphia, the team with the league’s worst record, gave Brett Brown a two-year contract extension in December, so he seems safe. Twelve of the teams in the Eastern Conference are within 2 1/2 games of a playoff spot, so any changes there seem unlikely. That leaves the Nets and the Bucks, who are a disappointing 17-25 and whose coach, Jason Kidd, is on a medical leave of absence after undergoing hip surgery.

Out West, Byron Scott has been on the hot seat as the Lakers have sunk to the bottom of the conference. Jeff Hornacek’s Suns have lost 12 of their last 13 and are now 13-28. The Pelicans got off to a terrible start under new coach Alvin Gentry and are 13-26. George Karl has been through a controversy-filled first season in Sacramento, and the Kings are currently outside the playoffs at 16-23.

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.