Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

HoopsWorld On Biggest Disappointments

November 18th, 2012 at 5:27pm CST by Sean Highkin

HoopsWorld.com has a new roundtable feature in which several of the site's writers weigh in on who they believe is the biggest disappointment thus far in the 2012/13 season. Here are the highlights:

Lang Greene pinpoints Roy Hibbert, signed to a four-year, $58MM contract this summer, as a major reason why the Pacers are underperforming early in the season.
Alex Kennedy believes that the Raptors' strategy of targeting Landry Fields to make it harder for the Knicks to land Steve Nash backfired. He points to Fields' disappointing start to the season as a reason why the signing is a failure for Toronto.
Stephen Brotherston writes that Ersan Ilyasova has regressed following what appeared to be a breakout season last year with the Bucks.
Bill Ingram is frustrated by the continued inconsistent play of JaVale McGee following his re-signing with the Nuggets this summer.
Derek Page points out that Pau Gasol's offensive efficiency has dropped this season, even more so than expected following the Lakers' addition of Dwight Howard.
While there is still time for him to mature, Joel Brigham writes that Jeremy Lin has been a disappointment since signing with the Rockets.

Atlantic Rumors: Bynum, Joe Johnson, Magloire

November 18th, 2012 at 10:32am CST by Chuck Myron

The latest news on Andrew Bynum provides plenty of reason for worry, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and while Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com thinks Bynum could still wrangle a max deal this summer even if he only plays well over the final two months of the season, Moore isn't sure that scenario would leave enough time for the Sixers to mesh as a team this year. Here's more from the Atlantic Division.

Joe Johnson is feeling less pressure with the Nets because he isn't the No. 1 option on offense that he was with the Hawks, notes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
The Raptors, who cut Jamaal Magloire in training camp, have hired the Toronto native as a basketball development consultant and community ambassador, the team announced via press release.
The jury's out how Mike D'Antoni will fit in with the Lakers, but Mike Woodson has already proven successful where D'Antoni wasn't with the Knicks, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
The Knicks were on the right path during their 6-0 start, but they'll have to do more to become a true contender, opines Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.com.
Thriving in a Knicks uniform, J.R. Smith has changed his on- and off-court personas from his Nuggets days, observes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times says the early returns suggest the Knicks made wise investments in Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni, all of whom combine to make less than Jeremy Lin is earning with the Rockets.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is impressed with the ability of the Knicks to improve by getting older this offseason, not typically a successful path for an NBA team.
Rasheed Wallace, on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal, has become a part of the Knicks rotation as Marcus Camby stays glued to the bench despite a three-year, $13.1MM contract, as Marc Berman of the New York Post documents.

Nuggets Assign Quincy Miller To D-League

November 13th, 2012 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have assigned Quincy Miller to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. The second-round pick will join the Iowa Energy in advance of the D-League's regular season.

Miller, 19, averaged 6.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG for Denver's Summer League squad, but didn't appear in a game for the Nuggets in the preseason, let alone the regular season. He'll get a chance to earn more playing time in Iowa, which was a possibility GM Masai Ujiri alluded to earlier this fall.

You can find this season's complete list of D-League assignments and recalls right here.

New Faces: Lewis, Lin, Landry, Martin, Johnson

November 8th, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Between the Dwight Howard sweepstakes and the implementation of the new CBA, this offseason was one to rememeber. While we are barely a week into the new season, it is only natural for glowing reports to emerge of players who have shined with their new teams. They are premature for sure, but so many players changed teams that keeping tabs on them is always useful:

Now coming off the bench for the Heat, Rashard Lewis is healthy for the first time in two years, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. Lewis was hampered by knee injuries the past few seasons, but has looked great so far in Miami, showing more lift in his jumpshot and even throwing down a few dunks last night against the Nets.
Within the same piece, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Jeremy Lin and Carl Landry. While James Harden has deservedly gotten the Rockets headlines, Lin has quietly lived up to the hype during his brief time so far in Houston. Meanwhile, Landry, a former Rocket, is proving once again that he is one of the NBA's most underrated players, this time averaging 17 points as a member of the Warriors.
The man traded for Harden, the Thunder's Kevin Martin, is shooting a ridiculous 62 percent from three point range and averaging over 19 PPG so far in Oklahoma City, writes Chris Sheridan. While Harden is clearly the best piece moved in the deal, it isn't hard to imagine Martin's skills and those draft picks making it look respectable for Sam Presti and the Thunder.
Averging only 14 PPG, Joe Johnson is still getting acclimated to his new role on the Nets, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. The mixture in Brooklyn will probably take longer than most to jell, considering that not only is nearly the whole team new, but most of the high profile players have never played on anything close to an elite team before.
Kosta Koufos hasn't been a member of the Jazz since 2010, but Bill Oram's story about the former Utah draft pick's rise into the Nuggets starting lineup sure makes it feel like it was yesterday. After beating out JaVale McGee for the center spot, Koufos is averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Denver.
Shipped to Orlando after being drafted by Philly, Maurice Harkless played more than 22 minutes in his Magic debut on Wednesday, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Harkless didn't participate in preseason while he was recovering from a sports hernia, and still isn't 100 percent, but it sounds like the rookie is on his way.

Odds & Ends: Harden, ’13 Draft, Nuggets, Hudson

November 7th, 2012 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

As we prepare for a jam-packed night of NBA games, with all but four teams in action, let's round up a few of today's links that have fallen through the cracks until now….

John Rohde of the Oklahoman calls out James Harden for comments he made to Yahoo! Sports about being disappointed that the Thunder only gave him an hour to consider their final extension offer.
We're still about seven and a half months from 2013's NBA draft, but that didn't stop Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports from updating his board with his latest mock draft.
Another draft guru, ESPN.com's Chad Ford, fielded readers' questions about college prospects and NBA storylines in a chat this afternoon.
Losing three-point threats like Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, and Rudy Fernandez could be one factor contributing to the Nuggets' poor start, writes John Hollinger in an Insider piece at ESPN.com.
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside examines Troy Hudson's NBA comeback attempt, which sees the 36-year-old headed to camp with the D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Offseason In Review: Denver Nuggets

November 6th, 2012 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the month of November, Hoops Rumors will look back at each team's offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

JaVale McGee: Four years, $44MM. Signed via Bird rights.
Andre Miller: Three years, $14.63MM. Signed via Bird rights. Third year is partially guaranteed.
Anthony Randolph: Three years, $5.25MM. Signed via mid-level exception.

Extensions

Ty Lawson: Four years, $48MM.

Trades and Claims

Acquired Andre Iguodala from the 76ers in exchange for Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, a protected 2014 first-round pick, and the Warriors' 2013 second-round pick (all sent to Magic).

Draft Picks

Evan Fournier (Round 1, 20th overall). Signed via rookie exception.
Quincy Miller (Round 2, 38th overall). Signed via mid-level exception.
Izzet Turkyilmaz (Round 2, 50th overall). Will play overseas.

Camp Invitees

Anthony Carter
Ben Uzoh

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

Kenneth Faried, $1.37MM: Exercised
Jordan Hamilton, $1.17MM: Exercised

While it was a reasonably busy summer for the Nuggets, it wasn't one that saw the roster overhauled too drastically. The team made a series of moves earlier in the calendar year and at the end of the offseason that ensured many of their core players would be locked up going forward: Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos had their contracts extended in January, Wilson Chandler was re-signed long-term when he returned from China in March, and more recently, Ty Lawson received a four-year extension from the team.

Of course, even after we add JaVale McGee and Andre Miller to the list of players to be re-signed by the Nuggets this summer, it's not fair to say that the team was simply retaining its current players and hoping for the best. After all, the Nuggets were involved in the biggest trade of the summer, August's four-team blockbuster that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers and saw Andre Iguodala head to Denver.

Critics of the Iguodala acquisition may ask why the Nuggets played an active role in ensuring a superstar like Howard was traded to a conference rival. But as Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote today, the Nuggets only got involved in trade negotiations after Howard was earmarked for Los Angeles in three-team talks featuring the Lakers, Magic, and 76ers. As such, the Nuggets' involvement comes off as a clever way of piggybacking on an existing deal, ensuring they upgraded their own roster right along with the Lakers.

And it's hard to argue that Iguodala won't be an upgrade in Denver. The Nuggets may still lack a true go-to scorer in crunch time; the former Sixer wasn't that guy in Philadelphia and isn't expected ot be that guy in Denver. But he's a capable scorer and an All-NBA defender, an upgrade on veterans like Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington, who were sent out in the deal. For other teams, swapping two rotation players for one may not be quite so viable, but the Nuggets' bench is still a strength, featuring players like Miller, McGee, Chandler, and Corey Brewer.

Given the depth they have behind their starting five, it doesn't come as a huge surprise that the Nuggets elected to tab French sharpshooter Evan Fournier as their first-round pick in June. Heading into the draft, Fournier, who just turned 20 a week ago, was viewed as a player that would likely play overseas for at least another season. He requires some seasoning, but that's fine with Denver, who elected to sign him immediately — considering the number of viable rotation options the Nuggets already have, the 20-year-old won't be required to provide major minutes and production right away.

With so many players having signed multiyear extensions or free agent deals within the last year, the Nuggets are moving forward without a whole lot of cap flexibility. The team has about $53MM in salaries committed to 2013/14's roster, and that's without taking into account Iguodala, who could exercise a $16MM+ player option or negotiate a new deal with the team. Either scenario would see the Nuggets approaching the tax threshold, barring a trade.

All those contracts on their books suggest the Nuggets' roster won't undergo significant changes in the next couple years, but GM Masai Ujiri has shown that such an assumption is never safe. Ujiri managed to deal both Afflalo and Nene in major trades just months after signing them to new, long-term contracts, which should indicate that Lawson, Gallinari, McGee, and others aren't necessarily locks to still be playing in Denver four years from now.

Still, the Nuggets' current core is strong, and the team figures to evaluate it with some patience this season. If Iguodala fits in well with his new team and Lawson continues to develop in one of the conference's top point guards, the Nuggets have the talent and the depth to compete with some of the top squads in the West.

Kyler On Suns, Lawson, Harkless, Levien

November 5th, 2012 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld touches on several topics in his NBA AM piece today, talking to a handful of players and weighing in on the new face in the Grizzlies' front office. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

Coming off a summer during which they overhauled their roster, the Suns are off to a slow start as the team's new additions work to develop chemistry. "You got to find each other’s games out," said returning Sun Jared Dudley. "Coaches got to find what players work good with each other, what plays for which players. We’ve shown spurts and glimpses of what we can do, we haven’t put it together for a whole 48 (minutes)."
Goran Dragic tells Kyler that, while it's nice to be playing with Luis Scola, who was his teammate in Houston, there's still plenty of work to be done in Phoenix: "Two don’t make a team. Everybody needs to know each other and what we do. We’re struggling a little bit in the process, but we still have to find a way to win basketball games."
A week after signing a four-year contract extension to remain with the Nuggets long-term, Ty Lawson says the only thing that's changed is that he's more sure of the confidence and trust the team has in him.
Maurice Harkless, who underwent hernia surgery in the offseason, is being brought back slowly, and understands why he has yet to make his NBA debut with the Magic. "I think it’s good to just learn as much as I can because being that I missed the whole training camp," Harkless said. "Learning is important. Naturally, I’d rather just be out there playing, but I think coach is doing a good job."
Kyler notes that Jason Levien, who was hired as the Grizzlies' new CEO and managing partner, negotiated big deals for Luol Deng and Kevin Martin back when he was an agent, and also spent over a year in the Kings' front office, where he had a hand in "several cap-clearing trades."

Odds & Ends: Allen, Pistons, Jazz, Curry, Lawson

November 1st, 2012 at 12:20am CST by Chuck Myron

While most of the night's news has centered around extensions for a flurry of fourth-year players before the 11pm Central deadline, there's sure to be fallout over the lack of extensions for Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans and Jeff Teague, who will headline a class of 2013 restricted free agents that won't be as strong as first expected. In the meantime, there are plenty of other interesting tidbits from around the league.

Before deciding on the Heat, Ray Allen was serious about joining the Clippers this summer, but believes the Clips thought he was using them as leverage, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Pistons owner Tom Gores, who won't rule out someday moving the team from the suburban Palace of Auburn Hills to a downtown venue, is anxious for his team to make the playoffs, but said the jobs of basketball operations president Joe Dumars and coach Lawrence Frank aren't necessarily riding on a postseason berth, as David Mayo of MLive.com observes.
Jazz executive vice president Kevin O'Connor says the team structured its contracts so most of them would end after this season, Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Grantland's Zach Lowe examines the extensions for Stephen Curry and Ty Lawson, believing the Warriors could trade Curry if he gets off to a fast start next season, while wondering if the Nuggets will make a cost-cutting move some time next year to fit Lawson's deal into their budget.
Cavs forward Luke Walton, who played under Phil Jackson with the Lakers, believes his former coach won't return to the sidelines, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Sulia link).
Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson didn't dismiss the possibility that the team could re-sign Dominique Jones as an unrestricted free agent next summer after deciding against picking up his 2013/14 option, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News notes.

Nuggets Sign Ty Lawson To Four-Year Extension

October 30th, 2012 at 7:56pm CST by Luke Adams

7:56pm: The team announced via press release that Lawson has signed the extension, making it official.

2:18pm: Lawson's extension will be worth $48MM over four years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

2:07pm: The Nuggets and Ty Lawson appear to have come to an agreement on a four-year extension for the Denver point guard. While we don't have any details yet on the exact terms, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a new deal. Lawson broke the news today on his own Twitter feed.

"It Looks like im going to be a nugget for another 4 yrs," Lawson tweeted. "Thanks to the Kronke family, Masai, nuggets fans and everybody 4 believing In me."

Lawson had long been considered one of the top candidates from this year's class of extension-eligible fourth-year players to sign a contract extension, with ESPN.com's Marc Stein reporting earlier this month that it seemed like more a question of "when" than "if." Negotiations between the two sides seemed to stall earlier this week, but it appears that was just a temporary setback.

TNT's David Aldridge reported overnight that Lawson had turned down the Nuggets' offer of four years and $45MM, so the amount the 24-year-old agreed to is likely a little higher. When I examined Lawson as an extension candidate earlier this summer, I estimated that an annual salary in the neighborhood of $10MM could be about right, suggesting that perhaps it could go a little higher if Lawson was extended for four years rather than five.

When Non-Guaranteed Deals Become Guaranteed

October 30th, 2012 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

With the dust having settled on preseason cuts, NBA teams have eliminated most players on summer contracts and non-guaranteed deals from their rosters. However, there are still plenty of players on non-guaranteed contracts who made their respective teams' regular season rosters. Does that means their contracts are now guaranteed for the season? Well, in most cases, no.

In order for most non-guaranteed contracts to become fully guaranteed for the season, the player must remain on an NBA roster until January 10th. If the player's contract doesn't clear waivers on or before the 10th, his full salary will become guaranteed for the season. Until that date, he'll receive either a prorated portion of his salary, or some other previously-agreed-upon set amount.

However, there are a handful of players whose contracts will become guaranteed before that January 10th date. E'Twaun Moore's minimum-salary deal with the Magic, for instance, stipulates that his contract will become guaranteed if he's not waived by October 30th, which means he looks to be pretty safe.

Per Mark Deeks of ShamSports, here are the other players on non-guaranteed contracts who will see their deals become fully guaranteed prior to January 10th:

Julyan Stone (Nuggets): October 31st*
DeJuan Blair (Spurs): November 1st
P.J. Tucker (Suns): December 1st*
Cory Higgins (Bobcats): December 10th
Nate Robinson (Bulls): January 1st

Notes: Stone's contract becomes guaranteed if he's not waived by "opening night," which is assumed to be the Nuggets' opening night, rather than the NBA's opening night. Tucker's guarantee increases to $400K as of opening night before becoming fully guaranteed on December 1st.