Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler’s Latest: Williams, Nash, Nelson, Hibbert

April 5th, 2012 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Within his preview of a few of the summer's top free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares some rumors on the potential landing spots for those players. Let's check out the highlights….

The Deron Williams sweepstakes are the Nets' to lose. If the team can't surround Williams with satisfactory talent, expect the point guard to sign elsewhere.
Kyler hears the Suns have "put the idea of a two-year, $20MM offer on the table" for Steve Nash. Nash is said to be seeking a three-year deal, and if Phoenix were to add an extra year, it would almost certainly be the best offer the veteran would receive. Still, Kyler points out that Nash has earned well over $100MM in his NBA career, so he won't necessarily just take the highest salary.
Jameer Nelson has yet to decide on his player option for next season. While he's very unlikely to find a higher salary for 2012/13 on the open market, Nelson could potentially land a larger guarantee over multiple years. Declining the option would also give him more agency in determining where he plays, since he'd be a trade candidate with the Magic.
The Nets' Gerald Wallace is also undecided on his 2012/13 player option, though opting in seems more likely at this point.
It's very unlikely that another team poaches restricted free agent Roy Hibbert from the Pacers.
The Nuggets will probably match any offer for JaVale McGee of $7MM or less annually, but it's unclear whether they'd go much higher than that.

Assessing Marquee Free Agents Who Re-Signed

March 31st, 2012 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

A while back we looked at some of the biggest names to switch teams in free agency this past offseason. Now, let's take a look at some of the top free agents from the class of 2011 who wound up back with their teams and see how the deals have paid off so far:

Marc Gasol signed a four-year, $57.5MM offer sheet with the Rockets, but the Grizzlies matched it even though it meant they'd be well over the cap and flirting with luxury tax territory this year. So far it looks like it was worth it, as he's averaging career highs in virtually every relevant statistical category and made his first All-Star Game this year. The 27-year-old's improvement helped mitigate the absence of fellow post player Zach Randolph for much of the season. The only negative has been his 48.8% shooting from the floor, which barring improvement will represent his first season shooting below 50%. Still, the struggles of Nene Hilario and DeAndre Jordan, the market's other top centers this past offseason, make Gasol's deal look smart.
The Nuggets did an about-face on Nene Hilario's signing so quickly that team president Josh Kroenke had to deny they weren't looking to get rid of him all along. Nene missed most of training camp as he and the team hammered out a five-year, $65MM deal. That missed time, coupled with injuries, helps explain a dip in scoring and a jump in turnovers in his play for Denver this year. Since his trade to the Wizards, he's shown signs of breaking out of the funk, averaging 14.8 PPG and 9.3 RPG. Though the numbers are from a tiny sample size of six games, they would be career highs if extended out over an entire season.
The Warriors had to have thought they were sure to have DeAndre Jordan this season when he inked a four-year, $43.04MM offer sheet with the team in December. Clippers GM Neil Olshey swallowed hard and matched the offer, however, locking up the 23-year-old long-term despite more promise than production in three previous seasons. His averages in points (7.7), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (2.2) are up, but that's largely been the result of increased minutes, as his per-36-minute numbers are mostly consistent with where they've been throughout his career. His PER, though, is at 17.2, well above the 14.8 PER he posted last year, so his progress seems to be a matter of which stats you trust. The question of whether the Clippers can trust Jordan to deliver on his contract, however, is yet to be resolved.
Tayshaun Prince might have fit in well with a contending team looking to add a veteran with championship experience. Instead, he re-signed with the Pistons for four years and $28MM. He's responded with 12.8 PPG, his worst scoring average in eight years, even though he's taking a career-high 13 shots a game. His PER of 12.6 suggests he's having his worst season since his rookie year, when he was only on the floor for 10 minutes a night. The only consolation for GM Joe Dumars on this one is he's making less per season than Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, his much-maligned signings from the summer of 2010, as well as Rodney Stuckey, who's become a more efficient scorer after inking a three-year, $25.5MM deal before the season.
Compounding the misery for Dumars is the play of former Pistons draftee Arron Afflalo, whose points per game number is up for the fourth straight season after re-signing with the Nuggets for $36.75MM for five years. He's been a fixture in the starting lineup for Denver ever since coming over from Detroit three years ago for the bargain price of just a second-round pick, and Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri was willing to pay a premium to keep Afflalo even though he's not a top-tier shooting guard. His 14.2 PPG this year reflects the increased offensive load he's been carrying as the team deals with a multitude of injuries and another shakeup at the trade deadline. His steady improvement and willingness to commit to the team long-term may prove worth the price.

Stein On Wilson Chandler, Coaching Rumors

March 30th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Weekend Dime, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that Wilson Chandler's long-term deal with the Nuggets isn't worth quite as much as had been previously reported. According to Stein, the contract is for $31.7MM in total, starting at $5.5MM this season and topping out at $7.2MM in 2015/16. Only $2MM of that final season is guaranteed, Stein adds.

The rest of Stein's rumors this week revolve around coaching positions, so let's dive in….

The Bulls hold a team option on Tom Thibodeau for next season, but the Chicago coach is "dismayed" that he hasn't been offered a lucrative contract extension, according to Stein. Stein hears that Thibodeau's displeasure with his contract situation is an "open secret in team circles."
Mike Woodson is increasingly hopeful of keeping the Knicks coaching job, though if Phil Jackson expressed interest in the position, rival teams assume James Dolan would do whatever it takes to sign the Zen Master.
The Clippers may be in the market for a new coach this summer, ideally one who could convince Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to remain in Los Angeles long-term.
If Stan Van Gundy were to be replaced as the Magic coach, Nate McMillan appears to be the top candidate, says Stein.
Stein spoke to "[John] Calipari experts," who suggested the Wildcats coach may not be inclined to give up his power and prestige at Kentucky to coach in the NBA.

Odds & Ends: Draft, McCollum, Chandler, Magic

March 27th, 2012 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

As we approach the season's final few weeks, some teams will jockey for playoff spots while clubs on the other end of the spectrum jockey for draft position. Henry Abbott of ESPN.com's TrueHoop writes today about the issue of tanking that inevitably arises at this point in the season, and what can be done to avoid it. The piece is highly recommended, and includes a fascinating tidbit on four general mangers on non-playoff teams who reportedly only put in part-time hours.

Here are a few more links from around the Association for Tuesday afternoon:

Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum has declared his intent to enter the draft, according to a release from the University's website. McCollum won't hire an agent, so he could still withdraw by April 10th and retain his NCAA eligibility. In his first mock draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford had McCollum going early in the second round.
Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld talked to Wilson Chandler and the Nuggets about Chandler's return from China and the team's chances of qualifying for the postseason.
With a focus on Ryan Anderson and other upcoming free agents, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida discusses how a player's height affects the sort of contract he signs.
Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside updates his list of D-League players who could receive auditions from NBA teams over the remainder of the season.
Magic GM Otis Smith sat down for a question-and-answer session with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Odds & Ends: Butler, Heisley, Kroenke, Bayless

March 23rd, 2012 at 11:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

Much of the NBA spent the evening with concerns about Celtics swingman Mickael Pietrus, who suffered a head injury during tonight's game with the 76ers and left the arena in an ambulance. It originally appeared Pietrus would spend the night in a hospital, as ESPN's Chris Forsberg and others reported, but apparently his injury, a concussion, will allow him to return home for the night, Forsberg tweets. Here's more from around the Association:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports that Rasual Butler, who is drawing attention from the Bulls, would have gotten a look from the Heat at the beginning of the season had they not signed Shane Battier (Twitter link).
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is out of the running to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, but separate groups that include Magic Johnson and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke remain in the hunt with a decision looming as soon as next week, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Raptors backup point guard Jerryd Bayless shined while starter Jose Calderon missed games with injury earlier this month, and Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld argues the team should bring back the restricted free agent this summer and give him a larger role.
Despite a loss to the Raptors tonight, the Knicks have been playing markedly better since Mike Woodson took over as coach, but that doesn't mean the team had quit on former coach Mike D'Antoni, Tyson Chandler says, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida tweets that the Pistons have offered retiring Ben Wallace a job for when he hangs up his sneakers, but Wallace is undecided on whether he'll take it.

Rudy Fernandez Out For Season

March 22nd, 2012 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Rudy Fernandez will undergo surgery on his lower back and will likely miss the remainder of the season, according to the Nuggets. Fernandez has missed time this year with a lower back strain, and had the injury flare up on Monday, prompting further evaluation.

The Nuggets should still be well-stocked at the wing despite losing Fernandez, as Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com points out via Twitter. However, it could be another blow for the Spanish Olympic team, depending on Fernandez's recovery time, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Fernandez averaged 8.6 PPG on 44% shooting in 31 games for the Nuggets this season, after the team acquired him from Dallas in December. The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract, so if the Nuggets don't expect him back this season and require a roster spot to add another player, he's a candidate to be cut. Fernandez will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Latest On Buyouts: O’Neal, Powell, Heat

March 20th, 2012 at 10:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier tonight we took a look at last year's buyout recipients and how they've fared since. Now let's dive into some of the buyout rumblings from this evening:

Contrary to what we heard before, Jermaine O'Neal insists he and Celtics GM Danny Ainge never had talks about a buyout, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link). O'Neal says he did what he could to get his injured left wrist back in playing shape, Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald reports, but simply couldn't avoid season-ending surgery. One of the procedures he's considering could be career ending, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
J. Michael Falgoust and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today round up the buyout candidates. There's not much new here, but they do add the Nuggets to the list of teams interested in Josh Powell, which includes the Suns and Celtics.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel shared a few Heat-related items after Miami's 99-95 comeback win over the Suns tonight. Even though Derek Fisher appears headed to the Thunder, he thinks Mike James or Anthony Carter would be better point guard pickups because of their defensive abilities. And, after an inauspicious first career start by Dexter Pittman, the need to sign another center, like Ronny Turiaf, is as pressing as ever.

Northwest Notes: Fisher, Jazz, Nene, Okur, Blazers

March 20th, 2012 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder are reportedly among the favorites to sign Derek Fisher for the remainder of the season, so Royce Young of Daily Thunder explores whether Fisher would be a worthwhile acquisition for Oklahoma City, eventually concluding that having him on board "probably would do a lot more good than bad." Kevin Durant seems to be in agreement, telling Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that he'd support the move if the team signed Fisher.

While we wait to see where the veteran point guard lands, let's check out a few more items from out of the Northwest….

The Jazz don't plan to make use of their empty roster spot to add another player this season, GM Kevin O'Connor tells Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke was frustrated by reports that suggested Denver signed Nene with the intention of trading him, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. "I want to squash that right now," Kroenke said. "This organization is not in a situation where we can take a $60-plus million gamble like that…. Our initial plan was to have Nene around for quite a while. It hurt me to see that [people] thought that I would view someone like that."
Acting Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan said that releasing Mehmet Okur is a possibility if the team needs to clear a roster spot. Given Okur's season-long back injury, the contract will qualify for about $2MM insurance coverage (Twitter links via Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge).
In a piece for Blazer's Edge, Jeff Kramer of Storytellers Contracts explains how the Blazers' trades last week affected their potential cap room this summer.

Nuggets Agree To Re-Sign Chandler

March 18th, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Alex Lee

6:21 PM: According to Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy, Chandler's deal is officially for five years and $37MM. The remainder of this season counts as one of the five years, so they deal is realistically closer to four years and $37MM. Chandler was a restricted free agent.

5:26 PM: The Denver Nuggets have come to an multiyear contract agreement with restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, the team announced today. We saw yesterday that the sides were working to reach a deal by the end of the weekend. The specifics of the deal have yet to be released.

Chandler came to the Nuggets last year from the Knicks as part of the package that fetched superstar Carmelo Anthony. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds between the teams in what was his fourth season in the NBA. During the NBA lockout, the 6-foot-8 Chandler agreed to sign with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Masai Ujiri, Denver's executive vice president of basketball operations, issued the following statement about the acquisition in a team press release:

"It is great to have Wilson back on our roster. It was a very unique situation signing a talented free agent in the middle of the season, and we worked extremely hard to find an agreement that was best for everyone. Wilson will be an excellent addition for the rest of this season and for years to come."

After essentially acquiring JaVale McGee for Nene (and his contract) in one of the season's bigger trade deadline deals, Chandler is another addition to an already strong and deep Nuggets' roster. Beat writer Aaron Lopez tweets that Chandler should be able to play Monday against the Mavericks.

Nuggets Waive Ronny Turiaf

March 18th, 2012 at 12:06pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Nuggets have waived center Ronny Turiaf after receiving the former Gonzaga star from the Wizards in the Nene trade that became official on Sunday. Turiaf, was acquired along with JaVale McGee and a second-round pick in a three-team trade with the Wizards and Clippers on March 15. He played four games with the Wizards this season, averaging 1.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG.

The 29-year-old Frenchman has played for the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and Wizards over the course of his seven-year career. Per the new collective bargaining agreement, Turiaf may not return to the Wizards until after the season. There is no word on whether the former second-round draft pick by the Lakers plans to continue his NBA career or head overseas to play in Europe.