Central Notes: Bullock, Cunningham, Cavaliers
Reggie Bullock is very likely to make the Pistons‘ roster, and the team is considering picking up his option for 2016/17, reports Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Detroit has until November 2nd to decide on the option, which is worth $2.2MM. Ellis cites an unidentified source with “firsthand knowledge” who says the move is being considered.
“If they pick this up, I know that I will be here at least still getting paid NBA money,” Bullock said. “I’m just trying to find a place, and Detroit would be the perfect place for me to be able to start my young career and actually be here and actually learn things as part of this system and organization.”
Bullock came to the Pistons in a July 9th deal with Phoenix that also brought Marcus Morris and Danny Granger. He didn’t earn much playing time in his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Suns, but has impressed Detroit’s coaches with a strong preseason performance. Bullock is averaging 12.3 points per game and has shot 8-of-16 from three-point range, along with providing a strong defensive presence on the wing.
There’s more this morning from the Central Division:
- Jared Cunningham is making a strong push for a Cavaliers roster spot, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He has been Cleveland’s leading scorer during the preseason, averaging 13.6 points per game. Cunningham has bounced around the league since being drafted in the first round in 2012, spending time with the Mavericks, Hawks, Kings and Clippers. Washburn notes that the 24-year-old would give the Cavs an athletic presence in the backcourt.
- Kevin Love is expected to make his preseason debut today, but that only offers a little relief for the Cavaliers‘ injury woes, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Love will return to the court for the first time since having surgery to fix a dislocated left shoulder. Five Cleveland rotation players have undergone surgical procedures in the past 10 months.
- The Bucks are being cautious with Jabari Parker as he comes back from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season after 25 games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “If you were able to watch practice, I’m sure you guys would probably question why he’s not playing,” said coach Jason Kidd. “Because he’s done everything. He looks great. But again, he hasn’t been cleared by the doctors.”
Central Notes: Jennings, Monroe, Bulls, Williams
The Pistons hope to have Brandon Jennings back by Christmas, according to Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The point guard hasn’t played since rupturing his left Achilles in January, but coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he is “doing about everything” in practice, which includes step-back jumpers, running hard forward and backward and making moves before shooting. However, Jennings hasn’t been in a competitive situation or done any defensive drills. “They’ve given us sort of Christmastime, sort of tentative, very general, though, before or after so I think there’s a reasonable chance he could play in a game before the first of the year,” Van Gundy said.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Several former Pistons teammates who also played for Milwaukee helped convince Greg Monroe to sign with the Bucks this summer, writes Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. Assisting Monroe in making his decision were Jennings, Caron Butler, Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton, whom Monroe had Thanksgiving dinner with last year. Middleton joked that he called or texted Monroe “every five minutes” to recruit him for Milwaukee.
- If the Bulls decide to go with a full roster of 15 players, Cristiano Felicio is a good bet to grab the final spot over Jordan Crawford, speculates K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The Brazilian center played on Chicago’s summer league team and is in camp on a non-guaranteed contract. Johnson believes he would be good insurance with Joakim Noah and maybe Pau Gasol becoming unrestricted free agents next summer.
- The offseason addition of Mo Williams, combined with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, gives the Cavaliers three of the toughest players in the NBA, according to Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Nobody is going to punk me,” Williams said. “Nobody’s going to punk anybody who I stand with, so that’s just a motto that I have and I feel like my teammates should have that same motto.”
Pistons Rumors: Bullock, Hilliard, Bachynski, Baynes
Reggie Bullock, acquired in a July trade with Phoenix, has been “the pleasant surprise of preseason,” writes David Mayo of MLive. In his “Ask David” column, Mayo acknowledges that Bullock is still battling with Adonis Thomas for a roster spot, but says the 6’7″ forward has helped himself with a productive preseason. Bullock is averaging 12.3 points and 20.6 minutes of playing time in three preseason games. Mayo notes that Bullock is finally getting an opportunity, which didn’t happen after the Suns picked him up in a trade with the Clippers midway through last season. He played just 75 minutes in 11 games with Phoenix after the deal and made several trips to the D-League.
There’s more from the Motor City:
- Recent comments from Van Gundy indicate that rookie Darrun Hilliard has a secure spot on the team, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The 6’6″ swingman from Villanova signed a three-year deal — with the first season fully guaranteed and a $500K guarantee for the second season — after being selected 38th in June’s draft. “We have a good feel for Darrun, maybe more so than the other guys,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t really feel the need to get him 18 or 20 minutes in a game. We pretty much know what we have there as a staff and even as a front office.”
- Jordan Bachynski is trying not to be intimidated by the long odds he faces in making the Pistons’ roster, writes Aaron McMann of MLive. The 7’2″ center was signed to a non-guaranteed contract two weeks before training camp opened. He went undrafted in 2014, spending part of last season with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate and another part in the Turkish Basketball League. ” I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to get cut,'” Bachynski said. “Because if you start thinking like that, you’re not going to continue to work hard. I’m going to be in here every day, showing them that I want to be here. I’m not going to be one of the guys who dogs it, who sits on the sideline, who doesn’t show up every day.”
- Free agent addition Aron Baynes surprised the Pistons’ coaching staff with his play in his preseason debut, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. It was the first action since offseason ankle surgery for Baynes, who signed a three-year, $20MM deal in July.
The Beat: Vince Ellis On The Pistons
Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.
We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about the Timberwolves. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.
Today, we gain insight on the Pistons from Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. You can follow Vince on Twitter at @Vincent_Ellis56, and check out his stories right here.
Hoops Rumors: Where do the Pistons and Andre Drummond stand as the deadline for an extension approaches?
Vince Ellis: Stan Van Gundy told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday night that they would have something soon, but he didn’t specify details. I’ve heard that it’s something the Pistons are still working through. Remember this isn’t a negotiation in a traditional sense. Drummond will eventually sign a five-year, $120MM contract extension off his rookie deal. It’s just a matter of when he signs it. If he signs it next offseason, the Pistons will have roughly $12MM more in cap space to chase free agents or facilitate trades — although with the rising cap it’s debatable how much that extra space would help the Pistons. But Drummond has to feel comfortable knowing that if he doesn’t sign now — he will still get the deal if for some reason things don’t go well this year. But the Pistons may decide to just do the deal to give Drummond peace of mind.
Hoops Rumors: Last week, you reported that the Pistons are keeping an eye on the relationship between Markieff Morris and the Suns. However, the Pistons traded for a starting stretch four in June when they acquired Ersan Ilyasova. Why do you think the Pistons are interested in Morris?
Vince Ellis: Simple, they think he is a good player. Grantland had a recent piece on the value of the assist and continued telling us the foolishness of the midrange jump shot. The article points out that Markieff is one of the guys who actually can do work from midrange area. Guys with a heat map that covers the three-point circle are valuable. Also he is locked up for four more years at $8MM per. With the escalating salaries the contract is a bargain. The Pistons will have competition IF the Suns decide to make a move.
Hoops Rumors: What does Reggie Jackson have to do on the court to make a convincing case that he’s truly worthy of the five-year, $80MM deal he signed this summer?
Vince Ellis: After a subpar game in the first preseason game, Jackson has been more than solid, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range in the next three games. If he can have those numbers be 45% and 35% in the regular season, you have a guy living up to his contract – at least by today’s standards when a lot of guys have got eye-opening numbers.
Hoops Rumors: Van Gundy seemed to make backup big men a priority, committing $9MM in combined salaries this season to Aron Baynes and Joel Anthony. Why do you think he found it so important to pour resources into that part of the roster?
Vince Ellis: I’m assuming you are referring to why he did this when the trend is small ball. I really don’t think $9MM is that much of a $70MM payroll. They have four guys (Ersan Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Anthony Tolliver and human utility belt Stanley Johnson) more than capable of playing the stretch-four position. Van Gundy is stressing the need to play all styles. There are good teams with traditional starting fives (San Antonio, Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies). It’s simply a matter of wanting to match up against those teams.
Hoops Rumors: The Pistons have 17 fully guaranteed salaries and 15 regular season roster spots to go around. How do you think the Pistons resolve this logjam? Who is most likely to go?
Vince Ellis: Getting rid of two — Danny Granger and Cartier Martin — will probably be easy. There were indications Granger would be waived or traded as soon as he was acquired from the Suns. Health is an issue and he has been allowed to stay away from the team during camp to rehab. Martin was a disappointment in his first season with the Pistons and an issue with his right hand has prevented him from getting time during the preseason. The last roster spot appears to come down to Reggie Bullock and camp invite Adonis Thomas. But Bullock has been a revelation and Thomas has been hampered by a sore Achilles.
Hoops Rumors: What do you think Van Gundy learned in his first season balancing the duties of both coach and executive that he can take into this season?
Vince Ellis: Really hard to compare the two. He took over in May and spent the summer on the sidelines for the most part except for a couple of free agent signings because he didn’t feel comfortable making major personnel decisions without the apparatus in place. But he was stunning the NBA by Christmas with the waiving of Josh Smith and wound up moving to get Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline. I think most of the lessons he will take into this season will come at the coaching end. He was probably caught off guard with just how much teams have come to rely on the three-point shot. He is adjusting his defense there and also on how the team guards the pick-and-roll.
Central Notes: Jefferson, Vaughn, Pistons, Pacers
Richard Jefferson felt uncomfortable with the prospect of playing for the Mavericks once DeAndre Jordan turned his back on the team, and the veteran small forward took agent Jeff Schwartz’s advice to take a delicate approach to undoing his own verbal commitment to Dallas, as Jefferson details to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The 35-year-old signed a guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Cavs after asking Mark Cuban’s permission to break off their deal.
“And so, [Schwartz] was like: ‘Well, Rich, I can call, but we should probably tell the Mavs first. And let’s see. Because I don’t want to call the Cavs and all of the sudden the Cavs call the Mavs about what’s going on and it comes back on me and it looks like I’m trying to do stuff behind their back,'” Jefferson said. “And so, we talked to Mark first and I asked him for permission, and he said, ‘That’s fine.’ And then there was some interest here [in Cleveland] and it was pretty much a no brainer.”
See more from the Central Division:
- Rashad Vaughn‘s mature demeanor impressed Bucks coach Jason Kidd before Milwaukee drafted him 17th overall this June, and the rookie is making waves on the court, too, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines. “The Vaughn kid put on a show in the fourth quarter, as he did in Chicago the other night,” Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said after his team’s game against the Bucks Saturday. “We’re going to be dealing with him for a long time in the league. He’s got a quick release and can really, really shoot the ball.”
- Detroit has experienced a whirlwind of player movement under Van Gundy, so in spite of their apparent interest in Markieff Morris, the Pistons would be well-served to consider the benefits of roster stability over yet another change, opines Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- The commitment to a traditional lineup that the Pacers made in the past seemed aimed at beating the Heat, but now that president of basketball operations Larry Bird has shifted the team’s roster and on-court philosophy, Paul George isn’t the only one who must fit in, argues RealGM’s Andrew Perna. Coach Frank Vogel, who’s under contract through 2016/17, must also prove he can lead a more potent attack on offense.
Cavs Lead With 16 Free Agent Signings
The Cavaliers have drawn plenty of attention the past few months for a free agent they haven’t signed, but even though Tristan Thompson lingers in free agency, Cleveland has taken care of more free agent business than any other team in the league during the 2015 offseason. They signed 16 free agents, three more than the Spurs, the team that recorded the next most free agent signings. The Cavs just made their latest signing this weekend, replacing Michael Dunigan with Dionte Christmas on the camp roster.
It might be easy to presume a direct correlation between free agent activity and success, given the teams at the very top and bottom of the list below. The Cavs and Spurs are strong bets to win their respective conferences this season, while the Jazz, Timberwolves and Sixers are nowhere near the title picture. The presence of the Warriors and Thunder on the bottom half of the list and the Kings and Nets close to the top debunk that theory, however. It has more to do with the fact that the Cavs had only four players signed for 2015/16 when they ended last season, while the Jazz had 13. Cleveland simply had more jobs to hand out.
Still, other factors are at play, since free agent signings don’t encompass draft picks, draft-and-stash signings, trades or waiver claims. The Trail Blazers made significant changes to their roster, but they did much of their work via trade instead of free agency. The Rockets had 10 players under contract on July 1st, but they still wound up making 11 free agent signings.
Here’s a look at the number of free agent signings for each team. Click the team’s name to see the names of each of their signees via our 2015 Free Agent Tracker.
- Cavaliers, 16
- Mavericks, 13
- Spurs, 13
- Kings, 12
- Knicks, 12
- Nets, 12
- Pelicans, 12
- Rockets, 11
- Clippers, 10
- Grizzlies, 10
- Suns, 10
- Heat, 9
- Pacers, 9
- Raptors, 9
- Bulls, 8
- Hawks, 8
- Magic, 8
- Wizards, 8
- Bucks, 7
- Celtics, 7
- Hornets, 7
- Lakers, 7
- Nuggets, 7
- Warriors, 7
- Pistons, 6
- Thunder, 6
- Trail Blazers, 6
- 76ers, 5
- Timberwolves, 5
- Jazz, 4
Eastern Notes: Oubre, Watson, Sloan, Johnson
Kelly Oubre is off to a rough start in his first preseason action, but despite their status as an upper-tier Eastern Conference team, the Wizards view this year’s No. 15 overall pick as a long-term project, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
“He’s a young kid, a rookie, first time out, and he’s learning,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “And I love his attitude. He hasn’t put his head down. He hasn’t, I’m sure, got off to the start that he would want to get off, in terms of numbers and how he’s playing. But he’s out there fighting. He hasn’t put his head down or anything like that so that’s a good thing. And he’s in here every day. He’ll be in here tomorrow ready to get better.”
See more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Magic had tried multiple times years ago to try to acquire C.J. Watson, and while new coach Scott Skiles wasn’t around for those attempts, recommendations from two of his assistants have him excited about the backup point guard who signed with Orlando this summer, as John Denton of Magic.com chronicles. “We just felt like his ability to shoot the three and play behind Elfrid [Payton] would be good for us because he’s always been a solid, heady player,’’ Skiles said. “A couple of our coaches – Adrian Griffin has had him before and Mario Elie has been around him and they swore by the kind of person that he was. We were able to go and get him and we’re glad to have him.’’
- Judging by their relative performances and playing time so far, Donald Sloan appears to have the edge on Ryan Boatright for the third point guard job on the Nets, observes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Sloan’s partial guarantee is $50K and Boatright’s is $75K.
- Four of the five rookies among those Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders singles out as the most impressive so far in the preseason hail from the Eastern Conference, including Stanley Johnson of the Pistons, who leads all rookies in preseason scoring even though he was a surprise pick at No. 8 overall.
And-Ones: Extensions, Kentucky, Lakers
The Pistons do not seem overly concerned about maximizing on cap space and waiting to the summer to strike a deal with Andre Drummond and it’s more likely than any other potential extension other than Harrison Barnes that the center secures a lucrative extension this month, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Stein adds that Barnes is also likely to receive a large extension from the Warriors before the league’s deadline for rookie-deal extensions on November 2nd. Stein points out — as we at Hoops Rumors have consistently mentioned where applicable as well — that the window has been pushed back two days (it usually is October 31st).
The Wizards have an opposite approach from the Pistons and instead are hoping to convince Bradley Beal to hold off on a new deal until next summer because the delay could lead to Washington having nearly $10MM in additional salary cap space next summer when it intends to make a run Kevin Durant.
You can view our Extension Candidate series by clicking here.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Rasual Butler likely must beat out Jimmer Fredette and Reggie Williams, among others, for the Spurs‘ final regular season roster spot, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News writes. Butler, 36, knew what the odds were when he signed with the Spurs last month, McDonald adds. Butler, as McDonald points out, has played for five teams since the start of the 2010/11 season.“Some of us have to work a little harder, and you have to be OK with that,” Butler said. “You have to pick your lunch pail up and go to work if this is what you love do to.”
- All 30 teams scouted Kentucky’s pro day, Adam Zagoria of SNY.TV reports.
- Matt Brase will finish the preseason with the Rockets before taking over as coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their NBA D-League affiliate, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes in a worthwhile profile. Brase was announced as the Vipers’ new coach in August.
- The Lakers are hopeful rookie Marcelo Huertas, whose $525,093 contract isn’t guaranteed, can stabilize the second unit, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times details. Huertas has been unable to practice because of a hamstring strain, Pincus adds. “He’s a very, very good floor leader,” Lakers head coach Byron Scott said. “He’s a gutsy, pesky-type guy. He doesn’t back down. He’s going to try to guard you to the best of his ability, and he’s a guy that can make plays for you.”
Central Notes: Monroe, Cavs, Pistons
Jared Cunningham, who is one of six camp invites fighting for a spot on the Cavs‘ 15-man regular season roster, is separating himself from the pack, head coach David Blatt said, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Cunningham is averaging 20.5 points per game through Cleveland’s first two preseason games.
Including Tristan Thompson, who remains unsigned, the Cavs have one open roster spot, but Blatt hinted that two spots might be available, Haynes adds. While it is still early, Cunningham seems to have the advantage over the competition, according to Haynes.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- There’s a strong chance Richard Jefferson will be a solid backup to LeBron James and play well enough to keep the superstar fresh for the playoffs, Haynes writes in a separate story. Jefferson signed with the Cavs on a one-year deal.
- Greg Monroe, who signed a three-year, $50MM contract with the Bucks during the summer after playing last season in Detroit for a qualifying-offer salary, is quickly making strides toward fitting in on the court with his new teammates, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details. Monroe is fond of how the Bucks share the ball and said he is trying to get into position to get some early post-ups and kick out the ball to his teammates, according to Gardner. “I think I fit in with the guys,” Monroe said. “I know I made the right decision. I’m not questioning that. Now is just time to get better with the team so we can do something together.”
- It will be pivotal to the success of the Pistons if Ersan Ilyasova can rebound consistently, especially with Monroe’s departure, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes.
And-Ones: Hood, Tskitishvili, Sterling, Rookies
Utah’s Rodney Hood impressed his coach with the way he reacted to a dose of NBA trash talking from the Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. In an exhibition game last week, Bryant reminded the second-year player that he was going up against one of the league’s all-time greats, listing a resume that includes 17 All-Star games and five NBA titles. Hood, on the other hand, is trying to carve out a role with the Jazz after averaging 8.7 points in 50 games during his rookie season, mostly as a backup. “I think Rodney just played like he was playing against another really, really good player,” said Quin Snyder. “The challenge that I like that I saw in that was that Kobe was really physical and that’s something that if you’ve haven’t (experienced), particularly in your second year, if you haven’t played against that toughness and that intensity, that it’s new.”
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- Nikoloz Tskitishvili has signed a deal to play in China, tweets international journalist David Pick. Tskitishvili, who was waived by the Clippers last week, scored 13 points in his audition for the Fujian team. He signed a 48-hour deal, but both sides share an option to extend it (Twitter link). At age 32, Tskitishvili had been hoping to return to the NBA after being out of the league since 2006.
- Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling has filed an appeal of the probate court decision that gave his wife, Shelly, control of the family trust as well as the authority to sell the team, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. A hearing has been set for October 28th after Sterling’s legal team asked the court to expedite his appeal of the probate case (Twitter link).
- This season should feature a wide-open race for the Rookie of the Year trophy, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The columnist names the Pistons‘ Stanley Johnson, the Nuggets‘ Emmanuel Mudiay and the Sixers‘ Jahlil Okafor as the early favorites, but says several other contenders could emerge.