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Southwest Notes: Hayes, West, Davis

By | at November 4, 2015 10:27 pm

Veteran power forward David West sacrificed both money and playing time to join the Spurs as a free agent this past offseason, a move that was necessary to keep his competitive fire burning after 12 NBA seasons, Harvey Araton of The New York Times writes. “For me, in terms of basketball, I needed every night to mean something, in order to keep going,” West said. The player also acknowledged that the Pacers’ treatment of center Roy Hibbert played a part in his decision to leave Indiana, Araton adds. “It was a great environment, but I got to the point where I felt it was time to move in a different direction,” West said of his former team.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest Division:

  • Chuck Hayes, who was signed by the Rockets on Sunday, is thrilled to be back out on the court as a player after flirting with becoming an assistant coach, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “It was a good feeling to go out there in the second quarter,” said Hayes after his first game back. “I don’t know all the timing, the offensive rhythm yet. I consider myself a good defensive player. I figure that’s the best way I can dictate and put an imprint on the game is on the defensive end. The thing I did is talk to the guys, tell them where the screens are coming, be active, let my voice do the work for me.”
  • Anthony Davis isn’t thrilled with his play in new coach Alvin Gentry‘s up-tempo system, and the Pelicans‘ slow start to the season isn’t helping matters either, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”I’m always frustrated; I just want to be the best I can be to help the team win,” Davis said. ”I feel I’m not doing it right now. All the frustration is on me. They’re giving me great opportunities and I can’t find a way to put the ball in the basket.”
  • As his career winds down, Spurs big man Tim Duncan has re-invented himself as a “glue guy,” and instead of looking to score, he must look to do “the little stuff” that impacts the game, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. “I’m just trying to figure that out,” Duncan said when asked to describe his role. “I’m not sure what it is yet. It’s a little different now, because we added some different players. We’re all just trying to figure it out.”
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NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

By | at November 3, 2015 4:01 pm

NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.

NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.

Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.

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Western Notes: Bryant, Rockets, Grizzlies

By | at November 2, 2015 10:07 pm

The Lakers would be better off if Kobe Bryant retired, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News opines. Bryant hasn’t been an impact player since the 2012/13 season and no longer serves a useful role on a rebuilding team, Smallwood continues. The veteran wing player doesn’t have the mentality to help develop the Lakers’ younger players and his burning desire to win actually hurts the team’s chances of holding onto its first-round pick, Smallwood adds. The Lakers must convey their 2016 pick to the Sixers unless it’s in the top three. Becoming a role player on a contending team via a trade or buyout doesn’t suit Bryant’s personality or ego, so there’s no point in Bryant continuing his career, Smallwood concludes.

In other news around the Western Conference:

  • Rockets coach Kevin McHale is unsure when he’ll feel comfortable playing center Dwight Howard in back-to-backs, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Howard missed most of the preseason with back tightness after sitting out a portion of last season with fluid buildup in his right knee, Feigen continues. “Dwight’s going to have to build his way up to being in NBA shape and being able to perform at the level he wants,” McHale told Feigen. “It’s not realistic to say you’re going to take that much time off and be able to come back and play.”
  • JaMychal Green is a strong rebounder and that’s the most compelling reason for him to be in the Grizzlies’ rotation, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal opines. Green, playing on a partially guaranteed deal, has been used as Memphis’ 10th man in the early going and has shown the foundation to be a useful role player, Herrington continues. If he continues to improve on catch-and-shoot opportunities, he’ll secure a rotation spot, Herrington adds.
  • Kings coach George Karl believes mental mistakes and faulty shot selection are the team’s biggest issues after the first three games, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. “I see a team that needs to get better and get smarter and get serious about those two things,” Karl said to Jones. “We’re not a connected team yet.”
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And-Ones: Rockets, Knicks, Robinson

By | at November 1, 2015 9:21 pm

The Rockets remain skeptical that they will be able to reach agreements on signing rookie scale extensions for forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. The deadline for rookie scale extensions is Monday. It was recently reported that both players preferred to set themselves up for restricted free agency this coming summer. Both Motiejunas and Jones are considered “vitally important” to the team, according to Feigen.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

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Rockets To Pick Up 2016/17 Option On Clint Capela

By | at November 1, 2015 6:45 pm

SUNDAY, 6:45pm: The Rockets have picked up the option, Feigen reports. The team has yet to make an announcement.

SEPTEMBER 28TH: The Rockets will exercise their team option to keep center Clint Capela on his rookie scale contract for the 2016/17 season, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The formal decision on the option, worth $1,296,240, is due November 2nd, nearly a year before the option season begins.

It’s no shock to see Houston poised to make the move, since most rookie scale team options are picked up, even though Capela saw action in only 12 games and scored a total of 32 points in the regular season this past year, his first in the NBA after the Rockets made him the 25th overall pick in 2014. Capela took a step forward in the postseason, when he saw minutes in place of the injured Donatas Motiejunas. The rookie appeared in more playoff games (17) than regular season contests and averaged 3.4 points in 7.5 minutes per postseason game.

The option will put a slight squeeze on Houston’s cap flexibility for next summer, though the team will only have about $45.6MM in commitments once the option formally goes on the books. That doesn’t count a player option worth more than $23MM for Dwight Howard, Ty Lawson‘s non-guaranteed salary in excess of $13.2MM, or any money for Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, whose contracts will expire at season’s end if they don’t reach extensions with Houston by that same November 2nd date. The salary cap is projected to hit $89MM next summer.

Do you think Capela will become a productive player for the Rockets? Leave a comment to let us know.

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Western Notes: Hayes, Perkins, Brown, Alexander

By | at November 1, 2015 12:59 pm

A shortage of big men led to the Rockets signing Chuck Hayes earlier today, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. With Dwight Howard sitting out because of a back-to-back and forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas out with injury, Houston needed emergency help in its frontcourt. The solution was Hayes, who received a non-guaranteed contract, an unidentified source told Feigen. “Sitting at home watching games is not a good feeling,” Hayes said. “I’m excited. I’m familiar with the organization, familiar with the coaching staff from meeting with them this summer. I’m looking forward to it.” During the summer, the Rockets were interested in having Hayes join their coaching staff, but he wanted to continue playing.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Pelicans‘ Kendrick Perkins will be sidelined indefinitely with a right pectoral injury, tweets John Reid of The Times-Picayune. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday night’s loss to the Warriors.
  • Jabari Brown, the last player waived by the Lakers during camp, is considering playing in China, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. A source told Spears that Brown won’t play for the Lakers’ D-League team.
  • Surgery is being considered for the Blazers‘ Cliff Alexander, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Tests showed Alexander suffered torn cartilage in his knee, but the team is hoping the injury will heal with rest. If swelling or pain emerges again, surgery will be an option. “As of now, I’m fine, I feel no pain,” the 19-year-old rookie said. “I can run and jump, do everything. But if the swelling and pain comes back, then I might need surgery.”
  • Warriors GM Bob Myers told Sam Amick of USA Today that even though an extension couldn’t be reached with Harrison Barnes, the discussions ended “in a very healthy place.” Barnes reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM offer and will become a restricted free agent next summer. “The deal has to work for Harrison and the organization,” Myers said. “And I always — maybe it’s my background [as a player agent] — but I always respect the position that an athlete takes in these situations. And now, representing the organization, we’re going to make the decision the best decision for us.”
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Rockets Sign Chuck Hayes

By | at November 1, 2015 9:36 am

The Rockets have reached an agreement with veteran Chuck Hayes, the team has announced. Houston, which has been beset by injuries to its frontcourt, had an open roster spot so no other move is necessary. It’ll have to be a minimum-salary deal, though it’s unclear whether it’s a one-year or two-year arrangement. If it’s a one-year deal, the league will pay a portion of Hayes’ salary, limiting the impact against Houston’s hard cap. The Rockets were already about $1.5MM shy of the $88.74MM hard cap that the Montrezl Harrell signing triggered.

Hayes was reportedly going to sign with the Rockets over the summer, but a deal collapsed in late August. He was reportedly offered a coaching position, but wanted to continue his playing career. Hayes agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers, but lost a training camp battle with Luc Mbah a Moute for their final roster spot.

The 32-year-old began his NBA career with the Rockets in 2005/06 and spent six seasons in Houston. He played last season in Toronto, averaging 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 games.

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Thunder Rumors: Waiters, McGary, Harden, Durant

By | at October 31, 2015 9:51 pm

Dion Waiters feels “comfortable” with his situation in Oklahoma City as he waits to see if he will receive an extension, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Waiters said there is a “brotherhood” among the Thunder, as teammates spend a lot of time together off the court. “I’ve never been a part of a team that did that as a whole, as everybody,” said Waiters, who was traded from Cleveland to Oklahoma City last season. “That’s great for me.” Teams have until Monday to extend rookie scale contracts for players who’ve completed three seasons of those deals.

There’s more tonight from Oklahoma City:

  • Mitch McGary hasn’t played in the first two games, but he hasn’t dropped out of the rotation, Slater writes in a separate story. The second-year player is being brought back slowly after going through concussion protocol. “Mitch had a good training camp,” said coach Billy Donovan. “He had a good summer. Once he gets back into a rhythm, he can really help us.”
  • The 2012 trade that sent James Harden to Houston looks worse with each passing year, according to Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Not only has Harden blossomed into an MVP candidate with the Rockets, but the NBA’s changing payroll landscape has made the deal even more distasteful for Thunder fans, Tramel writes. GM Sam Presti was worried at the time that the franchise couldn’t afford a max deal for Harden while hanging onto Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka. However, a jump in TV money and overall revenues has created a rapidly escalating salary cap, and Enes Kanter is getting more from the Thunder than Harden would have.
  • As Durant heads toward free agency, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wonders if he will be able to get back to an MVP level. The 2014/15 season saw Durant undergo three foot operations, with the last one coming in March. The Thunder insist the foot is fine now, and people close to Durant see no decline in his skills or athleticism. “I don’t think he wants people to feel that this is a comeback year for him,” said Brice Plebani, a childhood friend. “I think he wants to feel like there was never anything that he needed to come back from.”
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Southwest Notes: Douglas, Kazemi, Pachulia

By | at October 31, 2015 7:41 pm

Toney Douglas‘ new contract with the Pelicans covers two years, with the second year non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. New Orleans signed the 29-year-old guard Friday after waiving Nate Robinson. This is the second stint with the Pelicans for Douglas, who signed two 10-day contracts and a multiyear deal with the team last season. However, the Pelicans waived him in July to avoid guaranteeing his salary for this season.  Douglas cleared waivers earlier this week after being released by the Pacers.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Arsalan Kazemi, who was with the Rockets briefly this preseason, will play overseas rather than in the D-League, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Kazemi was waived last week after being claimed on waivers from the Hawks on October 12th.  He appeared in one preseason game with Houston.
  • Dirk Nowitzki is a already a huge fan of new teammate Zaza Pachulia, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Pachulia, who came to Dallas in a July trade with the Bucks, had 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first game with the Mavericks. “I don’t think I’ve played with a smarter center than he is,” Nowitzki said.
    “Just making smart plays, setting good picks, getting guys open. He’s a good passer for his size and just makes really, really smart plays.”
  • The Grizzlies know what to expect from their core starters, but their level of success could depend on complementary players, writes Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal. Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen are established after playing in 279 games together entering this season, according to Herrington, but it’s the contribution of other players, such as offseason addition Brandan Wright, who could determine if Memphis makes a serious run at the title.
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Southwest Notes: Conley, Robinson, Aldridge

By | at October 31, 2015 4:12 pm

The Grizzlies have every intention of re-signing point guard Mike Conley when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, and based on Conley’s enthusiastic recruitment for center Marc Gasol to re-sign with the team this past offseason, the veteran playmaker also desires his time in Memphis to continue beyond this campaign, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports writes. Gasol said he plans to leave Conley alone this season and won’t pester him to stay in Memphis, Lee adds.

“Yeah, but I cannot force him to do anything that he doesn’t feel that is right. He has to do what is right for him, that he believes in it,” Gasol told Lee. “If you feel forced to do something you don’t believe in, then you’re going to regret it. And whenever he makes his decision, whatever his decision is, he knows our relationship goes way beyond basketball and we’ll always be friends, past this five, 10 years left in our careers. As long as we live, we’re going to be friends. It’s not going to affect our friendship.”

Here’s more from out of the Southwest Division:

  • Nate Robinson‘s stint with the Pelicans this season lasted less than two weeks, but his release wasn’t because of anything the diminutive guard failed to do, John Reid of The Times Picayune relays (Twitter links). Robinson was replaced on New Orleans’ roster by Toney Douglas, who was thought to be a better fit for the team’s roster, according to coach Alvin Gentry, Reid notes. ”We just thought it was a better fit [with Douglas], nothing against Nate,” Gentry said. “Nate came in and did everything we asked him to do.”
  • Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is still finding his footing in San Antonio with his new team, and the player admitts that he’s “not even close” to the player San Antonio signed this offseason, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com writes. “It’s not the same. I’m not the same person here that I was in Portland,” Aldridge said. “I don’t feel like they need me to be that person all the time. It’s learning how to be myself in the offense. I haven’t figured that out yet. I feel like the whole [team philosophy of] ‘good to great passes’ [is] in my head all the time. Hopefully as the season goes on I’ll figure it out. But right now, I’m just trying to fit in.“
  • Rockets camp cuts Denzel Livingston, Will Cummings, Joshua Smith, and Chris Walker will join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers,  as D-League affiliate players this season, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays (on Twitter).
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