Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Stoudemire, Smith

February 25th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The tension between Rajon Rondo and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle that bubbled to the surface with a profanity-laced shouting match and Rondo’s subsequent benching during Tuesday’s game predates that confrontation, team sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The soon-to-be free agent and the coach have been at loggerheads over play-calling for a while, MacMahon hears, but owner Mark Cuban doesn’t seem worried, the ESPNDallas.com scribe notes. It’s far from the first time Rondo has clashed with a coach, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com points out (on Twitter). While we wait to see if his latest confrontation has any implication on this summer’s free agent market, there’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Southwest Division:

Mavs athletic trainer Casey Smith’s strong reputation was one of the keys to Amar’e Stoudemire‘s decision to sign with Dallas, as MacMahon writes in a separate piece examining the team’s success with players on minimum-salary contracts. Cuban cites the club’s medical staff along with its style of play and its success in the win-loss column for the team’s ability to attract veterans at a discount. “You start looking at the roster and what they’ve accumulated,” Richard Jefferson said. “I’m in year 14 [of my career] now. I want to win. If that means I have to take less money for a year or two to help a team win, then so be it.”
Josh Smith considered joining the Clippers before signing with the Rockets, as he told reporters today, including Dan Woike of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The Clippers reportedly reached out to Smith’s representatives shortly after his release from the Pistons in December. He’ll be a free agent again in the summer.
Former Mavs and Pelicans point guard Gal Mekel wishes he’d entered the D-League when he was searching for an NBA deal after the Pelicans let him go earlier this season, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Mekel wound up signing this week with Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod.

Larry Sanders Casts Doubt On Return To NBA

February 25th, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Chuck Myron

Larry Sanders revealed in a self-authored piece on The Players’ Tribune that he recently checked himself into a hospital where he took part in a program for anxiety, depression and mood disorders, and he used “if” and not “when” in reference to a return to basketball. The former Bucks center is a free agent after clearing waivers Monday from a buyout deal with Milwaukee.

“I love basketball, and if I get to a point where I feel I’m capable of playing basketball again, I will,” Sanders wrote. “I’ve had to make the difficult decision to follow my intuition, and allow myself the space and time to explore my true purpose in life.”

In January, Sanders denied a report from Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times that he was thinking about retirement amid an absence that began following his last appearance in a game on December 23rd. The center indicated in the video portion of his Players’ Tribune piece that the Bucks organization wasn’t the impetus behind his desire to depart. The 26-year-old reportedly has no intention to sign with an NBA team this season, though the Mavericks and Clippers were among the teams with at least some level of interest in signing him.

The center signed a four-year, $44MM rookie scale extension with the Bucks in 2013, but it didn’t kick in until this season. He forfeited all but $22,064,705 of it in the buyout deal, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Sanders downplayed the importance of money in his essay and suggested in the video that he has numerous priorities other than basketball.

“I’m a person, I’m a father, I’m an artist, I’m a writer, I’m a painter, I’m a musician, and sometimes I play basketball,” Sanders said.

Once a standout defender, Sanders has encountered a multitude of problems since he signed the extension. He broke his hand in a nightclub fight early last season, and the league has twice given him drug-related suspensions. The latest stretched over 12 games and cost him $1.2MM.

Cavs Sign Kendrick Perkins

February 24th, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

TUESDAY, 3:40pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

9:49pm: Perkins will sign with the Cavaliers Tuesday before the team plays in Detroit, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

MONDAY, 4:14pm: Perkins has cleared waivers as expected, a source tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), clearing the way for him to sign with the Cavs.

SATURDAY, 3:30pm: Kendrick Perkins has finalized a buyout arrangement with the Jazz and intends to sign with the Cavaliers if and when he clears waivers, Royce Young of ESPN.com reports. Perkins was dealt to the Jazz on Thursday as part of a three-way trade with the Pistons and Thunder that sent Reggie Jackson to Detroit and Enes Kanter to Oklahoma City. The buyout has not been officially announced by the player or the Jazz as of yet, though Perkins’ agent Arn Tellem has informed Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that a buyout had been agreed upon.

The veteran big man was recruited by LeBron James to select Cleveland as his next NBA destination, Young notes. Perkins also drew heavy interest from the Bulls, Clippers, Pelicans, and Spurs, the ESPN scribe adds. The combination of a chance to contend for an NBA title along with an opportunity for playing time pushed Perkins to choose Cleveland over his other suitors, Young relays. The Cavs currently have 14 players on their roster, so no additional move would be required to sign Perkins. No contract details for Perkins have been released, but the Cavs do have a disabled player exception worth $4,852,273 for Anderson Varejao that they could use to sign Perkins for more than the minimum.

Perkins, 30, is making $9.654MM this season and would have become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. In 51 appearances this season, all with the Thunder, Perkins is averaging 4.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 19.2 minutes per contest.

Clippers Sign Jordan Hamilton To 10-Day Deal

February 24th, 2015 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:43pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

11:05am: The Clippers plan to sign Jordan Hamilton to a 10-day contract today, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The fourth-year NBA veteran has been playing for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, as Wojnarowski notes. He’s poised to go into one of the two open roster spots the Clips have.

Hamilton joined the D-League in November, shortly after the Jazz waived him and brought an end to a stint that lasted barely more than a week. Utah had claimed Hamilton off waivers just before opening night after the Raptors let him go following the spirited battle he put up for the roster spot that ultimately went to Greg Stiemsma. He was one of several players to work out for the Lakers earlier this season. The former 26th overall pick, who’s spent most of his NBA career with the Nuggets, initially played with the affiliate of the Grizzlies after signing with the D-League, but that club traded him to the Kings affiliate in December. Not surprisingly, his numbers have been more impressive since the swap that sent him to the up-tempo Reno Bighorns, as he’s averaged 18.1 points and 7.6 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers has been targeting players who’ve gone through buyouts, but the team has come up empty in that market so far. Would-be target Tayshaun Prince ended up in a trade instead of a buyout deal, and Kendrick Perkins spurned the Clips in favor of the Cavs. The Clippers also tried to insert themselves in the running for Amar’e Stoudemire, but the Mavs quickly established themselves as front-runners before ultimately signing him.

Darius Miller Signs To Play In Germany

February 24th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Small forward Darius Miller has signed with Brose Baskets Bamberg, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The third-year pro joins Gal Mekel among the ex-Pelicans signing overseas today. New Orleans drafted Miller 46th overall in 2012 and re-signed him this past summer, but the team waived him in November despite a $400K partial guarantee. Miller’s deal with Bamberg runs until season’s end, according to the team’s statement.

The Clippers appeared to have a 10-day deal in place with the 24-year-old last month, but they signed Dahntay Jones instead. The Clips have a pair of open roster spots, as our roster counts show, and coach/executive Doc Rivers has pointed to the post-deadline buyout period as the time to fill those vacancies, but it appears as though Miller is not an option for the team.

Miller saw fairly significant playing time in 2013/14, averaging 4.4 points in 16.1 minutes per game for New Orleans, but his role shrunk to encompass only 8.7 MPG in five appearances during the early going for the Pelicans this season. He was a solid outside shooter in his final two seasons at Kentucky and as a rookie, but last season his three-point accuracy dipped to 32.5%.

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Knight, Nash, Karl

February 23rd, 2015 at 9:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Blake Griffin has reached a significant milestone in his recovery from a staph infection in his right elbow, tweets Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. The Clippers star is out of his elbow brace and his stitches have been removed. Woike also reported that Griffin can start working out, but he won’t be joining the team on its upcoming road trip (Twitter link). Griffin, the Clippers’ leading scorer at 22.5 points per game, had surgery on the elbow February 9th.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns guard Brandon Knight has moved around quite a bit, but he sees that as a positive, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I know if I would’ve been playing terrible or not playing as well as I was, I wouldn’t have been able to be moved for three players,” Knight said. “It’s a good thing and it’s a bad thing. I’m never going to try to play bad, but playing as well as I did put me in this position to be traded.”
The Lakers‘ Steve Nash hasn’t lost his desire to play, reports Scott Stinson of The National Post. Nash had planned for this to be his 19th and final season in the NBA. but nerve damage in his back prevented him from ever stepping on the court. Instead, Nash has become involved with projects such as filmmaking and a fitness center, and it’s uncertain whether he would give the league another try next season at age 42. “It’s tough,” he said. “I still wanted to play, but my body wouldn’t let me.”
George Karl has returned to coaching with the Kings because basketball is his calling, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Karl still has a desire to teach the game the “right way,” which is the Dean Smith way he learned at North Carolina. That’s especially true with a talented but volatile young player like DeMarcus Cousins, who evokes memories of the relationship Karl had with Gary Payton in Seattle two decades ago.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: AK47, Prince, Blatche, Bass

February 23rd, 2015 at 6:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Andrei Kirilenko said he doesn’t understand why the Sixers kept him for more than two months, waiving him only this weekend instead of cutting him soon after they traded for him in December, as he told Pavel Osipov of Sport-Express (translation via Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net). He said he didn’t hear anything from Sixers brass for two weeks following the trade, and the forward confirmed that he went on unpaid suspension when he refused to report. Here’s more from the Atlantic..

The Celtics promised Tayshaun Prince that they would buy him out but reneged when they traded him to the Pistons, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The Clippers, he adds, were likely disappointed when Prince was shipped to Detroit.
The Nets don’t have any other moves planned at this time and they’re not willing to eat any of their current contracts to make space for Andray Blatche, according to Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (on Twitter).
While his role in Boston has fluctuated, Brandon Bass told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he would “definitely” be open to signing a new deal to stay with the Celtics. “If I’m wanted back then yeah, I would want to be back for sure,” said Bass. “It’s been a blessing for me to be here four years, to finish out my contract here. I’m excited about that. Hopefully everything will continue to go in a positive direction.” Bass is earning $6.9MM in his walk year.
A chance to get on the floor was among the many reasons Gigi Datome was excited when he learned that he had been traded to the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
76ers GM Sam Hinkie is stockpiling second-round picks because, out of a handful, he figures to hit on at least one, as Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We will not bat 1.000 on every single draft pick,” Hinkie said. “We have them by the bushelful in part because of that, because we don’t have any hubris that we will get them all right. We’re not certain we have an edge over anyone else. We’re not certain we have an edge at all. That’s OK. It’s a hard league, with 30 teams trying to clamor to the top of the same mountain.” The GM continued his polarizing rebuild plan at this year’s trade deadline when he moved Michael Carter-Williams for draft considerations.
New Nets acquisition Thaddeus Young is motivated by the death of his mother and the promise of making a playoff push, Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: Barnes, Davis, Kings, Lakers

February 22nd, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Harrison Barnes has improved this season and the North Carolina product could have a greater role on the team going forward, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. Barnes is making more than $3.87MM this season and slightly over $5.19MM during the 2015/16 season, after which he will become a restricted free agent. If the forward continues to improve his play, Barnes may get a significant raise on that figure, something the Warriors should keep in mind if they decide to hand a hefty contract to restricted free agent Draymond Green this offseason, although that is just my speculation.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers failed to make any noise at this year’s trade deadline and the team’s faith in reserve forward Glen Davis was part of the reason it didn’t add a piece to the frontcourt, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. “His energy, I stay on him all the time because it’s contagious,” Clippers point guard Chris Paul said this week. “When he brings that, he brings a different element to our team.” The Clippers have gone 4-1 since Blake Griffin exited the lineup because of an elbow injury. The team currently sits in fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 37-19.
New addition Andre Miller believes coach George Karl will succeed in Sacramento, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “He knows how to deal with players and egos,” Miller said of Karl, “and that’s why he’s been so successful in this league.” The Kings acquired Miller from the Wizards in exchange for point guard Ramon Sessions at Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Lakers are looking at their final 28 games of the season as a chance to evaluate their young players to see who can fit into the team’s long-term plans, writes Bill Oram of Orange County Register. Coach Byron Scott believes their current starting point guard may have a chance to be one of those players. “I’m still really excited about Jordan Clarkson,” Scott said. “I keep getting excited about that kid because his growth is getting better and better. I’m excited with the way he’s played so far, he’s come a long way in a short period of time.”

Jazz, Kendrick Perkins Agree To Buyout Deal

February 21st, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:53pm: Perkins has officially been waived, the Jazz announced.

3:27pm: A buyout arrangement has been reached, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Perkins intends to sign with the Cavaliers if he clears waivers, which he is expected to do, Wojnarowski adds.

1:48pm: Perkins has narrowed his choices to the Cavs and the Clippers, and the big man is expected to make his decision on Sunday, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports (Twitter link).

10:51am: The Clippers are not out of the running for Perkins, but are considered long shots to sign him, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).

SATURDAY, 10:28am: The Cavaliers have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Perkins if he is indeed waived by Utah, Wojnarowski reports. The Bulls, Rockets, and Hawks are also in the mix for the big man, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal tweets.

FRIDAY, 9:24am: Perkins is interested in playing for the Mavs, Wojnarowski writes, but the team doesn’t share that interest, as Cuban said (below). Conflict in the past with Joakim Noah wouldn’t keep Perkins from joining the Bulls, a source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

11:25pm: Mark Cuban said that Dallas is set in its frontcourt, and that the Mavs would not be interested in Perkins if he is waived, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets.

10:18pm: The Bulls and the Cavs are the frontrunners to sign Perkins when and if he clears waivers, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).

6:08pm: The Mavericks have also expressed interest in Perkins, should he be waived, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 3:55pm: The Jazz and Kendrick Perkins are headed for a buyout, reports Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Utah agreed to take on his expiring contract, worth more than $9.654MM, as part of a three-way deal with the Pistons and Thunder. The Cavs and Clippers are teams to watch should Perkins indeed hit free agency in the coming days, Young says, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports calls those teams strong contenders to sign him (on Twitter). The Bulls will be very much in the mix for Perkins, too, Wojnarowski also tweets.

The 30-year-old Perkins is making $9.654MM this season on an expiring contract, and it’s not immediately clear how much he would give up in a buyout. He was much-maligned throughout his tenure in Oklahoma City after having been hailed as key to the Celtics’ 2008 championship and subsequent run to the Finals in 2010. He had a PER of 15.0 in 2009/10, but he never had a double-digit PER for the Thunder after a trade sent him there in the middle of the 2010/11 season.

His name was part of a proposal that would have sent him to the Nets for Brook Lopez, but that trade didn’t pan out. In any case, he’s an odd fit for Utah, a team focused on the future, so a quick parting of ways makes sense. The Jazz will have to waive him no later than March 1st for him to be eligible to play for another team in the postseason.

Pacific Notes: Dragic, Crawford, Karl, McAdoo

February 20th, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby and GM Ryan McDonough had stern words for Goran Dragic following the trade that sent him out of town at his request, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. McDonough said of Brandon Knight, whom the Suns acquired in a separate trade, that “We feel like we got the best player in the trade, coming or going,” Coro notes, though that’s conceivably a shot at Dragic nonetheless. Babby said he wasn’t concerned with Dragic’s feelings when he struck deals with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas this summer and that, contrary to a report, Dragic hadn’t let the front office know about his feelings about a future with the club, according to Coro. McDonough also said he didn’t receive a list of preferred destinations, which counters another report, and expressed frustration with Dragic’s agents at BDA Sports, Coro writes. There’s more from that piece amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

Babby called Dragic’s statements about a lack of trust in the front office “unfair and unwarranted,” as Coro notes. McDonough responded to the notion that the Suns had traded their best player, saying “Our response to that, I think, is that Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris are still in Phoenix Suns uniforms,” as Coro also observes.
The Clippers looked into trading for Gerald Green and Perry Jones III but never came close to a deal, reports Dan Woike of The Orange County Register.
Clippers brass reportedly dangled Jamal Crawford in trade talks, and he seemed glum about it, as Woike adds in the same piece. Crawford, who was reportedly eager to commit to the team in the summer, didn’t jump at the chance to express his those sentiments Thursday, Woike notes. His contract is partially guaranteed next season, the final year of the deal.
Stamina is an issue surrounding new Kings coach George Karl, but the 63-year-old tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he’s up for the test, in part because he thinks he might get a chance to rest if there’s a work stoppage in 2017.
The Warriors have assigned James McAdoo to the D-League, the team announced. McAdoo just re-signed Thursday with Golden State on a deal that includes partially guaranteed salary for next season.