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Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Zeller, Horford

January 16th, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Will Joseph

Hassan Whiteside is set to become a free agent this summer and he conceded he factors that in a bit when determining whether or not to play through certain injuries, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post details in a Q&A with the Heat center. When asked if he weighs his upcoming free agency into his decision-making regarding the fine line between resting and playing through injuries, Whiteside told Lieser, “It has something to do with it, but I’m not really thinking about that too much. I’m just trying to think of now.” Whiteside is battling tendinitis in his right knee, but he has missed only two of the Heat’s 40 games this season.

Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Speaking of Whiteside, who is one of the league’s top big men, the 26-year-old said he will be looking to sign with a team that will give him the best opportunity to secure a championship, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders relays. “I want to go to a team that’s about winning,” Whiteside said. “[A team] that has a good understanding of what it takes to win and a good city with a good fan base.”
Cody Zeller, on whom the Hornets exercised their 2016/17 rookie scale team option in November, has a decent shot to secure the role of Charlotte’s center of the future, Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer opines. Zeller is thriving as the team’s center because of his unusual quickness at the position, Fowler writes. Adding to the idea that Zeller will be the team’s center for the long haul, Fowler surmises that Al Jefferson, who is out with a knee injury and is set to be a free agent this summer, likely won’t be back with the team next season.
There will be shortage of teams to compete with for the services of Al Horford, a 2016 free agent, but the Hawks remain as good a bet as any to re-sign him because of their solid management structure and recent success, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders writes.

Bulls Notes: Trade Possibilities, Hoiberg, Butler

January 15th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls could use more athleticism at small forward but are in a difficult position to make a trade, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. With Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah both likely to be free agents this summer, Derrick Rose having a long injury history and Jimmy Butler being untouchable, Smith believes the Bulls are limited in what they can offer in a major deal. He mentions former Bull Luol Deng as a possibility because he is being “phased out” by the Heat, but speculates Taj Gibson would be the asking price. Smith writes that the Suns would want a first-round pick for P.J. Tucker, and the Celtics would ask for rookie Bobby Portis in exchange for Jae Crowder. The Bulls may have to settle for what they have unless they are willing to surrender a significant piece in return.

There’s more out of Chicago:

Despite some ups and downs, rookie coach Fred Hoiberg still has the attention of his team, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times. Even with the distractions of Gasol and Noah possibly heading elsewhere next season — if not before — Hoiberg has found a way to keep the team focused. “I think guys are listening,’’ Rose said. “We have good-hearted people here. We don’t have any knuckleheads or anything like that. It’s all about just incorporating that into the game. Everything he tells us in shootaround, and everything he tells us before the game to prep us before the game, we just got to incorporate that into the game, but on a more consistent basis.’’
Butler got the coaching style he had been seeking from Hoiberg in Thursday’s comeback victory over the Sixers, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Butler made headlines in December when he took a public shot at Hoiberg for being too “laid back,” but Hoiberg was intense with his halftime speech Thursday when the Bulls were trailing by 16 points. “Fred came in here and got on our [butt] to tell you the truth,” Butler said. “I like it though. He was fired up. He came in and let us know that’s not how we’re going to play.”

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Thomas, Dinwiddie

January 11th, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers will eventually have to decide between Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, an unnamed league executive told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News. That duo hasn’t played well together, the executive explained, in part because neither has the shooting range to stretch defenses. It will be imperative to shed one of them via trade if Joel Embiid returns next season from foot surgery because it will essentially give Philadelphia three starting-quality bigs, the story continues. In that case, it makes more sense to keep Noel because Okafor and Embiid are limited defensively, the executive opined to Pompey. “They are both centers,” he said. “They both can only guard centers. They can’t defend power forward or stretch fours in this league.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Knicks small forward Lance Thomas could be a candidate for the Most Improved Player Award and that might make it difficult for the club to re-sign him, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Opposing coaches have taken notice of Thomas’ two-way impact off the bench, going out of their way to praise him, Berman continues. Thomas, arguably the team’s best defender, signed a one-year, $1,636,842 contract during the offseason but his price tag going back into the free agent pool this summer is growing and the Knicks will have competition for his services, Berman adds.
The Pistons plan on keeping second-year guard Spencer Dinwiddie with their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids for the foreseeable future, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. With the return of Brandon Jennings from his Achilles injury, Dinwiddie is the team’s No. 4 point guard on the roster behind Reggie Jackson, Jennings and Steve Blake.
The Heat recalled shooting guard Josh Richardson on Monday from their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team’s website announced. Richardson has played four games with the Skyforce this season and helped them capture the D-League Showcase Championship.
The Wizards could decide to become sellers nearing next month’s trade deadline if they don’t go on a hot streak or get most of their key pieces healthy before that point, league sources indicated to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

And-Ones: Nets, Mullin, Stoudemire

January 10th, 2016 at 10:42pm CST by Will Joseph

Current St. John’s coach and former Warriors GM Chris Mullin, who is from Brooklyn, is a name that Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com has heard in regards to the Nets’ new head coaching vacancy (Twitter link). This is the first mention of Mullin in connection to the Nets that we’ve learned of and it is not yet known how serious a candidate he is to consider.

In other news regarding the Nets’ shakeup today, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com hears reports that claim former GM Billy King will advise in the search for his successor are “totally true” (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Amar’e Stoudemire considered signing with the Suns, which is one of his former teams, over the summer before he joined the Heat, opting to instead play on a title contender, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports (scroll down). The Suns drafted Stoudemire in 2002. He captured the Rookie of the Year award and made five All-Star teams with the Suns. “That’s why I chose Miami, but Phoenix is still not ruled out,” Stoudemire said. “I have a lot of basketball left in me.” Stoudemire, 33, will be a free agent again this summer.
Point guard Jordan Farmar, who last played in the league in 2014/15 for the Clippers and is mostly known for his time with the Lakers, wants to be back in the NBA and would not turn down a 10-day contract, international journalist David Pick reports (on Twitter). Farmer parted ways with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv today after signing overseas in July, according to the team’s Twitter (h/t Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
Tyson Chandler‘s four-year, $52MM pact with the Suns was one of the summer’s worst free agent deals because the 33-year-old has struggled mightily with his new team, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders opines. Omer Asik‘s contract with the Pelicans and Kyle Singler‘s deal with the Thunder also made Basketball Insiders’ list.
After making the playoffs last season and then signing Greg Monroe, the Bucks are a disappointing 15-24, but with young stars on the roster, Milwaukee’s position is still an enviable one going forward, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes. There is still a lot of hope that the Bucks can contend beyond this season because Jabari Parker is 20, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 21 and Monroe is 25, Thomsen adds. With another top-10 pick likely coming in June, the Bucks remain in good shape for the long-term, Thomsen contends.

Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Dragic, Andersen, Bosh

January 10th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are unlikely to offer center Hassan Whiteside a full max deal when he hits free agency this summer, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Responding to a reader’s question about Whiteside’s struggles when matched up against legitimate centers, Winderman says he believes the Heat have a figure in mind that they that they will not exceed to keep Whiteside in Miami. If the 26-year-old gets a better offer from someone else, he will likely move on. Whiteside is currently earning a little more than $981K in the final year of his deal with the Heat.

There’s more from South Beach:

Miami may have thought twice about last season’s Goran Dragic trade if the front office had foreseen his current level of production, Winderman writes in the same piece. Dragic is averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 assists through 36 games while forming an uneasy backcourt partnership with Dwyane Wade. The columnist says no one from the Heat will admit it, but there has to be some disappointment with Dragic considering the team surrendered possibly two lottery picks to acquire him and then gave him a near-maximum contract. Winderman also wonders whether Dragic’s talents will ever be fully maximized in Miami’s current system.
Despite playing just 33 minutes this season, veteran center Chris Andersen has not asked for a trade, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Andersen has talked to coach Erik Spoelstra several times about his place on the team and said “we’re both understanding of what my role is … I will embrace it … I am a highly competitive warrior.” Jackson says the Heat would like to move Andersen’s $5MM contract to provide luxury tax relief, but have been unable to find another team interested in a deal.
Chris Bosh is proving to be worthy of his maximum contract, but the Heat are wasting one of the best stretches of his six years in Miami, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald. Over the past 12 games, Bosh has averaged 23.8 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 51% from the floor and 44.1% from 3-point range. Despite his production, Miami posted just a 7-5 record in those games.

Southeast Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Fournier, Heat

January 8th, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hornets decided in the offseason to emphasize offense at the expense of defense as they made their personnel moves, and Charlotte has indeed taken a step back on the defensive end, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines. Part of that has to do with the absence of prime defender Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but his return, which he’s promised to make before season’s end, won’t solve all of the club’s defensive problems, Bonnell writes. Nonetheless, the Observer scribe wouldn’t be surprised if the former No. 2 overall pick is playing within a month’s time. See more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic aren’t entirely sure about keeping Evan Fournier in restricted free agency this summer, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. It’s expected they’ll at least look into other options before recommitting to him, just as with the team’s courtship of Paul Millsap that preceded the Tobias Harris re-signing this past summer, according to Kyler. In any case, the team’s use of Fournier at shooting guard instead of Victor Oladipo doesn’t signal that the franchise has lost faith in the former No. 2 overall pick and instead shows that the team is adjusting the way it’s developing young players as it focuses more on the present, Kyler explains.
Soon-to-be free agent Hassan Whiteside‘s style of play, personality and general way of going about his business is “not congruent” with the way of the Heat, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com opined on a recent edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast with ESPN colleague Zach Lowe (audio link; transcription via RealGM).
Wizards draft-and-stash prospect Tomas Satoransky has a deal on a four-year extension with Barcelona of Spain that includes NBA outs, according to international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). He’s put pen to paper, Pick reports, though Javier Maestro of Encestando counters that he hasn’t officially signed it yet (translation via HoopsHype). In any case, Satoransky is in no hurry to come to the NBA, Maestro writes.

Eastern Notes: Winslow, Kidd-Gilchrist, Felicio

January 6th, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist revealed earlier today that he intends to return to action this season despite suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder that appeared likely to cost him all of 2015/16. While the return of the defensive-minded swingman would certainly bolster the team heading into the playoffs, there is certainly a danger in him returning too soon from such a serious injury, Chris Barnewall of SB Nation’s AttheHive.com writes. With the franchise expecting to have ample free cap space heading into this offseason, the return of Kidd-Gilchrist could push the Hornets deeper into the postseason, which would provide the team with a stronger free agent sales pitch, Barnewall notes. But the prospect of luring a big name player to Charlotte isn’t worth risking the long-term health of Kidd-Gilchrist, who has already suffered a number of injuries during his brief NBA career, adds Barnewall.

Here’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

Heat rookie Justise Winslow‘s versatility as a defender is allowing the team to experiment with him as a stretch four, a move that Miami has been working toward in recent weeks, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “There’s a lot of time being spent behind the scenes,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s been doing that. For about over a month, he’s been working a lot of his reps at the four pre-practice. He doesn’t play it [a lot] in the game, but you never know when. And it’s not like it’s something new. So he’s had a thousand reps behind the scenes. He gets thrown in there, it’s like, ‘OK, I got this. This is familiar.’ “
Thursday is the final day that teams can waive their non-guaranteed contracts before they become fully guaranteed, and the Bulls have to make decisions regarding Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio. All indications point to Felicio remaining on the roster past that deadline, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. The 23-year-old has only appeared in two games for the Bulls this season and has scored two points in four total minutes of action.
Pacers small forward Solomon Hill has cracked coach Frank Vogel‘s regular rotation, but the player still needs to work on his tendency to overthink matters on the court, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes. “I think one thing I have to do now that I’m, like, playing actually is just relax,” said Hill. “I feel like I’m just trying to stay in there by just doing the right things, and I’m thinking too much. I think once I relax and see the first one go in, I’ll be OK.” When asked if he can expect to receive consistent playing time moving forward, Hill responded, “I don’t know. I’m not going to think about that anymore. That’s part of me over-thinking. I’m just going to go out there and play the game, play my game when I do get the opportunity, but it’s a testament to our team. Everybody’s playing right now.”

Heat Notes: Dragic, Wade, Winslow

January 5th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns are “always changing something,” unlike the Heat and Spurs, who show more loyalty, Goran Dragic contends in an interview with Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. The point guard cautioned that he’s grateful to the Suns and has no regrets about his time with them, but he recounted his frustration with the team’s decision to sign Isaiah Thomas instead of a big man in the summer of 2014, as Lee details. The Suns are reeling now, losers of nine straight, and the chance to play for a consistent winner is what Dragic has wanted. “That’s why I didn’t hesitate to sign [with the Heat] in free agency, because they are always on top,” Dragic said to Lee. “They are always looking at that big picture to win a championship. I still remember that year with the Suns, when we made the [conference finals in 2010]. That was one of the best moments in my career and I want to feel that again, to be in the playoffs and to be a contender.”

See more amid the latest from Miami:

Dwyane Wade likes to win, too, but he’s grateful in some regard for last season’s rare playoff miss for the Heat, notes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “Nothing went right for us last year, but everything happened for a reason and it was much-needed rest for this team,” Wade said. “I ain’t gonna lie to you, I was happy. Once we weren’t good enough and we knew we weren’t winning the championship, I didn’t really care about making it to the first round just to say we made it to the first round. I enjoyed knowing I was going to have a long summer to focus on my body. It was good for us.”
Rookie small forward Justise Winslow earned the respect of Pacers forward Paul George on Monday, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. Indiana’s star player scored 32 points against the Heat but took 29 shots to reach that point total. Winslow limited him to one shot in overtime as the Heat pulled out the victory. “He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s a good, solid defender,” George said during his postgame interview. “He’s got great feet. He’s real aggressive. That’s what you want out of your young defenders.”
Shooting guard Josh Richardson was assigned on Monday to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and will play in that league’s Showcase event which begins on Wednesday, Michael A. Scotto of the Associated Press tweets. Power forward Jarnell Stokes was also sent to the D-League, according to the team’s website, which confirmed the Richardson assignment.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Cunningham, Celtics, Sixers

January 3rd, 2016 at 7:15pm CST by Will Joseph

The Cavs have not decided yet if they will keep combo guard Jared Cunningham after this week, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, citing league sources. Unless Cleveland cuts Cunningham by the close of business Thursday, his $981,348 salary for the remainder of the season is guaranteed, as Haynes points out.

Cunningham was a preseason surprise for the Cavs, the 24-year-old’s fifth team in four years. While Cunningham had streaks of consistent playing time this season, he has not seen more than 15 minutes in a single game since December 11th, and that includes four games in which he didn’t even appear. Cunningham, whom coach David Blatt used in a variety of ways, has seen his minutes deteriorate because the Cavs are healthier, Haynes writes. Making the decision more interesting is Cunningham’s salary would cost the team approximately $3.8MM in luxury tax dollars if the Cavs maintain their current roster, Haynes adds.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

If the Celtics continue to struggle, there will be increased pressure on the front office to consider making a move to alleviate Boston’s frontcourt logjam, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com details. Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, David Lee and Tyler Zeller are each part of the Celtics’ big man rotation. Boston, as Forsberg points out, also tends to utilize Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko at the power forward spots. The large crowd has been a roadblock for rookie Jordan Mickey, who is thriving in the D-League, Forsberg adds.
Ish Smith, whom the Sixers acquired in a trade with the Pelicans last month, doesn’t seem fazed by playing for nine organizations in his career and having been included in 19 different transactions, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com writes.
The Heat recalled Josh Richardson and Jarnell Stokes from the D-League, the team announced on its website.

Southeast Notes: Wade, Udrih, Lamb, Wizards

January 3rd, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s Dwyane Wade isn’t ready to give up his starting spot yet, but the idea may be discussed in negotiations next summer, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist doesn’t believe Wade would agree to such a move in a contract year, but with his 34th birthday coming up this month it will likely be part of his future. The emergence of Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow gives Miami other options on the wing, along with the possibility that Gerald Green will be brought back for another season. Winderman also suggests that Goran Dragic could benefit from having a different partner in the starting backcourt.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

Beno Udrih has been productive since the November deal that brought him to Miami, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be with the team past the trade deadline, Winderman writes in the same piece. Udrih is averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 assists with the Heat, mostly in a backup role, but Winderman could envision his $2.077MM salary being moved to help get Miami under the luxury tax.
The Hornets‘ Jeremy Lamb, who was acquired from the Thunder in an offseason deal, tells Erik Horne of The Oklahoman that playing in Oklahoma City wasn’t “a great situation” for him. Lamb is averaging career highs in minutes, points and rebounds in Charlotte after spending his first three years with the Thunder. He said the OKC front office was “very encouraging of me, just saying I’m going to be a good player in the league and it was best that I could go somewhere and play, so I was excited about it.”
Out of necessity, the Wizards have figured out a way to make the Otto Porter–Kelly Oubre combination work, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. A rash of injuries has forced the two small forwards to take the court together, and they are finding success. Porter has registered three straight 20-point games since returning to the starting lineup, and Oubre’s versatility has helped cement his spot in the rotation. “We both gel on the court,” Oubre said. “We both kind of feed off each other’s energy while we’re on the court so you can expect big things from us when we’re on the court.”