Bobcats Rumors: Afflalo, Nelson, McRoberts
The Bobcats have been eliminated from the playoffs, and soon the name “Bobcats” won’t exist around the NBA at all, with Charlotte set to announce the official changeover to the “Hornets” nickname. The team’s focus is squarely on its first season in teal-and-purple now that the significant step forward that 2013/14 represented for the club is done. Here’s the latest:
- Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson of the Magic will likely be among Charlotte’s trade targets, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, pointing to their ties to Bobcats coach Steve Clifford, who worked with them when he was an assistant coach in Orlando.
- Josh McRoberts remains undecided about his nearly $2.8MM player option and says he wants to remain in Charlotte long-term, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links), though Stein writes that he’s “widely expected” to decline it. Charlotte would “naturally” want to re-sign him in that case, Stein adds. Clifford expressed his support for McRoberts after Monday’s game, as Bonnell observes (on Twitter).
- Charlotte will probably target a dependable small forward in free agency or via trade, Stein writes.
And-Ones: McGary, Daniels, Rockets, Raptors
There were a lot of no-brainer decisions when it came to early entry players in the 2014 Draft, but it was questionable for others. Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looks at who made the right call and who didn’t. Michigan’s Mitch McGary, Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis, and UCLA’s Kyle Anderson get the thumbs up. JaKarr Sampson of St. John’s, Alex Kirk of New Mexico, and New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar are among the players who Goodman thinks should have stayed in school. More from around the Association..
- Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has an idea for ridding the NBA of Clippers owner Donald Sterling: letting all of his players become free agents. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the goods.
- The Hawks, Bulls, Cavs, Bucks and Magic all had interest in Troy Daniels this February before the Rockets inked the sudden playoff hero shortly after the trade deadline, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. Daniels was close to taking an offer from Australia for $70K last fall, Zwerling tweets. His agent advised him to instead dominate in the D-League to get an NBA offer and his gameplan worked.
- Toney Douglas tells Zwerling for the same piece that the Heat had interest in him ever since he came out of college. Miami acquired Douglas via trade in January.
- It’s in Kyle Lowry‘s best interests to re-sign with the Raptors, writes Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. Lowry has never been happier, never played better, and never meant more to any of his teams at any time. The veteran guard hasn’t said much about his future, but Simmons thinks it would be best for him to stay put in Toronto.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Daniels, Robinson, Mills
Hoops Rumors readers are some of the few wise enough to keep close track of the D-League’s impact on the NBA game, but last night the D-League made a big splash on the national stage. Troy Daniels, recalled by the Rockets two weeks ago, stepped up and hit a game-winning three to keep Houston from going down 0-3 to the Blazers. “To be honest, the D-League has prepared me for this moment,” Daniels told reporters after the game, including Sam Amick of USA Today Sports. “You can say whatever you want about the D-League, but I wouldn’t have hit that shot if I wasn’t in the D-League a couple weeks ago… It’s a dream come true. Plain and simple.” Here’s more from around the league:
- League sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM that the Bulls, Bucks, and Magic all closely monitored Daniels as a prospect, but Rockets GM Daryl Morey made the necessary moves to accommodate bringing the unproven guard’s talents to Houston.
- Thomas Robinson tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that he is happy to play his current role with the Blazers, but won’t be content until he improves his game. “Right now, I do what I’m supposed to do for my team,” Robinson said. “My game will evolve. I love what I am right now. It’s not what I’m going to settle for. That’s when the summer time comes in. I can stay in the league doing what I do now, but I want to be at the top of the league by progressing, improving my game. I plan to be an All-Star.”
- The NBPA isn’t close to hiring an executive director, and Steve Mills is just one candidate among many at this point, per a tweet from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Mills re-emerged as a strong candidate for the job yesterday.
- Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report talked with Isiah Thomas about the decision players face each postseason: to play hurt in high-stakes playoff games and jeopardize their long-term health, or to rest and hurt their team’s chances to advance.
Eastern Notes: Vasquez, Sixers, Magic
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer details how Steve Clifford‘s preparation and demeanor has impacted his players and brought credibility to the Bobcats in his first season as coach. “He doesn’t screw around,” Charlotte’s president of basketball operations Rod Higgins tells Bonnell. “There’s no such thing as a loose shootaround, a loose practice, a loose film session. There are so many things you can’t impact [as a coach]. He makes sure not to waste an opportunity with what he can.”
- Greivis Vasquez, headed for restricted free agency this summer, is “having a blast” as a member of the Raptors, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
- Mark Deeks of SB Nation looks at the steps ahead for the Sixers, who have a wealth of draft picks and trade flexibility heading into the summer.
- Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel looks at the Magic‘s odds of landing Dante Exum in the draft [subscription only], taking into account Orlando’s likely draft position and the Australian point guard’s willingness to play for a team other than the Lakers.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: Arenas, Stephenson, Bucks
Gilbert Arenas reiterated on SiriusXM NBA Radio today that he’s still holding out hope for an NBA comeback, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets, and that echoes Arenas’ comments from December. The Magic are probably rooting for his return to the league, since that could allow them to use set-off rights to recoup a small portion of the millions they still owe him on his amnestied contract. While we wait to see if Agent Zero, still just 32 years old, makes it back to the Association, here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News heard from a GM around the beginning of February who expected Lance Stephenson to receive offers with eight-figure annual salaries, but an executive now tells Deveney that the soon-to-be free agent will probably command only $7-8MM a year.
- Outgoing Bucks owner Herb Kohl borrowed money from the NBA a total of five times in 2009 and 2010 to help keep the team going, reports Rich Kirchen of the Milwaukee Business Journal. Kohl told Kirchen that he’s spent more than $100MM of his own money on the team during his nearly three decades of ownership.
- Casper Ware‘s multiyear contract with the Sixers extends through 2016/17, but the team only inked Adonis Thomas through the end of 2013/14, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link).
- Eric Dawson, who spent preseason with the Hawks this past fall, is headed to play for Heilongjiang Zhaozhou Feng Shen of China’s second-tier league, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. Dawson has also spent time in the D-League and Iran this season.
Draft Notes: Exum, Wiggins, College Returnees
There has been plenty of talk about the top of June’s draft and that it sure to continue. For instance, the Magic, Jazz, Bucks, in addition to Lakers, are high on Dante Exum, Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest chat with readers. Ford has linked the Magic to Exum in the past, and he says this time around that the team is indeed looking for a point guard in spite of its experiment with Victor Oladipo at the position. Meanwhile, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets that the Sixers are targeting Andrew Wiggins with their selection, a report that echoes what we heard a few months ago out of Philadelphia.
However, as Sunday’s Early Entry Eligibility Deadline approaches, we are also sure to hear a lot about the players on the other end of the draft spectrum. Let’s take a look at some of the college players who have chosen not to partake in June’s NBA Draft.
- LSU freshman Jordan Mickey will return to school instead of entering the draft, the Tigers announced (Twitter link). Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Mickey as the 23rd-best prospect for next year and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who’s listed him as the 55th-best prospect for 2014, puts him 36th in his 2015 mock draft.
- Sophomore Alex Poythress and freshman Dakari Johnson will both return to Kentucky next year, the Wildcats announced in separate releases. Poythress kicked the tires on entering the draft a year ago as well before ultimately deciding to return. They will join teammates Willie Cauley-Stein and Marcus Lee in Lexington next year, both of whom also chose to stay in school. Johnson could flirt with the lottery next year, according to Givony, who has Poythress squarely in the second round.
- Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant will not enter the draft, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Grant was averaging 19 points per game before withdrawing from school for academic reasons in December. His brother, Syracuse’s Jerami Grant, announced last week that he would enter the draft. Givony has the 6’4″ shooting guard pegged as the 57th pick next June.
And-Ones: Celtics, Rockets, Draft, Price, Parker
Celtics GM Danny Ainge says he doesn’t feel pressure from ownership to make a big trade like the one that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “I don’t think that would be very smart, to put pressure on myself,” Ainge said. “That one happened to work out and we were very fortunate that Minnesota was moving in a different direction, that they loved Al Jefferson, and so we were able to get a deal done. But there’s been a lot of deals that I thought we had a way better chance of doing that we couldn’t end up doing.” More from around the Association..
- The Rockets announced (via Twitter) that Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan have been reassigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League. Covington and Canaan have been bounced back and forth from the Rockets’ varsity squad to the D-League affiliate a number of times this season, as shown in our running list of assignments and recalls for the 2013/14 season.
- Veteran Ronnie Price is happy to help take on a leadership role with the young Magic, writes Ken Hornack of FOX Sports Florida. “This year has been kind of refreshing for me in a lot of ways,” the 30-year-old guard said. “And I can’t really explain where it came from or why I feel that way. I feel like a kid again. I really enjoy the game.” Price will be a free agent this summer and if Jameer Nelson winds up elsewhere, Hornack writes that Orlando can’t afford to get too young at the point guard position.
- Spurs stars Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have found success together, but their relationship did not start off on such spectacular terms, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “He didn’t talk to me for a whole year,” Parker said, reflecting on his rookie season in 2001/02. “It was kind of weird coming from France and you have your superstar player that doesn’t talk to you as a point guard, it’s kind of tough, you know? Because you’re supposed to talk to everybody.“
Eastern Notes: Magic, Raptors, George
Michael Marot of The Associated Press looks at Paul George‘s hopes to become a superstar in a small market. George has said that he wants to crack the top-five in NBA jersey sales, and his success in the playoffs could propel him to some major endorsement deals. Here’s more from the East:
- Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal wonders if Andrew Bynum‘s career could be over. The big man has been ruled out of the Pacers first round playoff series, and hasn’t been able to sustain a high level of play for any long stretches this year.
- While this draft should be pivotal for the Magic, there is also pressure on their young roster to develop in the offseason, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Maurice Harkless, Tobias Harris, Andrew Nicholson, Victor Oladipo, Kyle O’Quinn and Nikola Vucevic all have the potential to speed along Orlando’s rebuilding process with improvements in their game.
- Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail looks at how the moves the Raptors did and didn’t make brought the team from the bottom of the standings to the third seed in the East.
Candidates Emerge For Pistons Top Exec Job
1:33pm: Hill would be interested in taking a front office job eventually, but not now, tweets Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
11:16am: The Pistons appear to be targeting Grant Hill and Magic assistant GM Scott Perry as candidates to replace Joe Dumars atop the Detroit front office, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein cautions that the Pistons have promised a broad search, so Hill and Perry will likely be two of many in the running for the job.
Perry has spent most of his NBA career with the Pistons, joining the team as a scout during the same offseason in which Dumars became the club’s top basketball executive. He ascended through the ranks to become vice president of basketball operations for the team after a one-year stint as assistant GM to Sam Presti with the Thunder in 2007/08. He was said to have advocated for the Pistons to draft Carmelo Anthony rather than Darko Milicic while serving as Pistons director of player personnel in 2003, USA Today’s Sam Amick notes (Twitter link).
Hill was rumored to be a candidate for the Suns GM job last year shortly after he retired from playing at the end of the 2012/13 season. NBA teams were still interested in the 41-year-old as a player earlier this year, but Hill rejected those entreaties and has spent the season as a broadcaster. The Pistons drafted him third overall in 1994, and he played his first six NBA seasons with the team.
Amick also names Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo as possible candidates (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Anthony, Pistons
More information surrounding the potential sale of the Bucks continues to emerge. Mike Dunleavy is part of an newly reported investment group that was interested in purchasing a share of ownership, but a separate, local group is finalizing a deal with Herb Kohl, per Mitch Lawrence of New York Daily News. Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel counters that report, saying that there is activity but that there is no definitive partnership yet. It is still unknown whether the rumored purchases are for minority or majority ownership of the team. Here’s more from the East:
- It’s well known in league circles that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau would love to acquire Carmelo Anthony, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson believes Chicago will make exhaustive attempts to complete a sign-and-trade for Anthony, but deems their chances a long shot.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson took responsibility for New York’s failure to make the playoffs, Al Iannazzonne of Newsday reports. All reports point to Woodson being fired after coming up short in the pursuit of the eighth seed.
- Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News lists five potential candidates to replace Joe Dumars as the next Pistons GM.
- While most agree that Dumars’ looming resignation as the Pistons GM is appropriate, Chad Ford of ESPN.com says his personal opinion of Dumars is very high (via Twitter). Of all the GMs that Ford has interacted with, he places Dumars in his top five.
- Nikola Vucevic has been shut down for the season, mainly as a precautionary measure by the Magic, per Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.