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And Ones: Love, Kidd, Morris, D-League

November 5th, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Love and LeBron James didn’t get along during the 2014/15 campaign, Love’s first with the Cavaliers, and much of the discord stemmed from Love arriving to the team out of shape, which frustrated James immensely, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. Love, who was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, says that he always intended to re-sign with Cleveland, and he approached James shortly after the NBA Finals to let LeBron know that he wanted to play a larger role in the team’s offense, Lloyd relays. “More than anything I just wanted to see what he thought about where the team was going and what we wanted to accomplish,” Love said. “It was always ‘we’ or ‘us.’ It was never like, ‘You need to tell me this.’ Never.”

Many within the Cavs’ organization believe that James, who loves challenges, has taken Love on as his own special project this season, and his primary goal is to build up Love’s confidence, Lloyd adds. “Some of the finer points and perhaps things people overlook is how he influences his teammates and how he influences the flow of the game just by recognizing what helps other guys function better when he trusts in something or someone on the court,” coach David Blatt said of James. “Bron also understands this is a long season and the more he empowers those around him, the better it’s going to be going down the line.”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Jason Kidd‘s move from the Nets to the Bucks was certainly a wise one given Milwaukee’s much brighter future outlook, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. For his part, Kidd enjoys the challenge of developing and coaching the team’s younger players, Mazzeo notes. “Coaching is hard no matter what — whether you’re coaching veterans or young guys,” Kidd said. “Being able to use certain vocabulary with the older guys — they get it and they can go out and execute it. Sometimes with the younger guys, you have to show them on video or walk through it and then have them do it. So you might have to spend a little more time teaching, but that’s fun. That’s why I like being in Milwaukee, to help put these young guys in a position to have success.”
  • Pistons combo forward Marcus Morris said that he has learned from his negative experience of being traded away from his twin brother, Markieff Morris, after inking a contract extension with the Suns, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “This is the NBA. I let relationships overcome business. That will never happen again,” Morris said. “I’m learning from it. My brother’s learning from it. We’re going to continue to grow.“
  • The Clippers have assigned Branden Dawson and C.J. Wilcox to the D-League, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Since Los Angeles does not possess its own affiliate, both players are going to the Bakersfield Jam, the Suns‘ affiliate, Pincus adds.
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Pacific Notes: Kerr, Crawford, Teletovic, Lakers

November 5th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Chuck Myron

One Warriors player told ESPN’s J.A. Adande he wouldn’t be surprised if Steve Kerr is out until after the All-Star break, as Adande passed along as the sideline reporter for the network’s coverage of Golden State’s win Wednesday over the Clippers (transcription via James Herbert of CBSSports.com). Kerr told Adande that he’s still dealing with headaches and remains heavily medicated as he tries to recover from back surgery. The Warriors haven’t missed a beat under interim coach Luke Walton, who’s steered the team to a 5-0 record and dominant performances. See more from the Pacific:

  • Jamal Crawford is seeing decreased minutes this season as expected, but he’s still OK with that, observes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Crawford, a subject of trade rumors this summer with the Heat, Cavs and Knicks reportedly having shown interest, wasn’t present when many of the Clippers traveled to persuade DeAndre Jordan to renege on his decision to bolt to the Mavericks, and when asked why, he said, “I can’t answer that,” according to Bresnahan. However, Crawford did allude to a pro-am tournament that he hosted the same day, Bresnahan points out.
  • Offseason signees Sonny Weems and Mirza Teletovic have underwhelming numbers thus far for the Suns, observes Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic. Weems feels his defense and decisions have been solid even though he’s yet to score much, while Teletovic thinks a lack of playing time has affected his 3-point accuracy, which is at 25% for the season after Wednesday’s game. “You can’t expect me to come in and score three threes in two minutes,” Teletovic said prior to Wednesday’s game, as Buchanan relays. “It’s tough. You’re not in rhythm. Obviously coming in in the fourth quarter and stuff like that is really tough. I’m trying, but I’m still working.”
  • The Lakers are hoping they can balance winning with player development this season, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News told us for a recent edition of The Beat, and coach Byron Scott acknowledges that it’s his job to do both, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays. The 0-4 Lakers start a five-game road trip Friday at the Nets. “I’m not always thinking about necessarily developing them,” Scott said of his young players. “I’m always thinking about trying to win. I’m always thinking about trying to win. The development part comes secondary to that, but in practice and everything is where you really work on the development part.”
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NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

November 3rd, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

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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And-Ones: Morris, Stephenson, D-League, Stretch

October 30th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Markieff Morris didn’t have a lot to say when asked about playing apart from his brother, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Morris seemingly vacated an offseason trade demand when he arrived at Suns camp in September, nearly three months after Phoenix irked him with the trade that sent his twin to Detroit.

“It is what it is. He’s at work. I’m at work. Same thing,” Morris said.

He also expressed no surprise that Marcus Morris is off to a strong start with the Pistons, Coro notes. See more from around the league:

  • Lance Stephenson has pleasantly surprised the Clippers so far, unexpectedly winning a starting job and rewarding the team for its extra diligence during the vetting process for the trade that brought him to L.A., as USA Today’s Sam Amick details. Clippers GM Dave Wohl made 61 calls to people who know Stephenson instead of the standard 20, according to Amick. “I don’t think we’ve ever made more [background] calls for a player in my life,” Clippers coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers said before Thursday’s game. “We had to make sure, but I’ve got to tell you that I’m really excited.”
  • Cartier Martin, whom the Pistons waived last week despite a fully guaranteed salary of nearly $1.271MM, and eight-year NBA veteran Ronnie Brewer are among the players signing D-League contracts that will funnel them to Saturday’s D-League draft, league sources tell Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter links). In Martin’s case, that means the Pistons elected not to claim his D-League rights. Hornets camp cut Sam Thompson is also signing with the D-League and heading to the D-League draft, a source tells Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link). Charlotte won’t have an affiliate until next year and thus couldn’t claim his rights.
  • The use of the stretch provision is down this year after a surge in 2014, but a Western Conference GM who spoke with Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com believes that over time, teams will more frequently use the mechanism to spread out the payment schedule for money owed to players. “The stretch provision was something that was really being underutilized until pretty recently. I don’t think some teams understood how it could be used as a benefit,” the GM said. “I think we’ll see it more in the future because with the salary cap going up, it will be easier to fit into your planning.”
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Pacific Notes: Barnes, Chandler, Clark, Lakers

October 27th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Warriors GM Bob Myers didn’t express trepidation as he told reporters today that Harrison Barnes has chosen to end extension talks, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays (Twitter link). Golden State will have the right to match offers for Barnes in restricted free agency next summer.

“We ended discussions in a very healthy place if that’s possible, and I say that in all sincerity,” Myers said.

See more on the Warriors amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

  • Tyson Chandler is hopeful that he can remain with the Suns for the duration of his four-year contract and finish his career with Phoenix, as he said in a response to a question from Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “It’s been tough. I want to, honestly,” Chandler said. “I wanted to do it in Dallas. Now I want to do it in Phoenix. It’s a lot of stress on kids and the family, even myself. I would love to continue to grow with this franchise and try to elevate it, especially with these young players. I think I can be huge here as far as the impact I can make. That’s my goal.”
  • Ian Clark picked up a $473,636 partial guarantee that’s worth half his full-season salary Monday, when the Warriors made him part of their opening night roster. His contract had been non-guaranteed. He’d lock in the full amount on the leaguewide guarantee date in January. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders first reported the terms of his deal.
  • The Lakers upgraded their roster over the summer, but co-owner and executive VP of basketball oeprations Jim Buss indicated to USA Today’s Sam Amick that improvement in the standings this season isn’t his goal. “[Jerry Buss] taught me for all these years, we’re always looking three to five years ahead,” Buss said, referring to his late father, the longtime Lakers owner. “Right now, I’m not looking at this season … I don’t care about making the playoffs and getting eliminated in the playoffs. What I care about is getting the core players, because we want to get to the top, and the only way we can get to the top is to have the core players, get the free agents, have flexibility in our [salary] cap, and we’ll be there within three years. Not a problem. Boom.”
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Suns Exercise 2016/17 Options On Trio

October 26th, 2015 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have exercised their 2016/17 options on shooting guard Archie Goodwin, center Alex Len and small forward T.J. Warren, according to a team release. Goodwin and Len will be entering their fourth seasons in 2016/17, while Warren will be entering his third season.

Phoenix adds approximately $9MM in salary commitments after already handing out nearly $51MM in guaranteed contracts next season. Most of that guaranteed money was delved out to four starters — the backcourt of Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, power forward Markieff Morris and center Tyson Chandler.

Goodwin’s option is worth $2,094,089, while Len has a $4,823,621 salary for his fourth season. Warren will make $2,128,920 next season.

Goodwin averaged 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 13.0 minutes in 41 games last season. Len averaged 6.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 22.0 minutes in 69 games. Warren, the 14th pick of the 2014 draft, averaged 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.4 minutes in 40 games.

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And-Ones: Kings, Pelicans, Mavs

October 25th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Point guard Marshall Henderson, who was waived by the Kings two weeks ago, plans to accept an offer to play for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Henderson, 24, went undrafted out of Mississippi in 2014. During his final season at Mississippi, Henderson averaged 19.0 points per game.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Cory Jefferson‘s versatility was key factor in him making the Suns‘ regular season roster, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “Guys like Cory and Jon Leuer are primarily power forwards but, the way the NBA is going, teams are placing premiums, as we are, on mobility, the ability to move your feet, guard multiple positions on the perimeter and switch, the ability to make an open shot and help with your spacing, the ability to run the floor and get out in transition,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said. “The game is going more and more position-less. We try to balance the roster as much as we can but we look for guys who can potentially play multiple positions.”
  • If Chuck Hayes, who was waived by the Clippers on Saturday, doesn’t get picked up by another NBA team, he is expected to turn to coaching, his agent Calvin Andrews tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Hayes has received assistant coaching interest from several teams, including the Rockets, according to Spears (Twitter link).
  • While veteran Nate Robinson has moved into the top backup spot behind starting point guard Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans might still be looking to acquire another guard, John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports. Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole are out with injuries.
  • While many seem ready to write off Deron Williams, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines the point guard’s talent — and desire — has not disappeared since a few years ago, when Williams was considered one of the league’s best. While Sefko seems to think Williams is ready for a rebound season in his home state, the scribe also concludes that Williams is likely the most important part of the Mavs this season.
  • Backup center Jeff Withey, whom the Jazz signed in August, has turned out to be a solid player and there is a good chance he sees a lot of minutes this season, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes.
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And-Ones: Hornets D-League, Final Cuts, Johnson

October 25th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Greensboro, North Carolina, will be the site of the Hornets‘ new D-League team, reports Jeff Mills of the Greensboro News & Record. The new franchise, which will expand the league to 20 teams, will begin play next fall. Charlotte currently has no D-League affiliate. Players on D-League assignment will go to the one-to-one affiliate of another NBA team. “Greensboro’s approach to the process was innovative,” said Fred Whitfield, the Hornets’ president and chief operating officer. “Taking the Pavilion and renovating it into a basketball-style fieldhouse for us was very attractive. Especially when you could have offices for us right across the street.” The move is expected to be officially announced Tuesday. Asheville and Fayetteville were the other finalists.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

  • After a flurry of moves Saturday, seven NBA teams still have final cuts to make before Monday’s roster deadline, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Mavericks, Pistons, Pacers, Lakers and Grizzlies each have to unload one player to reach the roster limit of 15. The Nets still have 17 players and the Sixers have 20, which is the training camp maximum (Twitter link). The five teams with roster openings are the Rockets, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic and Suns, who each have 14 spots filled. (Twitter link).
  • Several teams have expressed interest in Nick Johnson, who was waived Saturday by the Nuggets, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops.net. Citing an unidentified source, Amico says there’s a chance someone could pick up Johnson by Monday. Johnson was one of four players sent from Houston to Denver in the Ty Lawson trade.
  • The league is looking into the reported confrontation between Knicks coach Derek Fisher and the Grizzlies‘ Matt Barnes, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the investigation, but did not offer specifics regarding possible punishment for either Fisher or Barnes. They were allegedly involved in a physical altercation at the house of Barnes’ estranged wife.
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Suns Cut Henry Sims, Keep Cory Jefferson

October 24th, 2015 at 4:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:19pm: The release of Sims is official, the team announced via Twitter.

2:06pm: The Suns intend to waive center Henry Sims, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. Sims’ deal was non-guaranteed, so the move won’t cost Phoenix any funds. The departure of Sims also means that Cory Jefferson will make the regular season roster, Coro adds. The Suns’ roster count will go down to 14 players, one under the regular season maximum.

Sims, 25, made 73 appearances for the Sixers last season, including 32 starts. He averaged 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.2 minutes per contest. His career numbers through three NBA campaigns are 7.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG to go along with a slash line of .475/.174/.760. Philadelphia didn’t tender a qualifying offer to the big man this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jefferson, the final pick of the 2014 draft, appeared in 50 games for the Nets this past season, averaging 3.7 points in 10.6 minutes per game. Brooklyn waived the 24-year-old 6’9″ forward in July so the team could avoid his non-guaranteed salary becoming partially guaranteed for $150K.

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Pistons Sign Ryan Boatright

October 23rd, 2015 at 9:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons have signed point guard Ryan Boatright, the team announced via a press release. Detroit intends to waive Boatright and assign him to its D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter). Teams can retain the D-League rights for up to four players.

The Suns, Hornets and Blazers were also reportedly interested in Boatright, whom the Nets waived Tuesday. The undrafted point guard from Connecticut performed well during limited preseason action, averaging 4.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.0 turnover in 13.9 minutes per game. His career NCAA numbers were 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, with a slash line of .416/.380/.794.

The addition of Boatright raises the Pistons’ roster count to 17 players, including 16 with fully guaranteed pacts. The team is expected to waive veteran Danny Granger, who along with Boatright, would reduce the team’s roster to the regular season maximum of 15 once they are indeed let go.

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