Andrew Bogut Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Andrew Bogut Diagnosed With Bone Bruise

December 7th, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 7, 10:53am: According to Bogut, the preliminary prognosis on his knee suggests he’ll be out for about 10 days, though he admitted there’s a chance he could miss up to three or four weeks (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).

DECEMBER 6, 4:00pm: Mavericks center Andrew Bogut has been diagnosed with a minor bone bruise in his right knee and could return to action within two weeks or so, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). The team, which has not confirmed Stein’s report, initially diagnosed Bogut with a hyper-extended knee after he was forced out of Monday’s loss to Charlotte.

Head coach Rick Carlisle said earlier today that the Mavericks expect to be without Bogut for at least the next three games, and possibly longer, but he doesn’t think the injury will sidelined the former first overall pick for a significant period of time, per Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.

“We’ll know more later,” Carlisle said. “My understanding is that this is not going to be terribly serious. He’s going to miss some time. We’ll probably know better in a day or two how much time. But I don’t see him playing (Wednesday against Sacramento) or Friday or Saturday, for sure. And probably longer.”

Bogut, who is in the final year of his contract, has become a popular subject of trade speculation with Dallas off to a poor start this season. The Mavs have insisted privately and publicly that they don’t intend to throw in the towel anytime soon and aren’t shopping Bogut at this point. However, in another month or two, if the club’s playoff chances continue to slip away, the front office will likely consider moving the 32-year-old, knowing that a rim-protecting, defensive-minded center would have value on the trade market.

The Celtics have been mentioned as one team that will likely explore the possibility of acquiring Bogut if the Mavs make him available. Based on Stein’s report, it doesn’t look like Bogut’s knee injury will affect his availability later in the season.

Injury Updates: Bogut, Parker, J.R. Smith

December 6th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

After leaving Monday night’s game against the Hornets with an apparent leg injury, Mavericks center Andrew Bogut has initially been diagnosed with a hyperextended knee, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. MacMahon reports that Bogut will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, which the team is hoping will confirm that initial diagnosis.

As head coach Rick Carlisle said, the Mavericks believe they “dodged a bullet” on Bogut’s injury, which could have been much more serious, but the veteran center will still likely be sidelined for multiple weeks, per MacMahon. Bogut should return to the court well in advance of February’s trade deadline, and by the time he gets back in the lineup, the Mavs’ hopes of making a run at a playoff spot may have further dwindled, increasing the likelihood that the former No. 1 pick gets dealt. MacMahon reported on Monday that Dallas isn’t shopping Bogut at the moment, but could consider a move in the new year if the chance to make the postseason slips away.

Here are a few more injury notes and updates from around the NBA:

Having missed two games with a thigh contusion, Tony Parker returned to the Spurs‘ lineup on Monday, but was sidelined again with an apparent knee injury. There’s no official word on Parker’s situation yet, but head coach Gregg Popovich said the point guard’s latest injury could keep him out for an extended period (link via ESPN.com).
J.R. Smith didn’t return to the Cavaliers‘ game on Monday against Toronto after suffering a left knee injury in the first quarter. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details, initial X-rays were negative, but Smith will be further evaluated to determine the extent of the injury.
While the aforementioned players were being knocked out of action, one injured player returned to his team’s lineup on Monday, as Al-Farouq Aminu was active for the Trail Blazers after being sidelined for nearly a month due to a calf injury (Associated Press link via ESPN.com). Aminu saw 17 minutes of action in his return for Portland.

Celtics May Target Andrew Bogut

December 5th, 2016 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Between now and the February trade deadline, the Celtics are expected to strongly consider adding a defensive-minded, rebounding big man, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, who suggests that Mavericks center Andrew Bogut will likely emerge as a trade target for Boston.

While Bogut is considered a logical trade candidate based on his talent, his expiring contract, and the Mavericks’ 4-15 record, sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com that Dallas has “no immediate intention” to shop Bogut, since the team still wants to try to salvage its season. That lines up with owner Mark Cuban‘s comments last week about how the Mavs have no intention to tank this season.

Still, the Mavs don’t look like a playoff contender, particularly with Dirk Nowitzki out indefinitely, and if the February trade deadline draws closer and a postseason berth isn’t realistically within reach for the franchise, Dallas could become motivated to move Bogut, writes MacMahon. As the ESPN scribe notes, Mavs management recognizes that the veteran center has plenty of value on the trade market, with league sources suggesting to MacMahon that Bogut should be worth a first-round pick.

A former first overall pick, Bogut has seen his scoring average dip over the years, and is currently averaging just 4.1 PPG for Dallas. However, the 32-year-old is contributing 10.6 RPG in 25.9 minutes per night, and is the sort of reliable rim protector that a handful of contending teams may covet at the deadline. He’ll earn just over $11MM this season before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017.

Mavericks Notes: Nowitzki, Bogut, Rondo, Barnes

December 4th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Shortly after being ruled out indefinitely with a lingering Achilles problem, Dirk Nowitzki told reporters he is “all in” for the rest of the Mavericks’ season, relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Soreness in his right Achilles tendon has limited Nowitzki to five games this season. The problem began after he played 38 minutes on opening night. The veteran forward, who re-signed this summer for $50MM over two years, said he remains committed to this season despite the pain and Dallas’ 4-15 start. “This is obviously not a career-ending injury that I’ve got,” he said. “It’s something that just keeps lingering unfortunately. I can hopefully get over it. There’s still a lot of season left. December just started. We know that there’s a lot of games coming, so hopefully sometime soon I’ll be out there and then stay out there. I don’t want to jump in and out of the lineup with soreness or fight this whole year. I’d love to be healthy and stay out there once I go.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Center Andrew Bogut says the Mavericks have to turn things around quickly to have any hope for the playoffs, tweets Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star Telegram. “We probably honestly genuinely got about a month left to try and salvage this season,” Bogut said before Saturday’s win over the Bulls. The Mavericks’ performance over the next few weeks may determine if Bogut remains with the team all season. He will be a free agent next summer and could be traded before the February 23rd deadline if Dallas isn’t in contention.
Coach Rick Carlisle remains a supporter of Rajon Rondo even though they had a rocky relationship during the point guard’s time in Dallas, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Carlisle gave a glowing report about Rondo to the Bulls’ coaching staff when the team was considering making an offer to him in free agency. “I’ve recommended Rondo to a couple teams who have called me about him the last couple years,” Carlisle said. “As a competitor, you’re not going to find a guy better or more resourceful. It didn’t work out here for various reasons. It just was not a good fit. We did everything we could to make it work.”
Harrison Barnes is still adjusting to being a primary scorer after starting his career as a complementary piece in Golden State, writes Pat James of The Charlotte Observer. The Mavericks gave Barnes a four-year, $94MM contract this summer and promised him a larger role in the offense. “You just have to go and be aggressive,” he said. “That’s just the mentality coach has been trying to get me to be in this entire season. When he [Carlisle] draws up that play, it can’t be that I’m indecisive or thinking, ‘What play should I do?’ It’s just got be, ‘Make a read, and make or miss you live with the result.’ ”

Mavericks Notes: Nowitzki, Bogut, Curry, Gibson

November 28th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki should be back for another season no matter how this one turns out, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. A strained Achilles has limited Nowitzki to just five games as the Mavs have stumbled to a 3-13 start. In a question-and-answer column, Sefko says the 38-year-old still has a strong desire to play and won’t want to walk away from the $25MM he is owed next season.

There’s more tonight out of Dallas:

Center Andrew Bogut understands that he will only be in Dallas for one season, and maybe less, Sefko adds in the same piece. The veteran center was acquired in an offseason deal with the Warriors when Golden State was shedding salary to sign Kevin Durant. Bogut has started all 13 games that he has played and is grabbing 10.5 rebounds per night, but his expiring contract may make him attractive to a contender before the February deadline.
Seth Curry will take time to develop as a point guard, Sefko cautions in a separate story. After signing a two-year, $6MM deal in July, Curry has been pressed into service because of injuries to Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris. Sefko says Curry works on ballhandling as much as his brother Stephen does, and just needs repetition and confidence to improve as a point guard.
Guard Jonathan Gibson and center A.J. Hammons are the players most likely to be let go if Dallas needs to open a roster spot, Sefko says later in the same story. Gibson re-signed with the Mavericks earlier this month after being waived during the preseason, and Hammons is a rookie second-round pick out of Purdue. Sefko adds that everyone except Nowitzki should be considered as trade candidates between now and the deadline.
We rounded up a few more Mavs notes earlier in the day.

Community Shootaround: What Should Mavs Do?

November 21st, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Dallas Mavericks have enjoyed an impressive run of success over the last decade and a half, finishing at or above .500 in each of the last 16 seasons. The last time the Mavs finished below .500 was back in 1999/2000, Dirk Nowitzki‘s second NBA season, when the team had a 40-42 record.

This season, however, the Mavs will face a major uphill battle to get to 41-41. Just a dozen games into the season, Dallas is already eight games below .500, at 2-10. Nowitzki, battling an Achilles injury, has missed time, as have veteran guards Deron Williams, J.J. Barea, and Devin Harris. The club’s top offseason addition, Harrison Barnes, has looked good, but his 21.3 points per game haven’t been enough to get Dallas more than a pair of victories so far.

It’s unclear at this point whether or not the Mavs will enter a full-fledged rebuild, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that the team is definitely keeping an eye on some young players as potential targets. There’s no sense at this time that the Mavericks will blow up their roster, but if they don’t turn things around and some of their veterans want to be traded to contenders, the Mavs could attempt to accommodate them, tweets Kyler.

Meanwhile, in a piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor identifies Dallas as one of a handful of teams that should be tanking this season instead of going all-out to contend. As O’Connor observes, despite having some decent pieces in Barnes, Wesley Matthews, Justin Anderson, Dwight Powell, and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Mavs’ roster “badly needs an infusion of young talent.”

One team executive tells O’Connor that he thinks Dallas would only tank if Nowitzki’s injury issues persist throughout the year. In that scenario, veteran center Andrew Bogut would draw “plenty” of trade interest, according to the exec. The Mavs also hold their own first-round pick for 2017, so a bottom-five finish would give the team a chance at a top prospect.

What do you think? Should the Mavs hope they can get healthy and turn things around, or is it already time to start looking toward the future? If Dallas does decide to focus on next year, which of their vets should be on the trade block, and which ones should be retained as building blocks? Jump into the comments section below to let us know what you think!

Western Notes: Dieng, Dudley, Mavs, Griffin

November 10th, 2016 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves big man Gorgui Dieng vows not to get complacent after agreeing to a four-year, $62.8MM extension, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders reports. “You can get a contract, but you gotta earn it,” Dieng told Taylor. “I want to show that I’m worth every penny and I’m gonna try the best I can to help this team get better and myself.” Despite the team’s slow start, Dieng is averaging 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Jared Dudley has been moved to the Suns’ second unit to give it an offensive boost, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic relays. Phoenix has placed rookie Marquese Chriss into the starting five at power forward. Dudley was expecting to be a starter until about midseason, when either Chriss or fellow rookie Dragan Bender would take that spot, but coach Earl Watson felt he needed to make a switch much earlier because the reserves were getting dominated, Coro adds. “The second-unit was suffering, especially we need to get B-Knight (Brandon Knight) going, and he’s such a huge part of us,” Dudley told Coro.
Mavs center Andrew Bogut has no problem with playing more minutes this season, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. Bogut is averaging nearly 26 minutes, an uptick from the 20 minutes he typically played for the Warriors last season. “Yeah, a good number for me is around 30,” Bogut told Sefko. “I didn’t play that the last couple of seasons, obviously. But in Milwaukee I was playing high 30s, low 40s. That’s probably a bit too much. But I’m comfortable around 30.”
Blake Griffin isn’t being wooed by his friends to return to his hometown and join the Thunder next season, according to Andrew Han of ESPN.com. The Clippers power forward becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. “They know that my main focus is this season and this team,” Griffin told Han and other writers. “And they know that I enjoy playing here and I love this team, coaching staff, everybody. So they know that that’s my main focus. So I think they pretty much know not to bring that up.”

Andrew Bogut Talks About Leaving The Warriors

November 9th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the Warriors posting a record-setting win total and reaching the NBA Finals for a second straight season, Andrew Bogut appeared to have a long career ahead in Golden State. But Kevin Durant‘s desire to join the organization meant changes had to be made, and Bogut’s salary of more than $11MM was shipped to Dallas to create cap room to sign the former MVP. As he prepares for tonight’s game with the Warriors, the veteran center discusses his former team and other topics in an interview with USA Today’s Sam Amick.

On parting ways with a franchise that had been so successful:

“There’s no doubt it’s disappointing to leave one of the best teams – record-wise, those last two years … you leave a team like that and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was bitter in a way. I wasn’t mad at anybody about it. I understood it completely. I’m not stupid. But yeah, you’re disappointed leaving guys who you battled for a championship with, and guys where everyone understood their role and it was just fun to play and be a part of that team, because every day you came in to work and everyone kind of knew their role and accepted it. It was just cool to be part of that every day. It was just automatic. … That was probably the [most fun] part of it, was it was just so automatic for two years.”

On whether the Warriors would have stayed together if Durant had not become available:

“I think the move was to go a lot more long term, but we went to [seven] games in the NBA Finals … up 3-1, we’re a couple of minutes away [from winning it all] in Game 6 and Kyrie [Irving] hits a hell of a shot in Game 7. That’s the way it goes. But [the Cavs] were on the same side the year before. We [the Warriors] peaked pretty quickly. For us to go from the second round [of the playoffs in 2013] to first-round elimination [in 2014] and [Warriors coach Steve] Kerr comes in and wins a championship, nobody expected that. People thought it was going to be [the Warriors] having your battles, maybe go second round, then conference finals and lose. But we got there. That’s sport, man. They saw a vision where they wanted to get one of the best players in the world [in Durant], and they already had the best player in the world, and that’s the way it goes.”

On doubts about his durability that were expressed by people in the Warriors’ organization:

“People can take parting shots. I didn’t have a great Finals series obviously, with the injury, and finish off the way I wanted to, but that’s the way it goes. I’m not bitter about it. I could have played better definitely, especially on the offensive end. But I think defensively that I provided something for them that really helped that team win games.”

On Golden State’s early-season defensive problems:

“It’s an adjustment for them. Obviously [Warriors forward] Draymond [Green], we had a really good sync defensively where when he got beat I was there. When I got beat, he was there, and it was automatic. We didn’t have to talk about it. It was just reads. We knew how to play, and Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] did a good job of funneling guys to me and Draymond. Obviously they have to adjust to that when they go small now. I think OKC exposed us a little bit last season [in the seven-game conference finals] when we went small and they went big. They kind of exposed it. They went the anti-death lineup, which was staying true to who they were and should have beaten us hypothetically, so I think they’ll figure it out.”

On his feelings about facing the Warriors for the first time since the trade:

“No emotions. I’m good. Just go to work, try to get the win. Obviously it’s [one of] the toughest places to play in the league, and I’ll probably be more thankful when it’s all over. It’s going to be a circus … It’s going to be more draining than a regular game.”

Bogut Explains Decision To Join Mavs Over Rockets

October 28th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Bogut wasn’t a free agent this summer, but he did have some agency when it came to deciding his new team. Multiple reports throughout the offseason indicated that the Warriors could have sent Bogut to a number of different teams in a salary-shedding trade to clear cap room for Kevin Durant. Golden State reportedly allowed the former first overall pick to pick his destination from a list of clubs that included the Mavericks, Rockets, and the Sixers, and Bogut chose Dallas.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, Bogut viewed the Mavericks as the best fit for him, and wanted to land with a team he could potentially re-sign with in 2017. The veteran center cited culture, coaching, and his agent’s familiarity with the Mavs as reasons why Dallas made more sense than Houston, per MacMahon.

“I’m not saying Houston has a bad culture by any means, but my agent (David Bauman) has a familiarity here,” Bogut said. “I’ve known a lot of players that have been pretty happy here when they were here. Richard Jefferson was one of them. And then the city — I like the city, so it all made sense.

“Rick Carlisle is also one of the best coaches in the league,” Bogut continued. “He knows how to get the best out of his players. He’s very, very smart and makes great adjustments. He’s a guy you want to play for. Obviously, [Mike] D’Antoni is a pretty good coach, too, but probably not suited for my style of play. I would have probably had to drop about 20 pounds to play in his system. They play a tough system, get up and down the court.”

Bogut, who is in a contract year, said back in September that he would have asked for a buyout if he ended up with a team besides the Mavs. However, he clarified those comments today, walking them back slightly by saying a buyout would have been “an option” and not necessarily something he would have forced. As MacMahon details, Bogut also said he was referring to “a different team, not Houston,” when he talked about that option. The Sixers were likely the club in question.

Andrew Bogut Open To Long-Term Stay With Mavs

October 14th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Bogut, traded from the Warriors to the Mavericks over the summer, has yet to play his first regular-season game as a member of his new team. Based on his experience in Dallas so far though, he’s very open to the idea of remaining a Maverick beyond this season. The veteran center tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he’d love to stay with the Mavs long-term, if he can.

“I’d love to be here,” Bogut said. “The organization is first class. [Mark Cuban is] a great owner. Passionate and wants to win. From everything that I’ve seen, if it remains this way throughout the season, it’s sensational.”

Bogut, who also extensively praised the Dallas-Fort Worth area, cautioned that “things could change throughout the year,” so he’s not getting his signature ready for his next contract with the Mavericks quite yet. Based on his comments, it also sounds like Bogut will wait until next summer to ink his next deal, giving himself a chance to explore the market.

The former first overall pick is eligible for a contract extension as of October 25, but because the Mavs don’t have any cap room available at the moment, he’d only be able to get a small raise on a new deal by signing an extension. There will be no such salary restrictions next July.

While October declarations about future free agency should probably be taken with a grain of salt, Dallas was Bogut’s preferred destination when the Warriors looked to trade him in the offseason. His enthusiasm for the team and the city is also reciprocated by the Mavs. As Howard-Cooper details, head coach Rick Carlisle said he has been “an enormous fan of [Bogut’s] for over a decade.”

“You’re talking about a [Arvydas] Sabonis-, [Bill] Walton-level rim protector, rebounder, passer, play-maker at 7’2″ or whatever his height is,” Carlisle said of Bogut. “I just remember he was such a load to deal with in Milwaukee when he was a central figure in their offense. Not that he’s going to be a central figure [in Dallas], but we want him to be one of the people that creates a real balance when he’s on the floor.”

Bogut is set to earn just over $11MM this season before reaching free agency next offseason at age 32.