Bobby Portis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Lopez, Pistons, Bulls, Petteway

October 28th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks coach Jason Kidd confirmed reports that the team had interest in Robin Lopez and Brook Lopez in free agency this summer, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Neither ended up in Milwaukee, with Robin going to the Knicks and Brook re-signing with the Nets, though the Bucks did well enough, landing Greg Monroe.

“We liked both of those guys,’’ Kidd said. “They both do something and they’re very productive. I think both teams got maybe the guy they wanted. Looking at the Lopezes, I’ve coached one of them and recruited another. They’ve always played the game the right way. The Knicks ended up with [Robin] Lopez, which is a good pickup for them.”

See more from the Central Division:

The Pistons have no shortage of players with contractual motivation to prove their worth this season, making “the disease of more” and the potential for selfishness a concern in Detroit, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details.
Other Eastern Conference teams improved their rosters in the offseason, but short of adding Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio, the Bulls stood pat, making it fair to wonder about Chicago’s apparent determination that the most pressing need for change was at head coach, opines David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
The contract that Terran Petteway was briefly on with the Pacers was non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and covered one season, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Indiana absorbed a small cap hit for signing him after Saturday’s deadline to remove non-guaranteed salary without it counting against the cap. The Pacers inked Petteway on Sunday and waived him on Monday to secure his D-League rights.

Bulls Sign Bobby Portis

July 7th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Bulls have signed Bobby Portis to a rookie scale contract, the team announced in a press release (h/t to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders). Portis was the No. 22 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

The forward out of Arkansas will earn more than $1.391MM this coming season in the first year of a four-year deal, presuming he receives the standard 120% of the rookie scale. The arrangement will likely will call for him to receive $1,453,680 in 2016/17, $1,516,320 the following year, and $2,494,346 in the final season.

Portis appeared in 36 games for the Razorbacks last season, averaging 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, with a slash line of .536/.467/.737. His career averages are 15.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 1.5 BPG.

Central Notes: Boylen, Bucks, Pistons

June 17th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have officially named Jim Boylen as associate head coach on Fred Hoiberg’s staff, the team announced. “I am very excited to add Jim to our staff as our associate head coach. His track record speaks for itself with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and three NBA championships on his resume,” said Hoiberg. “His work ethic and attention to detail will help our team every day, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Also being considered for a spot on Hoiberg’s staff with the Bulls is Pete Myers, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets. Myers had previously been an assistant in Chicago, but was let go when Tom Thibodeau was named head coach. Myers last served as an assistant for the Warriors, but he was not retained when Steve Kerr took over for Mark Jackson as coach.
The Bucks held pre-draft workouts today for Ziga Dimec (Slovenia), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Terry Rozier (Louisville), and Brad Waldow (St. Mary’s), the team announced.
The Pistons will work out Cady Lalanne (Massachusetts) and Kendall Gray (Delaware State) today, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relays (Twitter link). Detroit will also host Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Levi Randolph (Alabama), Aaron White (Iowa), and Rayvonte Rice (Illinois), Keith Langlois of NBA.com adds (via Twitter).
Cavs coach David Blatt credits his players with continuing to fight even as injuries continued to mount during the playoffs, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. “This is a process,” Blatt said. “You don’t wake up one morning and fall out of bed and expect to win the NBA Championship. You hope that you can, but it doesn’t always work that way, and our guys did more than anyone could expect to put themselves and put our organization in this situation.“
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is breathing easier now that his starting lineup for 2015/16 is beginning to take shape with the acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova, Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press writes. “It was a little scary thinking about going into the summer and saying you might have to go get two starters,” Van Gundy said. “Now we feel like we’ve got four starters that we are really happy with.“

Southeast Notes: Griffin, Heat, Hornets

June 15th, 2015 at 6:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic and Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin have agreed to a deal that will make Griffin the lead assistant on Orlando’s bench, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune first reported that the Magic were considering Griffin.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Myles Turner of Texas worked out for the Heat, owner of the 10th overall pick, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
The Hornets worked out Shane Heyward of Columbus State, instead of Jonathan Holmes of Texas, as had been reported, in their six-man workout today, the team detailed via press release.
Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post adds Bobby Portis to the list of players working out for the Hawks (Twitter link). Portis will do so on Friday, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
Sam Dekker worked out for the Hawks today, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Quinnipiac forward Ousmane Drame replaced LSU’s Jarell Martin in a workout for the Wizards today, as reflected in a team announcement that showed Drame’s name, and not Martin’s among today’s workout participants for Washington. Martin’s name appeared on the list the team posted on Friday, as we noted. That lends credence to a report this weekend from Kennedy that Martin is shutting down all of his workouts after receiving a promise from a team picking in the middle of the first round that they’ll draft him.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Wizards, Johnson

June 13th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks‘ hope that either Duke big man Jahlil Okafor or Ohio State playmaker D’Angelo Russell will still be on the board when the team picks at No. 4 isn’t likely to pan out, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. According to a league source, the Sixers, who pick third, still have a firm top three of Karl-Anthony Towns, Russell, and Okafor, and Philly won’t let any of that trio slip past them, Berman notes. There is also little chance of New York gambling on Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis, who dazzled scouts during his Friday showcase, the Post scribe adds. “The body’s a long way off so he’s couple of years away from impact,’’ one NBA scout said of Porzingis. “He’s going to look great in a workout but he’s a young European who hasn’t played much. Too much risk at [No.] 4 for the Knicks.’’

Here’s more out of the NBA’s Eastern Conference:

The Pistons have workouts scheduled today for Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Le’Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State), Dustin Hogue (Iowa State), and LaDontae Henton (Providence), the team announced (on Twitter).
Working out for the Wizards on Monday will be Tyler Harvey (Eastern Washington), Rashad Madden (Arkansas), Jarell Martin (LSU), Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Jordan Sibert (Dayton), and Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin-Green Bay), the team announced.
The Knicks‘ scheduled workout for Arizona forward Stanley Johnson, who I recently profiled, was moved from Friday to today, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. New York has also been trying to bring in Murray State point guard Cameron Payne, who is suddenly a hot commodity, for a showcase, but the two sides have been unable to agree on a date, Begley adds.

And-Ones: Agents, Buza, Zipser, Portis

June 12th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Chuck Myron

An agent who spoke with Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com is worried that a union proposal that would significantly hike agent certification fees threatens to drive a large number of representatives out of business. A union spokesperson said to Begley that it was “ridiculous” to assume the measure posed such a threat, however. The change would up dues from $1,500 to between $5K and $15K, though it requires approval from a union committee before it would go into place, Begley notes. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Second-round draft prospect Nedim Buza has signed with Oostende of Belgium, the team announced (hat tip to David Pick of Eurobasket.com). Buza, a Bosnian small forward, is the 51st-best prospect for this year’s draft, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has him 53rd. Buza’s deal runs three years with an option for a fourth, though it’s unclear whether it’s a team, player or mutual option. Monday is the last day for Buza to withdraw from the draft, though he could elect to stay in and perhaps become a draft-and-stash player. It’s unclear what sort of NBA outs, if any, are in the contract.
German forward Paul Zipser will withdraw from this year’s draft, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). He stood a decent chance to end up in the second round, too, as Givony ranked him 68th, though Ford has him at No. 92.
The Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Hawks, Bucks and Pacers spoke to Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis at last month’s combine, Portis said, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA PM piece. Previous reports indicated that he also talked to Boston and Portland.
The BDA Sports agency has promised an NBA deal for former USC shooting guard Daniel Hackett if he can free himself from his contract with Italy’s EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, a source tells Sportando’s David Pick (Twitter link). Hackett intends to find a way out of the European deal, Pick adds.

And-Ones: Kaun, Pacers, Wells

June 8th, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draft-and-stash prospect Sasha Kaun is moving to the United States and will explore his NBA options, his agent J.R. Hensley tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Kaun, who played for CSKA Moscow last season, has retired from the Russian League, Pick adds in a separate tweet. The 6’11” center was originally drafted in 2008 by the SuperSonics — the last draft pick made by the franchise before moving to Oklahoma City — and his rights were later traded to the Cavaliers for cash considerations.

In other news around the league:

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles is among the group of players scheduled to work out Thursday for the Pacers, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. He’ll be joined by three other forwards — Arkansas’ Bobby Portis, LSU’s Jordan Mickey and Wyoming’s Larry Nance Jr. — along with Ohio State point guard Shannon Scott and D-League guard Jarvis Threatt. Indiana owns the No. 11 overall pick.
Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells pulled out of a scheduled workout with the Jazz on Friday with an undisclosed injury, Randy Hollis of the Deseret News reports. Wells is rated No. 69 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford and No. 84 by DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony on their lists of Top 100 prospects.
Delaware State center Kendall Gray will work out with the Heat on Tuesday, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Wade, Woods

June 6th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Eddie Scarito

With the sale of the Hawks nearly completed, the situation regarding embattled GM Danny Ferry is still waiting a definitive resolution, Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Schultz predicts the most likely outcome is that Ferry simply resigns and Atlanta gives coach Mike Budenholzer a new contract and more autonomy, and places assistant GM Wes Wilcox in charge of the basketball operations department, at least for the 2015/16 campaign.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

The Cavaliers announced that point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured left kneecap during the first game of the NBA Finals, and he will require surgery to repair the damage that will keep him out of action for a minimum of three to four months.
In his weekly mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel if he felt that the Heat‘s personnel mistakes have fueled Dwyane Wade‘s concern moving forward. Winderman believes that Wade has lost a good amount of trust in the front office and if the team was winning now, salary might not be such a sticking point for him. The question is whether the Heat are “all in” for 2015/16 and, at present, Winderman isn’t sure that’s the case.
The Magic have expressed interest in Butler big man Kameron Woods, who is not projected to be picked in the upcoming NBA Draft, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star writes. The team interviewed Woods last week, and could be looking to sign the forward as a free agent after the draft, the Indy Star scribe adds.
The Pistons are holding workouts today for Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Kevon Looney (UCLA), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), Will Cummings (Temple), and Juwan Howard Jr. (Detroit), Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Bucks, Mudiay, Jones, Powell

June 4th, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Charlie Adams

There’s talk among NBA front offices that the Bucks have their sights set on a pair of shooting guards as potential targets for the 17th pick in the upcoming draft, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, who identifies Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona) and Rashad Vaughn (UNLV) as the two players Milwaukee will be targeting. As Woelfel points out, both members of the pair are represented by Jeff Schwartz, who works at the same agency that serves Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis, Khris Middleton and Jason Kidd. We’ve got more on the Bucks and the upcoming draft below:

Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Cameron Payne (Murray State), Justin Anderson (Virginia), Kevon Looney (UCLA), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) and R.J. Hunter (Georgia State) will work out for the Bucks, Woelfel notes in the piece linked above. He also mentions that Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky have declined to work out for Milwaukee. Prevailing word around the league is that neither player will drop out of the lottery, according to Woelfel.
Emmanuel Mudiay is scheduled to work out for the Timberwolves in addition to the Lakers, Sixers, and Knicks, as SMU coach Larry Brown tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Brown had already told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that the highly touted point guard would be putting his skills on display for the latter three of the group mentioned before. Of course, those four teams hold the top four picks in the draft.
Duke freshman Tyus Jones won’t be showing off for any more teams in the near future, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN hears that the national-champion point guard’s back acted up during a workout with the Rockets (Twitter link). Still, Wolfson and Woelfel both note the Mavs have interest Jones with the 21st pick.
The Knicks have almost “no idea” what to do with the fourth selection in the upcoming draft, a person close to the organization tells Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders for a mock draft piece. New York is willing to trade back, according to Hamilton, since there are teams who would potentially be interested in getting the fourth pick to nab Willie Cauley-Stein.
UCLA senior shooting guard Norman Powell is touting his ability to play the point and his four years of college experience as he makes the pre-draft workout rounds, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details. He’s already auditioned for the Bulls, Rockets, Spurs and Sixers, Medina notes.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Singler, Jazz, Portis

June 3rd, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kyle Singler became a fan of new Thunder coach Billy Donovan after the two met face-to-face shortly after the team announced the coach’s hiring, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. “It was quick. It was engaging,” Singler said. “I didn’t really know too much about him so I was walking into it not really expecting much. I didn’t know what was going to be talked about. Really liked the things he had to say, liked his demeanor. He didn’t really get into much talking about [my role]. He just wanted to know what my opinions were with the team last year, what I thought would help the team out next season, stuff like that, style-wise.” The 27-year-old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, provided OKC tenders him a qualifying offer worth $2,725,003.

Here’s the latest from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz have workouts scheduled Thursday for Pat Connaughton (Notre Dame), Malcolm Miller (Holy Cross), Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Kevon Looney (UCLA), and Deonta Stocks (West Georgia), the team announced (on Twitter).
Minnesota senior guard Andre Hollins will also work out for the Jazz on Thursday, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
The Trail Blazers have expressed interest in Portis, though the forward is expected to be off the board prior to the team selecting at pick No. 23, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
Working out for the Timberwolves on Thursday will be J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina), Terry Rozier (Louisville), Norman Powell (UCLA), Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Jabril Trawick (Georgetown), and Michael Frazier (Florida), Wolfson relays (Twitter link).