Bradley Beal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Howard, Hawks, Wade, Wizards

June 21st, 2017 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s trade between Atlanta and Charlotte, which sent Dwight Howard to the Hornets for an underwhelming package that included Miles Plumlee and Marco Belinelli, signaled to many that Howard’s value is at a low point. While that may be the case, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is confident that he can help Howard become an All-Star caliber player again, as Steve Reed of The Associated Press (via The Charlotte Observer) details.

“I know what he has to do to play well,” Clifford said of Howard, whom he coached as an assistant in Orlando and Los Angeles. “He understands that I know him. I know his game. Being around him in different settings I have a feel for what he likes to do… There is no reason he can’t get back to playing at a really high level.”

While we wait to see if Clifford can help Howard rebound after his stint in Atlanta ended with the big man complaining about his role, here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

The Howard trade between Atlanta and Charlotte will leave the Hawks with a modest trade exception. Atlanta’s new TPE will be worth $4,346,942, and will be the fourth – and largest – trade exception available to the team, as our list of TPEs shows.
Asked why he decided to exercise his player option to remain with the Bulls, a candid Dwyane Wade told David Aldridge of TNT that there were “24 million reasons” (Twitter link). Wade’s option will pay him $23.8MM next season.
The Wizards have reportedly expressed interest in Paul George, and John Wall is on board with the idea of acquiring the Pacers star. However, a trade for George is a long shot, since a sign-and-trade of Otto Porter would be tricky and the inclusion of Bradley Beal is, of course, a non-starter, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Southeast Notes: Wall, Porter, Gortat, Waiters, Ball

May 16th, 2017 at 7:03pm CST by Joshua Fischman

During the Wizards‘ Game 7 loss to the Celtics, Washington’s bench was outscored 48 to 5. That glaring disparity was certainly not lost on John Wall, writes Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. In fact, Wall’s last words before leaving the court Monday night were, “Forty-eight to five,” which he then repeated before departing with, “Our bench had five points.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast:

Despite the immense disappointment Wizards players are feeling after their Game 7 defeat, players expressed confidence that the team can continue to compete at a high level if it can keep its best players together. Otto Porter, a restricted free agent this offseason, is considered by teammates Wall, Bradley Beal, and Markieff Morris to be a vital part of the team’s core, reports Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Morris tells Buckner that Porter is worth a max contract and he hopes that he gets it.
As reported earlier today, Marcin Gortat feels underappreciated by the Wizards and may request a trade. More details and quotes on Gortat’s feelings can be found via Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
Impeding Heat free agent Dion Waiters said that the Heat do not need Lonzo Ball because they are covered at the point guard position with Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, and “other [players],” reports Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Waiters also offered advice for Ball: “He’s got to go somewhere where he’s able to play his game. He’s got to go somewhere where he’s able to make mistakes. Because I think in this game today, he’s got to be able to make mistakes and have a coach who allows you to make mistakes, and you can learn from it.”
Luke Babbitt‘s future with the Heat is written about by Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Winderman concludes that, while Babbitt likely will not be an offseason priority for the Heat, the team will consider him because of his Bird Rights and skill set.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wall, Beal, McRoberts

March 15th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks haven’t settled on their point guard rotation for the rest of the season, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Jose Calderon, who was claimed off waivers earlier this month, has been the backup to Dennis Schroder in the past four games, but that doesn’t mean the job is his to keep. Coach Mike Budenholzer said Malcolm Delaney, who had the role before Calderon arrived, will also be part of the mix. “No doubt that Jose has been great,” Budenholzer said. “Jose is so positive and talking and in Dennis’ face, in everybody’s face. He’s like wow. To have both of those guys, I wouldn’t under-sell what Malcolm does. I think he’s been real good next to Dennis.”

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

Wizards point guard John Wall is downplaying claims that he and backcourt partner Bradley Beal had a strained relationship. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Wall says much of the dissension stemmed from a misunderstanding over Beal’s contract talks. “Everybody said I tried to play him or something. I was watching his money. I was mad. That wasn’t it,” Wall said. “All I said was, ‘Let him be healthy. Let him earn his money.’ It’s the same way they said I didn’t earn my money. ‘How did he get $80 million? He didn’t deserve it.’ But then all of the sudden when everybody was getting paid, nobody was saying nothing.” Beal agreed to a five-year, $127MM contract last summer.
Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld reached out to the Nets in the trade that sent Bojan Bogdanovic to Washington, tweets NetsDaily.com. Brooklyn was hoping for a first-round pick in return and wound up with Washington’s first-rounder along with Andrew Nicholson and Marcus Thornton in exchange for Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough.
A stress fracture in his left foot has kept Heat forward Josh McRoberts out of action since December 27th, but he still might play this season, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Coach Erik Spoelstra offered an update today, saying, “He’s on the court a little bit now, and we’ll just have to see how he progresses.” McRoberts missed the preseason with a stress reaction in the foot, then returned to start 14 straight games before being sidelined again. He has a player option for 2017/18 worth slightly more than $6MM.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Brooks, Jennings

March 8th, 2017 at 8:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Bradley Beal believes the arrival of coach Scott Brooks has changed the culture in Washington, as he writes on his new blog.

“With Coach Brooks, it’s never been about one player dominating the game, or winning us a game,” Beal writes. “There’s no favoritism for any of us. We’re all being held to a high standard, and knowing that has actually given all of us confidence. Coach trusts us all with the same responsibility, from the top down, and it’s spread throughout the players, too. The team atmosphere is great. It’s a family, brother-like atmosphere.”

Here’s more from Washington:

In the same piece, Beal praised the Wizards‘ recent roster moves. “We picked up a couple guys recently that should help us a lot,” Beal writes. “Bojan Bogdanovic is a scorer, and he showed that against Orlando the other night. We just tell him, ‘If you’re open, you knock it down,’and he does that. He has a big body, and he’s able to switch from defense and help us out on the glass, too, which should make things a little bit easier for us. Brandon Jennings is a good addition, too. He’s a fierce, feisty guard, and I think he’ll definitely intimidate point guards on other teams.”
Brooks wants Jennings to be more aggressive on offense and the point guard feels his new coach has helped him to be more confident on the floor, Chase Hughes of Comcast Sportsnet relays. “I think this is the first coach to ever tell me to shoot more,” Jennings said. “Honestly. When I first came into the league, shooting wasn’t really that popular where guys didn’t really like point guards to shoot that much. Now it’s like ‘shoot the ball.’ I’ve gotta get back to that.”
The Wizards‘ bench appeared to be holding the team back earlier this season, but after making upgrades, the team is prepared to make a deep postseason run, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post opines. Buckner is particularly high on Bogdanovic, adding that he can play with the starters or lead the second unit.

Hoops Links: Lowry, Embiid, Antetokounmpo, Porzingis, Nicholson

February 19th, 2017 at 4:24pm CST by Milo Taibi

On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:

Brian Boake of Raptors Rapture wonders if Toronto GM Masai Ujiri will retain Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka at the end of the season.
John Jarosik of The Hardwood Nation argues that despite their 19-39 record, this season should not be viewed as a disappointment for the Lakers.
Kwame Fisher-Jones of The 76er Files states the case against Bryan Colangelo offering Joel Embiid a max extension, citing the big man’s injury history.
Mark Suleymanov of Inquisitir Sports conducted a one-on-one with Metta World Peace.
Kaiser Linderman of Deep(ish) Thoughts took an analytical look at T.J. McConnell‘s success.
Adam Paris of Brew Hoop answered the question we’ve all been asking: can Giannis Antetokounmpo fly?
Kristaps Porzingis gave Knicks fans a reason to cheer, Mike Cortez of Hardwood and Hollywood writes.
Francis Adu of Ridiculous Upside detailed Alfonzo McKinnie’s ascension toward becoming an elite D-Leaguer.
Bradley Beal was more deserving of Kevin Love‘s All-Star spot than Carmelo Anthony, Christopher Church of The Baltimore Wire argued.
Fim Oshin of Bullets Forever outlined four ways the Wizards may be able to move Andrew Nicholson at the trade deadline.

Southeast Notes: Battier, Beal, Ibaka, Ross, Mahinmi

February 17th, 2017 at 6:14pm CST by Milo Taibi

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel wondered if Shane Battier, recently hired as the Heat‘s Director of Basketball Development and Analytics, will eventually assume leadership of the franchise from Pat Riley. For the interim, Winderman writes, Battier’s position will be the “first step” toward a post-Riley front office. Battier will work alongside Andy Elisburg and Nick Arison, executives with an advanced “business-of-basketball” acumen. While there is no reason to believe Riley is ready to step away from the game, Winderman could see Riley moving into a role similar to Jerry West’s with the Lakers; an executive board member who isn’t accountable for mundane, day-to-day front office operations.

Southeast Rumors: Magic, Wizards, Sanders, Ibaka

January 31st, 2017 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Weighing in on recent Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic rumors, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports that the majority of trade talks the Magic have been involved in are “very exploratory” in nature. That applies to the Vucevic talks with the Celtics, in particular, with sources telling Kyler that no deal involving Vucevic going to Boston was ever “actively under consideration.”

The Magic have been very active in pursuing potential deals, with GM Rob Hennigan recently vowing to be aggressive as he attempts to improve the roster. But Orlando doesn’t appear ready to make a deal yet, and sources who have talked to the team tell Kyler that the Magic may be overvaluing some of the players on their roster.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Larry Sanders, who is attempting an NBA comeback, is on the Wizards‘ radar, but Washington’s interest in Sanders depends on Ian Mahinmi‘s health, sources tell J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. If Mahinmi can return to the court for the Wizards, the team’s interest in Sanders would fade. Michael also adds that Washington doesn’t have interest in trading for Ibaka.
There were some offseason questions about the relationship on and off the court between Wizards guards Bradley Beal and John Wall, but Beal is tired of answering questions on that topic, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. Appearing on ESPN Radio’s NBA Insiders, Beal said that his relationship with Wall is going “really well” this season. “It’s kind of getting old, people saying that we don’t agree and that we don’t click,” Beal said. “We’re just going out and proving it on the floor.”
The Heat‘s supporting cast has played a huge role in the team’s recent winning streak, and many of those players are eligible for free agency this summer. In a mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether it makes sense for the club to try to keep players like Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Willie Reed beyond this season.

Wizards Notes: Mahinmi, Beal, Morris, Oubre

December 19th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards center Ian Mahinmi didn’t accompany the team on its current three-game road trip, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Independent doctors and the team’s medical staff will evaluate his condition, possibly on both knees. Mahinmi has only been able to play in one game after coming to Washington over the summer on a four-year, $64MM deal. He had surgery during the offseason to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, then developed soreness in the right knee that is believed to be tendinitis.

There’s more news out of Washington:

Even opponents are noticing the improvement in Bradley Beal this season, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Returning from a three-game absence caused by a right hamstring strain, Beal fell one point short of a career high with his 41-point effort in Sunday’s win over the Clippers. “Brad looked like a totally different person,” said L.A. point guard Chris Paul. “A lot more aggressive. This is the Bradley Beal he should be all the time. … For this team to be as good as they want to be, he has to be like that.” It was Beal’s fifth game this season with 30 or more points, as he is validating the Wizards’ decision to give him a five-year max deal worth about $128MM.
Markieff Morris is starting to look like he can handle the role of third scorer behind Beal and John Wall, Michael writes in a separate story. He had 12 points in the fourth quarter Sunday to help close out the victory. It’s a role the Wizards have been hoping Morris could fill since they acquired him from the Suns at last season’s trade deadline.
Kelly Oubre is listed as active for tonight’s game after going through concussion protocol, Buckner tweets. Oubre was tested today in Indiana after clearing the 48-hour window.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Gortat, Hibbert

December 13th, 2016 at 7:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards have struggled this season and Bradley Beal believes he needs do his part in displaying leadership in order to turn the season around, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. “It’s up to [John Wall] and I to do a better job of leading,” Beal said. “We have to show by example. It falls on us at the end of the day. The responsibility goes on us. We have to be able to pick up our teammates, pick up ourselves when we’re not having the game we want or each other’s not having a good game, we have to be there mentally and vocally to pick each other up.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Despite Washington’s struggles, it would not be wise to deal Wall, Aldridge contends in the same piece. Aldridge argues that if the Wizards trade anyone, it should be Marcin Gortat. The team handed Ian Mahinmi a four-year, $64MM contract— a deal worth more than Gortat’s— during the offseason and Aldridge speculates that the addition is something that bothers Gortat. The scribe believes that trading the 32-year-old for some reinforcements off the bench may be the best move for the franchise.
Roy Hibbert is enjoying his time playing for the Hornets and he doesn’t have an issue with coming off the bench for the team, as he tells Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. “Everything has been going well,” Hibbert said. “It’s a really good group of guys who want to win. It’s a good organization. Everybody is all about winning.”
Hibbert had some interesting comments on David West signing with the Warriors, Agness adds in the same piece. “It’s a good opportunity for him,” Hibbert said of West’s decision. “It’s a good team over there, obviously. He played for two good organizations, San Antonio – and he’s playing for a good one now.” West and Hibbert played four seasons together on the Pacers.

Southeast Notes: Mahinmi, Bazemore, Howard

November 26th, 2016 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent addition Ian Mahinmi will play his first game of the season for the Wizards tonight, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Washington signed the 30-year-old center to a four-year, $64MM deal in July, but he has been out of action since October 14th when he had surgery to fix a partially torn medial meniscus in his left knee. Coach Scott Brooks said he will monitor Mahinmi’s playing time for a while, and he understands the center will need time to play himself back into shape (Twitter link).

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Brooks will continue to monitor the minutes of John Wall and Bradley Beal, but there will be no restrictions for Otto Porter, who suffered a hip injury on Monday, tweets J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.
Kent Bazemore‘s love of Atlanta and his charity work in the city were important factors in keeping him in a Hawks uniform, relays Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Several teams pursued Bazemore in free agency over the summer, but he opted to stay in Atlanta, where he operates a foundation that promotes health for underprivileged and distressed children and young adults. “I’ve always echoed you can be the greatest person you can be if you’re comfortable and I’m super comfortable in Atlanta,” Bazemore said. “My fiancé loves it and we’re starting to plant some roots there, my network is growing there, and it’s just a city of opportunity. It’s up and coming, and it’s a place I can see myself actually growing with, more so than going to other places where they may be too far behind or way ahead of the curve. This is a place where I can see myself being for the next 10 years maybe.”
Hawks center Dwight Howard says he didn’t quite fit in during his time with the Lakers and Rockets, Scotto adds in the same story. Howard is an eight-time All-Star, but he was passed over for the game the past two seasons. After signing with Atlanta this summer, he wants to show he can get back to that level. “I know what I can do for a team and I know what kind of problems I can present for opposing teams every night,” Howard said. “It’s always about opportunities and systems. I don’t think I had the right opportunity or right system the last two places I was in and where I could be the most effective. I think with this system right here, I get an opportunity to be effective on both ends of the floor and I still have a lot left in the tank.”