Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Thomas, Knicks
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson proclaimed himself a fan of center Brook Lopez, adding that he views the big man as a vital part of the team’s rebuilding plan, NetsDaily relays. “The first thing I’m really impressed with him –watching him and I’m watching him really closely right now, watching games from the last couple of years — is how well he passes the ball and that’s going to be a big part of our offense, moving the ball,” Atkinson said of Lopez. “He obviously can score the ball. That’s been established. He’s been established as a pro, but I’m really impressed with the way he passes the ball.”
“And I think there will be areas where we’re going to challenge him,” Atkinson continued. “Protect the rim a little better, a little better pick-and-roll defense. These are areas where he can get a little better there, a little better here. He’s already an excellent player. Can we get him to another level. Can we help him get to another level. But I’m a huge fan. I think he plays the game the right way. I think he’s smart. It’s a fast paced game right now in the NBA, but I look at Andrew Bogut in Golden State. They play pretty fast and he does alright in the offense. So, I think there’s a place for Brook in this new NBA.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas intends to help the team recruit free agents this summer and admits that Boston needs to add another star if it is to move forward, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. “We’re a step away. We’re a couple pieces away, I think, from being contenders in the Eastern Conference,” Thomas said. “We won 48 games this year with a team that people didn’t think could do that. That says a lot about the direction we’re going in, and I know [team executive] Danny [Ainge] and those guys in the front office are going to do whatever they can to make this team the best possible team it can be. I do think we need that next star and that guy that can we depend on. Not to sound cocky, but not just myself. We need another option. Like I said, I go to the war with the fellas I have in that [Celtics] locker room right now and I love all those guys, but we do need a little more.“
- The Knicks reported hiring of Jeff Hornacek as head coach raises more questions than it answers, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. The addition of Hornacek calls into question how much influence team president Phil Jackson has left with owner James Dolan, the future of Kurt Rambis with the team and what offense New York will run, given that Hornacek has no experience with the triangle, Begley notes.
- Restricted free agent Jared Sullinger proclaimed his loyalty to the Celtics and said he wants to re-sign with the team, but acknowledged a great deal of uncertainty surrounds the upcoming offseason, Kevin O’Connor of CSNNE.com writes.
Atlantic Rumors: Young, Lopez, Nets, Knicks
After Thaddeus Young mentioned on Monday that he has been told by the Nets that the team doesn’t intend to move either him or Brook Lopez (Twitter link via Andy Vasquez of The Record), general manager Sean Marks was asked about the topic and essentially confirmed what Young had said, albeit with a caveat.
“I’m certainly not looking to trade them,” the Nets GM said of Young and Lopez, per Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link). “But again, what I’ve said before is you have to be fluid. You never know what’s going to come your way. I hope that they’re part of this. They’re both terrific people. They’re both competitive people. I hope to maximize their talent and help build around them.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- During his introductory press conference on Monday, new Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that addressing the point guard position will be high on Brooklyn’s to-do list this summer. “It’s like the NFL quarterback,” Atkinson said. “It’s the Drew Brees, it’s the Aaron Rogers. It’s super important.” Atkinson added that there are some “exciting names” expected to be available in free agency at point guard (Twitter links via Vasquez).
- The Knicks don’t currently own any 2016 draft picks, but multiple sources tell Mark Berman of the New York Post that the team is being aggressive in looking to acquire at least one – and possibly two – second-rounders. When a similar report surfaced over the weekend, we noted that New York has been meeting with prospects, so the team is clearly preparing for the possibility of participating in the draft.
- The Celtics are eager to find out where their top first-round pick will fall in Tuesday night’s draft lottery, as it will help the team gain some certainty when it comes to offseason planning and trade discussions, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Once the ping-pong balls fall, I think there will at least be a little bit of a more clear path,” GM Danny Ainge said. “And more certainty in talks and conversations with other teams.”
- Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com takes an in-depth look at Bryan Colangelo‘s track record as an NBA decision-maker, exploring what 76ers fans can expect from the team’s new president of basketball operations going forward.
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Rambis, Lopez
Carmelo Anthony desires a say in the Knicks‘ future personnel decisions, including the selection of the next head coach, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “I think you have to. I think you have to have some type of input, whether it’s input or dialogue, whatever word that you want to use,” Anthony said. “I think you have to have that. I think at this point it needs to be some type of connection, some type of communication. Especially if we want to right this ship, there definitely needs to be some type of communication.” The small forward added that he hasn’t had any discussions with team president Phil Jackson or other members of the front office about who should coach the team next season, Begley notes.
Anthony expressed his appreciation for the job interim coach Kurt Rambis has done but offered no endorsement that Rambis remain in the post beyond this season, Begley adds. “I like Kurt,” Anthony said. “I thought he was kind of thrown into a tough situation with the firing of [Derek Fisher] and kind of gathering the troops, getting guys to play and finish the season up. As far as what’s going to happen this summer, this offseason and next year, who’s going to be in that spot, I have no idea. I haven’t had any conversations with anybody about that. I’m pretty sure they’ll address that when the offseason comes. I would love to have some type of input when it comes to that. But like I said, nobody has had a conversation about that yet.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Rambis, who is reportedly Jackson’s preferred choice to coach the Knicks in 2016/17, said he would relish the opportunity to have the interim tag removed from his title, Begley relays in the same piece. “It would be fantastic,” Rambis said. “I want to be a head coach in this league. This is a great franchise; it’s a terrific city, fan base. It would be a thrill beyond thrills in order to take this situation from where it was when we all first came here and turn it into a situation where it’s extremely promising and we have a chance to get in the playoffs and do well in the playoffs and get this city and this organization a potential championship. That’s a goal, and that would be a tremendous thrill.“
- Former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was undone by bad luck in the NBA draft lottery, as the team failed to land the No. 1 overall pick during his tenure, which in turn led to some questionable selections, Rob Mahoney of SI.com writes. The former GM should get credit for sticking to his plan, one that ownership fully endorsed upon his hiring, Mahoney adds.
- Nets center Brook Lopez believes he and GM Sean Marks are on the same page, and Marks informed Lopez that he sees him as a building block and not as a trade chip, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “He has talked to me, and we both definitely want to be here and see things happen here and help the team grow going forward,’’ Lopez said.
- The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young and power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s 13th trip to Maine and Mickey’s 14th.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Draft Pick, Patterson, Williams
The Nets are using what’s left of this season to determine who they want back next season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Interim coach Tony Brown has been juggling his lineups, as Thomas Robinson, Sergey Karasev, Henry Sims and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all made starts this week. “It’s an opportunity for you to show people what you can do,” Brown said. “As far as I know, we don’t have a bunch of long-term-contract guys, so this is an opportunity for them to show themselves to the organization and possibly to the league. So use your time wisely and help yourself when you play.”
Two players who have made the most of their late-season chances are shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, who was signed out of the D-League and is averaging 13.9 points over his last 15 games, and point guard Shane Larkin, who has put up 10.8 points and six assists per night in his last six games as a starter. Larkin has a $1.5MM player option for next season.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics could benefit from Brooklyn’s decision to shut down Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young for the rest of the season, according to NetsDaily. Boston owns the Nets‘ unprotected first rounder, and Brooklyn is currently fourth in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, one game behind Phoenix. If the Nets move past the Suns, Boston’s chance at the No. 1 pick improves from 11.9% to 15.6%.
- Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse picks Patrick Patterson as the team’s most improved player this season, relays Mike Ganter of The National Post. The sixth-year power forward only averages 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, but Nurse said the improvement shows up in his overall play. “I would say he has made more strides defensively, but I would also say he has made strides consistently producing the same thing night in and night out,” Nurse said. “I think there were a little more extreme peaks and valleys with him [before].” Patterson is signed for one more season at slightly more than $6MM.
- Derrick Williams has finally put aside the pressure of being the second player drafted in 2011 and has found a home with the Knicks, writes Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com. “This league is about opportunity, situation and timing – those three things right there,” Williams said. “And if you have good opportunity, situation is right, and the time is right on point, you can’t be stopped.”
Nets Open To Dealing Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young
TUESDAY, 5:01pm: The Clippers are also interested in Young, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News relays (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 8:10am: Toronto and Brooklyn are talking in “basic, non-specific terms” about Young, one source told Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
8:50pm: The Raptors are interested in Young, but have yet to make a serious offer, one source tells NetsDaily.
SUNDAY, 7:49pm: The Nets are willing to deal Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young despite the franchise still being in the process of hiring a general manager, several league executives told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
One potential deal, according to Isola, involves Young being traded to the Raptors in exchange for Patrick Patterson and Delon Wright. The Raptors own the Knicks’ 2016 first round draft pick and that may be part of the package, Isola adds. It was recently reported that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is not 100% committed to retaining Lopez and Young. The Raptors are reportedly looking to add a power forward and Young’s name has already been attached to Toronto in that capacity.
Lopez landed a three-year deal for the max this past summer despite his history of foot problems. His contract contains only conditional guarantees for next season and 2017/18 based on the health of his right foot. Young, a ninth-year veteran, re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal. Young has enjoyed a solid season and is averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Latest On Nets GM Search, Lopez, Young
SATURDAY, 12:15pm: Prokhorov has a reputation of courting “secret” candidates and the owner is known to be a big fan of Spurs GM R.C. Buford, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays in a series of tweets. While it is highly unlikely the Russian would be able to pry Buford away from San Antonio, it explains the franchise’s interest in Marks, Stein adds. Prokhorov’s admiration of the Spurs organization is also a reason that San Antonio assistant Ettore Messina is a potential head coaching candidate for Brooklyn, Stein also notes.
FRIDAY, 4:17pm: An air of intrigue surrounds the Nets GM search, but the general consensus around the league is that Bryan Colangelo will land the job, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report relays in an extended series of tweets. The Nets intend to have a new GM in place by the February 18th trade deadline and are in the process of conducting interviews this week. The team is still conducting interviews and there doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency to make a decision despite the self-imposed deadline, Beck notes. The last time Nets team owner Mikhail Prokhorov conducted a GM search, he had a private “A” list, something that league executives believe is the case once again, Beck relays.
Despite the general belief that the job is Colangelo’s to lose, Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas is still considered a strong candidate for the vacant spot, Beck notes. Karnisovas is well-regarded around the league and speaks Russian, which could be a selling point with Prokhorov, who is Russian, Beck adds. The presence of two strong candidates could lead to Brooklyn going with some combination of the two in its front office, the Bleacher Report scribe relays. Karnisovas is said to earn a six-figure salary in Denver, a number that Prokhorov would likely have no qualms about exceeding based on his past track record, Nets Daily tweets. The Nets have also reportedly targeted former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant, current Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks, former Cavs and Hawks GM Danny Ferry, Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Nets assistant GM Frank Zanin. Brooklyn has interviewed Zanin for the GM post, sources tell Chris Mannix of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), even though he’s already been running the front office on an interim basis since the team removed former GM Billy King from the job last month.
With the trade deadline less than a week away, Prokhorov is not 100% committed to retaining center Brook Lopez and combo forward Thaddeus Young, Beck also relays (Twitter links). The owner had indicated previously that he wants to keep Young and Lopez, believing the team can surround them with free agents in the summer and quickly return to contention, according to an earlier report by Beck. Nets CEO Brett Yormark recently mentioned Lopez and Young as among the team’s building blocks. Lopez scored a three-year deal for the max this past summer in spite of the multiple foot injuries he suffered in his first seven NBA seasons. Young, a ninth-year veteran, re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal.
Raptors Eye Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried?
The Raptors are looking for power forwards, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who’s heard the team attached to Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris, as Windhorst said on TSN 1050 radio in Toronto (audio link; scroll to 6:30 mark) and as Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game transcribes. Fellow ESPN scribe Marc Stein identified Toronto’s interest in Morris earlier this month, as we detailed at the time. The salary structure of the Raptors would make it tough for the team to deal anyone from its existing roster, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca pointed out, but the team has an extra first-round pick for each of the next two drafts, and GM Masai Ujiri has signaled that he wants to trade at least one of those picks at some point, if not before next week’s trade deadline. Still, Toronto doesn’t have the cap room or trade exception to absorb either Young, Faried or Morris without relinquishing salary.
Young seems as though he’d be tough to wrangle from Brooklyn. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to keep Young and Brook Lopez, believing the team can surround them with free agents in the summer and quickly return to contention, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck (Twitter links). Nets CEO Brett Yormark recently mentioned Young as one of the team’s building blocks. The ninth-year veteran who re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal is averaging a career-best 9.1 rebounds per game.
Faried isn’t on the trade block, either, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post recently wrote, nonetheless adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Nuggets moved him for an overwhelming offer. Faried and the Nuggets appeared to share mutual doubts about each other as of this past spring, with the power forward reportedly a significant contributor to the downfall of former coach Brian Shaw, but such chatter has largely disappeared this season under new coach Michael Malone. Faried’s contributions have been steady so far this year, and his 55.3% field goal percentage is his best since he shot 58.6% as a rookie. He’s in the first year of a four-year, $50MM extension.
Nets Notes: Ferry, Cap Exception, Jackson
Danny Ferry is no longer a viable candidate for the Nets GM job, sources tell Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lewis previously heard that Ferry wasn’t “the likeliest candidate” not long after the former Hawks and Cavs GM emerged as a contender, in spite of his support from former GM Billy King. The candidacy of John Calipari is on the wane, Lewis also hears, which jibes with earlier reports from Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck that Calipari wasn’t under serious consideration and from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who wrote that owner Mikhail Prokhorov hadn’t shown a willingness to pay the $120MM over 10 years that Calipari reportedly wants. See more from Brooklyn:
- It appears the NBA granted Brooklyn’s request for a disabled player exception to compensate for the loss of Jarrett Jack, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports indicates within a look at the team’s situation heading into the February 18th trade deadline. That would give the team a $3.15MM cap exception to sign, trade for or claim a player whose contract doesn’t run past this season.
- The Nets felt as though the Thunder “bamboozled” them last year when negotiations on a trade involving Brook Lopez and Reggie Jackson fell apart in the final hour before the deadline, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said Monday that he thought his team had no chance to trade for Jackson two weeks before the deadline-day swap that sent the point guard to Detroit, as Mazzeo relays.
- Restricted free agents are more likely than longer-tenured unrestricted free agents to look for a team that will give them minutes and opportunities rather than a strong chance to win, arguest Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM, who suggests five soon-to-be restricted free agents the Nets should consider this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Sixers, Celtics
Signing Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson, who is set to be a free agent after this season, in the summer would make sense for the Nets because they need outside shooting and would have the money to spend, Andy Vasquez of The Record details. The Nets were actually Anderson’s first team before they shipped him to the Magic, as Vasquez points out. Anderson, 27, is enjoying his best season in the league and is averaging 17.5 points per game. Anderson is also pals with Brook Lopez, and that could be an advantage for the Nets, Vasquez writes. It is worth mentioning, however, that Thaddeus Young, a bright spot for the Nets this season, plays the same position as Anderson.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Ish Smith‘s former agent turned down a $2.9MM deal from Suns and later declined a $1.5MM offer from Kings over the summer because he strongly believed the Sixers would re-sign him after Smith played well in 25 appearances with Philadelphia last year, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes in an extensive profile. Of course, that did not happen, but Smith nonetheless found his way onto the team this season. The Sixers acquired Smith in a deal with the Pelicans last month and the point guard has flourished since the trade, as Pompey details in the worthwhile read. Smith switched from IAM Sports & Entertainment to Dutt Sports Services for representation.
- Knicks point guard Jose Calderon, who is signed through next season, has been a stabilizing presence for New York despite his underwhelming defense and lack of speed, Scott Cacciola of the New York Times relays. Calderon has a reputation around the league for being an ideal teammate, Cacciola adds.
- The interesting combination of Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko on the floor together has opened things up for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com details. Over Boston’s last 10 games, Olynyk and Jerebko have combined to go 29 for 51 on 3-pointers, according to Forsberg. The Celtics re-signed Jerebko this past summer on a two-year, $10MM deal.
Brook Lopez’s Deal Only Conditionally Guaranteed
The three-year maximum-salary contract that Brook Lopez signed this past summer with the Nets contains only conditional guarantees for next season and 2017/18 based on the health of his right foot, as Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports reports in a story that suggests the contract terms as a model for Bradley Beal. Lopez’s salary of $21.166MM for next season is only 50% guaranteed, and the team could avoid paying 75% of his more than $22.642MM take for 2017/18, according to Mannix.
Full guarantees kick in if the Wasserman Media Group client hits certain benchmarks, Mannix adds, and it’s unclear if the 27-year-old center has already triggered any such protections after having played in all 46 of Brooklyn’s games so far. The key is for Lopez to avoid another significant injury to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, Mannix writes. That’s a bone he’s broken multiple times in the past.
Lopez is making a fully guaranteed $19.689MM this year. The Nets, with Lopez’s full salary taken into account, have more than $45MM in commitments for next season against a projected $89MM salary cap, and about $41MM for 2017/18, when the cap is projected to shoot up to $108MM. Free agency is especially important for the Nets, who are without their first-round picks in 2016 and 2018 and must swap first-rounders with the Celtics in 2017, so additional flexibility wouldn’t hurt, though it appears that would only come at the cost of a major injury to Lopez, the team’s leading scorer this season.
The Wizards have planned to sign Bradley Beal to a maximum-salary contract this summer, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported this past fall, though that was before Beal said that he’ll probably have to deal with a minutes limit for the rest of his career. An NBA GM told Mannix that he’s “scared” of Beal because of his injury history.