Chuck Hayes

Pacific Notes: Reaves, Fox, Dunleavy, Warriors

In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHypeLakers guard Austin Reaves admits being relieved to not have to worry about his NBA future after signing a long-term contract this summer.

Reaves started on a two-way deal with L.A. after going undrafted in 2021. That gave him a path to cash in after two productive seasons, which he did by landing a four-year, $53.8MM deal.

“That’s kind of how it’s always been my whole life,” Reaves said. “I’ve really bet on myself and really always just knew I needed an opportunity. Just put my foot down and the rest will take care of itself. I’ll figure out something to do and to at least be on the team and help the team so that was really it and hell yeah, it’s a big relief.”

Reaves also discusses the Lakers’ productive offseason, which included the additions of Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes. He believes the team is positioned to make another run at a title after reaching the conference finals last season.

“I feel really, really good about what we did,” Reaves said. “You bring back the core that went to the Western Conference Finals and those pieces fit really well with what we kinda need because we lacked that last year. Overall, everybody’s competitive, and we kinda got that taste last year of running it back and trying to win a championship.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is coming off his best NBA season, and teammate Davion Mitchell believes he’s ready to become an MVP candidate, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. Mitchell touted Fox’s credentials during a recent appearance on the “Deuce and Mo” podcast. “He’s talking more. He’s being a leader,” Mitchell said. “We already know what he can do on the floor, he’s playing defense more, he’s guarding the best players, he’s doing that type of stuff. And when you got a player like that at that level, playing a lot of minutes, a young player, I think we’re going to be tough to beat. He’s shooting the ball really well, little things like that that he’s added to his game that makes him a top player in our league.”
  • New general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is more comfortable with the Warriors‘ roster after the team targeted veteran players in several offseason transactions, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I really like the balance,” he said on the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “I think it’s got a good combination of veteran experience, a middle tier of guys that are good, they’re tough, they’re hungry, and we got some good young players. And I don’t think we have too many young players.”
  • The Warriors have announced several moves involving the coaching staff and front office (Twitter link). The team confirmed that Chuck Hayes will be its new director of basketball operations and revealed that Kris Weems has been promoted to assistant coach.

Warriors Hiring Chuck Hayes Away From Rockets

The Warriors will hire longtime Rockets player and front office member Chuck Hayes as their new director of basketball operations, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.

Hayes, 40, joined Houston’s management team six years ago as a pro player personnel scout and worked his way up to assistant director of player personnel. He told Lerner that his position with Golden State will involve some college and professional scouting but will also “enhance my responsibilities with free agency and some trade strategy.”

Hayes is originally from San Leandro, California, so the new job will bring him close to home.

The 6’6″ forward signed with the Rockets after going undrafted out of Kentucky in 2005 and spent his first six NBA seasons with the team. He also played for the Kings and Raptors before rejoining Houston for two games in his final season. Hayes averaged 3.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 644 career games.

Southwest Division: Pelicans, Hayes, Grizzlies

The Pelicans have an interest in Iman Shumpert, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. The news comes a week after there were conflicting reports about the swingman requesting a deal.

Regardless of whether Shumpert has specifically sought a move or not, the Cavaliers can afford to lose him after trading for Jae Crowder in the now-official Kyrie Irving deal. Shumpert, an acute perimeter defender, represents a need of the Pelicans franchise given their dearth of healthy wings.

Just what a deal between the two franchises would entail, however, is a different story. Considering that both Cleveland and the Pelicans are over the cap, the Cavs would need to take back salary equal to Shumpert’s $10.3MM deal and that’s where things get tricky.

Given Cleveland’s mandate to win now while maintaining a modicum of agility and flexibility should LeBron James leave next summer, it’s unlikely that the club would accept what the Pelicans could offer under the cap.

Neither the $25.9MM guaranteed to E’Twaun Moore through 2019/20 nor the prospect of adding Pelicans center Omer Asik to the frontcourt mix are presumed to inspire much enthusiasm in Koby Altman‘s front office, leaving us little choice but to speculate that the Pelicans will need to fill their perimeter holes elsewhere.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Western Notes: Garnett, Looney, Hayes

Despite the start of training camp being less than three weeks away, the Wolves are still awaiting word from Kevin Garnett on whether or not he intends to play this season, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. “Kevin hasn’t told me or informed me yet if he’s coming back to play or if he isn’t coming back,” Wolves owner Glen Taylor told Aschburner “I can only assume I’ll be hearing from him in the next three weeks.” The veteran has one year remaining on his contract and is set to earn $8MM if he suits up for what would be his 22nd season in the league.

Here’s more from out West:

  • The Jazz held free agent workouts on Friday for guard Jermaine Taylor and center Henry Sims, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter). Taylor, 29, last appeared in the NBA during the 2010/11 season, while Sims appeared in 14 games for the Nets last season, averaging 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per outing. Sims has also been mentioned as a possible training camp signee for Brooklyn.
  • The Nuggets have named Chuck Hayes as their Associate of Basketball Operations, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports (on Twitter).
  • Warriors forward Kevon Looney, who underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum on his left hip earlier this year, is on track to make his return to basketball activities by the start of training camp on September 27th, Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle relays (subscription required). I’m really eager,” Looney said. “I’ve been watching, running and doing drills now for what feels like two years. To be able to get on the court and actually be healthy, I’m really excited for that.
  • In his look back at the Rockets‘ offseason, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks notes that the team’s medical staff will play a vital role this season in trying to keep new additions Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene healthy.

Sixers Meet With Chuck Hayes, John Lucas III

10:37pm: Brown confirmed that he spoke with Hayes and Lucas, though he cautioned that the team hasn’t made any decision about signing them, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter links).

4:51pm: NBA veterans Chuck Hayes and John Lucas III met recently with Sixers coach Brett Brown in Philadelphia, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Philadelphia has been seeking to add veteran leadership to its roster, and had previously been talking to Elton Brand and Shane Battier, as TNT’s David Aldridge reported, though it’s unclear if the franchise was considering adding Brand and Battier as players, coaches or front office execs. The team seems likely to be considering Hayes and Lucas for on-court roles, though that is merely my speculation. The Sixers currently have the league-maximum 15 players on their roster, meaning any addition would require a corresponding move.

Hayes, 32, was reportedly going to sign with the Rockets over the summer, but a deal fell through in late August, leading him to join the Clippers for the preseason. The Clips let him go in late October, but shortly after the regular season began, the Rockets circled back and signed him, though he lasted only a week in Houston before again hitting waivers. He received assistant coaching interest from several teams amid this back-and-forth, including from the Rockets, but he’s reportedly wanted to continue his playing career. Hayes played last season in Toronto, averaging 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 games.

Lucas was in training camp with the Heat this season and was among the franchise’s final cuts. He failed to impress in preseason action, going scoreless in roughly 16 minutes during his lone appearance, dishing out one assist and committing one turnover. The 33-year-old made 21 appearances for the Pistons during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 4.7 points and 2.9 assists in 13.0 minutes per contest.

Rockets Waive Chuck Hayes

7:30pm: The move is official, the team announced (Twitter link).

5:02pm: Hayes’ agent Calvin Andrews confirmed the move to Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter link).

4:43pm: The Rockets are waiving Chuck Hayes, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The team has yet to make an announcement, though Wojnarowski indicates that it has already taken place. Hayes’ time with Houston was expected to be short, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets, as he was filling in while the team had some injuries. Feigen also tweets that power forward Terrence Jones will likely return soon from an injury.

The deal the Rockets signed with Hayes last weekend covered one year at the prorated minimum salary and was non-guaranteed. Hayes was reportedly going to sign with the Rockets over the summer, but a deal fell through in late August. He received assistant coaching interest from several teams, including the Rockets, but wanted to continue his playing career.

Hayes agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers, but lost a training camp battle with Luc Mbah a Moute for their final roster spot. The 32-year-old began his NBA career with the Rockets in 2005/06 and spent six seasons in Houston. He played last season in Toronto, averaging 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 games.

Southwest Notes: Carlisle, McGee, Douglas, Hayes

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban usually doesn’t do extensions, but he made an exception with coach Rick Carlisle, whom he signed to a five-year, $35MM extension Thursday, notes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News details.

“I don’t say, ‘Here, this is the way it’s always going to be.’ The worst policy in the world is to be dogmatic about your policies,” Cuban said. “It was clear he wanted to stay. He didn’t put pressure on us at all. We reached out. What it confirms is we’ll never put money over winning. Winning always comes first.”

It was the right idea for both the team and the coach to extend the contract now, given the questions about whether the Mavericks can do much winning this season, since it removes any doubts about Carlisle’s future, opines fellow Morning News scribe Kevin Sherrington. See more on the Mavs amid the latest from around the Southwest Division:

  • It’s unlikely that JaVale McGee plays anytime in November, and his timetable for a return from his lingering leg injury is weeks, not days, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. McGee’s with the Mavs on a $750K partial guarantee he locked in when he made the opening night roster.
  • The Pelicans gave Toney Douglas a $50K partial guarantee as part of his deal with them, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It’s a prorated two-year, minimum-salary contract, according to Pincus.
  • The deal that the Rockets signed with Chuck Hayes this past weekend covers one year at the prorated minimum salary and is non-guaranteed, Pincus also shows. Since it’s only a one-year deal, it counts toward Houston’s tax and hard cap at only the two-year veteran’s minimum rate instead of the full 10-year minimum that the 32-year-old Hayes is actually making. The league will pay the difference.

Southwest Notes: Hayes, West, Davis

Veteran power forward David West sacrificed both money and playing time to join the Spurs as a free agent this past offseason, a move that was necessary to keep his competitive fire burning after 12 NBA seasons, Harvey Araton of The New York Times writes. “For me, in terms of basketball, I needed every night to mean something, in order to keep going,” West said. The player also acknowledged that the Pacers’ treatment of center Roy Hibbert played a part in his decision to leave Indiana, Araton adds. “It was a great environment, but I got to the point where I felt it was time to move in a different direction,” West said of his former team.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest Division:

  • Chuck Hayes, who was signed by the Rockets on Sunday, is thrilled to be back out on the court as a player after flirting with becoming an assistant coach, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “It was a good feeling to go out there in the second quarter,” said Hayes after his first game back. “I don’t know all the timing, the offensive rhythm yet. I consider myself a good defensive player. I figure that’s the best way I can dictate and put an imprint on the game is on the defensive end. The thing I did is talk to the guys, tell them where the screens are coming, be active, let my voice do the work for me.
  • Anthony Davis isn’t thrilled with his play in new coach Alvin Gentry‘s up-tempo system, and the Pelicans‘ slow start to the season isn’t helping matters either, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”I’m always frustrated; I just want to be the best I can be to help the team win,” Davis said. ”I feel I’m not doing it right now. All the frustration is on me. They’re giving me great opportunities and I can’t find a way to put the ball in the basket.
  • As his career winds down, Spurs big man Tim Duncan has re-invented himself as a “glue guy,” and instead of looking to score, he must look to do “the little stuff” that impacts the game, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. “I’m just trying to figure that out,” Duncan said when asked to describe his role. “I’m not sure what it is yet. It’s a little different now, because we added some different players. We’re all just trying to figure it out.

Rockets Sign Chuck Hayes

The Rockets have reached an agreement with veteran Chuck Hayes, the team has announced. Houston, which has been beset by injuries to its frontcourt, had an open roster spot so no other move is necessary. It’ll have to be a minimum-salary deal, though it’s unclear whether it’s a one-year or two-year arrangement. If it’s a one-year deal, the league will pay a portion of Hayes’ salary, limiting the impact against Houston’s hard cap. The Rockets were already about $1.5MM shy of the $88.74MM hard cap that the Montrezl Harrell signing triggered.

Hayes was reportedly going to sign with the Rockets over the summer, but a deal collapsed in late August. He was reportedly offered a coaching position, but wanted to continue his playing career. Hayes agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers, but lost a training camp battle with Luc Mbah a Moute for their final roster spot.

The 32-year-old began his NBA career with the Rockets in 2005/06 and spent six seasons in Houston. He played last season in Toronto, averaging 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 games.

And-Ones: Kings, Pelicans, Mavs

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.