Dion Waiters Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers, Kings Interested In Dion Waiters

June 28th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers and Kings are teams in need of backcourt help and both franchises may make a run at Thunder shooting guard Dion Waiters, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (on Twitter). Waiters will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, provided Oklahoma City submits a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589. Otherwise, Waiters will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent and OKC would not have the ability to match any offer he were to ink.

It’s unclear if the Thunder intend to re-sign Waiters this summer and his fate may very well be linked to the free agency decision of Kevin Durant. If Durant re-signs with the team, OKC won’t have enough cap space to ink a suitable replacement, which would markedly increase the likelihood of the team retaining Waiters. But, if Durant departs, the team may not be willing to commit to Waiters on a long-term pact. The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater has speculated that Waiters could command a salary in the range of $12MM to $16MM range annually on his next contract, which may be too rich a deal for the Thunder to commit to if they need to begin rebuilding in the wake of a Durant departure.

The Sixers would be an interesting fit for Waiters given their need for backcourt scoring. The guard, who hails from Philadelphia, has said in the past that he would be interested in playing for the Sixers, which would certainly aid the team’s recruitment efforts if true. Sacramento’s backcourt could also use an influx of talent, though I don’t necessarily view Waiters as much of an upgrade of Ben McLemore, who currently sits atop the Kings’ depth chart at the two.

Waiters made 78 appearances for the Thunder this past season, including 15 starts. He notched averages of 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds an 2.0 assists in 27.6 minutes per outing while shooting .399/.358/.713.

Northwest Notes: Durant, Thunder, Rubio, Jazz

June 7th, 2016 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant‘s free agency will be one of the top NBA stories this offseason, and given how much speculation has surrounded his decision for the last several months, Thunder GM Sam Presti credits the star forward for blocking out the noise and focusing on the team (link via Royce Young of ESPN.com). Presti, who referred to Durant’s handling of the situation as “a tremendous example of a franchise player putting the franchise first,” also suggested that OKC should have an advantage of other suitors because the club has been able to make its pitch to Durant for the last nine years.

“We’ve had a relationship with Kevin in Oklahoma City for eight years, nine with this particular franchise, and we talk to him all the time,” the Thunder GM said. “I think when those [free agency] conversations occur, it’s really just a continuation of a dialogue that’s been going on for eight or nine years. It’s a chance to reflect and recognize that relationship and continue the conversations that we’ve had on going.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest, including Presti’s comments on a couple other OKC players:

Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman (Twitter links) passes along Presti’s comments on restricted free agent Dion Waiters and Anthony Morrow, whose contract for 2016/17 is currently non-guaranteed. In Slater’s view, the Thunder GM sounds confident that both players will return to the club.
In a an interview with a radio station in Spain, Ricky Rubio made some interesting comments about his future in Minnesota, suggesting that when he hits free agency he’ll make it a priority to end up with a team capable of making the playoffs and competing for the Finals. I’d be wary of reading too much into Rubio’s comments, which were translated by ESPN.com, but it could be a situation worth watching if the Timberwolves don’t take the sort of step forward next season that many observers expect them to take.
With Justin Zanik having left for Milwaukee, the Jazz are considering potential options to replace him as the assistant general manager in Utah. Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune has an update on the search, with quotes from GM Dennis Lindsey.
Greg Stiemsma is among the participants at today’s Jazz free agent mini-camp, while Dwight Buycks and other free agents will work out at a Trail Blazers mini-camp, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links).

Western Notes: Ingram, Bender, Iske, Waiters

June 5th, 2016 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers seem to have settled on Brandon Ingram as the No. 2 selection if Philadelphia takes Ben Simmons first, tweets international journalist David Pick. He reports that L.A. had interest in Croatian star Dragan Bender, but that has cooled.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Timberwolves are very interested in Bender at No. 5, according to Pick (Twitter link). Minnesota scouts Calvin Booth and Zarko Durisic have both watched Bender play.
The Grizzlies are considering former Kings assistant Chad Iske for a spot on David Fizdale’s staff, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Iske was an assistant to George Karl in Sacramento, but wasn’t retained when Dave Joerger took over last month. Former Cavaliers and Lakers head coach Mike Brown already turned down a job with Memphis, Stein reports.
Dion Waiters‘ future in Oklahoma City may be tied to Kevin Durant‘s, suggests Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Waiters will be a restricted free agent this summer, and if Durant re-signs, the Thunder won’t be able to afford a significant player to replace Waiters. Therefore, OKC is likely to match whatever offer Waiters gets, which Slater believes will be in the $12MM to $16MM range annually. However, if Durant leaves, the Thunder may not want to commit that much to Waiters. If Waiters really wants to stay in Oklahoma City, Slater says he should be willing to let the Durant process play out before accepting an offer.
Center Greg Stiemsma will take part in a mini-camp run by the Jazz this week, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Stiemsma last played in the NBA for Toronto during the 2014/15 season.
Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer had stories about a local legend as he worked out for the Jazz Saturday, according to Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. “I used to play pickup with John Stockton all the time,” Wiltjer recalled. “This is his roots. It’s cool to be in this gym.” Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson, who was also part of Saturday’s workout, sees a future for himself in Utah. “They’re definitely interested,” he said. “They wouldn’t have interviewed me [at the pre-draft combine]. They wouldn’t have me here if they weren’t interested. I’m definitely interested in coming here.”

Thunder Notes: Durant, Waiters, Mohammed

June 1st, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Durant, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, said the two most important factors for him in deciding where to play next season will be a strong environment and solid personnel around him, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman relays. “Just when I sit down and think about it — to be honest, I haven’t put that list together, I guess,” Durant responded when asked what he is looking for in a team. “Just being around great people, being in a great basketball environment, that’s the two most important things for me. That’s all I really care about. Who I’m going to be doing life with every single day, who I’m going to be playing basketball with every day.”

The small forward also noted that the reports he wants to be courted by prospective teams are not true, Slater adds. “I never said that. That’s not who I am. Whatever this thing entails, I’m ready to take it head on, but I’m not that type of person,” Durant said. “I mean, that’s not really — like I said, the two most important things for me is being around great people and having fun playing basketball. All that other stuff that comes with, being who I am and being in this position, it’s not really what I’m concerned with. So I never said that, obviously. You could say that about any player in this position, but yeah.”

Here’s more from OKC:

Shooting guard Dion Waiters is eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but said that he hopes to return to the Thunder next season, Slater writes in a separate article. “Of course,” Waiters said when asked if he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. “Why not? Since I got here I feel as though they have helped me become a better person off the court. It’s not even about basketball. I’ve never been connected with a group of guys like this that I’m actually close to. Why not? The best fans in the world. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back.”
Veteran big man Nazr Mohammed said he would like to become an NBA GM in the future, Slater tweets. It’s unclear if the 38-year-old intends to retire and pursue a front-office position this summer. Mohammed will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after appearing in just five contests this past season.
Assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team next season, head coach Billy Donovan said, Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear if Williams will take the season off to deal with family matters in the wake of his wife’s tragic passing or if he intends to catch on with another team.
Nick Collison, Randy Foye and Anthony Morrow all said that they expect to be back with the team, but noted that much of the Thunder’s offseason plans depend on what Durant decides, Slater relays in a series of tweets. Collison’s deal for 2016/17 is fully guaranteed, but Foye is set to become an unrestricted free agent and Morrow’s pact is non-guaranteed.

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Towns, Waiters, Kanter

November 25th, 2015 at 10:47am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge admits he was careful about the sort of young players he brought around Kevin Garnett, who “could be intimidating — and destructive — if the player didn’t respond in the right way,” he tells Jackie MacMullan of ESPN The Magazine. That’s evidence that Minnesota’s plan to use Garnett as a mentor for its host of young players isn’t foolproof, but the intense Garnett and No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns have taken to one another, and Garnett has accepted his purpose as a team leader, even giving Towns uncharacteristic advice to ease up at times, as MacMullan details. The edginess that Garnett brings to the Timberwolves has been a positive, GM Milt Newton tells MacMullan, and the late Flip Saunders cited Garnett’s ability to work well under Sam Mitchell when Saunders reacquired Garnett for Minnesota last season, MacMullan notes. See more on the Wolves and other Northwest Division teams:

Jahlil Okafor outplayed Towns this week in a matchup of two of the top three picks, but the Timberwolves still chose wisely when they went with the former Kentucky big man, opines Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. “It was an off-game for Karl,” Mitchell said, “but you look at the other 11, 12 games that Karl has played, he’s been unbelievable.”
Kevin Durant lifts the performances of many around him, but that’s especially so with Thunder teammate Dion Waiters, notes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Both are set to become free agents at season’s end, and Waiters has denied rumors that he wants to jump to the Sixers to play in his hometown of Philadelphia, a most unlikely destination for Durant.
Enes Kanter elicited questions about his maturity from some executives around the league in the wake of pithy comments he made about the Jazz after they fulfilled his request for a trade last season, but the Thunder big man is contrite these days, The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater observes. “I think that I was a little, you know, harsh,” Kanter said. “But I just want to clear, I have no problem with the players or the fans. I respect the guys and they helped me a lot with my career. They helped me a lot in my first three and a half years.”

Cavs Notes: LeBron, Blatt, Shumpert, Love

November 18th, 2015 at 10:44am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers have lost two in a row and are on just their third regular season losing streak since January 15th, observes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Still, the rhetoric coming from the team suggests it isn’t treating the matter lightly, with LeBron James questioning the team’s hunger and attention to detail and coach David Blatt calling for more toughness, as Lloyd relays. Iman Shumpert should help add some grit, Lloyd posits, and he’s ahead of schedule as he mends from his wrist injury, with a mid-December return possible, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Still, that’s a ways off, Lloyd notes. See more from Cleveland:

The attitude of Dion Waiters wore on coaches, executives and other Cavs players and prompted his trade last season, Lloyd writes in the same piece, one that looks back on Cleveland’s choice to pick Waiters instead of Andre Drummond with the No. 4 overall selection in 2012. Drummond doesn’t seem to place blame the Cavs, since they already had other big men, though Cleveland, like others, had questions about Drummond’s motor, Lloyd notes. “Still to this day I don’t have the answer to that,” the Pistons center said about why teams questioned his desire. “I don’t know who started that or how it came about, but I’m pretty sure they’re punching themselves now.”
James is more trusting of coach Blatt and his teammates than he was last season, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today examines. James is again showing the willingness to accept coaching that he had under Erik Spoelstra in Miami, and Blatt feels more comfortable communicating to him, Zillgitt writes.
Kevin Love‘s rejuvenated play this season is prompting many to take a second look at the trade that brought him to Cleveland and sent out Andrew Wiggins, but the value of the deal for the Cavs will likely come down to whether the team delivers a title with Love on the roster, observes Shaun Powell of NBA.com.

Western Notes: Waiters, Henderson, Pelicans

November 15th, 2015 at 12:53pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dion Waiters is denying the report that he wants to play for his hometown Sixers, Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman passes along.

“[Don’t] Believe everything y’all hear lol I guess this what the world coming to [shaking my head], especially if it didn’t come from me,” Waiters tweeted. “I [don’t] need or want the attention I never been that guy…I’m not worrying about money I’m chasing a championship with my bros…#ThunderUP.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Gerald Henderson is building chemistry with the Blazers and his team is embracing the veteran’s presence, Mike Richman of the Oregonian writes. “We understand his game. He likes to get those couple dribble pull ups, slight fade like Kobe,” teammate C.J. McCollum said. “So he’s going to be able to get those shots all day long, especially if he’s in the game with Dame or I because the amount of attention we’re going to get offensively. It’s going to open things up for him and he’s going to help us, make the game easier for us.” Henderson came to Portland in the Nicolas Batum trade this summer.
The Pelicans don’t have much talent around Anthony Davis and one reason for that was the lack of return in the Chris Paul trade, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines (Twitter links). New Orleans netted Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al Farouq and Austin Rivers in that trade and only Gordon remains on the team. Although the original CP3 trade that was vetoed by former commissioner David Stern wasn’t much better, the Pelicans would have least added Goran Dragic, Bondy adds.

Dion Waiters Wants To Be A Sixer?

November 15th, 2015 at 10:15am CST by ChrisCrouse

12:53pm: Waiters took to Twitter to deny the report. More on that here.

10:15am: Dion Waiters, who is a Philadelphia native, wants to play for the Sixers next season, a source tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He wants to come home,” the source told Pompey. “Plus, he knows that he could be the missing shooting guard [they] need. And he could possibility get a max contract with the Sixers.”

The Thunder were open to an extension over the summer, but only if he would concede to a discount. Waiters turned down a team-friendly deal with the team and the sides agreed to table contract talks until July. Waiters’ camp hopes that the rise in the salary cap improves the market for the shooting guard, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported earlier this month.

Despite not reaching an extension, Thunder GM Sam Presti indicated that mutual interest in a long-term deal exists. “Dion has made it clear that he feels he has found a basketball home in Oklahoma City and is committed to being a part of the culture that exists, and the team sees him as someone who has his best basketball in front of him and has the potential to be a contributor for years to come with more time to develop in our program,” Presti said in a statement to the media after the extension deadline passed without a deal.

Waiters is gambling on having a strong season, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors speculated could be the case in his extension candidate piece. The guard is having a solid season thus far, averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He is also shooting 50% from 3-point range, albeit on only 22 attempts.

Waiters will be a restricted free agent after the season, meaning the Thunder can match any offer sheet that the guard receives. A contract approaching the max might be a stretch for Waiters, but if the Landmark Sports Agency client receives that type of offer sheet, the Thunder should pass on matching, although that’s just my speculation.

Western Extension Notes: Waiters, Ezeli, Leonard

November 3rd, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Thunder GM Sam Presti cited the rising salary cap and “the potential for further changes to the cap system itself as a whole prior to the summer” as reasons why he, Dion Waiters and Waiters’ representatives agreed to table contract talks until July, notes Royce Young of ESPN.com. Still, mutual interest exists, Presti insists.

“Dion has made it clear that he feels he has found a basketball home in Oklahoma City and is committed to being a part of the culture that exists, and the team sees him as someone who has his best basketball in front of him and has the potential to be a contributor for years to come with more time to develop in our program,” Presti said in the statement he issued to media.

The deal that Waiters, a Landmark Sports Agency client, passed up from the Thunder was team-friendly, and his camp hopes the projected surge in the salary cap bears an improved market for him, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. See more on the aftermath of Monday’s extension deadline around the Western Conference:

The Warriors and Festus Ezeli were close to a deal on an extension, but his agent talked him out of signing what some called a team-friendly deal, sources tell Kyler for the same piece. Ezeli is a client of agent Bill Duffy.
Meyers Leonard declined a “considerable” offer from the Trail Blazers when he and the team failed to reach an agreement before Monday’s extension deadline, a source tells Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. Still, Leonard, who said he’s betting on himself, would prefer to re-sign with the team in restricted free agency next summer, as Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com relays. “I like Portland a lot, I love this team, I love the city,” Leonard said in part. “So hopefully after this year we’ll get something done, because I truly believe that we have a good core group of guys. I came in with Damian [Lillard], CJ [McCollum] is just a year behind us, all the other guys that [president of basketball operations] Neil [Olshey] has brought in. I feel like we’re just going to keep going up, and that’s a good thing.”
Five of the seven players who signed rookie scale extensions this year were in the Eastern Conference, but the two most lucrative deals of the bunch went to Western Conference representatives, as our extensions recap shows.

Extension Off Table For Thunder, Dion Waiters

November 2nd, 2015 at 11:02am CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder and Dion Waiters have decided against signing a rookie scale extension before tonight’s 11pm Central deadline, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). That means Waiters is set to become a restricted free agent in July. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported late Sunday that the sides were continuing talks, but it appears they’ve broken them off. The Landmark Sports Agency client was enthusiastic about reaching an extension as the Thunder actively explored the idea last month, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports heard a few weeks ago.

Oklahoma City likes to reward players who want to be there and the team is more concerned with building Kevin Durant a stable supporting cast for the long-term than making too many commitments to non-stars in the event that he bolts in free agency, as Royce Young of ESPN.com recently explained. GM Sam Presti said in September that only slight adjustments were necessary for Waiters to make a significant impact. That seemed to make the case why the Thunder would have interest in an extension, but it nonetheless appears as though it wasn’t compelling enough for the sides to come to terms.

The team was open to the idea of an extension over the summer, but only if he would concede to a discount, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported. It’s unclear just how much of a discount would have been required, but the value of the 23-year-old had seemingly plummeted last season as he failed to reach either 40% shooting from the floor or 30% from behind the arc and reached new lows in points and minutes per game.

Assuming Waiters proves worthy of more than the mid-level exception, it could prove challenging for the Thunder to replace him if he signs elsewhere next summer and Oklahoma City elects not to match. The team has nearly $66MM on the books for 2016/17, with projections that show the salary cap at $89MM and a maximum salary for Durant at $24.9MM, with many reportedly believing those numbers will surge even higher. That would leave little opportunity for the Thunder to open cap space to sign a replacement if they don’t use their Bird rights on Waiters to retain him.

Do you think the Thunder will keep Waiters beyond this season? Leave a comment to let us know.