Draymond Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Green, Miller, Dekker

March 1st, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors combo forward Draymond Green issued a public apology for his halftime outburst on Saturday when things between he and coach Steve Kerr became heated, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com relays. “I made a mistake,” Green said. “I admitted my mistakes to my teammates and my coaching staff. I apologized to my teammates, my coaching staff [and] this organization. That wasn’t the right way to handle what needed to be handled. As a leader of this team, I can’t do that. Because it sets a bad precedent for how everything is run around here, how everything should be run, how everything has been ran and how everything will be ran going forward. It won’t happen again. It’s something where my emotions kind of got ahead of me and I let my emotions get the best of me. However, I will never quit on my teammates, as some have reported. I will never quit on my coaching staff. I will never quit on this organization.”

Here’s more from out West:

The Rockets, who reportedly reached a buyout arrangement today with point guard Ty Lawson, will likely use the available roster slot and cap space created to sign another guard, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports relays.
Andre Miller‘s buyout deal with the Timberwolves saw the team shave $256,333 off what had been an $947,276 obligation to the 39-year-old point guard, leaving Minnesota with a cap hit of just $690,943, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). He’ll see $396,844 on his new minimum salary contract with the Spurs that covers the rest of the season, Pincus also shows. It represents a $250,750 cap hit to San Antonio.
The Rockets have assigned combo forward Sam Dekker to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dekker’s third jaunt to Rio Grande Valley on the season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Wolves, Motiejunas, Gallinari

February 29th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell would like for his team to make a signing, lamenting how “awfully thin” the Wolves are inside, but he doesn’t anticipate a move until well after Tuesday, the last day players can hit waivers and still be eligible to play in the postseason for another team, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Mitchell, who isn’t assured of his job beyond this season, said the Wolves will be patient while free agents head to playoff-bound teams, according to Zgoda.

“After the dust settles, there are going to be some guys out there we’ll want to look at,” Mitchell said. “You don’t want to do it too fast because you don’t want to fill a spot and then someone becomes available. There are only so many playoff teams and only so many roster spots.”

Minnesota has an opening in the wake of its buyout with Andre Miller, and the team has reportedly engaged in advanced discussions with Kevin Martin about a buyout, too. See more from the Western Conference.

Donatas Motiejunas said he doesn’t resent the Rockets for trying to trade him to Detroit, observes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The deadline-day trade that would have sent the soon-to-be restricted free agent to the Pistons fell apart when he didn’t pass Detroit’s physical. Motiejunas played nine minutes Sunday in his first action for Houston since December 31st. “I feel good,” Motiejunas said. “This team traded me because of the first-round pick, the lottery pick. It’s a big thing. I don’t see any problems with it. They were really waiting for me to get back. I love these guys, love the team, love the fans.”
Danilo Gallinari expects that he’ll miss the next three to four weeks with injury, as he told Davide Chinellato of La Gazzetta dello Sport (Twitter link). The leading scorer for the Nuggets had an MRI on Saturday after suffering a severely sprained right ankle in Friday’s game, notes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The team has an open roster spot.
Steve Kerr and Draymond Green largely dismissed any idea of tension stemming from a tirade that Green delivered to Warriors coaches at halftime of Saturday’s game, notes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. The versatile frontcourt player, who’s missed his last 12 3-pointers, was upset because he felt the coaches don’t want him to shoot, according to ESPN’s Lisa Salters.

And-Ones: Durant, Harden, Most Improved, Hawks

February 28th, 2016 at 10:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant has a shot at the largest contract in league history when his free agency officially arrives this summer, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Durant will have plenty of options to choose from, starting with the Thunder, who would love to keep him and Russell Westbrook together through the prime of their careers. The Warriors are believed to be the front-runners if Durant decides to leave Oklahoma City, and his hometown Wizards will surely be calling, along with the Lakers, who will need a star to replace Kobe Bryant. Or Durant could sign a one-year deal with OKC, maximize his earning power as a 10-year veteran and put off the larger decision until 2017. “Everybody’s going to ask me, so of course I’m going to have to think about it now,” Durant said. “To tell you one thing, it’s great to feel wanted, I guess.”

There’s more news from around the world of basketball:

James Harden says he feels unfairly targeted for the bad situation in Houston, Washburn writes in the same piece, particularly the rumored rifts with Rockets center Dwight Howard and former coach Kevin McHale. “All the time,” Harden said when asked if he feels he’s being singled out over team disunity, “but I don’t really pay attention to it. I can’t focus on negativity because that drains you. I focus on what I can do, what I can control, and go out there and just compete at a high level.”
The Blazers‘ C.J. McCollum is almost certain to win this season’s Most Improved Player award, according to Eric Saar of Basketball Insiders. McCollum, who’ll be up for a rookie scale extension this summer, has become a full-time starter and has raised his scoring average from 6.8 points a game last year to 21.1 points this season. Saar’s other candidates for the award are the Warriors‘ Draymond Green, the Celtics‘ Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder and the Raptors‘ Kyle Lowry.
The Hawks have recalled center Edy Tavares and guard/forward Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the D-League, the team announced today. Tavares has averaged 10.1 points and 9.6 rebounds in 14 D-League games, while Patterson’s averages are 15.6 points, 5.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in seven games with Austin.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, whom the Pelicans cut in training camp, will be rejoining the D-League’s Texas Legends, who are the affiliate of the Mavericks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Kevin Durant Fond Of Warriors; Clippers Loom

February 2nd, 2016 at 12:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors would be “significant” front-runners for Kevin Durant should he leave the Thunder this summer, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports, who places emphasis on the word “significant.” Still, the former MVP isn’t leaning one way or another toward staying or leaving Oklahoma City, Wojnarowski adds. The Wizards, Rockets and Heat still loom as likely suitors, but the Clippers are determined to make a push for him and wouldn’t hesitate to trade Blake Griffin to facilitate the acquisition of Durant, as Wojnarowski details.

Durant wants to win titles and create a legacy, Wojnarowski writes, and the Warriors, the defending champions who sit at 44-4 this season, would give him a strong chance to do so. Draymond Green is on board with the move and is expected to recruit Durant this summer, though Stephen Curry, given his talent and personality, would be the most persuasive voice, Wojnarowski adds, nonetheless leaving it unclear whether Curry is expected to go as hard after Durant as Green is.

Golden State has long eyed Durant’s upcoming free agency, Wojnarowski notes, and so has much of the rest of the NBA, of course. The Warriors nonetheless have a reputation for aiming high, and Harrison Barnes, set for restricted free agency at season’s end, looms as a sign-and-trade chip, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group has pointed out.

The Warriors have close to $75MM committed for next season against a salary cap that’s projected to come in at $89MM, and with Durant’s maximum salary projected at $24.9MM, that creates a financial road block. However, Wojnarowski’s Vertical colleague Bobby Marks lays out a hypothetical scenario in which the Warriors trade Andre Iguodala, waive and stretch Andrew Bogut, waive and stretch Jason Thompson, renounce their rights to and elect against a qualifying offer for Barnes and renounce other cap holds to create enough cap room to sign Durant outright.

The Clippers, with close to $78MM in guaranteed salary for next season, would need to perform similar cap gymnastics to open the space necessary to sign Durant, making the sign-and-trade a more viable option. The Thunder wouldn’t go for a sign-and-trade unless they knew Durant was leaving, according to Wojnarowski, who nonetheless points out that Griffin, who starred for the University of Oklahoma, is an Oklahoma native. Teams are already calling the Clippers to inquire about trading for the injured Griffin, but coach/executive Doc Rivers appears set on keeping him and seeing how the team performs in the postseason, Wojnarowski writes.

2016 NBA All-Star Game Reserves Announced

January 28th, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA has officially announced the reserves for the 2016 All-Star game, which will be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Sunday, February 14th. The names of the reserves were first reported by Carron J. Phillips of The News Journal and confirmed by Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (All four Twitter links). The starters for both conferences were announced last week, with Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard voted to tip off the exhibition in the West and LeBron James, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Kyle Lowry slated to represent the East.

While the starters are selected by the fans, reserves are chosen by the coaches in each conference, though they are not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Listed below are the reserves for the 2016 NBA All-Star game for each conference:

Eastern Conference

Chris Bosh (F) — Heat
Jimmy Butler (G/F) — Bulls
DeMar DeRozan (G) — Raptors
Andre Drummond (C) — Pistons
Paul Millsap (F) — Hawks
Isaiah Thomas (G) — Celtics
John Wall (G) — Wizards

Western Conference

LaMarcus Aldridge (F) — Spurs
DeMarcus Cousins (C) — Kings
Anthony Davis (F) — Pelicans
Draymond Green (F) — Warriors
James Harden (G) — Rockets
Chris Paul (G) — Clippers
Klay Thompson (G) — Warriors

Who was the biggest surprise among the All-Star reserves announced tonight? Share your thoughts with a comment.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Stephenson, Hibbert, Crawford

January 19th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers feel as though they’d be better in the long run if they could trade offseason acquisitions Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson, who are dissatisfied with their respective roles on the team, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video dispatch (scroll to three-minute mark) that echoes his report from December. The team apparently gauged their value on the trade market as far back as November, though coach/executive Doc Rivers denied it. In any case, Bucher and Bleacher Report colleague Howard Beck identify the Clippers, Bulls and Lakers as likely sellers, with the Kings and Rockets set to become buyers at the trade deadline. Sacramento has been “active and aggressive,” according to Bucher. See more from the Pacific Division:

Roy Hibbert likes L.A. and has maintained a professional demeanor throughout a losing season, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are reportedly trying to find a trade that would send Hibbert to a playoff team. The center acknowledges that it hasn’t been easy this year after playing on much more successful teams in Indiana. “It’s rough,” Hibbert said. “The skeletons are there to be a really good team. It’s just not going the way we want it to be. You see glimpses but it’s been rough.”
Jamal Crawford cited familiarity and the desire for a “pit bull” negotiator for his recent decision to rehire agent Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, having moved on from a brief time with the Wasserman Media Group, the agency he hired in the offseason. TNT’s David Aldridge has the details in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Clippers sixth man is poised for free agency in the summer.
Draymond Green has far surpassed expectations, and in addition to his own effort, he’s been fortunate to arrive in the NBA just as small-ball truly took off and to land with a Warriors franchise that believes in him, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com examines. “Obviously I’m blessed to be here in a situation with Golden State where what I brought to the team was needed,” Green said. “And appreciated. I know that’s important. Sometimes going to a certain franchise can ruin a career if you’re not with the right team. I was blessed to come to a great situation. A great franchise that appreciated the way that I do. So I’ve been able to become the player I’ve become.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Kings, Black

January 18th, 2016 at 2:05pm CST by Will Joseph

Draymond Green, who re-signed with the Warriors this past summer for five years and $82MM, drew some high praise from LeBron James, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. Green, who leads the league with eight triple-doubles this season, often takes the assignment of guarding James later in games, as Vardon points out.

“I knew one thing: Whatever team got him was going to get a very smart, complete guy,” James said. “Any guy who is able to get a triple-double in the college game, that means a lot. Not many possessions and the game isn’t that well-rounded in college. He did it multiple times in East Lansing and for the most part if he comes from under [Michigan State coach Tom Izzo] you’re going to have some basketball IQ. He has all the intangibles.”

Here’s more on the Pacific Division:

The Kings are hoping their roster can continue to improve while they explore options to add another defender, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, whom the Kings voided their contract with over the summer after a failed physical, has all the traits Sacramento is looking for, Jones adds. “Every team likes his intangibles,” Kings coach George Karl said. “He’s not a stat guy; he’s a low-maintenance offensive guy, so you don’t have to run anything for him and he’s happy.”
While Lakers coach Byron Scott seems unsatisfied with the development of Tarik Black, Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff wishes Houston still had the center on its roster, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. Scott said Black has been “OK” and has not provided an impact off the bench. The Rockets waived Black last season. “We loved him,” Bickerstaff said. “We wanted to keep him around. We had to make a move for a roster spot [to sign Josh Smith.] He was kind of a casualty of that. He’s a heck of a player, brings great energy. Defensively, he communicates. He’s good in the pick-and-roll. He’ll rebound the ball. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Accepts all challenges from all comers. We love him.”

Western Notes: Plumlee, Jones, Garnett

January 14th, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pelicans‘ season has not gone as planned and the team has begun exploring its options in the trade market, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relays. In addition to power forward Ryan Anderson, whom New Orleans has reportedly been listening to offers about, the team has also discussed various trade scenarios involving swingmen Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon, the Yahoo scribe notes. Gordon, who is earning approximately $15.5MM this season, is in the final year of his contract, but Evans’ deal still has one more season on the books valued at $10.2MM. Here’s more from out West:

Blazers big man Mason Plumlee is still trying to make his case that he has what it takes to be a special player, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. “I’m at a point right now where I still very much feel like I’m trying to prove myself in this league,’’ said Plumlee. “I think there are a lot of guys who think they can hang around because they are big or athletic, but I really want to thrive, I really want to be somebody in the NBA. And I don’t think that’s proven yet.’’ Plumlee points to Warriors forward Draymond Green as an example of a player who wasn’t satisfied with merely making it into the NBA, which is the path he wishes to take, Quick adds. “You look at Draymond: a late draft pick, could have been satisfied with establishing himself in the league,’’ Plumlee continued. “But now, he’s doing special things, becoming a special player. So I ask myself: Do I want to just be a player in the NBA, or do I want to excel and be special?’’
Rockets combo forward Terrence Jones has turned a corner as a player and may be on his way to fulfilling some of the promise that made him the No. 18 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “The talent is there with Terrence,” interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We need to get to a point where it’s there every night and we can depend on Terrence because he’s a big part of what we do. He’s a big part of our big rotation up front — he, Clint [Capela] and Dwight [Howard] right now get all the minutes at the big spots for us. This is the type of performance that he had tonight and [Tuesday, when he scored 20 points] that he’s capable of. We just need him to string those performances together.”
Kevin Garnett is only averaging 14.9 minutes per night for the Wolves, but the veteran has been remarkably efficient during his limited time on the court and his leadership has proven to be a great resource to the team, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. “He’s still very valuable to what we’re trying to do,” interim coach Sam Mitchell said of Garnett. “Those 10 minutes that he plays, he sets the tone. It’s 10 minutes our young guys get a chance to see one of the greatest defenders ever play. They get a chance to play with him. They’re learning experience, whether KG is on the floor for 10 minutes or 17 minutes. It’s invaluable.”

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Cousins, Jackson

December 22nd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Chuck Myron

The decision to move from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg in the offseason wasn’t about ginning up the offense, Bulls GM Gar Forman said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, who heard from team sources who say several prominent Bulls players have asked Hoiberg to reinstall elements of the offense Thibodeau ran.

“Fred put in a lot of ball movement, but we have a lot of guys who hold the ball a lot,” Joakim Noah said to Lowe.

Chicago would have had Warriors leading assist-maker Draymond Green had Thibodeau and his staff gotten their way in the 2012 draft, coaches have said to Lowe, but instead they wound up drafting Marquis Teague at No. 29, allowing Green to slip to the Warriors at No. 35. Chicago has an otherwise strong track record at the end of the first round of late, with 2011 30th pick Jimmy Butler the clearest example, Lowe notes. See more from Chicago:

The Bulls deny that they’re interested in DeMarcus Cousins, Lowe writes in the same piece.
Andre Drummond played a key role in helping Reggie Jackson feel comfortable in Detroit following the trade that brought in the point guard last season, as James Herbert of CBSSports.com notes amid a feature on Jackson, who re-signed with the Pistons in the offseason. “We had dinners after games,” Jackson said. “It became that. Then it became we played video games, trash talk a little bit about who’s winning here, who’s winning there. Just hanging out all the time. I forgot I had an apartment of my own, I had my own condo — I just basically was at Dre’s all the time. We had practice together and then we would go play the game together, eat together, just hang out. We’d be up all night, end up just talking the game, trying to figure out what we have to do to get better and to try to figure out how to be a dominant force in this league.”
The signing of Mo Williams threatened to cut Matthew Dellavedova out of playing time at point guard, but he wrested the interim starting job from Williams during Kyrie Irving‘s absence and continues to play a key role now that Irving is back, observes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Dellavedova, who re-signed with the Cavaliers for the value of his qualifying offer this summer, is again set for restricted free agency in the offseason ahead.

Warriors Notes: Barnes, Green, Curry

December 6th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Will Joseph

With the salary cap’s expected rise, a maximum contract for Harrison Barnes could begin with a first year salary in the range of $22MM and there will be plenty of teams competing for his services based on his potential, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. Barnes is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Hamilton compares Barnes’ situation to that of Reggie Jackson, who was viewed as an expendable piece of the Thunder and then became a cornerstone for the Pistons, who re-signed him to a five-year, $80MM maximum contract. Hamilton’s point is that several teams will pay to find out just how good Barnes can be.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

There is no debating Stephen Curry‘s worth to Golden State, but Draymond Green has elevated the Warriors from a championship team to a potentially all-time great team, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group argues. Green is not a big-time scorer, but he is effective because of his wide-ranging his abilities, Thompson writes, and he is a key part of the team’s small-ball defensive philosophy. The Warriors re-signed Green to a five-year, $85MM deal in the summer and he has rewarded them by significantly improving his game, Thompson adds.
Curry’s offseason workout regimen with trainer Brandon Payne has paid dividends this season, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group details. Of course, Curry has long since moved past the ankle issues that influenced the negotiations when he inked a four-year $44MM extension in the fall of 2012. Curry has been able to produce better numbers this season with improved strength, balance and speed, Leung writes.