Draymond Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Rivers, Green, Lin, Boozer

January 19th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The back-and-forth that preceded Doc Rivers‘ jump from the Celtics to the Clippers in 2013 was the product of a careful approach Rivers took to his Clippers contract, as Rivers tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The coach knew then-owner Donald Sterling had resisted paying guaranteed salary to coaches he’d fired in the past, as Bulpett details.

“That was the delay, the contract,” Rivers said. “People don’t realize it, but the deal could have been done three weeks before it happened. … It’s the longest written contract in coaching history. Five different lawyers had to look at it. Even my lawyer sent it to another lawyer. That tells you the hesitation in who I was going to be working for.”

Rivers is on a different contract with the Clippers now after striking a five-year deal worth more than $50MM with new owner Steve Ballmer. There’s more from Rivers and Bulpett amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

Rivers, who also serves as president of basketball operations for the Clippers, won’t hesitate to admit a mistake and reverse course on a personnel move he’s made in the past if necessary, a lesson he learned from Danny Ainge, as Rivers says to Bulpett.
All signs point to the Warriors matching offers this summer for soon-to-be restricted free agent Draymond Green, even if it means shelling out a little more than they’d like and crossing the luxury tax line, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick write.
The Lakers probably won’t be re-signing offseason acquisitions Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer when both enter free agency this summer, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Austin Rivers has split with agent David Falk, notes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rivers, whom the Clippers acquired via trade last week, hits unrestricted free agency this summer.

Western Notes: Curry, Jackson, Green

January 12th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Stephen Curry is a legit contender to win the 2014/15 most valuable player award, opines Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors have the league’s best record at 29-5 and Curry’s player efficiency rating is 27.13, which ranks fourth best in the league. With those numbers, Curry belongs in the conversation for this season’s MVP award, along with James Harden, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, whose candidacy I briefly wrote about on Sunday.

Here’s more from the Warriors as well as another contender in the Western Conference:

The arrival of Dion Waiters might mean a further diminished role for Reggie Jackson, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Jackson will be a restricted free agent in the offseason and Mayberry speculates that Jackson will garner a contract worth upwards of $12MM annually. For that price, the Thunder might be interested to see if they can get similar production off their bench from Waiters for a fraction of the cost.
The Warriors are constructed to contend for a championship this season, opines Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Golden State is the top ranked team in defensive efficiency this season. However, the window for the team to contend as currently constructed might be closing as key piece Draymond Green is set to become a restricted free agent. The team already has $82.6MM in salary commitments for next season and it will likely be forced to make a move if it wants to re-sign Green.
Warriors center Andrew Bogut says he has no relationship with former coach Mark Jackson, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group writes. “I haven’t heard from him since [his firing]. I know he keeps in touch with some guys on the team, but I’m kind of in a different crowd I think.” The Australian big man has played well this season under new coach Steve Kerr. He is averaging 2.0 blocks per game and sports a player efficiency rating of 16.87.

Western Notes: Murry, Randle, Green

January 5th, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Jazz waived Toure’ Murry yesterday, and his agent, Bernie Lee, doesn’t think Murry was given a fair chance in Utah, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports. “Utah just didn’t see value in giving [Toure’] a real opportunity to prove himself, which is their right,” Lee said. “I had a sense things were working against him early when during the Jazz’s first open scrimmage in the preseason the team-employed radio voice used the forum to crush his future NBA prospects. Just an odd situation through and through. He went to Utah as a young developing point guard who played 51 games for an extremely visible team and today leaves Utah having played his last game as an assigned player in the NBADL [D-League] having been asked to play the four. Perspective and opportunity are a funny thing in basketball.”

Lee also added that Murry will explore free agent opportunities if he clears waivers, Sierra notes. “If there isn’t a spot for him immediately, he will enter the NBA D-League and go on to continue to develop and prove himself as an NBA-caliber PG.”

Here’s more from out west:

Lakers rookie Julius Randle is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday morning to replace the screw in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, the team announced. This injury was a source of concern from NBA teams leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, and possibly caused Randle’s stock to fall, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes. Randle was already out for the season thanks to a broken leg he suffered during his first regular season game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but praise for Draymond Green, who is almost assuredly set to garner a huge pay raise when he hits restricted free agency this summer, Rusty Simmons of The San Franciso Chronicle writes. When asked if Green could be named Defensive Player of the Year, Kerr said, “I wouldn’t argue with that. Draymond has to be mentioned for a lot of different things because of the impact he’s had. Most Improved Player would be a possibility. I don’t know if he’s going to make the All-Star team, but he would have my vote. He’s just been brilliant, and he represents kind of who we are as a team — the versatility, the scrapping, the toughness.”
Spurs rookie Kyle Anderson was expected to spend more time in the D-League than in the NBA this season, but injuries to key players have altered those plans, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes.

Pacific Notes: Bledsoe, Draymond Green, Gay

November 18th, 2014 at 1:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Eric Bledsoe went as far as to put pen to paper on his qualifying offer from the Suns over the offseason, as he tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, but he never submitted it to the team, leaving open the possibility of the five-year $70MM deal that came to fruition in late September. That’s was a game-changer for the Suns, who still have room to grow with a pair of traded first-round picks coming their way and a handful of recent first-rounders in their nascent stages of development, as SB Nation’s Paul Flannery points out. Phoenix isn’t panicking after a mediocre 6-5 start, Flannery notes, and there’s more on Bledsoe amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

The negotiations between Bledsoe and the Suns appeared contentious, but GM Ryan McDonough insisted to Blakely, who writes in the same piece, that he had “constant communication” with the Rich Paul client’s camp throughout the process. That’s in spite of owner Robert Sarver having said over the summer that the team had gone months without speaking to Bledsoe directly.
Draymond Green understands that the prospect of a significant raise looms in restricted free agency this coming summer, as he tells Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Still, he’s confident that the Warriors, already with about $77.5MM in commitments for 2015/16, can keep him. “It’d be a lie to say I don’t think about it,” he said. “But I don’t try to do anything different. If I did, everything is going to go wrong because I would be focusing on the wrong thing. I’d be stressed all year. Stress equals bad performances, which then would equal no contract. I really love it here. It’s all I know about this league. As far as the money working out, if they want me to stay here, I know there’s a way to keep me here.”
Hoops Rumors readers overwhelmingly gave the Kings a thumbs-up for agreeing to the Rudy Gay extension, and Darren Collison echoes that sentiment, notes James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom. “I’m extremely excited,” Collison said. “This is a good step in the right direction. You think about how far this organization has come and to have players of Rudy’s caliber and his talent, DeMarcus [Cousins] is stepping up and becoming a household name [and] myself included, wanting to sign here, it just speaks a lot about this organization and what they’re trying to do. And it speaks about our future.”

And-Ones: White, Kerr, Green

November 6th, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Metta World Peace insisted that he had offers from NBA teams before he signed with China’s Sichuan Blue Whales, as he said today in an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show (video link). World Peace, who turns 35 this month, added that he plans to return to the NBA, perhaps later this season when the Chinese schedule is over, but he said that he’d “rather play in Angola” than sign this season with the Knicks or Lakers, his two most recent teams.

Here’s more from around the league:

The one-month deal that D.J. White signed with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria of the ACB is set to expire this weekend, and the forward is looking to catch on with an NBA team, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter link). The Sixers are the only team currently rumored to be in the market for another big man, though with the way injuries are piling up this season, that could change in a flash. White’s last taste of NBA action came last season when he appeared in two games for the Hornets.
Rookie head coach Steve Kerr has made a number of risky decisions involving his starting lineups, but they have all worked out thus far, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. The Warriors head man is revitalized by his return to competition, notes Amick. Kerr weighed in, saying, “I’m alive. I love feeling this way. I love the competition. I love being part of the group. I love trying to build something together. The intensity — you can’t even come close to matching. On TV, you’re talking about what somebody else is doing. Now we’re talking about what we’re doing. So we’re in the fight, and that’s what makes it fun.”
ESPN basketball analyst Jeff Van Gundy has nothing but praise for Warriors forward Draymond Green, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com writes. Van Gundy suggested that Green, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, would command an annual salary between $10MM-$12MM, Poole notes. For his part, Green was quick to dispel any discussion of his next contract, saying, “But it’s four games into the season. If I start worrying about $10 (million) or $12MM right now, I’m going to get $2 (million).”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Green, Bryant, Rondo

November 5th, 2014 at 9:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Draymond Green‘s representation switch to the Wasserman Media Group could help the Warriors re-sign the forward, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group writes. GM Bob Myers is a former player agent who worked with and was mentored by Arn Tellem, the head of Wasserman, notes Leung. In an interview with 95.7 The Game, Myers said, “So if Arn says, ‘Hey, I got this much money (from another offer),’ he’s not going to lie to me, so there’s value in that. And here’s the other thing I do know. If it’s a tie, we’ll win. Not only just because he’s restricted, but Arn, we’ve known other a long time, so he’s not going to hurt us. If he can help, that’s great.”

Here’s more from way out west:

With the Lakers season seemingly over before it began, talk has turned to the possibility of Kobe Bryant potentially waiving his no-trade clause and being dealt. Chris Mannix of SI.com believes this would be the smart move from a basketball standpoint for both the team and Bryant, but Los Angeles has plenty of business and economic reasons to hold onto their star. Mannix cites the franchise’s high ticket prices and fanbase that isn’t keen on rooting for a team without a marquee attraction as the main reasons the Lakers would keep Bryant.
Despite the Lakers‘ potential interest in signing Rajon Rondo, the point guard will likely realize that the Celtics’ outlook seems rosier, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 writes. Boston’s roster has more talent the Los Angeles’, and the Lakers are more likely to deal Bryant than to acquire Rondo, Rohrbach opines.
Not every player who signs to play in Los Angeles and ends up in Salt Lake City would appreciate the move, but Joe Ingles is content after the Jazz claimed him off waivers from the Clippers and paired him with Dante Exum, his teammate from the Australian national squad. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News has the details. “I don’t regret anything about what happened or what I did or anything,” Ingles said. “I did all I can to make the team and wasn’t what they [the Clippers] wanted or good enough or whatever it was, so it worked out perfectly. I’m very happy here (with Utah). It’s been great.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Green

November 4th, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Alex Lee

It’s still early, but the Warriors have taken a commanding lead as the still-unbeaten team that Hoops Rumors readers think can unseat the Spurs as NBA champs. The play of Klay Thompson is undoubtedly a big reason why, as the fourth-year guard, fresh off a contract extension, leads the league in scoring. Here is more on the Warriors:

While the official word on Thompson’s extension with the Warriors is that the full value won’t be known until next July, Zach Lowe of Grantland.com reports that it is not technically a maximum contract (via Twitter). Lowe promises further detail to come, but in the meantime says that Golden State did something “interesting” with the deal that differentiates it from other max-type extensions.
Meanwhile, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group writes that many in Golden State saw stardom coming for Thompson and it, if that is what we’re seeing here, should not come as a big surprise.
We heard earlier tonight that Draymond Green of the Warriors is switching agents. Sam Amick of USA Today, who reported the Green news, writes that Golden State intends to keep their young forward. Amick adds that Green’s move to the Wasserman Media Group was a strategic one, as the Michigan State product preferred the services of an agency — and an agent in B.J. Armstrong — that could properly capitalize on his unique ability to impact a game beyond what shows up in the box score.

Western Notes: Moreland, Green, Lucas, Hancock

November 4th, 2014 at 5:23pm CST by Alex Lee

There are six Western Conference teams in action tonight on a slate that includes a matchup of unbeatens between the Rockets and Heat, who also went head-to-head in the pursuit of Chris Bosh this past offseason. Let’s take a look at what’s going on out west before tonight’s action gets underway:

The Kings have assigned undrafted rookie forward Eric Moreland to the Reno Bighorns, the team announced today. Moreland, who signed a three-year deal with Sacramento in July, had yet to touch the floor in four games for the Kings after impressing this summer. His contract is guaranteed for $200K this season and is non-guaranteed for the two years beyond that.
Draymond Green, who will become a restricted free agent next summer, has switched agents, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). Green was previously represented by Herb Rudoy of Interperformances, as our Agency Database shows, and will now be under the care of B.J. Armstrong and Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group, according to Amick. Green originally signed a three-year pact with the Warriors as a rookie, the third year of which became guaranteed on August 1 when he remained on the Golden State roster.
The Grizzlies’ deal with Kalin Lucas, struck earlier today, is non-guaranteed for one year but will become fully guaranteed at some point in January, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter). Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms it is a minimum salary deal worth the prorated amount of $486,446 (via Twitter).
Luke Hancock, who was waived by the Grizzlies in October, signed with Panionios B.C. of Greece, the team announced today (translation via Sportando). Memphis brought Hancock into camp on a non-guaranteed deal in September before parting ways with the undrafted rookie out of Louisville.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Parker, Brewer, Melo

August 2nd, 2014 at 12:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The minimum salaries for Khris Middleton and Draymond Green became fully guaranteed at the end of Friday when they remained on the rosters of the Bucks and Warriors, respectively, according to the salary data that Mark Deeks of ShamSports compiles. Justin Hamilton of the Heat earned a partial guarantee of $408,241 when Miami kept him through Friday, while Cavs power forward Erik Murphy wound up with a partial guarantee of $100K.

Here’s more from around the league:

This has been a whirlwind offseason with numerous players changing teams. Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders looks at five players who will benefit most from their change of scenery.
Brazilian big man Fab Melo is returning home to sign with Paulistano of his native country, the team announced Friday (hat tip to Sportando). The Celtics selected Melo with the 22nd pick in 2012, but the seven footer only played six games in the NBA in 2012/13 and bounced around the D-League last season after failing the make the Mavs roster in training camp.
Former NBA player Darius Johnson-Odom has signed with Acqua Vitasnella Cantù of the Italian League, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Johnson-Odom appeared in three games for the Sixers as well as seeing stints in China and the NBA D-League last season.
Spurs GM R.C. Buford indicated that the team and newly-extended point guard Tony Parker had a mutual interest in an agreement, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links here). “His play warranted the commitment of the organization,” Buford said. “He made a commitment to our organization, too, by doing this now and taking himself out of a free agency opportunity a year from now. It was important to him and us to capitalize off the momentum this year creates and not have to worry about it at a later date.”
The Timberwolves aren’t willing to move Corey Brewer in any deal involving Kevin Love, reports Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press (Twitter link). Brewer is staying in Minnesota, writes Krawczynski.

Chuck Myron and Alex Lee contributed to this post.

Latest On Kevin Love

July 11th, 2014 at 6:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:16pm: Sources told Broussard that the Cavs made an offer of Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick for Love, but that framework is a no-go, Broussard writes.

3:49pm: The Cavs have told Wiggins he won’t be traded, but the Wolves continue to insist on his inclusion if they’re to give up Love, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, who says that the Cavs would have to bring a third team into the deal to find a workable solution.

2:36pm: The Warriors would be willing to trade David Lee, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and a future first-round pick in a deal that would net them Kevin Love, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Still, Klay Thompson remains off-limits, and the Warriors remain steadfastly against taking Kevin Martin in any such deal, Wolfson adds in a second tweet.

Golden State faces plenty of competition for the league’s top trade candidate. Love, who can hit free agency next year, is seemingly “100%” on board with the idea of staying in Cleveland long-term, should the Wolves deal him there, now that LeBron James is back with the Cavs, so Cleveland seems like a major player. Most reports have indicated that the Cavs wouldn’t give up No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to acquire Love, as the Wolves are demanding, but multiple executives from around the league told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that they believe Wiggins will be in play in those talks, as we noted earlier.

Still, the Warriors maintain that they won’t give up Thompson even if the Cavs make a strong push for Love, a source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Thompson is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, and co-owner Joe Lacob has vowed to lock him up, though Lacob didn’t specify whether he envisions doing so via extension or next summer in restricted free agency.