Eastern Notes: Fournier, Green, Young
Evan Fournier‘s camp sought significantly more than $10MM a year in extension talks this fall, sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Bouna Ndiaye client turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from Orlando, as Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported earlier. The Magic might wish they’d upped the number in their proposal, Lowe opines, believing that the team’s decision to bench former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo is, at its simplest, because Fournier is a better player and better option for the Magic as a starting two guard than Oladipo is. See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Gerald Green drew criticism for his defense from Suns coach Jeff Hornacek last season, but the Heat signed him in large measure because they saw potential in him for that end of the floor, and the 29-year-old has embraced that part of the game, as Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post details. He wants to parlay his performance on a one-year, minimum-salary deal into a long-term contract with the Heat, Lieser writes. “I’m trying to find a home, and can’t Miami be my home?” he said. “That’s where my intentions are. So what is a Miami Heat requirement? To D-up. I know if I want to be here the rest of my career, [forget] offense. I gotta D up. That’s where my mind is at.”
- Frequent D-League assignee James Young had perhaps his best NBA game Monday against New Orleans, an auspicious sign for the development of last year’s 17th overall pick, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. It was Stevens who decided to cut short Young’s latest D-League assignment Friday, believing he might need him for depth purposes with R.J. Hunter out.
- The Sixers have assigned Carl Landry and Christian Wood to the D-League, as Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com relays via Twitter. It’s a rehab assignment for Landry as he continues to make his way back from a right wrist injury, Seltzer notes, and he’s not expected to play any games for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers affiliate, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Fournier, Embiid, Brown, Nene
Evan Fournier turned down a four-year, $32MM extension offer from the Magic before this month’s November 2nd rookie scale extension deadline, league sources told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Orlando and the Bouna Ndiaye client reportedly never came close to a deal, and Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer.
“To be honest, I did not even expect to be extended,” Fournier said. “I had no pressure about that. If there was something good, I will take it. If not, I can wait until the summer. I don’t have to worry about it and make the wrong decision. I have confidence in myself and the season that I’ll have. The contract will take care of itself. You can’t go on the court and think about a deal. You must be focused and you must have the right mindset.”
Fournier doesn’t have his sights set on becoming a No. 1 option for a team, but he’s motivated to put his days as an afterthought behind him, as Charania examines. See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Joel Embiid appears to be carrying himself with more maturity and seriousness than before, knowing he must commit to his rehabilitation, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Sixers had reportedly been concerned about his conditioning, among other worries about the former No. 3 overall pick, but he’s been keeping himself in shape, Aldridge writes. It’s a dose of positive news for the 0-14 Sixers, who remain committed to their loss-laden rebuilding plan, as Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors wrote as he examined the team’s moves from the past several months.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown wondered if his job was in jeopardy a year ago amid an 0-17 start for the team, but GM Sam Hinkie assured him then that he’s a major part of the plan, and the coach has earned respect within the organization for his persistence, Aldridge writes in the same piece.
- Nene has been a starter for most of his career and has expressed disdain for playing center in the past, but so far, he’s accepted his role as backup center on the Wizards, and his team-leading 18 points Sunday helped show his value, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Nene is set for free agency at season’s end.
Southeast Rumors: Winslow, Green, Magic
Justise Winslow has already shown signs of being a lockdown defender through the first seven games of his career, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports. Navarro cites advanced metrics to illustrate Winslow’s prowess, pointing out that among players to defend at least 50 field goal attempts, the Heat small forward ranks tied for third in the league in defensive field goal percentage (32.8%). He’s also holding opponents to 21.1% shooting from 15 feet or deeper. “You always want to kind of be easy on the rookies, but he is raising the bar every game with his maturity and ability and knack to play defense,” Heat power forward Chris Bosh told Navarro. “I’ve never seen anything like it as long as I’ve been in this league from a rookie. He’s not making many mistakes. He’s playing solid defense. He’s already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is helping us out a lot.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Gerald Green is expected to return to the Heat soon, a source told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, even as the team remains tight-lipped about his status, other than to say that he’s safe and healthy. Green is reportedly out of the hospital following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
- The pattern of NBA coaching tenures for Scott Skiles suggests he’ll help the Magic improve for a short while before wearing out his welcome and giving way to another coach who can take the next step, but none of his successors guided his old teams to championships, notes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Skiles has also had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes to better prepare for his latest gig, Aschburner writes.
- Evan Fournier, a restricted free agent after the season, could determine the direction of the Magic franchise, Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com opines in a detailed examination of the team’s roster. Fournier, who failed to reach an rookie scale extension agreement with the club before the Nov. 2 deadline, is attacking the rim with greater force, finishing through contact and drawing more fouls this season, Smith continues. He’s also been very active as a perimeter defender and that’s why the swingman’s decision next summer could impact his team more than any other free agent besides Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Mike Conley, Smith adds.
Southeast Notes: Green, Beal, Skiles
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- It appears to be a good thing that the Wizards reportedly intend to re-sign Bradley Beal for the maximum next summer, seeing as the shooting guard certainly considers himself worthy of that sum, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post relays (on Twitter). When asked if he thinks he’s a max player, Beal responded, “Yeah. I do,” Castillo notes. The Wizards reportedly intend on utilizing their available cap space next summer prior to finalizing a new contract with Beal.
- New Magic coach Scott Skiles has gotten the most out of his young team so far this season, and despite the team’s 1-4 start, the early returns have been positive, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Swingman Evan Fournier‘s strong play has also been encouraging, but the downside is that it may be more difficult to re-sign him next summer when he is eligible to become a restricted free agent, Schmitz notes.
- Hawks shooting guard Justin Holiday has made the most of his extra playing time as Thabo Sefolosha continues to work his way back from injury, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “He’s gotten a couple of opportunities and has taken advantage of those opportunities,” coach Mike Budenholzer said of Holiday. “We went with him tonight without Kyle Korver suiting up. He got more minutes and more opportunities. I think it’s his defense, his activity and his length. He’s making some shots and making some plays. We’ve got a good group there with wings all fighting for opportunity.” Holiday inked a two-year, $1.963MM deal with Atlanta this past offseason.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Chalmers, Fournier, Washburn
Evan Fournier says that his focus will not be affected just because he and the Magic didn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “My main focus was always just playing good basketball and winning games,” Fournier said. “And then, of course, the contract is going to follow. You don’t have to think about the contract first and then basketball. You have to think about basketball first, and then everything’s going to follow. So I’m just focused on winning, man.” Not reaching an agreement could become a positive for Fournier since the expected increase in next season’s salary cap will mean more teams will be flush with cash, which could serve to drive up the market for the swingman, Robbins adds.
Here’s more from out of the Southeast:
- Hornets GM Rich Cho said that the contract extensions the team has handed out to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeremy Lamb, and Kemba Walker were partially about avoiding the free agent market that could become overheated during the next two summers thanks to the expected rise in the salary cap brought on by the league’s new TV deal, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays (on Twitter).
- The trade rumors surrounding Heat point guard Mario Chalmers loom as a potential distraction for the team this season, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald writes. Skolnick also opines that the team needs to address the issue with Chalmers as soon as possible to help avoid it becoming an issue between the player and the team. Chalmers indicated that he learned of the rumors when he arrived at the arena on Tuesday night, and he has not heard from the front office regarding his status with the franchise, the Herald scribe adds.
- Jason Washburn, who was in training camp with the Hornets this season, has signed a deal in Kosovo with Sigal Prishtina, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando relays. Washburn spent the 2014/15 season overseas playing for Brussels, where he averaged 8.9 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 27 appearances.
Southeast Notes: Beal, Nicholson, Lamb
Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is relieved that the extension deadline has passed, because now the focus can shift back to on-court matters, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic writes. “It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Beal. “It’s business at the end of the day. We couldn’t reach an agreement. It’s not going to stop me from being the player I am. It’s not going to stop me from continuing to work hard. Or it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be part of the organization. I’m just controlling what I can control and let [GM] Ernie [Grunfeld] and my agent deal with it.” It was reportedly a mutual decision between Beal and the team to table contract discussions until next offseason.
Beal expects to remain with the Wizards for the long haul, Michael notes. “Either way it goes they can match any offer. Hopefully I’ll be here. That’s my goal,” Beal said. “I love being in D.C. I’m a cornerstone of this thing. I want to be part of this for a long time. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get a deal done but [there’s] no hard feelings. There’s no beef between Ernie and I or the organization. We’re still good.”
Here’s more out of the Southeast:
- The Magic had talks with Andrew Nicholson, just as they did with fellow rookie scale extension candidate Evan Fournier, but they never moved toward a deal before Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions passed, sources close to both told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- Jeremy Lamb‘s three-year contract extension with the Hornets will see him earn $6.5MM during the 2016/17 campaign, $7MM in 2017/18, and $7.5MM for the final year of the agreement, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).
- Hornets GM Rich Cho said the team’s decision not to pick up P.J. Hairston’s option for next season was related to the player’s lack of consistency and focus, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I spoke with P.J. and his agent [Jonathan Stahler]. We just feel like P.J. has got to get more consistent and focused on and off the court,” Cho said. “He knows what he has to do. P.J. has still got a bright future if he continues to work hard.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Magic, Evan Fournier Pass On Extension
11:10pm: The sides failed to reach an extension by the deadline, as expected, Robbins notes (on Twitter).
9:40am: The Magic aren’t expected to sign Evan Fournier to a rookie scale extension by the 11pm Central deadline for them to do so tonight, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That will set up the former 20th overall pick for restricted free agency in July.
The Bouna Ndiaye client who just turned 23 seemed eager for a deal, expressing his hopes for an extension at the start of camp, though he said within the past several days that it would be OK if an extension didn’t happen. Chatter about the prospect of an extension between Fournier and the Magic was quiet over the offseason, so today’s news comes as no surprise despite the shooting guard’s breakout season in 2014/15. He made 32 starts and scored a career-high 12.0 points per game, though injury limited him to just five games after the All-Star break.
Fournier is making more than $2.288MM this season, the last on his rookie scale contract. His qualifying offer is worth almost $3.279MM, but he has a decent chance to up that to about $4.434MM if he triggers the starter criteria this season. He’s started all three games for Orlando so far this season, and if he starts 41, the value of his qualifying offer rises to the larger amount.
The Magic acquired Fournier from the Nuggets in the summer of 2014, and the French native who was a bit player on Denver’s 57-win 2012/13 team is eager to win again, notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Fournier is off to a strong start this season, averaging 14.7 points in 35.7 minutes per game, better numbers in a small sample size than in any of his previous seasons, but his mid-range game and his defense show room for improvement, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote in September when he profiled Fournier’s extension candidacy.
Orlando already has more than $60.5MM committed for 2016/17, so a deal for Fournier would further impinge on the team’s flexibility against a projected $89MM cap. Still, some agents and executives around the league reportedly believe the cap will surge to $95MM.
What sort of deal do you think Fournier will end up with in restricted free agency? Leave a comment to let us know.
Eastern Notes: Fournier, Cunningham, Hardaway Jr.
Swingman Evan Fournier wants to remain with the Magic for the long-term, but he is not stressing the November 2nd deadline for an extension to be worked out between himself and Orlando, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “I don’t even think about it, because in my mind I know we have a game tomorrow, and that’s all that matters,” Fournier said. “A contract, if it happens, that’s great, man. If it doesn’t, it’s going to be next summer. It’s that simple.” If the Magic and Fournier don’t reach an agreement prior to the deadline, then the 22-year-old would be eligible to hit restricted free agency next summer, provided the team tenders him a qualifying offer worth $3,278,998. The two sides are still engaged in discussions, Robbins notes.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Jared Cunningham fought hard to secure the Cavaliers‘ final regular season roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal, and now the team is looking for him to add defense and energy to the second unit, Spencer Davies of AmicoHoops.net writes. “He was aggressive from day number one,” said coach David Blatt. “He played the game with a lot of passion on both ends. He did not shy away from responsibility, and obviously, he performed really well. He earned that spot without question, and he should help us this year.”
- Tim Hardaway Jr. is excited to be a member of the Hawks, a franchise that has enjoyed much more recent success than the Knicks, the swingman’s former team, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “It’s a different vibe; everybody is about their business and moves at their pace. It’s not too fast and everybody is serious about their work,” Hardaway said. “I’m coming to a team that made it to the playoffs last year and got deep into the playoffs; they have high expectations of themselves and it’s great to come into an environment like that.” Atlanta announced that it had picked up Hardaway’s fourth-year option earlier this evening.
- The unveiling of the Bucks‘ new arena will be delayed by a year, and it is now scheduled to open in time for the 2018/19 season, the Associated Press reports. The team had hoped to have the arena ready by the start of the 2017/18 campaign, but team spokesman Jake Suski said that the earlier date “simply isn’t realistic,” according to the report.
Southeast Notes: Scott, Fournier, Williams
Hawks forward Mike Scott spoke publicly Monday for the first time since his arrest this summer on felony drug charges. The veteran would not discuss details of the case, but did note that the gym has been a sanctuary during the past few months, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. “I just come in every day and compete,” Scott said at Hawks media day. “Joke around and laugh with my teammates. This is kind of been my sanctuary for the summer. I come into the gym and work hard and put everything behind me. Then when in I get back to the locker room I’ll look at my phone and I’ll be ‘Oh, right. I forgot.’ Coming into the gym every day, working out with my teammates, is something that has been great for me.”
Scott did acknowledge that his situation has embarrassed the Hawks’ organization, Vivlamore adds. “I don’t like to make other people look bad,” Scott said. “I don’t like to embarrass people. I don’t want to feel embarrassed. I thought it made us look bad a little bit. I take full responsibility for that. Moving on.”
Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:
- Evan Fournier is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Magic prior to this year’s deadline, and he’d welcome a new deal if the parameters made sense, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “It would be awesome,” Fournier said when asked about a possible extension. “But, to be honest, I don’t even think about it because that’s not in my power. That’s not in my hands. Right now I’m focused on getting healthy and just being back on the court. But, yeah, it would be awesome, man.“
- John Wall would be happy to assist the Wizards in recruiting Kevin Durant, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays. “There’s gonna be an opportunity to throw a pitch at him to try to get him to come back home,” Wall told CSNMidAtlantic.com. “But I know one thing of just knowing him, he’s going to be very focused on taking care of Oklahoma City this season, and I’m going to be focused on taking care of the Washington Wizards. But when the time is right and he can get away from all that, yeah, we’ll probably have some conversation and throw a pitch.“
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford doesn’t expect the role of Marvin Williams will be diminished despite the offseason additions of Frank Kaminsky, Tyler Hansbrough, and Spencer Hawes, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “He’ll play the majority of his minutes at [power forward], but he could play [small forward] some nights depending on matchups,” Clifford said of Williams. “He’ll space the floor and be a very good defender. He adds versatility because he can switch [defensively] with some of the perimeter guys. Really the way the NBA is going he’s becoming the prototypical [power forward] now — 6’8″ or 6’9″, can make 3s and guard different guys.”
- Mario Chalmers, who was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, leaned on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for support to get through the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “LeBron and D-Wade are my two closest people when I’ve got things going on in my mind,” Chalmers said. “I talked to those two in the summer and it really helped ease my mind. Bron, big brother, he told me, ‘Don’t worry — it’s a business.’”
Magic Rumors: Skiles, Hezonja, Fournier, Appling
The month between the start of training camp and the start of the regular season will be crucial for new Magic coach Scott Skiles, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Skiles, who held his first full practice today, needs to change the team’s mindset, improve a defense that ranked 25th last season and establish a new identity, among other priorities, Robbins writes. Two of the main objectives will be to work in second-year player Aaron Gordon, who is limited at the start of training camp by a fractured jaw, and to help rookie swingman Mario Hezonja get comfortable with the NBA game.
There’s more news out of Orlando:
- Hiring Skiles to take over a team with a young, talented nucleus has some in Orlando dreaming of the playoffs, Robbins writes in a separate story. The author notes Skiles’ track record of turning teams around quickly. In his first full season as the Bulls’ coach in 2004/05, the won-loss record improved by 24 games. When he took over the Bucks in 2008/09, their record improved by eight games in the first season and another 12 in the second season. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, and our expectation is that we’ll compete for a playoff spot throughout the entire season,” said GM Rob Hennigan. “It’s important for us to be playing games that matter at the end of the season.”
- Evan Fournier is hoping for an extension, Robbins tweets, with Fournier saying it would be “awesome” if it happens before the November 2nd deadline. Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors examined Fournier’s extension candidacy earlier this month.
- Hezonja was called the team’s best new addition by Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders in the site’s season preview of the Magic. The Croatian star, who was taken fifth overall in this year’s draft, impressed the coaching staff with his performance during summer league. Taylor said the rookie has shown an ability to pass, drive, hit open three-pointers and throw down some “highlight-reel dunks.”
- Keith Appling‘s two-year minimum deal comes with a $100K guarantee, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.