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Atlantic Notes: Zion, Raptors, Loyd, Moreland, Sixers

April 5th, 2019 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks apparently won’t have to worry about Zion Williamson demanding a trade if they win the lottery. Williamson said on Friday that he would “love to play” for the Knicks if they drafted him, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. The Duke freshman made the remark during a Final Four press conference while accepting the Oscar Robertson (Player of the Year) Award. He went on to say he’d be happy to go wherever he was drafted.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors made a number of cost-cutting moves during the course of the season that saved an approximate $18MM, as Blake Murphy of The Athletic details. Waiving Lorenzo Brown, dumping the salaries of Malachi Richardson and Greg Monroe, trading three players for Marc Gasol, getting Gasol to waive his trade kicker, and signing players to 10-day contracts to meet roster requirements all contributed to a healthier bottom line.
The Raptors still have an open roster spot heading toward the playoffs and will likely sign a player, Murphy writes in the same story. Guard Jordan Loyd’s two-way contract could be converted to a standard contract and center Eric Moreland, who recently played on a 10-day contract, is another candidate. Veteran center Marcin Gortat could also be in play.
The 76ers believe their powerhouse starting lineup will be the difference in the playoffs, even though they haven’t played much together, Michael Lee of The Athletic reports. They’ve gone 8-2 in games that Tobias Harris, J.J. Redick, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler have all been available to play. “Although that starting group hasn’t played that much basketball together, especially relative to the other teams, the excitement is to take the talent we have and quickly try to maximize that,” coach Brett Brown said.

Sixers Sign Greg Monroe, Waive Justin Patton

April 4th, 2019 at 11:18am CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 4, 11:18am: The Sixers have officially signed Monroe, according to a press release from the club. The team’s roster is now back to 15 players.

APRIL 3, 4:10pm: The Sixers have officially waived Patton, the team announced today in a press release.

APRIL 3, 12:49pm: Philadelphia will be the next stop for Greg Monroe, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN, who states that the Sixers will waive center Justin Patton tomorrow and sign Monroe for the rest of the season.

Monroe became available when his 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last night. Boston passed on an opportunity to re-sign him, preferring to keep a roster spot open for other options.

The 10-day contract won’t prevent him from being eligible for the playoffs, notes Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Only players waived since March 1 lose their postseason eligibility, and Monroe hasn’t been waived — his 10-day deal with Boston simply expired.

Monroe will provide a veteran presence in the middle for the Sixers, who have been seeking backup help at center. Philadelphia will be his fourth stop of the season after beginning in Toronto before being traded to Brooklyn and then waived. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 38 games with the Raptors, but played just five total minutes in two games with the Celtics.

Philadelphia won’t be on the hook for much salary with Patton, who is entering the final week of a $2,667,600 contract. Injury problems have limited him to just four games in two NBA seasons after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2017 draft. His 2019/20 option was declined by Minnesota last fall.

Celtics Won’t Re-Sign Greg Monroe

April 3rd, 2019 at 9:45am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics will part with veteran center Greg Monroe, whose 10-day contract expired Tuesday night, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.

Monroe got into two games during his return to Boston and played just five total minutes. He was signed to provide insurance for the front court after a wave of injuries to Al Horford, Aron Baynes and Robert Williams.

This marks the second trip to the waiver wire this season for Monroe, who was released by the Nets in February after being acquired from the Raptors in a deadline deal. He was a playoff contributor for the Celtics after signing with the team in February of last season, but never got close to that level this time around.

Boston will likely fill its open roster spot before the regular season ends next week, but a source tells Murphy that a move isn’t expected today. Thomas Robinson played well after joining the organization’s G League affiliate in Maine and was considered for the opening before the Celtics opted for Monroe.

Atlantic Notes: Monroe, Lowry, LeVert, Sixers

March 24th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Greg Monroe is ready to contribute right away after signing a 10-day contract with the Celtics earlier today, relays Taylor Snow of NBA.com. The deal was finalized this afternoon after being first reported Friday and delayed amid rumors that Boston wanted to give the final roster spot to Thomas Robinson. An injury to Robert Williams last night, with Al Horford and Aron Baynes already sidelined, may have convinced the Celtics to add another center.

“Obviously those guys were having a few little injuries and have been missing a few games,” Monroe said. “So it’s definitely about helping them out and getting ready for the playoffs. That what it’s about, trying to get those guys fully healthy to make a run.”

The 28-year-old spent the first part of this season in Toronto, but has been out of the NBA since being acquired and then waived by the Nets at the trade deadline. Monroe hopes to help out the Celtics the way he did last year when he averaged 10.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG after joining the team in February.

“We’ve always thought highly of Greg,” coach Brad Stevens said. “… He’s a bright guy and when you put him through our stuff, he knows it right after he gets here. Doesn’t take him long.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry returned to the court tonight even though his right ankle isn’t fully healed, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Lowry missed back-to-back games after a scary incident Monday night, but said he felt like he needed to start playing again. “I could sit out until the playoffs with the type of injury I have but I want to play, keep a rhythm, get out there with the guys and play some basketball,” he said. “If I can get out there and play, I’m going to go play.”
Nets players aren’t waiting for summer to start recruiting Kevin Durant, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Durant’s new video series “Fly By” will include a tour of Brooklyn from D’Angelo Russell. Teammate Caris LeVert, who serves as Durant’s summertime workout partner, isn’t shy about making his pitch. “I don’t think superstars, especially Kevin, want to be the one who has to carry the whole team, the full load on his own,” LeVert said. “He’s in his 30s now, so he definitely wants to go to a team that has a good core, has a good culture, has good guys on the team, and we fit all those categories.”
The Sixers‘ blockbuster trades could backfire if they can’t keep the starting five together after this season, warns Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The front office will likely have to give max deals to both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, and J.J. Redick will be a free agent as well.

Greg Monroe Signs 10-Day Deal With Celtics

March 24th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

March 24: The Celtics have officially signed Monroe to his 10-day deal, the team announced on social media. There was some uncertainty over whether Monroe would ultimately be signed, but the team went forward with the agreement on Sunday.

March 22: Veteran center Greg Monroe has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Celtics, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Boston has an open roster spot, so the team won’t have to clear a space for the new addition.

Monroe provides some depth in the middle with the team’s top two big men, Al Horford and Aron Baynes, nursing injuries. Horford is dealing with left knee soreness, while Baynes is battling an ankle sprain. Neither will play against Charlotte on Saturday.

Appearing in 38 games with the Raptors this season, including two starts, Monroe averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 11.1 MPG. Toronto traded him to the Nets just before the February deadline and Brooklyn immediately waived him. He has been shopping for another opportunity since that point.

Monroe, 28, will be entering his second stint in a Boston uniform. He played 26 regular-season and 11 postseason games with the Celtics last year.

The Celtics could eventually sign former NBA forward Thomas Robinson as their 15th man, but they want him to play out the G League season with their affiliate, Keith Smith of RealGM tweets. Robinson was claimed by the Maine Red Claws team last week. Boston also had an imminent need at center, which made Monroe a logical choice.

Celtics Notes: Williams, Irving, Stevens, Hunter

March 24th, 2019 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are dealing with another injured center after rookie Robert Williams took a hard fall onto his back in last night’s game, writes Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. Making his first career start because of injuries to Al Horford and Aron Baynes, Williams left the game with a back contusion in the second quarter.

“I’m guessing we’re looking at a Jaylen (Brown) time frame from this year, at least,” coach Brad Stevens said. Brown suffered a similar injury last March and missed six games. Boston has nine games left, so it’s possible that Williams won’t return until the playoffs. Jayson Tatum also fell on his back last night, but his injury appears to be less severe.

Losing Williams could affect the Celtics’ plans for their open roster spot. There was a report Friday night that they would be signing Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract, but when that didn’t happen yesterday, there were suggestions that the opening might go to Thomas Robinson, who joined the organization’s G League affiliate last week. If Williams is out for the rest of the season, that might tip the scales back in favor of Monroe.

There’s more this morning out of Boston:

Kyrie Irving appeared to take another swipe at his young teammates, saying the Celtics need to be “more mature down the stretch” after blowing an 18-point fourth quarter lead in a loss to the Hornets, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Irving, who has been outspoken about the difficulties of being a veteran leader on a young team, also questioned Stevens’ approach to handling Kemba Walker, who scored 18 fourth quarter points to lead the comeback. “We should have probably trapped him more like every other team does in the league but we didn’t,” Irving said. “He torches us every time we play them, so it’s no surprise.”
Before Saturday’s meltdown, Stevens indicated rotation changes could be coming, Blakely adds in a separate story. He told his players that “toughness” will determine who plays in the postseason. “We are in evaluation stage on who’s reliable,” Stevens said. “… If you don’t have that reliability; if you don’t have that toughness. If you don’t have the ability to move on to what’s next, you don’t last very long.”
R.J. Hunter hasn’t taken the court for Boston since signing a two-way contract in January, but he believes he’s a mentally stronger player than when he was drafted by the team in 2015. He talks about that aspect of the game an interview tweeted by the Celtics.

Celtics May Not Sign Greg Monroe

March 23rd, 2019 at 4:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite a report that surfaced last night, the Celtics may be having second thoughts about signing veteran center Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports.

Aron Baynes‘ ankle injury may not be as serious as originally believed, which would reduce the need to add another center. Coach Brad Stevens said Baynes, who was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain on Wednesday, may be available for tomorrow’s game with San Antonio (Twitter link from A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston).

Thomas Robinson, who joined the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine this week, is also being considered for the open roster spot, Smith adds (Twitter link). Robinson has averaged 14 PPG and 14 RPG in his first three games for the Red Claws, who will end their season tonight. Smith describes the competition to fill the 15th spot in Boston as “fluid” and says some believe Robinson has the inside track.

The fifth player selected in the 2012 draft, Robinson spent the season in China before coming to the G League. The 28-year-old joined the Hawks for training camp last fall, but hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2016/17 season.

Nets Notes: Russell, Kurucs, Musa, Marks

February 17th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

As Brian Lewis points out for The New York Post, Nets GM Sean Marks didn’t offer D’Angelo Russell a contract extension in October mainly because he wanted to see if the young point guard could prove himself to be a go-to option and leader. So far, so good on that end as Russell has stayed healthy this season and is averaging career highs of 20.3 points and 6.6 assists per game going into his first All-Star game appearance.

Russell has been the leading force on a Nets team that is surpassing expectations, having already won more games (30) than they did all of last season (28). Russell’s improvements have coincided with steady improvement from Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, and Spencer Dinwiddie, with veterans and rookies contributing in other spots as well.

The Nets will now look to build on their strong record and claim their first playoff spot since 2015, as Russell will look to lead the way and play his way into a big contract this summer.

There’s more on the Nets:

Although Dzanan Musa‘s rookie season has been impacted by several injuries, his agent expressed that the Nets have been pleased with his development, as NetsDaily reported earlier this week.
Amidst a strong rookie season, Rodions Kurucs spoke about how his game and style of play differs from that of his fellow Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, as Marc Berman detailed for The New York Post.
In a recent New York Notes post, we explored how Marks viewed the Nets’ trade deadline in which they acquired (and then subsequently waived) Greg Monroe, as well as how it impacted their roster.

Greg Monroe Waived After Trade To Nets

February 7th, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by JD Shaw

7:31pm: The Raptors and Nets have confirmed that the trade is done. Brooklyn received Monroe and Toronto’s 2021 second-round pick in exchange for cash, then waived the veteran center. The second-rounder is unprotected, while Toronto received $110K in the deal, per Scotto (Twitter links).

2:15pm: The Raptors are trading veteran forward Greg Monroe and a second-round pick to the Nets, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The Nets plan to waive Monroe after the deal becomes official, according to The Athletic’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link), who adds that Brooklyn will send cash considerations in the trade. The Nets will receive Toronto’s 2021 second-round pick as part of the deal.

For Brooklyn, this deal represents the only trade the team made on Thursday. The Nets will keep its current core, which has gone 21-9 in the past 30 games, as they begin to focus on reaching the postseason this April.

After this agreement and an earlier trade with Memphis, Toronto has reduced its roster size to just 10 players. The team is expected to sport an intimidating starting group consisting of Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol to compete in the East.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Atlantic Division

November 2nd, 2018 at 9:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if those players’ stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Atlantic Division:

Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets, 25, PG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.9MM deal in 2016
Dinwiddie has been one of the biggest bargains in the league over the past couple of years but he figures to get a hefty pay raise next summer. Dinwiddie may not be the prototypical point guard but he can carry an offense at times. He’s averaging 14.9 PPG while shooting 48.9% overall and 43.5% from long range. He’s a career 32.5% 3-point shooter, so if he can establish himself as a solid long-range threat, he’ll be even more valuable. He had a 25-point outburst, all after halftime, and made the game-winning shot against his former team, the Pistons, on Wednesday.

Damyean Dotson, Knicks, 24, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $4MM deal in 2017
Dotson has a non-guaranteed salary next season. It’s hard to see the Knicks cutting a productive player on a dirt-cheap deal loose unless they hit the jackpot on a couple of top level free agents and need to open up more cap space. Dotson, a second-round pick last summer, has taken advantage of an injury to rookie Kevin Knox, scoring in double digits in each of the last six games. He’s also been a factor on the boards, averaging nearly six per game. Dotson has earned coach David Fizdale’s trust, though it will be interesting to see how much his minutes drop when Knox returns.

Wilson Chandler, Sixers, 31, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $46.5MM deal in 2015
The Sixers were hoping that Chandler would be a key component of their second unit. They’re still waiting to see if that’s the case, as Chandler has yet to make his Philadelphia debut due to a hamstring injury. Chandler has been durable in recent seasons, appearing in at least 71 games for the Nuggets the past three seasons, but he’s at the point of his career where injuries could be a growing concern.

Marcus Morris, Celtics, 29, PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $20MM deal in 2015
Brad Stevens has a lot of quality pieces to fit but Morris doesn’t need to worry about his rotation spot. He’s posting averages of 14.4 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 25.6 MPG off the bench while guarding three different positions. Those stats are even more impressive on a loaded team with a lot of mouths to feed. Morris is due for a huge pay increase after signing a team-friendly deal with the Suns three years ago.

Greg Monroe, Raptors, 28, C (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.17MM deal in 2018
Monroe is the type of player who’s getting phased out of the league. He’s a low-post scorer with slow feet who has difficulty making defensive switches. He’s made only two brief appearances with the Raptors thus far and will likely remain at the end of the bench unless injuries pile up. Monroe will likely have to settle for a similar contract in free agency next summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.