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Atlantic Notes: Nets, Fultz, Prigioni

May 19th, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by Austin Kent

According to Nets guard Jeremy Lin, a total of five of his former teammates across stints with the Knicks, Rockets and Hornets asked him if Brooklyn would be willing to make a trade for them, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes.

Kalbrosky breaks down a Nets Daily report based on a translation of an interview that Lin gave to Chinese website JD.com.

The combined appeal of the Nets’ willingness to play together, the culture unfolding in Brooklyn and the presence of head coach Kenny Atkinson makes the franchise an intriguing one as the free agency period approaches.

The Nets are projected to have approximately $26MM of cap space this summer to fortify their roster and, yes, several of Lin’s former teammates will be available, including Patrick Patterson, Donatas Motiejunas, Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks and Omri Casspi.

There’s more out out of the Atlantic Division:

  • It didn’t take long for Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to reach out to Markelle Fultz, the expected No. 1 draft pick that could suit up in green next season, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes. The two players currently play the same position but Thomas thinks the pair could thrive together.
  • Managing owner of the Sixers, Josh Harris, is confident in the direction of the franchise, even after this week’s lottery results that didn’t exactly work out in their favor, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We now are stacked for the future,” Harris said. “We have a young team already. So that leaves some slots for some vets to put around our young guys and teach them about what it’s like to be in the NBA.”
  • The Knicks are said to be interested in hiring former point guard Pablo Prigioni as an assistant coach, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays.
  • The Knicks will hope that Malik Monk is available to the at the No. 8 spot in next summer’s NBA Draft, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. College basketball analyst Wally Szczerbiak sees him as a good fit as a playmaker in Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense.
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No Paul George, Gordon Hayward On All-NBA Teams

May 18th, 2017 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-NBA teams for the 2016/17 season, and neither Paul George nor Gordon Hayward is among the 15 players honored. That’s big news for both players and their teams, since they’ll be ineligible for the Designated Veteran Extension, reducing the amount of money the Pacers and Jazz – respectively – could offer their star forwards in contract extensions this offseason.

Here are this year’s All-NBA teams:

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

Based on this year’s All-NBA voting results, Wall is now eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension this summer, while Leonard is eligible to sign one next summer. Harden, Westbrook, and Curry are also eligible to sign DVEs this summer, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes (via Twitter).

Those Designated Veteran Extensions – which are dependent on a player making an All-NBA team in the year before he signs an extension, or in two of the previous three years – apply to players finishing up their rookie scale extensions. They allow a player re-signing with his own team to earn up to 35% of the salary cap, rather than just 30%. So, if we assume a $101MM salary cap for 2017/18, a player like Curry could sign a new Warriors contract with a starting salary of $35.35MM, instead of $30.3MM.

The Pacers and Jazz will still be able to offer George and Hayward larger and longer contracts than any other team, but the advantage won’t be as significant as it would have been if those players had earned All-NBA spots. Teams can offer their own Bird-rights free agents up to five years (instead of four) and 8% raises (instead of 5%).

Hayward figures to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, while George is expected to reach free agency in 2018. George could still become eligible for the DVE in ’18 if the Pacers hang onto him through next season and he earns All-NBA honors a year from now. However, there’s no guarantee that Indiana will be willing to take that risk.

As for the rest of the All-NBA votes, there weren’t any major surprises, particularly on the first two teams. Perhaps the biggest surprise, in a year which was dominated by four clear-cut MVP candidates, is that Harden was the only player who received 100 out of 100 possible First Team votes. Westbrook and James received 99 apiece, while Leonard received 96.

Note: Hoops Rumors readers voted last month on All-NBA teams, and our squads looked awfully close to the official ones, with a couple notable exceptions. You can check out the results of our voting right here.

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Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Sixers, Rookies

May 14th, 2017 at 9:16pm CST by Austin Kent

If Knicks president Phil Jackson was looking to get value out of Carmelo Anthony in a trade, his negative comments have only hurt the forward’s stock, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.

While Anthony posted reasonable numbers for the underachieving Knicks in 2017/18, the fact that Jackson has slammed both his personality and playing style certainly aren’t reassuring.

“Phil made a statement basically that Carmelo’s a losing type of player. Well, if he’s a loser for the Knicks, he’s going to be a winner someplace else? That obviously didn’t help,” one Eastern Conference executive told Kerber.

Anthony’s famous no-trade clause already limits who the Knicks may be able to trade with, so Jackson’s mystifying approach to marketing make it even less likely that the franchise will be able to yield a reasonable return for their once-prized building block.

There’s more from the Atlantic:

  • It’s easy to be excited about the NBA draft — the Sixers have been planning for it all year. A more telling day, in terms of shaping the franchise of the organization, however, could be this Tuesday’s draft lottery. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer lays out the various possible outcomes the team faces when the order is revealed.
  • The extra attention put toward Isaiah Thomas in the postseason has put more pressure on the Celtics‘ supporting cast, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes. More has been asked of teammates like Jae Crowder, Blakely writes, and they’ve stepped up.
  • Don’t expect an immediate impact out of this year’s draft class — at least that’s what Knicks boss Phil Jackson implied to Lakers president Magic Johnson, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “It’s just really tough,” Jackson said. “The maturation level, particularly the education the game has stepped to, the amount of work it takes physically, mentally, the preparation. We don’t expect a whole lot.“
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Northwest Notes: Thomas, Rabb, Gobert

May 13th, 2017 at 9:45am CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas has gone from last selection in the 2011 NBA Draft to one of the league’s top budding superstars with the Celtics. As he prepares for a Game 7 showdown against the Wizards, stories about Thomas’ unlikely path to stardom continue to circulate and the Timberwolves are the latest team to be connected with the 5’9″ point guard.

As Sam Vecenie of Vice Sports details, Minnesota had interest in selecting Thomas with the 57th pick in the draft (Thomas selected 60th by the Kings) but elected to go with Tanguy Ngombo, a Congolese forward playing in Qatar. Few projected Ngombo to be drafted, leaving a lot of mystery surrounding not just his skills, but his identity. Chaos ensued when it was discovered that Ngombo may not be 21 years old as the team believed.

After speaking to Ngombo, the team realized he was not sure of his age due to restricted access to his passport and no official birth certificate. Eventually, the team rescinded its rights to Ngombo and he continued his career in Qatar while Thomas — after a subpar stints in Sacramento and Phoenix — is a two-time All-Star in Boston.

Here are additional news tidbits in the Northwest:

  • The Trail Blazers are expected to hold a private workout with University of California product Ivan Rabb after the combine, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes (via Twitter). Rabb, 20, has spent the last two seasons with the Golden Bears; the 6’11” center averaged 14.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG this past season.
  • Speaking of Portland, the team’s president of basketball operations Neil Olshey spoke to Scott Howard-Cooper on NBA TV to discuss the team’s future and possible strategy from the combine. “We’ve been rebuilding the organization based of of Damian Lillard’s timeline, we’ve been lucky enough to be a playoff team in both of those years,” said Olshey (via NBA.com). “It’s whatever the best decision long-term for the franchise is. If that’s three rookies, it’s three rookies. If that’s an aggregation of picks to get an impact player, then that’s what it’ll be.”
  • Jazz center Rudy Gobert told L’Equipe he will not suit up for Team France for the Eurobasket 2017. After suffering an injury during the playoffs, and playing through a full regular season plus the postseason, he would rather prepare for rigors of the 2017/18 campaign.“It was a tough decision for me,” he said. “But my knee injury during the playoffs, the long season in the NBA, the talks with the Jazz: I need to work on my body this summer. I am not leaving the project Team France.”
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Eastern Notes: Cavs, Thomas, George

May 10th, 2017 at 10:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

LeBron James came back to the Cavaliers prior to the 2014/15 season and since then, the King’s team has appeared to be a tight-knit group, as evidenced by the elaborate handshakes which can be witnessed in the pregame. The pregame festivities elicited a response from coach Tyronn Lue, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays.

“I wish we could remember some of the defensive schemes that well,” Lue joked. “Guys come to the side, ‘My bad. I forgot.’ But they remember all this and all that.”

Cleveland’s biggest issues this year are on the defensive end and it’s carried over into the postseason. While the defense does not appear to be championship-caliber, the offense certainly does. The Cavs lead all teams this postseason with an offensive rating of 117.0. As they wait to find out who they will play in the next round, check out some notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Isaiah Thomas was fined $25K for directing inappropriate language toward a fan, according to NBA.com. The incident occurred in Game 3 of the Celtics‘ series against the Wizards.
  • Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star believes the Pacers have a shot at landing Gordon Hayward if Paul George signs an extension this summer. George’s decision will ultimately dictate which direction the franchise heads in and if the 4-time All-Star sticks around long-term, Indiana could become an attractive free agent destination.
  • Tony Snell will be a restricted free agent this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising if he lands a deal in the $10-12MM range, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. Snell came to the Bucks in a preseason trade from the Bulls and he’s carved out a substantial role on his new squad.
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Celtics Notes: Horford, IT’s Value, IT’s Teeth

May 5th, 2017 at 6:56pm CST by Austin Kent

From the get-go, Al Horford was told to focus on helping the Celtics win rather than look to justify his max deal with big numbers, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes.

The C’s opted to let the 30-year-old focus on getting comfortable with the franchise and his versatility and intangibles have helped fuel one of the best Celtics squads in years.

“You don’t take a guy that’s averaging 14 points a game and expect him to average 25,” Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said. “You don’t take a .270, 20-home-run guy and expect that he’s going to hit .330 and 40 home runs. We knew what Al was, and I think he’s even been better than what we thought.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Few considered that the Celtics were getting a star when they acquired Isaiah Thomas at the trade deadline in 2014/15 but the point guard has established himself worthy of the praise. Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider recently took a skeptical look at the 28-year-old and was pleased with what he found.
  • An impressive postseason has shown that the Celtics can build around Thomas, says Chris Mannix of the Vertical. The journalist told CSN New England that, though much of the franchise’s direction heading forward could depend on their lottery pick, anchoring a lineup with Thomas is certainly possible.
  • After initially injuring several teeth in Game 1, Celtics guard Thomas re-injured his mouth in Game 3, the team reports in a press release. When the guard was struck in the head Thursday, the bridge that was installed to facilitate the recovery was re-broken. Another temporary bridge has been put in until the guard can get a permanent bridge at some point in the future.
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Atlantic Notes: Valanciunas, Thomas, Colangelo

April 27th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Austin Kent

It’s evident that Jonas Valanciunas is happy coming off the bench for the Raptors so long as he’s still a core component of the team’s rotation, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. Prior to Toronto’s series-clinching victory over the Bucks Thursday, the 24-year-old discussed his new role.

“I’m good. I don’t feel bad if I don’t start,” the Raptors big man said. “I’m playing the same minutes, doing good things on the court, that’s all I need to do, right? I’ve just got to do my job. As long as we’re winning — I’ve been saying that a long time — as long as we’re winning I’m OK.”

Even though he came off the bench for Game 6, the Raptors appeared to make an effort to get the pivot involved early. Though he wasn’t featured as heavily toward the end of the contest, he was on the court serving as a potent post threat through to the final buzzer.

It’s unclear if Valanciunas will slide back into the Raptors lineup against the Cavaliers. He had started Games 1 and 2 against Milwaukee but moved to the bench when Dwane Casey employed a smaller lineup featuring Norman Powell.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Nets rested their players in the final game of the regular season, despite the fact that they were long eliminated from the postseason, had zero incentive to tank and were matched up against a Bulls team that needed a win to sneak into the playoffs. Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily recently wrote about the controversy the decision has stirred up.
  • Does Isaiah Thomas deserve a max contract? A panelist of NBA writers at CSN New England discussed the topic in a recently published video segment and were torn as to whether or not the Celtics could justifiably pay up.
  • Less than two weeks since the conclusion of the 2016/17 campaign, Sixers president Bryan Colangelo is already in Europe scouting players. Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Colangelo has recently watched Milos Teodosic and Philly draft pick Furkan Korkmaz.
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Thomas’ Status Uncertain After Sister’s Death

April 15th, 2017 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics may not know until game time if Isaiah Thomas will be available for Sunday’s playoff opener with the Bulls after the death of his sister in an auto accident today, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.

Chyna Thomas, 22, was killed in a one-car crash early this morning on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Washington. Isaiah Thomas was told about the tragedy after the Celtics finished practice today, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. A source close to Thomas informed ESPN that he plans to play in the Sunday evening game, but nothing is certain at this point.

Thomas’ father told Murphy that no decision has been made on when his son will fly to Washington, adding “It’s a crucial time for our family right now.” A league source said the sixth-year guard is in “a state of shock.”

Coach Brad Stevens visited Thomas tonight and the Celtics issued a statement that read, “We are terribly saddened by the tragic loss of Chyna Thomas. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Celtics organization are with Isaiah and his family.”

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Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Thomas, Poeltl

March 20th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Austin Kent

Second-year big man Kristaps Porzingis knew early on that the Knicks weren’t going to be a competitive team this season, citing a lack of chemistry and teamwork. Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote about the sophomore’s troubling realization as the franchise finds itself staring at a 27-42 record.

“I think it was pretty easy to tell from the inside that we’re not that good of a team,” Porzingis said of the Knicks. “We can win games based on our talent, but it’s not going to last long. [We needed] more work, attention to details, to keep growing as a team. A good team needs time to play together.”

The forward, whose averaged 18.0 points per game across 58 contests so far this season, acknowledged that the transition process can be difficult and that the Knicks did add several fresh faces like starting point guard Derrick Rose, but it was a disappointing year nonetheless.

“Of course, we all expected big things out of this year, but from the beginning it didn’t feel like — I felt we’d make big runs, but we weren’t there at that level where we wanted to be,” Porzingis said. “We can see now we’re not where we want it to be.”

  • After a two-game hiatus, guard Isaiah Thomas is back in action for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of ESPN tweets. The All-Star had been nursing a knee bruise. The 29.2 point-per-game scorer returns as the C’s sit 2.5 games back of the Cavaliers for the top seed in the East.
  • Though sparsely used for the majority of his rookie campaign, first-year big man Jakob Poeltl is earning the trust of Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. “Every time you put him in, he does something positive,” Casey said. “There’s that trust, not only with myself but with his teammates. He’s doing positive things, he plays with physicality.” Poeltl has averaged 16.8 minutes per game in his last five contests.
  • Pressed to talk about the city of Los Angeles, Carmelo Anthony told the New York Post’s Marc Berman that he thinks L.A. is a relaxing place and that his family feels comfortable there. He also said, “Nah, don’t start, I haven’t thought about it,” though, so take it for what it’s worth. “I try not to think about it,” Anthony told the reporter. “Especially now when I’m still playing with the New York Knicks.“
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Celtics Notes: Thomas, Yabusele, Stevens, Ball

March 16th, 2017 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics look to make a push for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, they’ll have to do so this weekend without star point guard Isaiah Thomas. The C’s announced today (via Twitter) that Thomas, who is dealing with a right knee bone bruise, won’t join the club on its road trip to Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

The Celtics are scheduled to play the Nets on Friday and the Sixers on Sunday, so Thomas will miss those two games. It’s not clear if his absence will extend beyond that. Boston has a big game on tap for Monday with the Wizards, who will be looking to gain ground in the standings and win their season series with the C’s, so Thomas is likely aiming to get back on the court for that contest.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • The 16th pick of the 2016 draft, French forward Guerschon Yabusele, has signed a D-League contract and will join the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s NBADL affiliate, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. As we noted on Wednesday, Yabusele has arrived in America following a season with the Shanghai Sharks, and the Celtics will get a chance to take a closer look at him in the D-League down the stretch, as long as his sprained ankle cooperates.
  • With the NCAA tournament getting underway today, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens was asked about the possibility of colleges attempting to pry him away from Boston. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe details, Stevens suggested that NCAA programs know better than to think he’d leave the Celtics anytime soon. “The only thing people usually call me for is to ask questions about candidates,” Stevens said. “Everybody has a pretty good idea of where I stand, and I think ultimately I’m going to be here. I think that’s pretty well known.”
  • There have been questions recently about whether Lonzo Ball‘s outspoken father, LaVar Ball, would negatively impact the UCLA guard’s draft stock among NBA teams. For his part, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said this week that he would “never hold a player’s family against a player if I like a player,” per A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Celtics may be in position this spring to draft a player like Ball, since they’ll have a top-four pick.
  • For more Celtics news and rumors, be sure to check out their team feed, which includes an item from earlier this week on Yabusele’s fellow 2016 first-rounder, Ante Zizic.
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