Jason Smith Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agency Rumors: Knicks, Bazemore, Rivers

June 29th, 2016 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek views shooting guard and center as two spots the team needs to address in free agency, but suggested today that center may be the top priority of the two, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com outlines.

One possible free agent target at shooting guard for the Knicks is Kent Bazemore — New York has “heavy interest” in the Atlanta wing, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, Berman cautions that the Knicks may not have the resources to aggressively pursue Bazemore, since he figures to be seeking $16MM+ per year, and New York will have to address multiple positions in free agency. Per Berman’s source, Bazemore isn’t ruling out suitors like the Knicks and Pelicans, but his preference is to re-sign with the Hawks, if possible.

Let’s check in on a few other free agent updates from around the NBA…

Austin Rivers intends to speak to the Clippers and a few other teams when free agency opens late on Thursday night, says Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). According to Turner, Rivers may be seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $8MM on his next deal.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that the Sixers have interest in Dion Waiters, as a Tuesday report suggested, but the team also has some potential concerns about bringing the Philadelphia native home, as Pompey details.
As we heard late last night, the Celtics are one of the teams to schedule a meeting with Dwight Howard early in the free agent recruiting period. However, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that Boston isn’t expected to aggressively pursue Howard — the team is doing its homework, and could make an effort to land the veteran center if the price is right.
Jason Smith will be among the free agent big men to receive interest from the Timberwolves this offseason, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that Smith will be more of a “fallback-type” option for Minnesota.

Southeast Rumors: Udrih, Skiles, Wizards

March 14th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat point guard Goran Dragic praises former teammate Beno Udrih for accepting a buyout agreement, Ira Winderman of the Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Udrih’s buyout after suffering a season-ending foot injury eased the signing of swingman Joe Johnson and alleviated the team’s luxury tax issues, Winderman continues. “In the end, he helped a lot for this team with that buyout, what he did,” Dragic told Winderman. Udrih, who is still utilizing the Heat’s facilities during his rehabilitation, could re-sign with the Heat during the offseason, Winderman adds.

In other news around the Southeast Division:

The Magic‘s decision to hire Scott Skiles as head coach and bring in an experienced staff has not worked, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Orlando has a 9-24 record since New Year’s Day and doesn’t look much different than the team that Jacque Vaughn coached last season, Robbins continues. That makes Skiles’ rallying cry to make the playoffs ring hollow, Robbins adds. “The fact that we haven’t been able to consistently do the things that we need to do is not a good sign,” Skiles told Robbins. “But at any point we could do them. We just haven’t gotten it done.”
Reserve Magic big man Jason Smith has positioned himself to take advantage of the league’s rising salary cap this summer by emerging as a valuable bench piece, John Denton of the team’s website writes. Smith, who becomes an unrestricted free agent again this summer, is averaging 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes as a rotation player. He signed a one-year, $4.3MM contract with Orlando last offseason and is shooting 49.9% from the field despite being primarily a midrange jump shooter, Denton adds. “I just try to be a spark off the bench,’’ Smith told Denton, adding that he prefers a backup role at this stage of his career. “I can get a feel for the game and how [the opponent] is going to play and how we’re playing on defense.”
The Wizards lead the league in games lost due to injury but the front office and coaches are a bigger reason why they’ve had a disappointing season, Brett Koremenos of RealGM.com argues. The front office filled the back end of their roster with declining veterans and journeymen, while the coaches failed to make proper adjustments when injuries struck and the team needed to rely on its depth, Koremenos continues. The Wizards take too many low-percentage, long two-point shots because the playbook has a lot of complex, ineffective sets, Koremenos adds.

And-Ones: Bickerstaff, Noah, Smith

December 22nd, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is a big supporter of interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff and hopes the team plays well enough to nab Bickerstaff the position on a more permanent basis, Mark Berman of FOX 26 relays (via Twitter). When asked what it would mean to him if Bickerstaff was officially named head coach, Beverley said, “Oh, everything. He’s been great. We’re very close. [He] holds everybody accountable. No one’s bigger than the team. Our defensive principles and defensive intensity have definitely gone up since [he became interim coach]. It wouldn’t surprise me if he will be our head coach for years to come. That wouldn’t surprise me. We’re playing for him. Of course we play for ourselves. Of course we play for our family. We’re playing for him, for him to be here and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Bulls center Joakim Noah is expected to miss at least two weeks of action due to a sprained left shoulder, according to the team. Noah underwent an MRI today and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, but coach Fred Hoiberg noted that Noah could be out longer than that, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago relays. “The initial diagnosis, the shoulder sprain and the initial recovery is two weeks or rehab, then he’ll be re-evaluated. That’s what I’ve been told,” Hoiberg said. “Maybe two, maybe four. I just don’t know yet.” The big man is averaging 4.5 points and 8.8 rebounds for Chicago on the season.
Offseason signee Jason Smith has upgraded the Magic‘s bench on both ends of floor, and his strong play has coach Scott Skiles thinking about expanding Smith’s role, John Denton of NBA.com writes. “I always felt like he was a very good team defender and we felt like in a solid defensive system he’d be very good,’’ Skiles said of Smith. “He’s really protected the rim for us and he’s been very good at moving around and communicating. He’s been very valuable for us.’’

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Jackson, Embiid

August 3rd, 2015 at 11:47am CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks team president Phil Jackson mentioned six draft prospects that he liked in a late-March interview with confidant Charlie Rosen, posted today on ESPN.com, but none of them were Kristaps Porzingis, the Latvian power forward whom the Knicks selected No. 4 overall. Scout Clarence Gaines was perhaps the most influential advocate for Porzingis within the organization, though dropping to the fourth spot in the order because of poor lottery luck no doubt played a major role in New York’s choice. Jackson signaled to Rosen that he preferred the more NBA-ready Jahlil Okafor to Karl-Anthony Towns, but both were off the board by the time the Knicks picked. See more from Jackson amid the latest Atlantic Division news here:

Jackson had praise for Alexey Shved, Lance Thomas and Andrea Bargnani but lost affection for Quincy Acy‘s play, as Rosen details. The Knicks boss also had criticism for Jason Smith‘s reaction to coming off the bench. All five were free agents this summer, but only Thomas re-signed with the Knicks.
The Zen Master indicated that he saw Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan as the prime movers of free agency this summer as far as the Knicks were concerned, but he didn’t mention LaMarcus Aldridge. Of course, Aldridge at that point seemed like a safe bet to re-sign with the Trail Blazers. He instead signed with the Spurs after he and the Knicks mutually decided to cancel a meeting. Jordan met with the Knicks but re-signed with the Clippers, and Gasol didn’t meet with any other teams before signing his new deal with the Grizzlies.
The Sixers said on July 11th that Joel Embiid would have a bone graft surgery within seven to 10 days, but the Philadelphia organization has since made no mention of any surgery for the big man and a team source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now that the Sixers don’t plan any statement this week (Twitter link). The No. 3 pick from 2014 is likely to miss a second consecutive season this year, and an October 31st deadline looms for a decision on his team option of more than $4.826MM for 2016/17.
Amin Elhassan and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, debate the paths by which the Celtics can acquire championship-level talent. Boston will have cap flexibility to go after a maximum-salary free agent next summer, but even though the trade market for stars isn’t hot now, that can change and offer the C’s an easier route than free agency would.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Smith, Magic, Anderson

July 19th, 2015 at 6:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

The second part of summer league for No. 10 overall pick Justise Winslow was full of more challenges than he might have expected, but the performance of Josh Richardson, whom the Heat drafted with their other pick, at No. 40, was more impressive than it figured to be, as Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel examines. Winderman, in a broad look at what Miami accomplished during summer league, writes that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat invited undrafted center Josh Smith to camp. Smith, from Georgetown, is not to be confused with the more well-known Clippers signee of the same name. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Jason Smith‘s salary on his new one-year deal with the Magic is $4.3MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms (Twitter link). There had been conflicting reports about just how much the contract is worth.
The Magic were technically over the cap when they made the Maurice Harkless trade, so they ended up with a trade exception worth $2,894,059, equivalent to the salary that Harkless will make this coming season, Pincus also reports (Twitter link).
Alan Anderson‘s one-year, $4MM contract with the Wizards includes a 15% trade kicker, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Washington facilitated the signing via the mid-level exception, and since it’s worth more than $3.376MM, the Wizards are hard-capped at $88.74MM this season, Pincus notes.

Magic Sign Jason Smith

July 14th, 2015 at 9:17am CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 14TH, 9:17am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

JULY 7TH, 3:09pm: The Magic will sign Jason Smith, his agency, Priority Sports says (Twitter link). It’s a one-year, $4.3MM deal, as Shams Charania of RealGM hears (Twitter link). His agent tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv it’s for $4.5MM (Twitter link). Either way, the Magic appear to be using some of their cap space to exceed the $3,933,600 the Knicks could have used to retain the Mark Bartelstein client using his Non-Bird rights. The Knicks are taking in Kyle O’Quinn from the Magic via sign-and-trade, but it doesn’t look like the Smith signing will be part of that transaction.

Smith wanted to return to New York, which signed him to a one-year deal last summer, and while team president Phil Jackson reportedly liked the idea, and the sides spoke this month, but it wasn’t clear whether the Knicks would offer more than the $2.814MM room exception. The Lakers also apparently expressed interest.

The Magic have reached deals with Smith, C.J. Watson and Tobias Harris after missing out on Paul Millsap. The 7’0″ Smith swings between center and power forward and started a career-high 31 games this past season.

Atlantic Notes: Saric, Kaun, Jason Smith, Carroll

July 8th, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers apparently wanted to bring Dario Saric over for 2015/16, and Saric shared that desire, reports David Pick, writing for Basketball Insiders. However, the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft doesn’t have a way to escape his contract with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes until next year. Saric was circumspect when Pick asked him about the idea of coming stateside and the situation with his overseas team.

“It’s really hard for me to answer that,” Saric said. “I can’t comment. I think I’m ready to compete in the NBA, against the best players, but we built a great team in Efes and I want to help the club win a championship.”

In any case, it would seem that Saric is anxious to sign with the Sixers as soon as he can, rather than wait until 2017, when he wouldn’t be bound by the rookie scale, though that’s just my observation. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The most recent talks the Nets have had with the Cavaliers were about Cleveland draft-and-stash center Sasha Kaun, not Joe Johnson, as Chris Mannix of SI.com reports as part of a larger piece. The Nets and Kaun, a 6’11” 30-year-old, have had mutual interest for some time, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. The Spurs have also reportedly talked to the Cavs about him. The Johnson discussion is reportedly dormant.
The Knicks offered their $2.814MM room exception to Jason Smith, but he turned it down for more money from the Magic, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York could have offered as much as $3,933,600 via Non-Bird rights, but agent Mark Bartelstein made it clear there are no hard feelings, as Berman relays. “The Knicks made a great attempt to try to keep him,’’ Bartelstein said.
Soon-to-be Raptors signee DeMarre Carroll authored an homage to the Hawks, his former team, in The Players’ Tribune, giving credit to a handful of figures, especially former Hawks assistant Quin Snyder, who’s now head coach of the Jazz.
New Raptors D-League one-to-one affiliate Raptors 905 has named Dan Tolzman as its GM and Jesse Mermuys its head coach and assistant GM, the team announced. Both were already employed within the Raptors organization.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Datome

July 5th, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

While the Celtics didn’t land the premier free agents in this year’s class, they did agree with Amir Johnson 0n a deal that brings him in from the Raptors. Coach Brad Stevens believes that, in general, the team’s positive environment will help attract players to Boston, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes.

“I think the biggest thing is that I feel really good about our environment. I think people will really enjoy playing with this group of people. I don’t think there’s any question about it. We’ve got guys that like the game, they work at the game, they want to be good. And we have to focus our attention on those guys and helping them become the best they can be,” Stevens said.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division..

Knicks president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills are still talking with Jason Smith‘s representatives about bringing him back for the 2015/16 season, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
The Knicks have also been in constant contact with Louis Amundson‘s representatives about bringing him back for next season, sources tell Begley (on Twitter). Amundson appeared in 41 games for New York last season, averaging 6.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 20.9 minutes per contest.
When asked about reports that he has been approached by reps from Olimpia Milano about signing with them, Celtics free agent big man Gigi Datome dismissed the talk as premature. “It’s very early because [NBA] free agency is so [early],” Datome told Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald via phone. “My agent told me that first the big players will sign, and then you have to wait. I’ve waited more than two months to get here, so I can wait two more. My agent is listening to proposals from European teams, and right now we’re not saying no to anyone. But I still want to see if anyone in the NBA wants to sign me.”
The development of newly-signed forward Derrick Williams will be a good litmus test for Knicks coach Derek Fisher, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Williams’ talent led to him being selected No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft, but he has yet to put it all together at the NBA level.

Knicks Rumors: Free Agents, O’Quinn, Anthony

July 5th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

This year’s top free agents had no interest in the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman reports that team president Phil Jackson canceled a meeting last week with LaMarcus Aldridge — not the other way around, as widely reported — after he was informed that Aldridge wouldn’t be signing with New York. With roughly $28MM in cap space heading into free agency, the Knicks wound up with Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, Arron Afflalo and Kyle O’Quinn, but didn’t come close to landing a star. Berman notes that New York still has a $2.814MM room exception available and has inquired about Caron Butler and Willie Green. The team is hoping to keep Jason Smith and Alexey Shved, but that may not happen if they get offers from other teams that exceed the room exception. Jackson also would like to re-sign Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas for the veterans’ minimum, according to Berman.

There’s more this morning from the Big Apple:

O’Quinn, whom the Knicks are obtaining through a sign-and-trade with the Magic, should bring some needed toughness, Berman writes in a separate story. O’Quinn’s numbers in Orlando weren’t impressive — averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 51 games — but Berman believes he may contend for the starting power forward slot in New York. “He’s a very underrated player, solid,” said Tobias Harris, O’Quinn’s former teammate. “He’s a tough player who doesn’t back down, good individual off the court. He is a very good pickup for the Knicks.”
O’Quinn’s passing abilities could be a good fit in the triangle offense, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Begley said the Knicks’ latest free agent addition came at a “reasonable” price of $16MM over four years and could be a major bargain when the salary cap soars next summer. He adds that New York is hoping to keep Langston Galloway, who has a partially guaranteed contract, on its roster for next season. Galloway, due to make more than $845K next year, is already guaranteed $220K and will receive $440K if he is waived after September 15th [salary guarantee dates]. Ricky Ledo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo also have a shot at earning roster spots.
The Knicks’ free agent failings make Carmelo Anthony more important to the franchise than ever, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. New York needs Anthony to play at an All-Star level so it will be more attractive to free agents like Kevin Durant next summer.

And-Ones: Seraphin, Stuckey, Antic

July 3rd, 2015 at 11:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards expect Kevin Seraphin will test the free agent market, and they’ll attempt to find a sign-and-trade partner for the big man, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link). Such a sign-and-trade would be structured so that Washington could gain a trade exception, Michael adds (on Twitter).

Here’s more from around the league:

The Hawks have rescinded their qualifying offer to Pero Antic, making him an unrestricted free agent, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The move was made to maximize the team’s available cap space, Pincus adds. Antic has already signed a two-year deal with Fenerbahce, a Turkish club.
Free agent point guard Rodney Stuckey is receiving interest from the Cavaliers, and while talks thus far have been exploratory, the interest is mutual, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets.
The Hornets have expressed a willingness to work out a sign-and-trade involving Mo Williams, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relays (on Twitter).
The Lakers have expressed interest in Jason Smith, league sources tell Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
The Grizzlies would be amenable to working out a sign-and-trade deal for center Kosta Koufos, Wojnarowski tweets. The Yahoo! scribe mentions the Clippers as a team who should consider trying to work out a deal with Memphis.
With the Magic missing out on free agent target Paul Millsap, who re-signed with the Hawks, the team may pass on adding another power forward this summer, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “We’ll continue to look at the free agents that are available,” Orlando GM Rob Hennigan said. “We’ll continue to look at trade opportunities. We still have quite a bit of cap space. Our tune has not changed. We’ll continue to look for opportunities. And if we feel like the opportunities make really good sense, then we’ll be as aggressive as anyone to try to complete a deal.”
When asked specifically about adding a power forward, Hennigan said, “I’m not sure. I think we have enough on the roster as is. It just goes back to those opportunities again. Like I said a few weeks ago, we have to be careful of spending just to spend,” Robbins relays.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.