Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Rumors: Saric, Embiid, Hinkie

June 14th, 2015 at 9:46am CST by Arthur Hill

Rumors that the Sixers are trying to get draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric to join the team next year could be a sign that patience is wearing thin in Philadelphia, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The Sixers acquired the draft rights to the Croatian forward, who was the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft, expecting him to spend time overseas before coming to the NBA. He signed a three-year deal with Anadolu Efes of Turkey that doesn’t include a buyout until next summer, but there are rumblings that the Sixers want to find a way to get their hands on him as soon as possible. Moore speculates that ownership may be tiring of GM Sam Hinkie’s long-term plan of losing games and collecting assets, which is leading to declining revenue and half-empty arenas on game nights. They want to combine Saric with Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and this year’s No. 3 pick to create a foundation that fans can get excited about. Moore also writes that Hinkie will likely try to deal one of his potential 2016 first-round picks (from the Thunder, Lakers or Heat) for an extra first-round choice this year.

There’s more this morning from Philadelphia:

The Sixers are talking to “experts and specialists” to determine the next step with Embiid, Moore writes in a separate story. Hinkie issued a statement Saturday night that a CT scan indicates Embiid’s right foot shows “less healing than anticipated at this point.” Embiid may be kept out of summer league, and another surgery could put his 2015/16 season in jeopardy, Moore notes. “These findings cause us to pause and reassess his current activities,” Hinkie said.
The Embiid setback is especially disappointing considering what he has shown in recent workouts, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He writes that eyewitnesses have described Embiid’s “dominant, explosive performances” and noted that he looked like the player the Sixers expected when they drafted him No. 3 out of Kansas last summer. Embiid hadn’t felt pain in the foot despite weeks of rigorous workouts, sources told Wojnarowski.
Despite the Sixers’ on-court problems, Hinkie is building a solid reputation as a talent evaluator, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The columnist credits Hinkie for a draft coup in 2013, when wound up with No. 6 pick Noel and Michael Carter-Williams at No. 11. Carter-Williams was named Rookie of the Year in 2014, and after missing a year due to injury, Noel finished third in the 2015 balloting.

Lottery Notes: Porzingis, Lakers, Sixers, Suns

June 13th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis‘ impressive workout on Friday is giving the Lakers something to ponder at No. 2, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Stein added that the big man is also in play for Philadelphia at No. 3. Multiple sources previously told Chris Mannix of SI.com that Los Angeles has zeroed in on selecting Jahlil Okafor, though that was reported before Porzingis’ workout.

Here’s more from some of the teams in the lottery:

Emmanuel Mudiay is another player that Los Angeles is considering with its No. 2 pick and he is excited about the possibility of playing alongside Kobe Bryant, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes. “He’s got five championships. He’s a winner. He’s a proven winner,” said Mudiay. “His determination, I’m the same way. If he steps on the court, he’s going to feel like he’s the best player. If I step on the court, I’m going to feel like I’m the best player.”
Joel Embiid was evaluated recently and a standard CT scan on his right foot revealed less healing than anticipated at this point, according to a team press release. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) adds that Embiid’s participation in summer league is in jeopardy.
The Suns feel like they can get a player they want with the No.13 pick in the draft, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes. “We’re very comfortable staying there and picking there,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “It would have to take a really good offer for us to move the pick. I think it’s unlikely we’ll add an additional first-round pick this year or drop down in the draft. We’ll take those calls if they come to us but we’re comfortable with where we are at 13. We like the pool of players we think will be there.”

Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Sixers, Celtics

May 20th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While at the draft lottery, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was asked if the team looked at Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel as franchise cornerstones, and how he sold the midseason trade of Michael Carter-Williams to the two big men, Zach Lowe of Grantland relays. “If your question is more about a particular trade we made, and how that might make [Noel and Embiid] feel, I called them immediately as we traded that person. Immediately,” said Hinkie. “I explained to them about how they should think about things — how some things spill over into others, and some don’t. That they shouldn’t read too much into these things. And I talked to them in exit interviews about what kind of program we were trying to build, and where they might fit in. And how the way they might fit has as much to do with them as it does with any grand design — with how they step into a particular void. Sometimes those voids — voids of leadership, of who the best player is, or voids in play — don’t stay open very long. Someone steps into it. They’ll have the first two chances at that, but there are gonna be maybe six more guys right behind them that will be looking to get theirs, too.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Many insiders around the NBA believe that it is a foregone conclusion that the Sixers will select Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 3 overall pick this June, Derek Bodner of DraftExpress tweets.
With the Knicks being the only team in the draft lottery to fall to a lower than projected pick, New York will likely be in line to select Emmanuel Mudiay this June, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Knicks GM Steve Mills already spoke with the young guard while at the NBA Draft lottery, Zagoria notes. “Mudiay is potentially a good player,” Mills said. “We haven’t worked him out yet, but he’s a guy that we think will obviously be in the mix, but we will look at all of our options and we will feel good about whoever we end up selecting.”
The Celtics have workouts scheduled today with Aaron Thomas (Florida State), Anthony Brown (Stanford), Dez Wells (Maryland), Malcolm Miller (Holy Cross), Julian Washburn (UTEP), SirDominic Pointer (St. John’s), Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Teletovic, Embiid, Ledo

April 17th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets forward Mirza Teletovic has been cleared to resume basketball activities and he could return during Brooklyn’s first-round playoff series against Atlanta, Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com relays. The 29-year-old has been out of action since January, and has been receiving treatment for multiple blood clots in his lungs. “The doctors … they know what’s best for me,” Teletovic said. “And the coaches are there, they know what’s best for them and for the team, and they’re going to decide. It’s not up to me. They’re going to look at it and see. And then probably decide if I’ll play or not play, but for now I’m just happy to be back.”

Teletovic is in the final year of his contract, making slightly more than $3.368MM, and he said in the fall that he planned to listen to offers from the Nets as well as others after the season. Brooklyn can make him a restricted free agent if they extend a qualifying offer worth $4,210,125.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown hasn’t been enamored with injured rookie Joel Embiid‘s work ethic this season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “There were times that I wasn’t happy,” Brown said. “And you know it’s been well-documented. I tell my guys, you want me to coach you. You want to show up on time. You want to do the right thing. You want to act the right way.”
Ricky Ledo is hoping that he can remain in the NBA next season, and that he can change the perception around the league that he is a troubled player, Tim Casey of USA Today writes. The Knicks had inked Ledo to a deal that covered the remainder of this season after his second 10-day contract with the team ended. In 12 appearances for the Knicks Ledo averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge when discussing what he termed the league’s “transcendent players” mentioned Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and LeBron James, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 FM notes (Twitter links). Omitted from Ainge’s list was his former player Rajon Rondo. When asked, Ainge said he never thought Rondo would reach that level of excellence, Rohrbach adds. Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and some around the league have doubts that the veteran is worth a max contract, which Rondo is likely to be seeking this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Celtics, Clark

March 27th, 2015 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers draftee Joel Embiid‘s weight is finally getting down into the range that the team is comfortable with, which pleases coach Brett Brown, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “He’s ticking boxes in regards to increased time on the court and reduced weight,” Brown said of the rookie center. “His weight is going down. His needle is clearly pointing in the right direction. And you heard me say this a lot lately, he’s setting the stage for a great summer. He sees his reward will be summer league, trying to get ready to actually play again.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein would fit with the Knicks. Herring posits that New York could look to select the big man if they fall out of the top three picks in the draft lottery.
Celtics team president Danny Ainge believes that he’ll learn a lot about the makeup of his players whether or not Boston secures a playoff spot this season, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com writes. “I’m not really hanging on [making the playoffs]. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to evaluate and Brad [Stevens] to evaluate what we’re made of, who can step it up, players that can play meaningful minutes,” Ainge said. “And our young guys can learn through this, you don’t judge them from one game to the next, but see how our guys react and bounce back from difficult losses and bad performances. So far our guys have passed the test. So I’m excited about the next ten games, like you said. We do control our own destiny. We have a tough schedule ahead of us still and I’m excited about that.“
Earl Clark, who inked a 10-day deal with the Nets today, says that he’s surprised to be with the team, Rod Boone of Newsday tweets. Clark says that he was at home working out when his agent called and told him to pack for Brooklyn, Boone adds.

Atlantic Notes: Nets Sale, Wiggins, Embiid

March 11th, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Amar’e Stoudemire‘s $2.5MM buyout from the Knicks only represented a net loss of $2,014,330 for him, since it was offset by his prorated minimum salary deal with the Mavs, but it was a savings of $6.25MM for the Knicks, as Marc Berman of the New York Post points out. The $2.5MM that Stoudemire gave up, an amount that Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders first reported, as we noted last month, would have entailed an extra $3.75MM in luxury taxes had the big man remained under contract. Still, Stoudemire collected a total of more than $97.2MM in salary from the Knicks over the course of his five-year contract, and New York is in line to pay at least some tax for a third straight year, meaning the team will incur repeat-offender penalties if it goes over the tax next season. Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Sources told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that they suspected the sale of the Nets was to have been based off a $1 billion price for the Hawks, but those same sources believe the Atlanta franchise will go for around $900MM instead, as Kyler relays (Twitter links). Multiple sports bankers had believed the Nets would sell for as much as $2 billion, as they told Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson of the New York Post earlier this month, but that price point never materialized, Kyler hears (Twitter link). Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov appears to be backing away from the idea of a sale.
There are whispers that Andrew Wiggins would love to play for the Raptors, but he’s under contract through 2018 and would have to take discount salaries if he wants to play in his native Canada anytime this decade, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. In any case, the talent pool in Canada has grown enough such that GM Masai Ujiri need not dig deep to fulfill his promise of bringing a domestic talent onto the Raptors, making the GM’s pledge “harmless,” Koreen believes. Still, a majority of Hoops Rumors readers believe that Ujiri shouldn’t concern himself with a player’s nationality.
The “minor setback” that Joel Embiid has suffered as he continues to recover from a broken right foot bears watching, but it’s not worth an overreaction, Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The franchise still believes that Embiid is capable of becoming its cornerstone if he can get healthy, Pompey writes.

And-Ones: Kerr, Jones, Embiid, Wade

March 9th, 2015 at 10:49pm CST by Charlie Adams

Steve Kerr still has a small ownership stake in the Suns, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). Kerr was required by the NBA to sell his investment in Phoenix after he became the coach of the Warriors, but he’s been unable to complete the divestiture to this point. Here are more miscellaneous notes from around the league..

The NBA fined Dahntay Jones $10K for bumping into Draymond Green during a postgame interview after the Warriors’ victory over the Clippers on Sunday, as Greg Beacham of The Associated Press details.
Joel Embiid suffered a “minor setback” in his recovery from the broken right foot that’s kept him from debuting in the NBA this season, reports Tom Moore of Calkins Media (on Twitter). While a report in January indicated Embiid could potentially play this season, Brett Brown cast doubt on the possibility of such a scenario late last month.
Dwyane Wade expressed disappointment in Hassan Whiteside‘s lack of maturity following a Heat loss in which Whiteside was ejected after committing a flagrant-two on Kelly Olynyk, observes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). “Very [disappointed],” said Wade. “We all are. As a Heat fan you are. In this locker room we are. Everybody.” Whiteside, who’s put up impressive numbers with Miami, is signed through the 2015/16 season on a minimum salary deal.
John Zitzler of Basketball Insiders looks back at the path that led Khris Middleton to the Bucks and explores the unexpected value he’s been able to provide to Milwuakee. The 23-year-old swingman is poised to hit restricted free agency this summer.

Eastern Notes: Crowder, Anthony, Beasley

February 28th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics swingman Jae Crowder‘s stock has risen, fallen and risen again following his inclusion in the Rajon Rondo trade, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines. The 24-year-old’s contract is up at season’s end, but Forsberg suggests it’s likely the Celtics will tender the qualifying offer worth more than $1.181MM necessary to match offers for him this summer.

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

There are many around the league who question Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to play 30 minutes in the NBA All-Star game after missing significant time for the Knicks while nursing his injured knee, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders writes. Chauncey Billups, ‘Melo’s former teammate, was vocal in his disappointment with Anthony’s choice, Beer adds. “If you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game,” Billups said. “I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own.”
Billups also believes that Anthony needs a strong leader to help guide him in New York, Beer relays. “My perception of him [is] he really needed my guidance, he needed my leadership,” Billups said. “I don’t know that he quite knew how to lead a team or a franchise, but at that time he was young. I can’t expect him to. He was already a great player, but he is best served when he doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.”
Michael Beasley was not re-signed by the Heat last summer due to concerns with his defense, consistency and maturity, but Chris Bosh’s season-ending injury changed Miami’s thinking regarding the player, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
Sixers coach Brett Brown, when providing a status update for injured rookie Joel Embiid, said, “It would be misleading to say anything that’s promising about him playing this year,” Tom Moore of Calkins Media tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Sixers Notes: McGee, Carter-Williams, Hinkie

February 20th, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers haven’t decided on what the future holds for newly acquired big man JaVale McGee, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes (Twitter link). Speaking about McGee, GM Sam Hinkie said, “We’ll see what happens. He may have a fresh start here but he was moved in large part because of the pick.” Philadelphia received the Thunder’s 2015 first-round draft pick in the trade.

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Hinkie indicated that the Sixers had not been actively looking to deal Michael Carter-Williams, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “The only way we would ever move him was if someone blew us away … and something came along,” Hinkie said. The the Sixers garnered the Lakers’ top-5 protected 2015 first round pick in the deal for MCW.
The Sixers’ personnel strategy is focused on having options, Pompey writes in a separate article. When asked if he cared more about acquiring assets than developing players, Hinkie said, “I believe a lot in optionality – a lot. I believe a lot in flexible. I believe a lot in making a decision as late as you possibly can to gain as much information as you can.”
The GM spoke further on the decision to deal Carter-Williams, saying, “He only left here because there was a way to move our program forward,” Hinkie said. “Not for any other reason, and he did nothing wrong. It is possible for two things to be really valuable, both Michael and something else,” Pompey relays.
Hinkie has proven once again that he’ll trade any player if a team meets his asking price, Moore writes in a separate piece. If the Sixers didn’t believe Carter-Williams was a player who they could build around, the trade was a smart move, Moore opines. But the team continually dealing younger players away for future picks is just delaying the rebuilding process even further, Moore adds.
The Sixers’ front office needs for Joel Embiid to develop into a very good player and a number of their acquired draft picks to turn into stars, Rich Hofmann of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. After the last two seasons of perceived tanking, the Sixers’ fan base will turn on the team if Hinkie’s rebuilding plan fails, Hofmann adds.

Draft Rumors: Okafor, Wolves, Knicks, Sixers

February 5th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Every team with which Chad Ford of ESPN.com has spoken has Jahlil Okafor atop its draft board, as Ford writes in an Insider-only piece, and that includes the Timberwolves, who have the pole position for the No. 1 overall pick, as our Reverse Standings show. That’s even despite the presence of Gorgui Dieng, whom Ford says the team is high on, and Nikola Pekovic, who’s making about $12MM each season through 2017/18. The ESPN.com draft guru runs down how Okafor would fit with each of the teams in line for a lottery pick, and he tosses in some noteworthy rumors as he does so. We’ll hit the highlights here:

The Knicks like Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell in addition to Okafor, Ford writes, adding that the Jazz are Russell fans, too.
Philadelphia would draft Okafor in spite of the presence of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Ford hears. The Sixers aren’t sold that either Noel or Embiid will become an elite player, Ford also hears, as he writes in his chat with readers.
Mudiay is No. 2 behind Okafor as far as the Lakers are concerned, but it’s not close, as Ford says he’s been told.
The Magic won’t hesitate to draft Okafor and believe he has the superstar potential that their other players don’t, Ford hears.
Al Horford would “love to move to power forward,” Ford writes, suggesting that the Hawks, who have the rights to take Brooklyn’s pick, would grab Okafor if given the chance.
Ford speculates that the Pistons are the team in line for a lottery pick that’s least likely to draft Okafor, believing he’d be a poor fit alongside Andre Drummond.