Josh Hart Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Green, Hart, Timberwolves Draft, Jazz Targets

June 27th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JaMychal Green was officially traded to the Thunder by the Nuggets on Thursday, but it’s unlikely the forward will ever suit up for Oklahoma City. General manager Sam Presti says they’ll look to trade Green, Brandon Rahbar of the Daily Thunder tweets. Green, 32, is at the stage of his career where he provides greater value to a contender than a rebuilding team. He’s on an $8.2MM expiring contract for 2022/23.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Josh Hart had his $12.96MM contract guaranteed by the Trail Blazers over the weekend. However, it shouldn’t have major implications on Portland’s offseason moves, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The Blazers now have $105MM in guaranteed contracts but they’re over the cap because of the free agent holds on Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic. They still could have the flexibility to re-sign those two free agents and use the full $10.5MM mid-level exception to pursue outside targets.
The Timberwolves prioritized rebounding in the draft and addressed that by making moves to select Auburn’s Walker Kessler, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune writes. Kessler was the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. They also wound up with Duke wing Wendell Moore late in the first round and Memphis wing Josh Minott and Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo in the second round. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly isn’t expecting too much out of those rookies. “We don’t want to put too much expectations on their ability to contribute right away,” he told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “When you have a team that had as much success as we did, it’s hard to put that on your shoulders.”
What might the Jazz do with their taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency? Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune lists 25 potential free agent targets — breaking them down into wings, guards and bigs.

Blazers Guarantee Josh Hart’s 2022/23 Salary

June 25th, 2022 at 2:46pm CST by JD Shaw

As expected, the Trail Blazers have decided to fully guarantee Josh Hart‘s salary for the 2022/23 season, according to Aaron J. Fentress of OregonLive.com (Twitter link). Hart will now make $12.9MM next year.

The deadline to guarantee his salary was today. Portland could still dangle Hart in a trade, as the team reportedly pursued Raptors forward OG Anunoby in trade talks leading up to the draft.

Hart appeared in 13 games last season after being traded from the Pelicans to Blazers, averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest on 50% shooting. While those stellar numbers are above the norm for him, the 26-year-old still put up a solid 14.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 4.1 APG in 41 games with New Orleans before getting traded.

Hart is a prime candidate to start at small forward unless the Blazers make a move. Portland agreed to trade for Jerami Grant this week, adding him to a core that already includes Damian Lillard and restricted free agent Anfernee Simons. Starting center Jusuf Nurkic will enter unrestricted free agency next week.

Blazers Rumors: Beal, LaVine, Bridges, Grant, Collins

June 6th, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are exploring the trade market in search of veterans who can help Damian Lillard get the team back into the playoffs, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who observes that Portland has a handful of assets in hand to offer up in possible deals.

Besides the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Blazers also have a trade exception worth nearly $21MM, Josh Hart and his team-friendly contract, Eric Bledsoe‘s expiring deal (Bledsoe’s partial guarantee could be increased as needed for salary-matching purposes), future draft picks, and possibly Jusuf Nurkic as a sign-and-trade candidate.

Here’s more from O’Connor on the players Portland could go after this summer:

Sources tell The Ringer that free-agents-to-be Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine are potential Blazers targets, though it’s unclear if they’ll be willing to leave the Wizards and Bulls, respectively, for Portland. Lillard and Beal are friends who played together for Team USA, O’Connor notes.
Hornets restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges is a player worth keeping an eye on for the Blazers, sources tell O’Connor. The team is in the market for a big wing who can help on defense and be a secondary offensive play-maker, and Bridges fits the bill. Again though, it remains to be seen if Portland will be able to pry away Bridges from his current team, especially since Charlotte will be able to match any offer sheet.
Pistons forward Jerami Grant is another two-way wing frequently mentioned as a target for Portland, as O’Connor observes. In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein writes that the Hawks continue to register interest in Grant, but the Blazers would likely be able to outbid Atlanta and other Grant suitors if they’re willing to include the No. 7 pick in their offer.
Hawks big man John Collins is also frequently cited as a player on the Blazers’ radar, according to O’Connor, who suggests Collins would be more of a lob threat – and more versatile defensively – than Nurkic.

Raptors May Make OG Anunoby Available In Trade Talks

May 31st, 2022 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors swingman OG Anunoby may be a name to watch as offseason trade talks begin to heat up, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Anunoby reportedly grew frustrated at times this season as much of his ball-handling responsibility in Toronto’s offense was taken over by Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.

However, two sources told Fischer that Anunoby hasn’t informed the front office that he wants out and there is speculation that any rumors are coming from teams hoping to acquire him. Even so, the addition of Barnes could make Anunoby expendable if the Raptors are hoping to make an impactful move this summer.

According to Fischer’s sources, Toronto told teams at the trade deadline that it wasn’t willing to move any of its top six players: Anunoby, Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa. But the organization’s desire to land a top center could change that stance. After pursuing Jarrett Allen last offseason, the Raptors talked to the Pacers about Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis ahead of this year’s trade deadline and reached out to the Spurs about Jakob Poeltl, Fischer adds.

The Jazz and Trail Blazers would reportedly be among the most interested teams if Toronto decides to part with Anunoby, who has two more guaranteed seasons left on his contract, plus a $19.9MM player option for 2024/25.

Sources tell Fischer that Rudy Gobert is one of the Raptors’ prime targets for upgrading at center. Utah’s management is divided on whether to part with Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and an elite rim protector, but it could become necessary as the Jazz look to improve on the wing. Fischer notes that Toronto might have to offer Trent along with Anunoby to match Gobert’s salary, which would mean parting with one of the team’s only reliable outside shooters.

The Blazers are expected to offer the No. 7 pick to try to revamp its roster and Fischer states that Anunoby is one of their main targets, along with Pistons forward Jerami Grant. He notes that the Blazers have a decision to make next month on whether to guarantee Josh Hart‘s $12.9MM contract for 2022/23, but states that Hart and the lottery pick wouldn’t be enough for Toronto to move Anunoby. Fischer adds that Anunoby is seen as more valuable than Grant, for whom Detroit is seeking two first-round picks or a first-rounder and a promising player on a rookie-scale contract.

Blazers Notes: Offseason, Nurkic, Simons, Billups

April 12th, 2022 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While they finished the season with only the NBA’s sixth-worst record, no team tanked harder down the stretch than the Trail Blazers, who were playing without most of their veteran starters. After shutting down center Jusuf Nurkic at the All-Star break, Portland went 2-21 the rest of the way, with a net rating of -21.3, by far the league’s worst mark during that stretch.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, general manager Joe Cronin said he felt “uncomfortable” about how the Blazers’ season ended, according to Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com. Cronin said the team “didn’t want to lose ball games,” but was more focused on developing its young players than competing for a playoff spot.

“We had to take a step backwards in order to move forward,” Cronin said. “We’ve positioned ourselves to where I think we’ve got some great opportunities. We have a really intriguing core: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Justise Winslow. Potentially two lottery picks, numerous cap exceptions, a bunch of cap flexibility. We are determined to get better, to be competitive as quickly as possible and we’re super confident in our ability to do that.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Although Cronin listed them as part of Portland’s core, Jusuf Nurkic (unrestricted) and Anfernee Simons (restricted) will both be free agents this summer. Cronin’s comments on Monday strongly suggest the Blazers want to re-sign both players. The general manager called Nurkic a player “we would definitely want to build around” and said the team plans to be “proactive” with Simons’ free agency, per Holdahl.
The Blazers will have at least one pick in this year’s draft lottery and could have a second if the Pelicans miss the playoffs and don’t move into the top four. As Holdahl relays, Cronin’s goal with Portland’s first-rounder is to “maximize the pick,” which could mean either drafting a player or using it in a trade. “I’m going to spend the next two, three, four weeks diving into the game film and really evaluating this draft and particularly assessing value to what that pick is,” Cronin said. “So then you compare that to what’s available in the (trade) marketplace and then you make a decision. If we decide the player at that pick is much more valuable than what we can get in the marketplace, we do that direction. If it’s the opposite, we go the other direction.”
The Blazers are confident that head coach Chauncey Billups will be an asset when it comes to recruiting free agents, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “He’s just so inspiring, even in a 30-minute meeting. It’s just easy to buy in with him,” Cronin said.
Josh Hart has only been a Blazer for a couple months, but he said this week that if a player calls him to ask about Billups this summer, he’ll have nothing but praise for Portland’s head coach. “I would say he’s great,” Hart said, according to Quick. “He’s a players’ coach, someone who does a great job of building you up, coaching you up, but a good balance in holding you accountable. And off the court, he cares about you as a person. That’s a big thing, something that gets overlooked sometimes.”

Northwest Notes: Reed, Blazers, Grant, Mann, Jazz

April 4th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets guard Davon Reed earned praise from star center Nikola Jokic and head coach Michael Malone after he scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting in the team’s win over the Lakers on Sunday. As Mike Singer of The Denver Post writes, Jokic lauded Reed’s defense, while Malone said the 26-year-old had an “unsung hero type-of-a-game.”

However, as Singer observes, because Reed is still on a two-way contract, he remains ineligible to participate in the playoffs for the Nuggets. The team would have to waive someone from its 15-man roster and promote Reed to a standard contract to make him available for the postseason. Asked about that possibility, Malone raved more about Reed and said it’s an issue the team will discuss.

“Every time Davon Reed has gotten a chance to play this year, he’s found a way to help this team,” Malone said, per Singer. “I mean look at his line tonight — here’s a guy that’s a two-way player, 23 minutes, 10 points, couple of assists, rebounds, steals and he had an impact on the game. He’s in the game in the fourth quarter in a must-win game. I think that, in and of itself, speaks to my level of confidence with him. … That’s something that (head of basketball operations) Tim (Connelly) and I can talk about as we move forward.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Following up on reports from February that stated the Trail Blazers attempted to acquire Jerami Grant from the Pistons at the trade deadline, Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that Portland’s offer was believed to include Josh Hart and draft compensation. Stein confirms the Blazers are expected to revisit the possibility of acquiring Grant in the offseason, as has been previously reported.
Tre Mann could be next to join the Thunder‘s growing list of players who have been ruled out for the season. Mann has been sidelined for the last four games due to a right hamstring strain and head coach Mark Daigneault doesn’t sound confident that the rookie guard will return this week, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “We’re working through it,” Daigneault said before Sunday’s game.
The reeling Jazz can’t be saved by anyone but their players at this point, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who says the front office and head coach Quin Snyder have done all they can with the current group. Utah has dropped six of its last seven games and has blown double-digit fourth quarter leads in its last two losses.

Blazers Rule Out Nurkic, Simons, Bledsoe For Season

March 28th, 2022 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers confirmed today in a press release that center Jusuf Nurkic and guards Anfernee Simons and Eric Bledsoe won’t return for the team this season.

According to today’s announcement, Nurkic (left foot plantar fasciitis) and Simons (patellar tendinopathy in his left knee) have responded well to treatment and rehabilitation, with Nurkic’s rehab program reducing his symptoms and increasing the “overall function” of his left foot and ankle.

Nurkic will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Simons will be a restricted free agent. However, both players – especially Simons – are considered good bets to re-sign with Portland.

Bledsoe, who hasn’t played in a game for the Blazers since being acquired from the Clippers prior to February’s trade deadline, received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection last Wednesday to address the tendinopathy in his left Achilles tendon, per the team. Bledsoe technically has one more year left on his contract, but only $3.9MM of his $19.4MM salary for 2022/23 is guaranteed, so he appears likely to be waived in the offseason.

The Blazers issued injury updates on two more players, announcing that swingman Josh Hart, who has missed the club’s last four games due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, will be reevaluated in a week. There will only be one week left in the season at that point, so it won’t be a major surprise if Hart doesn’t play again in 2021/22.

Meanwhile, Didi Louzada – acquired from New Orleans last month in the CJ McCollum trade – is in the final stages of his return-to-play protocol after undergoing surgery on a torn mensicus on February 4. The Blazers expect him to play before the end of the season.

Damian Lillard (abdominal surgery), Nassir Little (shoulder surgery), and Joe Ingles (ACL surgery) have previously been ruled out for the season by the Blazers, while Trendon Watford (hyperextended left knee and bone bruise) is also questionable to return within the next two weeks.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Alvarado, Nance, Hart

March 25th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As William Guillory of The Athletic observes, it’s no coincidence that Zion Williamson – typically not very active on social media – posted a video of him throwing down a between-the-legs windmill dunk just days after Shams Charania reported that he likely won’t return this season. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the Pelicans cleared him for increased activity shortly after that video was posted, Guillory writes.

There’s “an air of silent cold war brewing” between the Pelicans and Williamson, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who writes that the star forward clearly wants to play this season, while the team – wary of risking his long-term health – is reluctant to let him.

It’s a difficult spot for the Pelicans, who reportedly frustrated Williamson during his rookie year by playing it safe with his knee injury and holding him out longer than he felt was necessary. The two sides are about to enter a crucial offseason, with the former No. 1 overall pick eligible for a rookie scale extension.

Before that offseason begins, Williamson, his camp, and the Pelicans’ top decision-makers need to come together to agree on a decision about his status for this season, Guillory opines. If all the involved parties can get on the same page on that issue, it should create a more comfortable starting point when they approach extension talks in the summer.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Christian Clark of NOLA.com examines some of the similarities and differences between Williamson’s lengthy injury rehab process this season and Kawhi Leonard‘s injury recovery process during his final year in San Antonio.
Within his weekly “10 Things” column for ESPN, Zach Lowe highlights the impact that Jose Alvarado has had in New Orleans and says he’d be shocked if the team doesn’t convert Alvarado’s two-way contract to a standard deal soon. Doing so would ensure that the rookie guard is eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs.
William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss several topics related to the Pelicans’ future, weighing the possibility of a Williamson extension, considering whether or not Alvarado’s emergence changes the backcourt plans going forward, and evaluating the team’s chances of earning a playoff spot next month.
Following up on last month’s revelation that good friends Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Hart temporarily swapped houses when they were traded for one another, Andrew Lopez of ESPN takes an entertaining, in-depth look at what that arrangement has looked like.

Northwest Notes: Gay, Hart, Towns, McDaniels

March 16th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rudy Gay‘s first season with the Jazz has been disappointing, but he believes there’s still time to turn it around, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Gay signed as a free agent over the summer, but offseason heel surgery kept him out of action through the first 14 games of the season. He missed four more games because of soreness in the heel and another six in February due to illness and knee pain. Although the season is winding down, Gay feels like there’s still progress to be made before the playoffs.

“I feel pretty good going into the later part of the season,” he said. “This is good. We went through a lot early. That was good for us. The thing about it is, I’m motivated. Just trying to make a long run in these playoffs. That’s what it’s really about. The real season’s coming. This is all trying to get in a rhythm so we can be our best by then.”

Coach Quin Snyder recognizes that because he’s missed so much time, Gay is still adjusting to his role on the team. Snyder has been extending Gay’s minutes lately, even in games that are out of reach.

“I feel about Rudy the way I do about our team: as he plays more, he’ll continue to be able to give us more,” Snyder said. “… Getting him out there is important to us. Rudy’s obviously someone we feel like can really impact the game for us.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Josh Hart is adapting to his new situation with a Trail Blazers team that is currently more focused on developing young players than winning games, notes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Coach Chauncey Billups said Hart is used to being a complementary player on teams with stars, rather than a primary scorer surrounded by youngsters. “I had to have some conversations with him, because Josh is a very, very competitive dude, and sometimes we’ve been in situations where we haven’t been very competitive,” Billups said. “And that’s tough, especially for a vet. So I’m challenging him right now to just control that, and help our guys. But it’s a tough deal.”
Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 60-point outburst Monday was accompanied by a joy that was missing when he set the previous team record of 56 in 2018, observes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. After some difficult years with the Timberwolves, Towns is now the leader of a winning team that enjoys playing together. He could be headed for a spot an All-NBA team, which would make him eligible for a four-year super-max extension this offseason.
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels suffered a high ankle sprain, tweets Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Josh Okogie is expected to get extra playing time while McDaniels is sidelined (Twitter link).

Blazers GM Joe Cronin: Josh Hart “A Keeper”

February 28th, 2022 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

When Portland sent CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. to New Orleans earlier this month in a package headlined by Josh Hart and draft assets, it wasn’t clear if the Trail Blazers actually coveted Hart or if he was a candidate to be flipped to another team by the retooling Blazers.

Speaking to Jason Quick of The Athletic, Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin made it clear he’s a big fan of Hart and views the veteran wing as a long-term fit with the franchise.

“He’s a keeper,” Cronin said. “Josh embodies what we are trying to build here. The talent level, the skill set, the competitiveness, the IQ, the defensive-minded, guard-anyone approach. His ability to make others better, to make shots, push the ball. … We targeted him, and it’s that type of player who we want. We want to find more Josh Harts at different positions.”

Hart, who will turn 27 on Sunday, has averaged 19.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.2 APG on 54.0% shooting in five games (33.6 MPG) since being traded to Portland. He’s under contract for two more years beyond this one, though the structure of his deal is somewhat unusual.

Hart’s $12.96MM salary for 2022/23 is non-guaranteed, so if the Blazers want to maximize their cap room this summer, they could theoretically waive him to create an additional $12MM+ in space, but that appears extremely unlikely. Hart’s $12.96MM salary for 2023/24 is also non-guaranteed. However, he holds a player option for that season, so he could opt out in 2023 to seek a new deal if he has outperformed his current contract.

Here are a few more noteworthy comments from Cronin, via The Athletic:

Cronin tells Quick that he has also been extremely impressed with Justise Winslow, whom the Blazers acquired from the Clippers in their Robert Covington/Norman Powell trade. According to Cronin, Winslow – like Hart – fits “the style and the mentality” the team wants to play with. “Those type of players are not easy to find,” Cronin said. “The Josh Harts of the world, the Justise Winslows of the world, they are not easily attainable. That’s where we are trying to create as many tools and ammunition to be able to go and find those types of players.”
Cronin identified Joe Ingles as a player who “has the unique mix of talent, skillset and mentality we are looking for” and suggested that acquiring him from Utah was “about the player” rather than the expiring contract. I’m a little skeptical of that statement, since I’d be surprised if the Blazers push very hard to re-sign a 34-year-old who will spend a chunk of next season recovering from an ACL tear and who has previously expressed a desire to return to a division rival.
While the Blazers’ deadline deals cleared out a backcourt logjam to a certain extent, Cronin said the team still has to “balance the roster.” However, he’s more concerned about continuing to stockpile talent. “If there is a two guard (in the draft) that is head-and-shoulders above the other positions, we are taking the two guard, then figure it out,” Cronin said. “We can’t dismiss the talent part to be able to compete at the level we want to compete at.”