Marcus Morris Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bledsoe, Cavaliers, Morris, Pistons

July 26th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is adding fuel to the rumors of a possible deal to Cleveland by working out with LeBron James and newly signed Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose this week in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.com. Bledsoe is among several players who have been tied to Cleveland in the past week in rumored trades involving Kyrie Irving, but he has a unique connection by being a client of Klutch Sports, just like James and teammates Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. “I love everything about [the Phoenix area],” Bledsoe told Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic this week. “At the same time, I want to win.” A report Tuesday said the Suns wouldn’t be willing to part with first-round pick Josh Jackson in an Irving deal.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Today’s press conference with owner Dan Gilbert and new GM Koby Altman did little to calm the nerves of Cavaliers fans, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon-Journal. Despite Altman’s assurances that the feud between James and Irving is “overblown,” there is clearly a rift between the stars and Irving’s trade request could sour team chemistry if he is not moved before the season starts, Ridenour adds. Gilbert and Altman both used the word “fluid” to describe Irving’s situation, and Altman admitted that he has been in touch with Irving’s agent.
Pistons guard Ish Smith understands the business side of the NBA that can result in losing a teammate and friend like Marcus Morris, relays Tony Paul of The Detroit News. During a public appearance today, Smith, who has played for 10 teams in eight seasons, commented on the trade that sent Morris to Boston in exchange for Avery Bradley. “It’s a business. You gotta move on,” Smith said. “I stand by Coach (Stan Van Gundy). I hate losing one of my good friends, but we’re excited about Avery and how talented he is, how good he is and what he brings.”
Van Gundy says the Pistons are done with major moves before the season starts, Paul adds. The coach believes the team has significantly improved its 3-point shooting by obtaining Bradley and Langston Galloway and drafting Luke Kennard.
Mike McCarthy, who has been the Bucks‘ chief operating officer for the past eight months, has submitted his resignation, according to Rich Kirchen of The Milwaukee Business Journal. McCarthy will serve as a consultant to the team.

Celtics Notes: Crowder, Morris, Thomas

July 9th, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics landed Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris this week but the reigning Eastern Conference No. 1 seed isn’t comfortable yet.

Per a CSN New England report, president Danny Ainge is searching for further moves that can improve their roster this offseason. It’s just a matter of figuring out what those moves might look like.

Initially the report speculated that Ainge could be targeting rebounding, something the Celtics lacked in 2016/17, but the executive noted that he feels young forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could help in that regard.

Another area that Boston could address is their backup point guard position. That said, the team president also mentioned that he was currently impressed with backup point guard Terry Rozier.

There’s more from Beantown:

The Celtics have no intention of trading Jae Crowder, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The forward had been floated as a possible component of a sign-and-trade deal to bring Gordon Hayward to Boston prior to the Avery Bradley deal.
Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas told CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely that he believes he’s a max contract guy and that the Celtics are aware that they’ll need to bring the Brinks trucks out to retain his services when he becomes a free agent next summer.
Newly added Celtics forward Marcus Morris comes with legal baggage and a CSN New England report breaks down the pending trial that will begin on August 21.
The Celtics wouldn’t have had enough Brinks trucks to retain both Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes, a harsh reality that led to the trade that sent Bradley to the Pistons.

Eastern Notes: Hardaway Jr., Celtics, Morris, Hawks

July 8th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks‘ four-year, $71MM offer sheet to restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. took many by surprise given that New York is prepared to make a lofty investment in a player the team recently traded. Yet, if the Hawks do not match the Knicks’ offer sheet, the team views Hardaway as part of a ‘core four’ alongside Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, and Frank Ntilikina, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

Hardaway, just 25 years old, is coming off a solid year in Atlanta, as he averaged 14.5 PPG and 2.8 RPG while shooting .455% from the floor in 79 games. Hardaway was originally drafted by the Knicks in 2013 but was dealt for Jerian Grant after two seasons in the Big Apple. If he does return, Hardaway will fit the Knicks’ current mold of a young, athletic player — something former team president Phil Jackson didn’t necessarily prioritize during his tenure.

As for Ntilikina, the soon-to-be 19-year-old will look to be a sponge in his first few seasons, learning from veterans and experienced youngsters. Bringing back a productive former member of the team would be a good first step.

Below are additional notes around the Easter Conference:

The Celtics have made major upgrades this offseason, none bigger than agreeing to a four-year deal with Gordon Hayward. However, general manager Danny Ainge is still not satisfied with the roster and will pursue upgrades, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes. The team created space for Hayward by rading Avery Bradley to the Pistons for Marcus Morris on Friday, and can now afford to be patient and consider the market before making any other deals.
Speaking of Morris, he will be a missed presence in the Pistons locker room, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. After coming to Detroit from the Suns in 2015, Ellis writes that Morris’ attitude and intensity resonated with his teammates, fans, and the city of Detroit.
The Hawks have announced the hiring of veteran NBA coach Chris Jent. Jent, who played professionally for 11 seasons, has previously served on coaching staffs for the Sixers, Magic, Cavaliers, and Kings.

Celtics Trade Avery Bradley To Pistons

July 7th, 2017 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

2:56pm: The Celtics and Pistons have sent out press releases confirming that Bradley and a 2019 second-round pick are headed to Detroit in exchange for Morris. The deal is now official.

9:17am: The Celtics and Pistons are finalizing a trade that will send Avery Bradley to Detroit, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, Boston will also send out a 2019 second-round pick and will receive Marcus Morris in the swap.

Because Morris’ $5MM salary for 2017/18 is about $3.8MM lower than Bradley’s figure, the move will allow the Celtics to create the cap room necessary to finalize their maximum salary deal with Gordon Hayward, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. The club also has the $4.328MM room exception available for another free agent.

Boston had reportedly been shopping Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Marcus Smart in an effort to clear enough space for Hayward’s new contract. With Bradley on the move, Crowder and Smart are poised to stay put, at least for now.

In addition to creating some cap space, the trade will add a power forward to a Celtics rotation that is in need of bigs. So far this offseason, the Celtics have waived Tyler Zeller and lost Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk in free agency, creating some frontcourt concerns for a team that already lacked reliable rim protection and rebounding. Morris isn’t an elite rebounder, but the 6’9″ forward has the ability to guard bigger players.

During his two seasons in Detroit, Morris missed just five regular season games, making 159 starts for the Pistons. He averaged 14.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.3 APG, with a shooting line of .426/.345/.763.

As for the Pistons’ side of the swap, the team had entered the offseason with a need for some backcourt depth and has now added Bradley and Langston Galloway. With Detroit’s payroll on the rise and its backcourt filling up, it will be interesting to see whether the team remains committed to retaining Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

By exceeding the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Galloway, the Pistons created a hard cap of $125.266MM, significantly limiting their ability to match a big offer sheet for KCP unless they can shed a contract or two. Team salary is currently in about the $109MM range. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter link) suggests the club’s talks with Caldwell-Pope haven’t progressed, and speculates that the team may make him unrestricted or decline to match an offer sheet.

Bradley, 26, enjoyed his best season in 2016/17 on a per-game basis, averaging new career bests in PPG (16.3), RPG (6.1), APG (2.2), and a handful of other categories. He also provided excellent perimeter defense and shot .463/.390/.731.

Although Bradley is a very solid pickup for the Pistons, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent a year from now, which is perhaps one reason the Celtics ended up moving him — Crowder remains under contract for three years, while Smart is a restricted free agent next summer and Morris has two years left on his deal, so the team retains some control on all three of those players. Wojnarowski suggests that the Pistons may be aggressive in pursuing a new deal for Bradley, who is extension-eligible, but the team’s cap situation limits its ability to give him a major raise before next summer.

Before agreeing to a trade with the Pistons, the Celtics reportedly talked to the Jazz about a sign-and-trade involving Crowder and to the Knicks about a deal that would have included Smart. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the Lakers and Clippers were “prominent in [Bradley] talks until the end.”

As an aside, it’s worth noting that the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement was put to good use in this deal. Under the new CBA, over-the-cap teams are permitted to take back 175% of their outgoing salary, plus $100K, instead of 150% plus $100K (up to a $5MM difference in salaries). In the old system, Detroit would only have been able to take back up to $7.6MM for Morris, but the new CBA allows the team to squeeze in Bradley’s $8.809MM salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Pistons, Pacers, Stephenson

April 18th, 2017 at 6:54pm CST by Austin Kent

After a disappointing 2016/17 campaign, the Pistons will look to shore up their three-point shooting. So says head coach Stan Van Gundy, at least. Aaron McMann of MLive wrote about Detroit’s goal heading into the offseason.

“We’ve got to shoot the ball better, there’s no question about that,” Van Gundy told the media following his exit interviews with Pistons players.

Not long after, he’d go on to complain about the team’s regression throughout the season, as has become somewhat of a custom for the Pistons bench boss.

“We just talked about that with our team. I think a lot of that can be internal development. [The Pistons] had virtually an entire roster that took a step back in that area this year.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers have brought about WNBA legend Tamika Catchings to serve as director of player programs and franchise development, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star tweets.
Prior to signing with the Pacers last month, Lance Stephenson was worked out by the Cavaliers. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes that the forward wasn’t offered a deal at the time because he was still recovering from a groin injury.
The general manager of the Cavaliers‘ D-League affiliate, Mike Gansey, was named the NBA D-League’s executive of the year according to a press release from the Canton Charge.
The Pistons had the seventh highest payroll in the NBA this year, so Brendan Savage of MLive took a good long look at the value of each player’s contract. Marcus Morris, Ish Smith and Beno Udrih were the only relative bargains.

Central Notes: Dellavedova, Irving, Carter-Williams, Pistons

December 25th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes the loss of backup guard Matthew Dellavedova has been the biggest change in the defending champion Cavaliers, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Dellavedova was involved in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks this summer after agreeing to a four-year, $38MM contract with Milwaukee. Cleveland has yet to find a dependable reserve point guard to play behind Kyrie Irving. “Dellavedova’s absence jumps out,” Kerr said. “I think he’s been a big part of their team in the last couple years, so it’s a different look.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Irving says he is “naturally an Alpha,” but is willing to continue the current arrangement with LeBron James for as long as possible, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The pairing has worked out well for the sixth-year point guard as he and James joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only players to win an NBA title and Olympic gold medals in the same year. “I just got to be great in the space I’m in for as long as I’m in it until there’s a change,” Irving said. “We all understand that as basketball fans, we want to see LeBron play for 10 more years and I would love to see that. I would love to play with Bron for 10 more years.”
After missing nearly two full months with left knee and left wrist problems, Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams is expected to return Monday, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Carter-Williams has only played in three games since being acquired from the Bucks in a preseason trade. He was projected to miss four to six weeks after hurting the wrist October 31st, but had to have a cast put on it to help with healing.
Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris may alternate starts for the Pistons depending on the opponent, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Coach Stan Van Gundy has designated Jon Leuer as one starter at forward because of his defensive capabilities. Van Gundy apparently plans to use Morris as a starter when he needs better defense and Harris when he needs more offense. The coach had a talk with Harris after telling him he was coming off the bench just before shootaround Friday. “Tobias is a good man,” Van Gundy said. “He’s only 24; he seems older. He’s a mature man you can have honest conversations with and he’ll evaluate what you’re saying. There’s not a lot of excuses or anything. If you say something, he’s the kind of guy who’s going to think about it. May not always agree with you, but going to think about it and look in the mirror and try to get better. I appreciate that and I thought his character showed in his play.”

Stan Van Gundy Ready To Shake Things Up

December 19th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 19, 11:42am: While Van Gundy and the Pistons may shake things up at some point, it doesn’t appear it will happen tonight. The Detroit head coach told reporters today that there will be no lineup changes for Monday’s game, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 18, 9:44pm: A lineup change could be coming as early as Monday for the Pistons, coach Stan Van Gundy told the media after his team was blown out on consecutive nights this weekend. Van Gundy has been exasperated by his team’s inconsistent play and the return of point guard Reggie Jackson from knee tendinitis has only led to more choppy performances. “There’s no question we’ve not been as good,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve played eight games, seven of them against teams below .500, and we’re 3-5. So there’s no question we’re not as good as we were before. That’s just a fact. Now, is that all on him? No. No, we have a lot of guys not playing as well.”

While Van Gundy didn’t elaborate on the potential lineup change, he really has only two viable options:

He could reinsert Ish Smith, who started while Jackson was rehabbing his knee, at point guard. Van Gundy isn’t sure if that’s the answer. “Even before Reggie came back, that starting lineup with Ish was outscored by opponents, too,” he said. “Not by as much, but outscored by opponents. So that has not been as good a lineup. We were surviving basically because our bench was coming in and outplaying people.”
He could move power forward Jon Leuer into the starting five and have either Marcus Morris or Tobias Harris come off the bench. Leuer has arguably been the Pistons’ most consistent player, averaging career highs in points (10.8) and rebounds (6.4). However, Leuer missed the 105-90 loss to the Pacers on Saturday with back spasms.

It’s clear that Van Gundy doesn’t intend to sit back and wait for the team to come around. “We’ve definitely gotta look at some things, lineup and rotation-wise,” he said. “That unit is clearly not working. At least not right now. “

Van Gundy also criticized his team for playing too selfishly in recent outings, with players more concerned about getting shots than getting back on defense. The players held a team meeting after the Indiana game to address that, as well as other issues.

“We’ve got guys upset they’re not touching the ball, and everything else, so they’re not as engaged in the game on the defensive end of the floor,” he said. “There’s all kinds of things that have to go into the game, and the ball has to move. There has to be an unselfish offense, and a committed defense, and the last two nights, there have been neither.”

Detroit is still just one game under .500 and one of many Eastern Conference clubs trying to find a way to go on a hot streak. But heightened expectations for the Pistons, who made the playoffs last season, have led to frustration over their mediocre play through 29 games. What changes should Van Gundy make to get his team going? Take to the comments section and give us your input.

Central Notes: Mozgov, Pistons, Morris, Bulls

December 17th, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

His former Cavaliers teammates mobbed Lakers center Timofey Mozgov as he received his championship ring tonight in a visit to Cleveland, relays Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports. Mozgov played 76 games with the Cavs last season before signing a four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers in July.

Here’s more news out of the Central Division:

The Pistons held a team meeting after tonight’s home loss to the Pacers, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We put a lot of stuff on the table,” said Marcus Morris, “and everybody cleared their mind of what they needed to say.” The 105-90 defeat was Detroit’s third in its past four games and it dropped the team back under .500 at 14-15. “I did a lot of the talking — we have to make a decision,” Morris added. “Everybody go home tonight and decide what you want to do.” (Twitter link.)
The Pistons are just 3-5 since Reggie Jackson‘s return and coach Stan Van Gundy suggests that changes may be coming to the starting lineup., according to Aaron McMann of MLive. Van Gundy’s assessment of the team right now is that it isn’t in a good place.
Lack of development and athleticism in their young core has been the Bulls‘ biggest issue this season, contends K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago expected Nikola Mirotic to be a starter by now. but instead he is falling out of the rotation. Doug McDermott is an effective shooter, but not an athletic presence. The same is true of rookie Denzel Valentine, and Bobby Portis has been established as a below-the-rim player.

Eastern Notes: Pistons Arena, Morris Twins, Wade

October 29th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons are moving closer toward a move to downtown Detroit and the new Little Caesar’s Arena, team owner Tom Gores confirmed on Friday, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. Gores wouldn’t address specifics regarding the potential deal, but did note that it could happen as early as the 2017/18 season, McMann adds. “If we do it, it’s going to be soon,” Gores said. “I’ve always been relatively transparent with you guys, and we’re getting close. We’re getting close. Look, we’re serious. We’re serious about making this move. And I think we should take it in and enjoy the Palace. It’s been an historic arena.”

If the Pistons do make the move, they would share the arena with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Both sides are researching what it would take to retro-fit the still-under-construction venue for basketball, and Pistons ownership is seeking space downtown for executive offices and a team practice facility, McMann writes. “There’s a lot going on down there,” Gores said of downtown Detroit. “If you look at it, you got the Tigers, the Red Wings, the Lions. There’s a lot going on down there. There’s a lot of activity.”

Here’s more from the East:

Wizards forward Markieff Morris and his twin brother, Marcus Morris, who is a member of the Pistons, are the subjects of a civil lawsuit in Arizona stemming from an alleged assault last year that has also garnered the pair criminal charges, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post reports. The criminal case is ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for November 4th, Buckner notes.
The Bulls intend to juggle Dwyane Wade‘s minutes in an effort to strike a balance between keeping the veteran fresh, while also maximizing his production on a nightly basis, Mark Strotman of CSNChicago.com notes. “(Coach Fred Hoiberg) hasn’t said, ‘You’re going to play 30 minutes exactly,’” Wade said. “A lot of it is just, looking at preseason, I think I’m going to be around 30-32 minutes just by the substitution patterns that [Hoiberg] is thinking about for me. I’m good with it. We haven’t had a [direct] conversation, but we’re both cool with it. I’m not a kind of guy that wants to stay out for 10-12 minutes on the clock because I’m gonna get a little stiff. I’m also not a kind of guy that wants to go for 12 minutes straight, so I think he is learning me, and we stay in constant communication about when I’ve got a little break and I’m ready to go again.”
Despite coming out of college with the reputation as an outside shooter, Nik Stauskas aims to be seen as a well-rounded player, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. When asked to describe himself, the Sixers guard told the scribe, “I consider myself gamer. I don’t think I’m an effective NBA player when I just stand and spot up and shoot threes. That’s really not my game. Although I feel like I can do that, it’s not something that I want to be doing, just standing out there. I feel I can be a lot more effective for this team doing other things.”

Pistons Notes: Ellenson, Smith, Jackson, Morris

October 10th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

First-round pick Henry Ellenson has impressed coach/executive Stan Van Gundy enough to earn significant preseason playing time, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. It’s an unusual accomplishment for a rookie, but the 19-year-old power forward has gotten the attention of coaches and teammates with how quickly he has adapted to the NBA game. “He is the perfect stretch four,” said Ish Smith. “Henry can shoot it, he can drive it, he can make plays and he’s a sponge. He does so many things out there. When Coach asks him to do things one time, he does it the next time and he doesn’t make the same mistakes. Henry has a fan in me and he’s going to give me a lot of assists. Henry can shoot the ball.” Despite the glowing reviews, Van Gundy noted that the Pistons already have Marcus Morris, Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer in place, so it may be hard for Ellenson to get minutes once the season starts.

There’s more today out of Detroit:

The Pistons targeted Smith in free agency because of his experience as a starter, and that wound up paying off sooner than they expected, Langlois writes in a separate story. Smith will be counted on to hold down the starting role while Reggie Jackson tries to work through the tendinitis in his left knee. The Pistons said Jackson will miss “extended time,” which Van Gundy later clarified as six to eight weeks. “We need Reggie back, a speedy recovery,” Smith said. “But we have to do our job. Everybody’s getting paid, so we have to do our job and do what it takes to win those games while he’s out. Somebody has to step up. It is a different kind of feel, but I don’t want to overthink it. I just want to play and let the chips fall where they may.”
Statistics suggest that replacing Jackson will be a difficult task, notes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Jackson ran the pick-and-roll more than anyone else in the league last season, and his unique skills helped to make it successful.
Morris needed a season of adjustment after being traded from the Suns to the Pistons, but he has become one of the team’s vocal leaders, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. That role came partially through his play, as Morris averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during his first season in Detroit. But it was also a matter of getting accustomed to his new surroundings. “It’s certainly noticeable that he’s talking more,” Van Gundy said. “We were just getting to know him last year, so we weren’t prodding him toward leadership and now he’s one of, if not the most respected guys in that locker room. Now he knows we want that from him.”