Mike Scott Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Deveney’s Latest: Sixers, Pelicans, Blazers, Lin

January 11th, 2019 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

While most teams around the NBA are clutching tightly to their future first-round picks, a handful of clubs appear willing to move their 2019 first-rounders, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News. Deveney identifies the Sixers as one of the teams, reporting that Philadelphia appears open to trading its own 2019 first-rounder to acquire shooting help.

Of course, the Sixers would get Sacramento’s first-rounder instead of their own if the Kings’ pick ends up at No. 1, but Philadelphia would certainly make sure the pick wouldn’t go anywhere in that scenario. Deveney also notes that the 76ers have thus far kept Miami’s unprotected 2021 first-rounder out of trade talks.

Deveney identifies Mike Scott, Frank Kaminsky, and Noah Vonleh as the sort of players the Sixers might have their eye on, though presumably the team wouldn’t part with its first-rounder straight up for any of those players.

Here are a few more notes and rumors from Deveney’s latest Sporting News article:

New Orleans is another team that would move its first-round pick for immediate help, particularly at small forward, according to Deveney, who says the Pelicans have had some interest in Terrence Ross. As we’ve heard previously, the Magic have indicated they’d rather move Jonathon Simmons than Ross, but Ross would have more value. If Orlando keeps slipping further from the No. 8 seed in the East, the team might become more inclined to shop Ross.
The Trail Blazers would also be willing to part with their 2019 first-rounder for help in the backcourt or on the wing, per Deveney. Sources tell Deveney that Portland has expressed some interest in Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin, whom the Sixers and Pelicans have also inquired on. Getting a first-round pick in return for Lin might be challenging, but the veteran guard has boosted his value with a solid season so far in Atlanta.
While they’ll likely have more first-round picks than anyone this June, the Celtics aren’t expected to make any of those selections available at the deadline, sources tell Deveney. Boston will presumably save those picks for the summer, when a bigger move could be in play.

L.A. Notes: McGee, James, Scott, Teodosic

November 23rd, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JaVale McGee is grateful to LeBron James for lobbying the Lakers to sign him, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports. The 30-year-old journeyman center is averaging a career-high 13.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 2.4 BPG after signing a one-year, $2.93MM contract over the summer. “He could have said get anybody,” McGee said. “It’s just a reassuring feeling, a confidence-builder I guess, knowing that you’re going into a situation wanted as an option, like you’re really wanted. That’s pretty dope.”

We have more on the Lakers and Clippers:

The Lakers haven’t proven whether they’re a quality team yet and they’ll need to give James more help than he required in Cleveland if they want to compete for championships, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines. James is now in a tougher conference and while he might be able to drag the team into the playoffs, if would be easier if the players around him were more productive, Woike adds.
Forward Mike Scott has become a valuable piece on the Clippers’ second unit since signing a one-year, $4.3MM contract over the summer, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times notes. Scott has taken 64.4% of his shots beyond the arc and made 48.9% of them with top reserves Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell drawing most of the defensive attention.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers doubts guard Milos Teodosic will wind up in Europe this season, Greif writes in the same piece. Teodosic has expressed frustration over his lack of playing time and speculated he could leave the Clippers before the season’s end despite his $6.3MM contract. Rivers shrugged it off. “We want Milos to be happy, too,” Rivers said. “He’s a great guy and he’s great for this organization. Obviously he hasn’t played the minutes or the way he wants to, but we love him around here, so we’ll figure that all out.”
The Lakers are urging point guard Lonzo Ball to stay aggressive on a consistent basis, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Contract Details: Redick, Bertans, Clippers, O’Quinn

July 16th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

J.J. Redick‘s new deal with the Sixers gives him plenty of protection in the unlikely event that Philadelphia wants to trade him. Because he re-signed on a one-year deal and will have Early Bird rights at the end of it, he receives the ability to block any trade involving him during the 2018/19 league year, since he’d lose those Early Bird rights in the event that he’s moved.

On top of that, Redick has a 7.5% trade kicker in his new deal, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), which would give him a bonus if the Sixers do trade him and he approves the deal. That bonus would be worth about $919K, since Redick’s new contract has a value of $12.25MM, per Pincus.

Here are a few more details on newly-signed contracts, courtesy of Pincus:

The Spurs‘ new two-year agreement with Davis Bertans has a base value of $7MM annually, but Bertans can also earn $250K in unlikely incentives per year (Twitter link). The deal can be worth up to $14.5MM in total.
The Clippers split their full mid-level exception right down the middle, with Luc Mbah a Moute and Mike Scott each receiving $4,320,500 (Twitter link). L.A. will be hard-capped this season as a result of using the full MLE.
Jarred Vanderbilt, the 41st overall pick in this year’s draft, got a three-year, minimum-salary contract from the Nuggets with two fully guaranteed seasons (Twitter link). The third year will be non-guaranteed until July 15, 2020.
Kyle O’Quinn received the Pacers‘ full room exception ($4.449MM) on his one-year contract (Twitter link).

Lowe’s Latest: Kawhi, Sixers, Celtics, Scott, More

July 5th, 2018 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have not made Markelle Fultz available in Kawhi Leonard trade talks with the Spurs, and the Celtics haven’t been willing to include Jaylen Brown in their discussions with San Antonio, ESPN’s Zach Lowe confirms in his latest article.

We’ve heard variations on Lowe’s report for the last week or two, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link) recently suggesting that the Sixers don’t want to discuss Fultz, Joel Embiid, or Ben Simmons in Leonard talks, and adding that the Celtics’ top five players have been “off-limits” in negotiations with the Spurs — presumably, Woj was referring to Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford.

Lowe’s full piece on the Leonard situation features several more tidbits of note, including some items only tangentially related to a possible Leonard trade. Let’s round up the highlights…

LeBron James isn’t pressuring the Lakers to add a second star for now, according to Lowe, who says that James “has faith in the combined powers of his supernova talent and the Lakers brand.” LeBron also recognizes that Brandon Ingram has considerable upside and is aware that many star free agents could be on the market in 2019, Lowe notes.
Lowe classifies rumors that Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving want to play together as “credible chatter.” However, the Celtics remain confident that they’ll be able to re-sign Irving next year, per Lowe.
Details of Mike Scott‘s contract agreement with the Clippers have yet to surface, but Lowe indicates the deal will use part of the team’s mid-level exception rather than being a minimum-salary signing.
Lowe’s piece is worth checking out in full, particularly for a section in which he brainstorms hypothetical wild-card suitors for Leonard, exploring whether the Raptors, Trail Blazers, Wizards, Timberwolves, Thunder, Heat, Rockets, Bucks, Nuggets, Warriors, Pistons, or Kings might be fits — many are quick “no”s, but some generate some intriguing hypothetical deals.

Clippers Sign Mike Scott To One-Year Deal

July 2nd, 2018 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 9th, 5:59pm: The signing is official, according to the team’s PR Twitter feed. The one-year deal is said to be worth approximately $4.3MM, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

JULY 2nd, 3:48pm: The Clippers have agreed to terms on a deal with veteran free agent Mike Scott, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Woj, Scott will sign a one-year contract with Los Angeles.

The Clippers were said to have strong interest in Anthony Tolliver, meeting with him on the first day of the free agent period Sunday. However, once Tolliver committed to the Timberwolves, L.A. shifted its focus to other options and did well to land Scott, who will add depth at forward behind Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari.

Scott, a 6’8″ power forward, had a strong season for the Wizards in 2017/18, averaging 8.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG in a part-time role (18.5 MPG). He also set career highs in FG% (.527) and 3PT% (.405).

The Wizards had made it a priority to bring back Scott, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link), but he’ll head west for the coming season, leaving Washington to look elsewhere for frontcourt help.

Free Agent Rumors: Gordon, Brewer, Favors

July 1st, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Austin Kent

While the Magic plan to pursue a long-term deal with restricted free agent Aaron Gordon, another team to keep an eye on is the Lakers, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.

It’s no surprise that Gordon, a 23-year-old fresh off of a career year with averages of 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, is generating interest in free agency but Zach Lowe of ESPN writes that Orlando may not have much pressure to go as high as the max to retain him.

The Lakers join a number of other teams apparently interested in poaching Gordon’s services, including the Pacers (story) and Kings (story).

The Rockets have scheduled a meeting with free agent wing James Nunnally, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Nunnally, who has also been linked to Portland and Minnesota, played for Turkish team Fenerbahce last season and knocked down 55% of his three-pointers in EuroLeague play, making him an interesting fit for Houston.
Having already been linked to several potential targets since the free agent period opened, the Timberwolves have also “planted seeds” with Corey Brewer and Davis Bertans, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). As Wolfson observes, Minnesota has made a habit in recent years of spreading a wide net in free agency, inquiring on dozens of players.
In a later tweet, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News added that the Timberwolves have also checked in on Derrick Favors, Mike Scott, David Nwaba and Ian Clark.

FA Rumors: Grant, Scott, George, McCullough

June 29th, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls, Pacers, and Magic are among the teams expected to push the Thunder for free agent forward Jerami Grant, a source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Grant emerged as a key bench piece for Oklahoma City in 2017/18, averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .535 FG%. However, the Thunder may be hard-pressed to retain him if Paul George returns, since the club would be well over the tax line, making a competitive offer for Grant worth exponentially more expensive due to potential tax penalties.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agency, with the new NBA league year just two days away:

The Wizards are hoping to re-sign Mike Scott in free agency, but the veteran forward is expected to draw significant interest on the open market, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Hughes suggests that as many as 10 teams are preparing to reach out to Scott’s representatives.
In an interesting piece for ESPN.com, Royce Young takes an in-depth look at the Thunder‘s year-long recruitment of Paul George, explaining how the club has put itself in position to be a serious suitor for the star forward this offseason.
Wizards forward Chris McCullough, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday, has committed to playing for the Sixers‘ Summer League team, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details.
Coming off a big EuroLeague season, James Nunnally is re-testing the NBA market, according to international basketball reporter David Pick, who tweets that Nunnally worked out for the Trail Blazers and will also get a look from the Timberwolves.
One player agent who spoke to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype said he’s worried that many agents will be fired this summer as a result of a tight market. “It’s going to be the worst free-agent market in terms of money that I’ve seen since I started working as an agent,” the agent said. “It’s going to be a very, very difficult summer for anyone who isn’t getting a max contract.” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton took a closer look at the team-friendly market and identified a few free agents who might get squeezed.

Wizards Notes: Roster, Shooting, Scott, Porter

May 4th, 2018 at 10:25pm CST by Luke Adams

John Wall would like to see the Wizards make changes to their roster this offseason, and it seems like a safe bet that they’ll do so, since they haven’t been shy about changing up their bench pieces in recent years, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. However, as Hughes outlines, the franchise will also have to make bigger decisions about whether its current core has the necessary qualities to take the Wizards where they want to go.

The Wizards’ starting lineup – Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris, and Marcin Gortat – was one of the NBA’s most effective five-man units in 2016/17, but didn’t repeat that success this past season due to health issues and general inconsistency. Those five players are expensive, and Morris and Gortat are entering contract years, so making changes at power forward and/or center wouldn’t be a surprise, according to Hughes. Anything beyond that would qualify as a major shake-up.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

In his end-of-season comments to the media, head coach Scott Brooks expressed a desire for Washington to become a better three-point shooting club. In order to achieve that goal, the Wizards will have to add more shooters to their roster this offseason, particularly with Jodie Meeks set to serve the remaining 19 games of his suspension to open the year, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
After a successful comeback season – including a solid performance in the playoffs – Mike Scott has set himself up well for free agency this summer, says Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Scott, who may be in line for a multiyear deal, said at season’s end that he’d be happy with a role similar to the one he played this season, per Hughes.
In a separate article for NBC Sports Washington, Hughes examines the next steps for Otto Porter to expand his game and continue to make good on his maximum-salary contract.

Southeast Notes: Budenholzer, Scott, Clifford, Weltman

April 16th, 2018 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks can expect a first-round pick if coach Mike Budenholzer bolts for another team, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Budenholzer, who has two years left on his contract, was granted permission to interview for the Suns job. The Celtics received an unprotected first-round pick in the 2015 draft when the Clippers hired Doc Rivers in 2013, Cunningham notes. The Suns own extra first-round picks in the 2019 and 2021 drafts from previous trades, Cunningham adds.

In other developments around the Southeast Division:

Forward Mike Scott has emerged as a key member of the Wizards’ second unit in their playoff series against the top-seeded Raptors, Chase Hughes of NBCSports.com notes. Scott was the only productive bench player Washington had in Game 1, as he scored 14 of its 21 points. A productive series would help Scott land a contract this summer. He signed a one-year, $1.47MM deal with the Wizards last summer.
Steve Clifford, who was fired as the Hornets coach last week, believes the team didn’t play with the same attitude it showed in previous years. Clifford made the comments during a press conference posted on the team’s website. “We’ve always had spirit. We didn’t have that this year,” he said. “Some games (we did), but not nearly the togetherness and spirit we’ve had in other years. They know that.”
The Magic are in no rush to hire a new coach after firing Frank Vogel following the regular season, John Denton of the team’s website reports. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman indicated that during a postseason press conference. “It is something that you’d rather do sooner than later so that we can get a guy in place and have our new staff around so that they can get their arms around our players, develop relationships and develop our young guys,’’ Weltman said. “All of that factors in. It would be better sooner, but as I always say … `we’re going to get it right before we get it fast.’ Hopefully, we can do both on this.’’

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Washington Wizards

February 6th, 2018 at 11:03pm CST by Austin Kent

The Wizards made the bold decision to commit max money to three organization grown players long-term and will permanently have their hands full managing their finances as a result. In order to make the strategy work, they’ll need to be responsible with where they spend the rest of their budget.

While the club already projects to dip into the luxury tax this season and next (with over $29MM in guaranteed money tied up in Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi in 2018/19 alone), they’ll get a chance to practice financial restraint this summer with a handful of free agents that they can afford to part ways with if they feel the need to.

Tim Frazier, PG, 27 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $4.1MM deal in 2016
One season removed from a fantastic stint as a spot starter in New Orleans in 2016/17, Frazier hasn’t had much of an impact since coming over in a draft day trade last June. The Wizards were in need of a reliable backup point guard when they targeted Frazier but seem to have grown comfortable with the idea of Tomas Satoransky handling backup point guard duties in John Wall‘s absence. For that reason, Frazier will probably have to choose between rounding out the club’s rotation as a third-string playmaker or look elsewhere.

Sheldon Mac, SG, 25 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $1.8MM deal in 2016
A torn Achilles has rendered Mac unable to suit up in 2017/18. He’ll hit restricted free agency in the summer but don’t expect any suitors until he can prove that he’s healthy enough to battle for a rotation spot. That’ll likely have to happen in the G League.

Chris McCullough, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $3,8MM deal in 2015
The Wizards, to this point, have shown little interested in working McCullough into their rotation. The 23-year-old showed some flashes of promise during his rookie campaign with the Nets in 2015/16 but then again many fringe NBA players have looked half-decent in Brooklyn’s lineup the last few years. If all goes well, McCullough will find another squad to break training camp with next fall. It’s hard to say whether or not there will be much more beyond that.

Jodie Meeks, SG, 30 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $6.7MM deal in 2017
After several years of struggling to stay on the court, Meeks has shown that he can contribute modestly off the bench. While his player option for 2018/19 comes in at a rather cheap $3.5MM for a player with his experience, don’t be surprised if the veteran elects to return. There may be a team out there willing to give the career .417 three-point shooter more than that on the open market but an argument can be made that Meeks could benefit more in the long run from simply focusing on staying healthy and relevant where he is, while worrying about free agency in 2019.

Mike Scott, PF, 29 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.7MM deal in 2017
The Wizards got a key rotation piece for dirt cheap over the summer and the forward has done nothing but raise his stock over the course of the season. Expect teams to take an interest in the veteran role player with impressive efficiency numbers and the ability to put points on the board. Washington would likely be happy to retain him but will be limited in what they can offer him.

Jason Smith, C, 32 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $15.7MM deal in 2016
Smith hit free agency at the perfect time back in 2016. This summer, in contrast, teams won’t be so willing to cough up significant money for career reserves with forgettable portfolios. Smith’s stints with the Magic, Knicks and Pelicans hardly justified the contract he signed two summers ago but he’s done even less since arriving in Washington. For that reason, expect him to accept his $5.5MM player option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.