Sterling Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Brown, Carter, Wood, Cavs, Bitadze

October 8th, 2019 at 9:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Attorneys for Bucks guard Sterling Brown have formally asked a federal judge to turn down the City of Milwaukee’s $400K settlement offer, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. As we relayed last month, Brown was always unlikely to accept the offer, which didn’t include an admission of liability by the city.

“Mr. Brown deserves more than a mere apology,” Brown’s lawyer Mark Thomsen told ESPN. “He, as any human being, citizen of the USA, is entitled to an express vindication that his constitutional rights have been violated. He is entitled to no less.”

Brown’s lawsuit against the city stems from an incident that took place in January 2018. The former SMU star alleged that police officers used excessive force when they tased him while citing him for a parking violation.

Here’s more from around the Central:

After being limited to 44 games due to injuries in his rookie season, Bulls big man Wendell Carter hasn’t been able to stay healthy in camp this fall either, having been slowed by ankle and tailbone ailments. Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times notes that those injuries are slowing Carter’s development, while Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago suggests that injuries to Carter and Luke Kornet are making it difficult for the club to evaluate its frontcourt during the preseason.
Christian Wood made a strong case for a regular season roster spot in his first preseason game with the Pistons, racking up 19 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes. Unless Detroit trades or waives a player with a guaranteed salary, Wood and Joe Johnson will be battling for the 15th spot on the roster. Head coach Dwane Casey said Wood helped boost his chances on Monday, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “He played hard,” Casey said. “Key thing is playing hard, play the right way. He’s got to continue to do that.”
In a pair of articles for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor explores what the Cavaliers‘ regular season rotation might look like and digs into whether the team’s first preseason game provided any hints on the battle for the final roster spot(s).
Pacers first-rounder Goga Bitadze is getting off to a slow start in his rookie season. As J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star details, the big man – who missed Summer League due to visa issues – may not play at all in the preseason because of an ankle injury.

Sterling Brown Unlikely To Accept Settlement Offer

September 4th, 2019 at 8:18pm CST by clarkcrum

According to Alison Dirr of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the City of Milwaukee has authorized its city attorney to offer a $400K settlement to Bucks guard Sterling Brown regarding the lawsuit he filed against the city in response to police officers using a taser on him over a parking violation last year.

However, according to The Associated Press, it’s unlikely that Brown will accept the settlement, per one of his lawyers, because the settlement offer does not include an admission of liability by the city. Per the attorney, Brown will only consider settlement offers that include such an admission.

“I fully anticipate that any settlement that doesn’t include an admission that they violated Mr. Brown’s civil rights will go nowhere,” attorney Mark Thomsen said (via Dirr). “We can’t heal in this city without that.”

It’s commonplace as a condition in most if not all civil settlement agreements for neither party to admit liability. However, given the video evidence in this case, the fact that the police chief issued an apology for the incident, and Brown’s relatively lessened need for financial compensation, it’s no surprise that Brown is adamant that the city accept legal responsibility for the incident.

Bucks To Keep Pat Connaughton, Sterling Brown Past Guarantee Date

July 1st, 2019 at 1:40am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Bucks plan on keeping Pat Connaughton and Sterling Brown on the roster through July 1 when each players’ contracts will become guaranteed, Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter link).

Connaughton will make slightly over $1.72MM while Brown will receive just under $1.62MM next season. Neither player’s contract runs past this upcoming season.

Milwaukee could have waived either player today and given themselves some minor cap relief. However, the franchise had no need for the additional cap room after re-signing both Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez earlier today.

Connaughton and Brown project to be low-cost rotation players next season before they reach the open market in 2020. Connaughton will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, while Brown can be restricted.

Central Notes: Love, Clarkson, Pacers, Brown

June 2nd, 2019 at 10:29am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers continue to view Kevin Love as an important part of their rotation and are unlikely to make him available in trade talks this summer, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. In addition to his on-court production, Cavs management likes having the five-time All-Star around as a veteran leader as the team continues to rebuild after losing LeBron James.

Fedor adds that when the front office gave Love a four-year extension last summer, it viewed him as part of the foundation for the future, along with Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance Jr. and this year’s first-rounder, which landed at No. 5. Love played just 22 games last season, and Fedor doesn’t believe it’s likely that a team would make a significant offers to the Cavaliers given Love’s age, contract and injury risk.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jordan Clarkson could be a valuable trade piece heading into the final year of his contract, and the Cavaliers may start talks as early as this summer, Fedor adds in the same piece. Clarkson averaged a career-high 16.8 points per game off the bench this season and has an affordable $13.4MM salary for next year. Fedor states that Cleveland may have to take on long-term salary, but he expects the organization to receive a first-round pick or a pair of second-rounders in exchange for Clarkson.
With the Pacers facing six important free agent decisions this summer, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star examines the pros and cons of keeping each player. What the team does with Thaddeus Young, Cory Joseph, Darren Collison, Kyle O’Quinn, Bojan Bogdanovic and Wesley Matthews will shape the offseason, and it could create about $45MM in cap room by letting them all go.
The city of Milwaukee is considering a $400K settlement with Sterling Brown regarding an incident in which police officers allegedly used a stun gun to arrest him over a parking violation, writes Ivan Moreno of The Associated Press. Brown, who sued the city over the incident, received an apology from Police Chief Alfonso Morales. Milwaukee’s Common Council has a June 10 vote scheduled on the proposed settlement.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Eastern Conference

May 3rd, 2019 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. With the playoffs in full swing, we turn our attention to the Eastern Conference:

Marcus Morris, Celtics, 29, SF/PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $20MM deal in 2015
Unlike his brother Markieff, who played sparingly for the Thunder during their annual first-round flame-out, Marcus remains a valued member of Boston’s rotation. Other than a goose egg in Game 2 against Indiana, Morris has delivered steady production. He’s shooting 49.1% overall and 40.7% from distance while ranking second on the team in rebounds (6.7). He posted a +11.1 net rating on NBA.com’s postseason advanced stats entering Game 3 against Milwaukee. He had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Morris’ toughness and ability to play both forward positions will make him attractive in the free agent market.

Jimmy Butler, Sixers, 29, SF (Up) — Signed to a five-year, $92.3MM deal in 2017
Butler hurt his reputation by whining his way out of Minnesota. After forcing the Timberwolves’ hand, he got a chance to chase at least a conference title in Philadelphia. Following some ho-hum performances against Brooklyn, Butler has performed like a max-level player against Toronto the last two games. He’s averaged 26.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in those victories. You can put up with his abrasive style when he produces like that. He remains firmly entrenched as the third-best free agent wing — and perhaps overall player — behind Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

Sterling Brown, Bucks, 24, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.8MM deal in 2017
Brown’s contract for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster at the beginning of July, when free agency begins. That in itself seems to be a near guarantee. With Malcolm Brogdon sidelined, Brown has received rotation minutes for much of the postseason. His most noteworthy performance came in the series clincher against Detroit when posted nine points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Brown also plays with a little bit of an edge and can get under opponents’ skin. Brown sat in Game 3 of the series with Boston but he’s already done enough to stay on the roster, especially with Brogdon a restricted free agent and Khris Middleton unrestricted.

Danny Green, Raptors, 31, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $40MM deal in 2015
Green’s contributions to the scoring column are predicated on knocking down threes. A whopping 69% of his field-goal attempts during the regular season came from beyond the arc and he made a career-high 45.5%. It’s been a lot rougher in the postseason. He shot 31.8% from deep in the Orlando series and has made 30.6% in the first three games against Philadelphia. Green should still find a starting job this summer, whether he re-signs with Toronto or a team seeking veteran help. But his lack of versatility will limit the size of those offers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/17/18

November 17th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by clarkcrum

Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Bucks have assigned both guard Sterling Brown and big man Christian Wood to the Wisconsin Herd for tonight’s game against the Windy City Bulls, per the team’s official Twitter feed.
Nearly two weeks after being assigned to the G League, the Pacers have recalled center Ike Anigbogu back to the team, according to an official press release. Anigbogu has appeared in four games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate, averaging 10.5 points and 10 rebounds per game.
The Suns have recalled rookie point guard Elie Okobo from their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, per a release from the team. In his first-career assignment, Okobo averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in two games.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/15/18

November 15th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Bucks have recalled Sterling Brown from the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced (Twitter link). Brown scored 23 points and made five threes in the Herd’s loss to the Mad Ants on Wednesday.
The Sixers reassigned Jonah Bolden to the Delaware Blue Coats, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bolden has played six games with Philadelphia this season.
The Pistons assigned and then later recalled Henry Ellenson, Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown, announcing the news in a pair of press releases.
The Celtics assigned Guerschon Yabusele and Brad Wanamaker to the Maine Red Claws, the team announced (Twitter link). The Red Claws played the Raptors 905 on Thursday, with the Celtics set to play the Raptors on Friday.
The Wizards have assigned Thomas Bryant to the Capital City Go-Go, announcing the news on their website. Bryant will travel with the Go-Go for their game against the Wisconsin Herd on Friday.
The Grizzlies recalled then assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, the team’s G League affiliate, announcing the news on Twitter.
The Magic have recalled Isaiah Briscoe and Melvin Frazier Jr. from the Lakeland Magic, the team tweets. Orlando hosts the Lakers on Sunday.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/14/18

November 14th, 2018 at 7:11pm CST by clarkcrum

Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Bucks have assigned Sterling Brown to their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, per the team’s website. Brown, who has appeared in seven of the Bucks’ 13 games so far this season, is averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game.
According to the team’s official Twitter account (link), the Celtics assigned rookie big man Robert Williams to their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws. In his lone career G League contest thus far, Williams scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Jazz have recalled Raul Neto one day after assigning him to the Salt Lake City Stars while he works his way back from injury, the team tweeted this evening.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/3/18

November 3rd, 2018 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Celtics recalled rookie center Robert Williams from their Maine affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
The Nets have sent rookies Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa to their Long Island team, tweets Brian Lews of The New York Post. Kurucs is returning from a sprained ankle he suffered October 20.
The Suns shipped rookie guard De’Anthony Melton to their affiliate in Northern Arizona, the team announced on its website.
The Clippers assigned guards Tyrone Wallace and Jerome Robinson to Agua Caliente, relays Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register.
The Bucks sent Sterling Brown to their G League affiliate in Wisconsin, the team announced on Twitter.

Central Rumors: Redick, Irving, Brown, Cavs

September 14th, 2018 at 3:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers guard J.J. Redick nearly signed with the Pacers in free agency, he revealed during a podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Redick’s comment was tweeted by Scott Agness of The Athletic. Redick stayed with Philadelphia after the Sixers improved their one-year offer to $12.25MM but that was still less than the Pacers were willing to pay. “I wouldn’t have started but I felt like I fit what they needed,” Redick said. “I just envisioned playing two-man (game) with (Domantas) Sabonis.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks’ desire to sign Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving could have a negative impact on the Bulls’ free agency plans next summer, according to an NBC Sports Chicago post. The Knicks have reportedly made Irving their No. 1 target in free agency and it’s been previously rumored that Irving and Jimmy Butler might join forces. If the Bulls wanted to bring back Butler after trading him away last summer, Irving’s potential interest in the Knicks could sidetrack that plan, the report adds.
One of the officers involved in the Sterling Brown arrest last January has been fired, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story passed along by NBC Sports. The Bucks swingman filed a civil lawsuit against the Milwaukee police department after he was arrested and tasered for a parking violation. The officer was fired for violating social media policy and not for his conduct the night of Brown’s arrest, the city’s police chief told the Journal Sentinel.
The Cavaliers could be more interesting and successful without LeBron James than many people expect, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines. The development of first-round pick Collin Sexton, Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman will be intriguing to watch and GM Koby Altman will likely make more moves during the season to reshape the team’s future, Pluto continues. Trading J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson, who have seemed disinterested during the regular season during the James era, would move the process along, Pluto adds.