T.j. Mcconnell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Crowder, McConnell

October 29th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks 2014 second-rounder Thanasis Antetokounmpo is signing with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s D-League affiliate, for the 2015/16 season, the player’s agent, Nick Lotsos, tweets. This comes as a minor surprise since Antetokounmpo’s camp had previously said that the swingman would not play another season in the D-League. The 23-year-old had reportedly been in contact with European and NBA teams in an effort to strike a deal, but apparently no concrete offer materialized. The Knicks waived Antetokounmpo along with four others last week.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Derrick Williams‘ play is beginning to justify Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s decision to sign him to a two-year, $8.8MM deal this past offseason, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I don’t know what he hasn’t done [in the past], but I think he’s just playing the game, trusting his instincts, even though he’s still learning a lot of new things on how to play,’’ coach Derek Fisher said. “I don’t think he’s overthinking. He’s making plays in front of him, shooting the ball well. It’s early. He had a really good preseason and was really good [Wednesday night]. He’ll have ups and downs, and it’s how he responds when the shots aren’t going in like they were.’’
Sixers coach Brett Brown is a big fan of point guard T.J. McConnell, and compares him to a former player who Brown coached on the Australian national basketball team in the 2012 London Olympics, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.”He reminds me of Matthew Dellavedova a lot, who I had a lot to do with,” Brown said. “Somebody says, ‘He can’t shoot. No way can he make it.’ “
Jae Crowder was concerned after arriving in Boston last season as part of the Rajon Rondo deal that the Celtics would be trying to tank, a worry that was quickly dispelled by the team’s coaching staff and front office, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays. “I don’t like losing, man,” said Crowder. “I play this game to win. I never in my life played to lose. I don’t know what that feels like. I don’t play like that. I play to win. I felt like that the locker room here was kind of sulking right when I got here. It was sad to be in a professional locker room like that. I didn’t like it. I just wanted to come in each and every day and put my work in and hopefully make guys feed off my energy and take it from there. When you want to win, man, when you’re in a winning organization, you take pride in it. And when you lose, you let everybody know you lost. You’re not walking around happy.“

Sixers Releasing Jordan McRae

October 26th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are waiving Jordan McRae, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team hasn’t made an announcement, but the source indicated to Spears that the move has already taken place. That, plus reports that the team is also waiving Furkan Aldemir, Scottie Wilbekin, Pierre Jackson and J.P. Tokoto, will reduce the team’s roster to the 15-man regular season limit. T.J. McConnell has made the opening night roster on his partially guaranteed contract, Spears adds (on Twitter), while Yahoo Sports colleague Shams Charania reported that Christian Wood will stick, too. Robert Covington, Hollis Thompson and JaKarr Sampson are the other Sixers without full guarantees, but they also appear safe for opening night.

McRae signed the required tender of a one-year, non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal that Philadelphia had to offer to retain his draft rights. The Spurs picked him 58th overall out of Tennessee in 2014, trading his rights the same night to the Sixers. The 24-year-old shooting guard averaged 7.1 points in 19.9 minutes per game across seven preseason appearances this month.

His release means the Sixers are giving up his NBA rights, though they can still retain his D-League rights. McRae played for Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate late last season after spending the first part of 2014/15 playing in Australia.

Atlantic Notes: Isiah, King, Sixers, Raptors

October 21st, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks owner James Dolan doesn’t hide his affection for Isiah Thomas, but he can’t envision a scenario in which he ever hires him for the Knicks again, telling Bryant Gumbel of HBO’s Real Sports that he doesn’t think fans in New York would give him a fair chance, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays (Twitter link). Thomas, to whom Gumbel also spoke, ruled out coaching the Knicks again, but didn’t say he wouldn’t seek a front office position with the team, Bondy notes. See more from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov complimented the job performance of GM Billy King in an interview with NetsDaily, but he wouldn’t address the matter of whether he’ll give King an extension. King is in the final year of his deal and conflicting reports emerged in May about whether he and the team were close to an extension.
Brett Brown has said the Sixers plan to keep only three point guards for opening night, but with top options Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall injured and T.J. McConnell closing in on a regular season spot, Brown suggests the team could keep more because of their ability to slide to shooting guard, observes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You know you look at [Scottie] Wilbekin … and say he’s a two-guard,” Brown said. “He can shoot, and that’s true. I can look at Isaiah [Canaan] and say he’s not always a point guard. Let him go be, pick him, Lou Williams. He’s a barrel-chested scorer.”
The Raptors had mixed results with two point guards on the floor at the same time last season, but with Cory Joseph having replaced Williams and Greivis Vasquez, coach Dwane Casey is more optimistic about such lineups, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca examines. “The problem last year going small wasn’t Kyle [Lowry], it was the other small guys with him,” Casey said. “Now we have speed and quickness with Kyle, we have toughness with Kyle defensively so you don’t get burned as much defensively when you do go small.”

Atlantic Notes: Seraphin, McConnell, Anthony

October 10th, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Seraphin, who signed with the Knicks this offseason after being dissatisfied with his playing time with the Wizards under former coach Randy Wittman, took exception to some comments that Wittman had made regarding Seraphin’s time in Washington, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. “Listen, the players dictate who plays and what minutes they get,’’ Wittman said. “I’m not going to get into inconsistent minutes or not. He played. I wish him luck.’’ In response to Wittman, Seraphin said, “He said players dictate playing time? I don’t really agree there. What can I say. I was doing pretty much everything right, working hard. I’m not mad at all. That’s the business. He has the right to play me at the end of the day. … I don’t think he didn’t want to play me.’’ The 25-year-old made 79 appearances for the Wizards during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 15.6 minutes per night, which was actually an uptick from the 10.9 minutes per night Seraphin averaged the previous season.

Here’s more from out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are flush with players who can play the power forward position, which should limit the time that Carmelo Anthony sees at the four spot this season, a position he has excelled at in the past, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. Anthony, who says he prefers playing small forward, notes that this was part of the team’s offseason plan, Bondy adds. “I think that spot is wide open, just as far as who’s going to play it, when they’re going to play,” Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure you’ll see some times with me at the four throughout the course of the season. To be honest with you, throughout these first 10 days of camp, Seraphin showed some shine at that position, K.P. [Kristaps Porzingis] showed some upside at that position. Guys we brought in at that position are showing why we brought them.“
T.J. McConnell is considered a longshot to make the Sixers‘ regular season roster, but he has been impressing the team’s coaching staff with his solid all-around play, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We want to encourage him to get a set shot going,” coach Brett Brown said regarding the undrafted point guard out of Arizona. “The other stuff is proven. He’s a heady defender. He passes the hell out of it. He plays with amazing pace. I think he will be very popular in the city.” Brown acknowledged that McConnell is still in a “fist fight” to make the team, but added, “But what we’ve seen so far, you say he’s done well.“

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sullinger, Sixers

September 29th, 2015 at 8:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s statement that he’d be more involved with coach Derek Fisher and the team this season could potentially send a confusing message to the locker room, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. “I really don’t know what standpoint he’s coming from,” Carmelo Anthony said of Jackson’s increased role. “If I think I know Phil the way I know him, I think it’s more of being involved with coaching staff, being in with them, watching film with them, kind of opening up dialogue a little bit more, him sitting in the film room with us, after the games, going over the games, watching more tape, talking to the coaching staff.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The minimum salary deal that the Knicks signed DaJuan Summers to is non-guaranteed, Darion Atkins‘ pact includes a partial guarantee of $75K, Travis Trice‘s arrangement includes $50K in guaranteed money, and Wesley Saunders‘ deal includes a partial guarantee of $75K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter).
Celtics big man Jared Sullinger believes that his improved conditioning will elevate his game to the next level this season, CSNNE.com relays. “A lot of shots that I’ve missed is due to conditioning. A lot of rebounds I missed is due to conditioning. The defensive plays that I’ve missed – conditioning,” said Sullinger. “Now that my conditioning is at a level where I’m comfortable at but can still improve, I think I have a chance [to be an All-Star].“
Even though Joe Johnson knew that the Nets were going to make some offseason changes, he was still caught by surprise by Deron Williams‘ buyout arrangement, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Johnson. “But I didn’t see [the buyout] coming. I don’t think [being here] was that bad. It’s not that bad here. To want to get bought out … I couldn’t really put my finger around that one. But I hear that he’s happy and that’s the most important thing. He’s back home, so good for him.”
The contracts that the Nets signed Justin Harper and Chris Daniels to are both one-year, minimum salary arrangements that include no guaranteed money, Pincus tweets.
The success of Sixers big men Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel this season will depend on how effective the outside shooting of Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson is, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. “You hear me say this all the time: My offensive world, how I see it, is pace, space and pass,” coach Brett Brown said. “Post spacing really comes with shooters. Maybe the best play that Jahlil has is Covington and Stauskas. He’s got space to do stuff. We experienced it [in San Antonio] all the time. So, these shooters will most definitely complement Nerlens, and especially Jahlil.“
T.J. McConnell‘s four-year, minimum salary arrangement with the Sixers includes a partial guarantee of $100K for the 2015/16 season, Pincus tweets. The final three seasons are non-guaranteed, and the fourth year is both non-guaranteed and a team option.

Sixers Make Four Signings Official

September 27th, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Will Joseph

The Sixers have officially signed J.P. Tokoto, T.J. McConnell, Jordan McRae and Christian Wood, the team announced. All four moves were expected. The Sixers have 13 fully guaranteed deals.

Wood, McRae and Tokoto had already put pen to paper, according to reports, but the Sixers had yet to acknowledge the deals.

McRae, the No. 58 overall pick from the 2014 draft, is reportedly with the team on a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary that covers one season. McConnell’s deal includes a partial salary guarantee, according to reports. Wood reportedly has a deal for four years with a partial guarantee worth $50K. Tokoto has a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, it has been reported.

Sixers To Sign T.J. McConnell

June 26th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers intend to sign former Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell to a free agent deal, Bruce Pascoe of The Arizona Daily Star reports. The deal includes McConnell playing summer league ball for the team, as well as a training camp invite, Pascoe notes. Also included in the deal is what McConnell’s agent, Chris Emens, said is a partial salary guarantee, Pascoe relays. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter) confirmed the team’s deal with the guard, as well as a partial guarantee worth six figures. The earliest any deal can be finalized is Wednesday.

Emens told Pascoe that all 15 teams McConnell worked out for invited him to play summer ball and that his client might have been drafted had he agreed to be a “draft-and-stash” second-rounder who would be sent directly to the D-League with no chance of making the NBA club. “We didn’t want to do that and we knew we had a lot of demand, so we were able to parlay that into a significant deal,” Emens said. “He had a very, very good predraft process. … Coaches love him. He’s so intense and hardcore, and he makes others better.”

“T.J. said he had a good feeling about a couple of teams, and Philadelphia was one of them,” Tim McConnell, T.J.’s father, said. “He’s going to give it a shot and see what happens. The worst thing that can happen is he goes to the D-League.”

McConnell appeared in 38 games for the Wildcats last season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, with a shooting line of .498/.321/.829. He began his career at Duquesne, and in 139 total NCAA games McConnell’s numbers are 10.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 5.4 APG.

Pistons Notes: Kaminsky, Turner, Jaiteh

June 21st, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Frank Kaminsky and Myles Turner worked out for the Pistons on Saturday, a sign that the team is open to trading its lottery pick at No. 8 overall, Terry Foster of the Detroit News opines. The Pistons acquired a starting caliber power forward this month in Ersan Ilyasova, making it somewhat curious that they would work out two power forwards at this stage who are expected to be drafted in the 11-16 range, Foster continues. They could also swing a deal for the Knicks’ pick at No. 4, which would allow them to secure either Justise Winslow or Mario Hezonja, who are considered to be the top small forwards in the draft, Foster adds.

In other draft news regarding the Pistons:

Detroit also brought in point guards Travis Trice, T.J. McConnell and Kenneth Smith and center Mouhammadou Jaiteh on Saturday to wrap up its scheduled pre-draft workouts, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. The Pistons worked out 51 players, including likely first-rounders Devin Booker, Sam Dekker, Stanley Johnson, Kevon Looney, Kelly Oubre, Bobby Portis and Winslow, as well as Kaminsky and Turner, while guard Terran Petteway was the only player who worked out twice, Mayo reports.
Jaiteh plans to leave the French league and play in the NBA next season if he’s drafted, Mayo writes in a separate piece. “My goal is to join the team next year,” Jaiteh said to the Detroit media. “I’ve had three years now playing overseas pro. I really earned some experience, some maturity, and I think if I want to keep improving fast, I think the best is to be around the best players in the world, with the best coaches. That’s why I want to join the team this year and fight for it.”
If the Pistons move down in the first round, Boston would appear to be a likely trading partner, Mayo speculates in his weekly mailbag story. The Celtics have two first rounders at No. 16 and No. 28, but in Mayo’s thinking the Pistons would probably be more interested in a package of the No. 16 pick and a second-rounder with a non-guaranteed contract, rather than swapping for both first rounders. The Pistons probably don’t have the assets to move up from No. 8 and in all likelihood will retain the pick, Mayo concludes.

Pacific Notes: Stephenson, Kings, Towns

June 19th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers‘ newly acquired swingman Lance Stephenson is well aware of his negative locker room reputation around the league, and he intends to change that perception this season, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. “I’m going to work hard this season to get those rumors out,” Stephenson said. “That’s not the issue. I’m very good in the locker room. You can ask all the players that I’ve played with. You can ask the coaches. I’m very good in the locker room. When I’m on the court I got that type of energy where it looks like I’m yelling at somebody. But when I talk to my teammates it amps them and makes them work harder. I want to take that [negative] title off my name because that’s not me. I’m a good locker room guy.” Stephenson also indicated that he would be fine with coming off the bench, something that coach/executive Doc Rivers has suggested would be the case.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings will host workouts on Monday for Askia Booker (Colorado), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), T.J. McConnell (Arizona), and Brad Wadlow (St. Mary’s), the team announced. On Tuesday, the team will bring in Mike Caffey (Long Beach State), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Duje Dukan (Wisconsin), Rondae-Hollis Jefferson (Arizona), and Juwan Staten (West Virginia). Finally, Wednesday will see Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) and Cameron Payne (Murray State) displaying their wares for Sacramento.
The Lakers have been unsuccessful thus far in getting Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns in for a workout, and the team is doubtful that will change prior to the draft, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets. This resistance from Towns to meet with the Lakers could be due to a draft promise from the Timberwolves, though that is merely my speculation.
The Lakers brought in Michael Frazier (Florida) as part of a group workout held today, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relays (Twitter link). Also part of today’s workout were Terry Rozier (Louisville), Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Marcus Thornton (Georgia), Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming), and Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times notes.

Nuggets Notes: Malone, Oubre, Turner

June 16th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

New Nuggets coach Michael Malone bristled at the suggestion that he’s not suited to directing the sort of up-tempo attack that the Nuggets traditionally employ, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays in his full story and via Twitter. Malone cited the efficiency of his controlled Kings team but insisted that he can show another side in Denver.

“I know what they want,” Malone said, referring to Nuggets management. “They made it clear from Day 1 that they want to play fast.”

The Nuggets were believed to be seeking a coach who could come in and help GM Tim Connelly and his staff with draft prep, Dempsey wrote last week, but Malone made it clear that he’ll have little to do with the draft. “My conversation regarding that is: Good luck Tim,” Malone quipped, as Dempsey notes via Twitter. There’s more on Malone amid the latest from the Mile High City:

Malone’s deal with the Nuggets is a four-year arrangement, including a team option on the final season, Dempsey reports (Twitter link).
The new coach doesn’t expect the roster to be the same when next season begins, Dempsey notes in his full story, and that should indeed be his hope, as fellow Post scribe Benjamin Hochman opines, believing that no coach would be able to turn the current Nuggets into contenders.
Kansas small forward Kelly Oubre and Texas center Myles Turner were the headliners at today’s Nuggets workout, as the team detailed on Nuggets.com. Joining them are point guards T.J. McConnell of Arizona and Keifer Sykes of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Georgetown power forward Greg Whittington and Delaware State big man Kendall Gray, according to the team.
The Nuggets previously worked out Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson, as MLive’s David Mayo relays via Twitter.