Tiago Splitter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Acquire Ersan Ilyasova From Sixers

February 22nd, 2017 at 10:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

10:25 PM: The trade is official, according to a Sixers’ press release.

“I want to thank Ersan Ilyasova for his positive contributions to this organization both on and off the basketball court,” team president Bryan Colangelo said. “Ersan is a true professional whose daily examples of hard work, focus and consistency have helped facilitate the ongoing growth of our program and culture.”

6:33 PM: The Sixers will send Ersan Ilyasova to the Hawks for Tiago Splitter, a second-round pick, and the ability to swap another second-rounder, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). Philadelphia will receive a 2017 second-rounder which was originally Miami’s. The second element of the trade will be a pick swap between the two teams. Both players are in the last year of their respective contracts and both will hit free agency in July.

Splitter, who hasn’t played this season because of a calf injury, is a buyout candidate, but the team hasn’t yet decided whether or not it will try to negotiate an agreement with the big man, freelance journalist Derek Bodner reports (Twitter link). Both players are in the last year of their respective contracts and both will hit free agency in July.

Atlanta will be Ilyasova’s fourth team in the last calendar year and his fifth team since playing for the Bucks during the 2014/15 season. That offseason he was shipped to Detriot, but the Pistons sent him to Orlando at the ensuing trade deadline. He was then traded to the Thunder in their Serge Ibaka deal over the summer where he was later traded to the Sixers for Jerami Grant.

Ilyasova played well for the Sixers this season, but Philadelphia was wary of committing to him in free agency, according to Bodner (Twitter link). The move opens up playing time for rookie Dario Saric.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Paul Millsap

January 2nd, 2017 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2017 rumor mill got off to an interesting start on Sunday, with an ESPN report suggesting that the Hawks are listening to offers on Paul Millsap, among other players. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution takes a closer look at that report today, noting that Atlanta is indeed doing its due diligence on Millsap, along with Kyle Korver, Thabo Sefolosha, Tiago Splitter, and Kris Humphries. However, just because the team is willing to listen, that doesn’t mean a deal is imminent or even likely. Atlanta hasn’t put Millsap on the trade block, per Vivlamore.

Vivlamore also addressed a separate report from ESPN, which indicated that Millsap has already decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent in 2017. That report is simply “not true,” according to Vivlamore, who heard from a source on Sunday that no decision has been made on that front. It’s certainly likely that Millsap will turn down his player option and explore the open market, but a serious injury or another unexpected factor could impact that decision, Vivlamore writes.

Here’s more on Millsap, as rumors begin to swirl in Atlanta:

The Hawks‘ asking price for Millsap will be high, and will likely outweigh what suitors are willing to give up for a player on an expiring contract, says Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). Kyler expects there to be plenty of trade talk surrounding Hawks players like Millsap and Korver, but he isn’t anticipating a ton of action by the deadline.
Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders identifies the Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets as a few teams that would make sense as trade partners for Atlanta if the Hawks get serious about moving Millsap.
Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the possibility of the Heat making a play for Millsap via trade or free agency.

Tiago Splitter To Miss Six More Weeks

November 26th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks will be without Tiago Splitter for at least six more weeks after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain in his right calf, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Injuries caused Splitter to miss 46 games last season and he has yet to suit up this year.

“There is nobody more disappointed than me,” Splitter said. “I’m tough. I’m tough. Maybe the first day I was sad but the next day I’m already positive and thinking about positive progress each day. That is the mindset you have to have when you are injured.”

The Spurs traded Splitter to the Hawks during the 2015 offseason in order to create the necessary cap space to offer LaMarcus Aldridge a max contract. Splitter has had trouble staying on the court during his career, missing at least 22 games in every season but one. He’ll make $8.5MM this year before becoming a free agent in July.

Eastern Notes: Splitter, Wade, Millsap

October 11th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks announced via press release that Tiago Splitter was diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain, which he sustained during a recent practice. An MRI taken Monday at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center revealed the injury and he will be out a minimum of four weeks. A four-week timetable would mean that the earliest Splitter would return would be the second week of November, missing at least seven regular season games as a result.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Bulls guard Dwyane Wade says he’s trying to evolve as a player to compensate for age and the loss of athleticism that accompanies growing older in an effort to prolong his career, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “The goal is to be around for as long as you can play the game and still be effective,” Wade said. “I’m in the moment. I have to come here and prove to not only my coaches but my team that I can help make them better. I can [play basketball with my pedigree] when I’m done playing to my kids: ‘Hey, this is what Dad used to do. While you’re playing this game, you get your butt tore up if you walk around with that facade. I’m out here at 34 trying to keep up with these young guys. They’re going to come after me. So I got a lot of work to do.“
The Heat elected to schedule the league-maximum of eight preseason games because of the need to integrate all their new players who need as much action as possible in order to develop chemistry, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I think we’re going to need every one of those eight games,” said coach Erik Spoelstra, who is working with 10 new players. “With previous teams, when we had veteran-laden teams and you bring a large portion of your team back, arguably it might not be as important.“
Hawks forward Paul Millsap, who has a player option for next season worth $21,472,407, says he hasn’t decided whether or not he’ll opt out, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. “I think the plan is to see how this season goes and go from there,” Millsap said. “I can’t predict what is going to happen. For me, it’s focus on basketball. Get through this year, try to get a championship for this team first of all. We’ll deal with all that during the summer time when we have all our options on the table.”

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Ibaka, Splitter

August 16th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made no mention of Chris Bosh in two video messages posted today on the team’s website, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The status of the veteran big man remains uncertain after his past two seasons were cut short because of blood clots. Spoelstra singled out Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson as defensive leaders who will define the team in the post-Dwyane Wade era. “You learn pretty quickly in this league that your roster is going to change,” Spoelstra said, “sometimes your staff changes. Expectations change. It’s like that every year. Just when you get comfortable, it will change. This is a new challenge. We’re embracing the change. We’re excited about the future, excited about the guys we have on our team. You also have to have the right kind of players.” Owner Micky Arison named Bosh as part of the Heat’s future in a recent letter to Miami fans.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic can offer an extension to newly acquired power forward Serge Ibaka, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Ibaka, whom Orlando picked up in a draft-night deal with the Thunder, is about to enter the last season of a four-year, $49MM extension he received from Oklahoma City. Ibaka would be limited to a 4.5% raise from his $12.2MM salary in the first year of an extension because the Magic are over the salary cap, Marks notes, and because he has been traded in the past six months Ibaka can only have two years added to his contract.
Tiago Splitter believes the Hawks will be a much better defensive team with Dwight Howard replacing Al Horford at center, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He also cited an improvement in defense at point guard, where Dennis Schroder is taking over for the traded Jeff Teague. “[Howard] is a little bit more of a defensive player than Al, more rebounds, more physical presence on the court,” Splitter said. “That is going to change our team. … Dennis, he is also a great defender. He’s a better defender than Jeff. He will pressure the point guard the whole court.” Splitter, who had hip surgery in February and was limited to 36 games last season, also figures to improve the defense with his return to the lineup.
The Hawks hired Richard Midgley as their west coast scout, Vivlamore writes in a separate story. Midgley has been a coach at Modesto Christian High School in California for the past two seasons.

Hawks Notes: Cotton, Splitter, Hill

August 14th, 2016 at 6:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks may have competition if they’re interested in bringing Bryce Cotton to training camp, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Anadolu Efes in Turkey and Khimki in Russia both have interest in the free agent point guard, who had brief stints with the Suns and Grizzlies last season. Atlanta is three players below the league limit, and Cotton was recently mentioned as a potential training camp signee by Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 24-year-old played for Atlanta’s summer league team and impressed team officials by averaging 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in five games.

Here’s more news out of Atlanta:

Tiago Splitter plans to be ready for training camp after offseason hip surgery, Vivlamore tweets. The Hawks were hoping Splitter would be a valuable backup big man after acquiring him in a trade with the Spurs last summer, but repeated problems with his right hip forced him to opt for surgery in mid-February. Splitter managed just 36 games with the Hawks, averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in a little more than 16 minutes per night. The 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract.
Former NBA star Grant Hill is seeing the game from a new perspective as a partial owner of the Hawks, writes A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. Hill is part of the ownership group led by Tony Ressler that purchased the team in April of 2015. Hill serves as vice chair of the board and says he wants to do “something amazing” for Atlanta. “Ownership and the idea of ownership is something that I’ve thought about for quite some time, going back to my early days and my early years in the NBA playing in Detroit,” Hill said. “Just understanding from when I was young … how powerful sports can be, and how it can inspire people, how it can bring people together. It can really galvanize a community, a city, and that’s a huge responsibility.“

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Alexander, Gentry, Aldridge

April 16th, 2016 at 3:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander plans to be more active in the team’s offseason moves, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Alexander gave GM Daryl Morey a vote of confidence this week but said he will take a more hands-on role in overhauling a roster that produced a disappointing 41-41 record and the eighth seed in the West. “I think I will change a little bit,” Alexander said. “More scrutiny and what they’re doing. I was thinking about doing it anyway but after this season, definitely.” Among Houston’s decisions will be whether to retain interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who posted a 37-34 record after taking over for Kevin McHale in November. Alexander didn’t commit to keeping Bickerstaff, but did toss a compliment his way. “He’s got a winning record,” Alexander said, “which is good from where he started.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry is hoping for a fresh start next season after a disastrous first year in New Orleans, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Gentry was hired to take the next step with the Pelicans after they claimed the final playoff spot in 2014/15, but the team was slowed by a long string of misfortune. New Orleans players ended the season with 351 games missed due to injuries and illness, the second-highest total in the past decade. Looking ahead, Gentry has a vision for the type of player he wants to acquire in the offseason. “I think we need that 6’7″ athletic guy that can also be somewhat of a facilitator,” he said. “As to names, I have no idea who that is, but I know that he’s out there. And so that would be obviously a priority for us.”
The Spurs became a better defensive team after trading Tiago Splitter and signing LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Matthew Tynan of RealGM. Splitter is considered the better defender, but Aldridge has more range and mobility, Tynan notes, which gives Tim Duncan the more natural role of rim protector.
Jae Crowder, who has emerged as a star in Boston, couldn’t wait to get out of Dallas, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Before being included in the 2014 trade that brought Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks, Crowder was frustrated by a lack of playing time, two trips to the D-League and Dallas’ signings of Al-Farouq Aminu, Chandler Parsons and Richard Jefferson.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Anthony, Splitter

February 25th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens declined to comment about whether the team had any interest in pursuing Joe Johnson, who was waived by the Nets earlier today as part of a buyout arrangement, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). The coach did specify what type of player Boston would be looking for to fill its open roster spot, saying, “I think versatility is huge. Certainly shooting’s a big deal. All those things come into play. Obviously, with Kelly [Olynyk] out, interior help is something that you’d have to consider, but hopefully he’s not out too long and I think the versatility stands out more than anything else.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t want to lose Carmelo Anthony as a teammate and looks at the veteran scorer as a role model, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade. “Oh well, obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis said regarding ‘Melo. “He is who he is on our team. He’s special and we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him so that would obviously not be something that I want.“
Hawks center Tiago Splitter underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his right hip, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. Splitter will miss the remainder of the season as a result of the injury and subsequent surgery.
Bucks big man Greg Monroe has been coming off the bench lately for the team, which isn’t necessarily what he had in mind when he inked a maximum salary deal with the team this past summer, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times writes. When asked if he regretted signing with Milwaukee, Monroe said, “It’s not something they had planned when I was coming here. So, no, I can’t answer that question because it wasn’t something that was planned all along.’’ The big man also admitted that he heard the trade chatter involving him but wasn’t fazed, Woelfel adds. “I didn’t get bothered by it. I’ve been in the league awhile; I’ve been in free agency and reports came out then and I know they were totally false. And these situations are basically the same, so I was sure it was all speculation.’’
The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s eighth jaunt of the season to Maine.

Southeast Notes: Splitter, Batum, Jefferson, Frye

February 17th, 2016 at 5:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks‘ Tiago Splitter may miss the start of next season after having surgery on his right hip, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The procedure will be performed Thursday, and Splitter estimates it will take “eight months, at least” to recover, which means he won’t be able to represent Brazil in the Summer Olympics. “I just got here this season and I wanted to help this team more” said Splitter, who was acquired from the Spurs in a July trade. “I wasn’t able to perform 100%, that’s for sure. I’ve been feeling this pain, you guys know, for some time. We tried several techniques and treatments. It ended up being I need the surgery. I hope it goes fast and I’m ready to play again.” Splitter will make $8.25MM next season on the final year of his contract.

There’s more from the Southeast Division on the eve of the trade deadline:

Trade rumors have swirled around the Hawks as much as any team during the past month, and coach/executive Mike Budenholzer isn’t offering any hints about whether a deal for Al Horford or Jeff Teague is in the works, as Vivlamore notes in a separate piece. “We are very happy with our group,” Budenholzer said. “We feel strongly about them. I’ve been protective of them and would expect to continue to be that. You never know what can happen.”
The Hornets will likely present Nicolas Batum with a full max offer on the first day of free agency, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, passing on a prediction from ESPN cap expert Tom Penn. It’s the only way Charlotte can keep him, Penn said (Twitter link).
The Hornets hope to welcome back center Al Jefferson this weekend, Bonnell tweets. Jefferson hasn’t played since undergoing arthroscopic surgery after suffering a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee in late December.
The Magic’s Channing Frye takes trade deadline talk in stride, tweets Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. The Clippers are reportedly close to a deal that would bring the veteran power forward to L.A. “It’s not my first time being on the trading block,” Frye said. “… I was supposed to get traded at the beginning of the season. I was supposed to get traded last year.”
Wizards center Marcin Gortat has officially chosen Todd Ramasar as his new agent, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.

Tiago Splitter To Miss Rest Of Season

February 16th, 2016 at 4:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:04pm: The Hawks have confirmed via press release that Splitter will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2015/16 season as a result.

3:35pm: Tiago Splitter will be out for the season, having decided to undergo surgery on his ailing right hip, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Hawks center hasn’t played since January 31st. It’s too late in the season for the Hawks to apply for a disabled player exception, and Atlanta doesn’t have enough of an injury problem to warrant a hardship exception for a 16th roster spot, so the team has limited means to offset the effect of Splitter’s absence.

The injury leaves the Hawks without an experienced backup at the five spot for Al Horford, who’s been in trade rumors of late. Mike Muscala and Walter Tavares are the team’s only other options on the roster behind Horford, unless coach/executive Mike Budenholzer goes small with either Paul Millsap or Mike Scott playing center.

Atlanta gave up virtually nothing in return to acquire Splitter via trade this past summer. He’s making $8.8MM this season, and next season’s $8.55MM salary is the last on his contract.