Tom Gores Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Caldwell-Pope, DeRozan, Gores

April 26th, 2016 at 9:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is eligible to ink a rookie-scale contract extension this summer, but he says his focus is on improving his game and not on his next deal, David Mayo of MLive relays. “Yeah, I mean, why do it now? It’s not in my mind. I mean, it could happen. If it does happen, it happens. But right now I’m going to stay focused and get better,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Right now, I’m just going to let my agent handle all that. If you have any questions about that, I really can’t answer them. I let my agent answer for me. I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it.” If Caldwell-Pope and Detroit are unable to reach an agreement by October’s deadline, he would be eligible to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2017.

Team owner Tom Gores, one of the principals who will be involved in the Pistons’ future decisions regarding Caldwell-Pope, is involved in a bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Detroit, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays. Gores is partnering with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert on the venture, Ellis notes. “I’ve always believed a sports franchise is a community asset with the power to unite and inspire people,” Gores said in his official statement. “I’m excited to partner with Dan and help in Detroit’s resurgence. Together we have all the tools we need to make a new team successful.”

Here’s more from the East:

Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan‘s struggles this postseason call into question whether or not he is worthy of a max salary deal this summer, should he choose to opt out of his current deal and become an unrestricted free agent, Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun writes. The 26-year-old is averaging 13.3 points and shooting a woeful 29.6% from the field in four playoff outings. His player option for 2016/17 is worth $10.15MM, but he’ll almost certain decline it and end up with more than that.
The Nets hiring of the hard-working Kenny Atkinson as their new coach is another positive sign of the franchise trying to change its culture for the better, NetsDaily opines.
If the Wizards intend to maintain their “pace-and-space offense,” they need a playmaker off the bench who’s capable of sinking the long ball and should consider signing Seth Curry, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic.com writes. The Kings combo guard averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 45.9% from the field, including 48.9% from beyond the arc over Sacramento’s last seven contests, Standig notes. Curry, 25, has a player option on his deal for 2016/17 worth $1,015,696.

Pistons Notes: Harris, Motiejunas, Van Gundy

February 21st, 2016 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Executive/coach Stan Van Gundy believes that the addition of Tobias Harris was better than any player the Pistons could have acquired on the free agent market this summer based on the 23-year-old’s talent and contract, John Niyo of The Detroit News writes.

“You’ve got to know who you are,” Van Gundy said. “We’re not at the position yet that with 30 teams having money that we’re gonna be at the top of everybody’s list that’s on the free agent market. So to be able to get good young players who are locked in is the ideal for us.”

The team considered an offer sheet for Harris last July, but since the Magic seemed inclined to match any offer, Detroit didn’t want to tie up its cap space for no reason. The Pistons decided to pursue DeMarre Carroll and Danny Green instead, but they struck out on both with Carroll signing in Toronto and Green re-signing in San Antonio.

Here’s more from Detroit:

Pistons owner Tom Gores understood Donatas Motiejunas‘ back issues and the risk that came with acquiring him, but despite this, he gave Van Gundy the green light to make the deal, Rod Beard of The Detriot News writes. “It’s a calculated risk,” Van Gundy said. “A little more risk, maybe, than some of the other deals we’ve had, but with a very high reward.”
GM Jeff Bower believes Brandon Jennings is going to examine his options in free agency this summer, something that played a factor in dealing him away, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. Bower added that Harris’ contract certainty played a role in the deal as well. Harris will make $16MM this season, $17.2MM during the 2016/17 season, $16MM in 2017/18 and $14.8MM in the final year of the deal.

Central Notes: Drummond, Thompson, Monroe

November 20th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Drummond‘s game has taken another leap this season, and while the challenge for him is to become more consistent, the soon-to-be restricted free agent is impressing many, including Pistons owner Tom Gores, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News examines.

“He’s developing incredibly and I’m not surprised. We knew it from the first time he got on the floor,” Gores said. “He worked so hard this summer to develop some other skills and right now it’s showing on the floor and his character is reflecting on the team. You can talk about it, but then you have to do it. Andre’s doing it and he’s also developing great chemistry among all the players. You can say it or you can do it.”

Gores already referred to Drummond as a “max player” this spring, and with the Pistons and Drummond working in concert when they tabled extension discussions with the idea of allowing the team more cap flexibility in the summer, it doesn’t appear as though the big man’s free agency will carry much suspense. See more from the Central:

Consistency might be the last hurdle for Drummond, but it’s a hallmark for Tristan Thompson, who played his 300th consecutive game Thursday, not counting the preseason games he missed while holding out this fall for his new deal with the Cavs. Thompson’s willingness to always be ready helped endear him to LeBron James, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
The decision to trade Brandon Knight didn’t clear the way for the Bucks to lay a five-year, $70MM contract on Khris Middleton, as Jason Kidd suggested, as much as it gave them the opportunity to sign Greg Monroe, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Milwaukee struggled offensively last season after shedding Knight, but bringing Monroe in as the remedy to that has knocked a hole in the team’s defense, Bontemps points out. Kidd remains confident, chalking the poor play up to the team’s youth, Bontemps notes.
Free agent signee Monta Ellis is bouncing back after a slow start and the remade Pacers roster has the look of a playoff team, even if Indiana isn’t in 50-win territory, opines Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.

Eastern Rumors: Haslem, Pistons, Smart

September 5th, 2015 at 11:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Udonis Haslem is unlikely to be part of the Heat’s rotation this season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel opines. Winderman points out that Hassan Whiteside, Chris Andersen and Amar’e Stoudemire are Miami’s top options at center while Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts should receive a majority of the minutes at power forward. Haslem could see his role expand if the Heat trade either Andersen or McRoberts, Winderman adds. Haslem’s spot on the roster is secure, as he is signed for a guaranteed $2.9MM.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Platinum Equity founder and Pistons owner Tom Gores is buying his firm’s stake in the team, which would give him 100% ownership of the franchise, sources with knowledge of the transaction have informed Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News (story hosted by The Detroit News). Gores, who currently owns 51% of the franchise, is the founder and CEO of the company he’s purchasing the shares from, so his level of control is not likely to change significantly as a result of the deal. The league has already approved the transaction, though it has yet to be officially announced, Soshnick adds.
Celtics point guard Marcus Smart has been named in a lawsuit filed by former Oklahoma State guard Stevie Clark, accusing Smart of “hazing and disrespect,” A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Clark alleges that head coach Travis Ford put him on drugs, without his consent, after he expressed frustration to Ford about the alleged hazing from Smart, Blakely continues. The complaint also names the university, its Board of Regents and Ford, Blakely adds.
The Knicks’ 17-win season in 2014/15 has affected their ticket sales for the upcoming season, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. According to a Madison Square Garden spokesman, season tickets were renewed at an 87% rate, compared to 92% last summer, Berman continues. If the Knicks get off to a poor start, their 201-game sellout streak could be in danger, Berman adds.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this report.