Victor Oladipo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Hill, Burks, Oladipo, Wolves

December 28th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

George Hill, who has been sidelined with a toe injury, could return as soon as Thursday against the Sixers, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). The Jazz traded for Hill during the offseason, but the point guard has only been able to play in 11 contests due to injuries.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Alec Burks is making strides toward getting back on the court and the Jazz are excited to have the shooting guard back at practice, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. This week was the first time Burks practiced since breaking his ankle last season.
Victor Oladipo remains out of the lineup, but the Thunder are viewing his absence as an opportunity to evaluate the team’s depth, as Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman passes along. “We’ve found maybe different things that we can do that maybe we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to explore, to experiment with,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Hopefully when he gets back, his absence has made us better and helped our team grow in a way that we can continue to move in a positive direction.”
Jordan Hill hasn’t played much since joining the Wolves, but he remains optimistic about his role in the organization and the team’s future, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune writes. “In a couple years, man, I feel this team will definitely be a surprise,” Hill said.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is having trouble finding minutes for Brandon Rush, whom the Wolves signed in the offseason, Youngblood relays in the same piece. “It’s tough to play 10 guys,” Thibodeau said. “We’re settled in a rotation right now. But that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. He’s a good pro, works hard every day.”

Injury Notes: Nance, Nowitzki, Parsons, Oladipo

December 21st, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has a bone bruise in his left knee and will be out indefinitely, the team announced on its website. He suffered the injury Tuesday in Charlotte. Nance had an MRI today to confirm the injury, but further results were limited because of swelling. He will be re-evaluated Sunday, and the Lakers plan to issue an update on availability after that examination. Nance has played in 28 of the team’s 31 games this season, all off the bench.

There’s more injury news from around the NBA:

Dirk Nowitzki won’t play tonight, but the Mavericks hope to have him back soon, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki is almost fully recovered from a strained right Achilles and could play Friday against the Clippers or Monday against the Pelicans. “I’ll probably get a good workout tonight and see how it responds,” Nowitzki said. “I’ll probably get my first practice [Thursday] and see how it feels, basically go from day to day. It’s been encouraging. It hasn’t gotten worse from some of the stuff we’ve been doing. Hopefully, I’ll be out there soon.”
Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons is active for tonight’s game with the Pistons, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Parsons, who was still recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee when the season started, has appeared in just six games. He suffered a bone bruise on his left knee shortly after returning.
Thunder guard Victor Oladipo says his injured right wrist is improving, but he will sit out his fifth straight game tonight, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Despite his optimism, coach Billy Donovan said there has been “no change at all in terms of what he can and can’t do” since suffering the injury in a December 11th game. “He is getting better,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to come across like he’s not. There is improvement there, but it’s not at a point where he can do enough in terms of catching, passing, shooting, playing right now.”
Back tightness forced Hawks center Dwight Howard to sit out tonight for the second straight game, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a lot better than it was a couple days ago,” Howard said. “It continues to get better.” Howard, who signed a three-year, $70.5MM deal with the Hawks in July, has had back issues before. In 2014/15, back and knee problems limited him to 41 games with the Rockets.
The Jazz expect to have point guard George Hill back in the lineup soon, although it may not happen until next week, report Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hill went through an intense workout Tuesday as he tries to overcome a sprained toe that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
Wizards center Ian Mahinmi had platelet-rich plasma treatments on both knees this morning, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Knee problems have limited him to just one game after signing a four-year, $64MM contract this summer.

Victor Oladipo Won’t Require Surgery

December 20th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Victor Oladipo injured his right wrist when he took a hard fall to the court during the Thunder’s December 11 game against Boston, and hasn’t played since then, with the team losing three of its four games in his absence. According to head coach Billy Donovan, Oladipo still “can’t do anything with his right hand right now,” but he won’t need to go under the knife to fix the problem, per Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.

“Based on the MRI he went through, based on our medical team consulting with the doctor, there’s no need for surgery,” Donovan said. “He’s got swelling. He’s got discomfort. He has a lack of mobility. He has pain when he’s in certain positions. … My understanding is that if he really forces this thing and tries to come back too fast, it could be something that’s going to be prolonged.”

As the Thunder wait for one of their primary backcourt playmakers to get healthy, they also may getting closer to welcoming back another. A weekend report indicated that Cameron Payne, who has yet to make his 2016/17 debut due to a broken foot, has a chance to return before the end of the calendar year, perhaps on December 29 against his hometown Grizzlies. However, Donovan responded to that report by telling reporters, including Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman, that there’s still no specific timetable for Payne’s return.

“I’ve not heard [that Payne will debut on December 29] or anything else like that, and I know that our medical staff wouldn’t do that, because there’s steps that he has to go through in order ever to be cleared to play,” Donovan said on Sunday, per Dawson. “He’s at a point where he’s doing more. Certainly he’s feeling fine. I think that the recovery and rehabilitation is going well. There’s been no setbacks to where we want him to be.”

With Oladipo and Payne out of the lineup, the Thunder have been leaning even more heavily on Russell Westbrook, who poured in 46 points on Monday night after recording a triple-double with 22 assists on Saturday.

Northwest Notes: Thibodeau, Lucas, Oladipo, Blazers

December 17th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Managing expectations is one of the challenges Tom Thibodeau faces in his first year as coach of the Timberwolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Many observers thought Minnesota was poised to become playoff contender with a proven coach joining forces with young stars Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine. But the Wolves have started slow, winning just seven of their first 25 games, and Thibodeau keeps reminding them to ignore outside influences. “Those are all projections,” he said. “Sometimes they’re high and sometimes they’re low. The thing is not to get wrapped up in that and to understand where you are and the improvement you have to make. Also, every year is different. Teams change. Personnel changes on every team and you have to understand what goes into winning.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Veteran Wolves guard John Lucas III is squaring off against his father tonight for the first time in his NBA career, notes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Lucas III earned a roster spot in Minnesota in the preseason, while the elder Lucas serves as head of player development for the Rockets.“It’s good to see him being back doing the thing he loves to do, being around the game. He’s enjoying it. I like seeing him back out there, passing on his knowledge,” Lucas III said.
The Thunder’s only plan regarding Victor Oladipo‘s injury is to re-evaluate him every day, according to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Oladipo hasn’t played since suffering a wrist sprain Sunday, and no timetable has been set for his return. “I think a lot of times people want to know when he’s gonna be back, and to be honest with you, we don’t know,” said coach Billy Donovan. “I’m not saying he’s gonna be out for months. I’m not saying weeks or days. But I think what happens is, if you say, ‘He’s gonna be back this day’ and he’s not, people start to draw conclusions.”
The Trail Blazers need to turn some of their frontcourt surplus into a swingman who can play defense or a big man who can score, writes Josh Martin of Bleacher Report. He mentions Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis, Noah Vonleh and Meyers Leonard as possible trade candidates.

Thunder Notes: Donovan On Adams, Oladipo

November 22nd, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Steven Adams is struggling this season and Erik Horne of The Oklahoman examines what is causing the lack of production. Horne believes that the Thunder’s lack of perimeter shooting is clogging the lane, which severely hurts the team’s pick-and-roll offense. Adams enjoyed great spacing last season with Durant drawing away defenders, but this season, defenders are having an easier time denying passing lanes without having to worry about defending one of the league’s best shooters on the wing.

Adams, who signed a four-year, $100MM extension with the team prior to the season, has been playing with an injured hand recently, but he downplayed the injury after a disappointing game against Houston last week. “It was just that I sucked pretty much,” Adams said. “That’s what the bottom line is.”

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Coach Billy Donovan believes the disappointment in Adams’ play comes as a result of outlandish expectations, Horne relays in the same piece. “For people to say ‘this is the expectation, he’s gonna be a 16 [points] and 10 [rebounds] guy’ now when that’s not who he’s ever been, we need Steven to be who Steven’s always been,” Donovan said. “When he does that, it really impacts our team.” Adams is averaging 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Thunder this season.
New addition Victor Oladipo has been the team’s back-up point guard with Semaj Christon missing action because of a concussion and the Thunder are impressed with his play, Horne writes in a separate piece. “The last few games, the results have been really positive for him,” Donovan said. Oladipo signed four-year, $84MM extension with the team last month.

Thunder Rumors: Westbrook, Gay, Oladipo, Griffin

November 17th, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of another huge performance by Russell Westbrook on Wednesday night, which culminated in a game-clinching dunk over Clint Capela, ESPN’s Zach Lowe takes a closer look at the Thunder as they adjust to life without Kevin Durant. As Lowe details, the extension Westbrook signed earlier this year quieted trade speculation surrounding the star point guard for the time being, but the deal only added one extra year to his contract. If things go south in Oklahoma City and teams start calling again about Westbrook, the Thunder may have to “hold their noses and test the market,” since they can’t afford to lose another superstar for nothing, Lowe writes.

Here are a few more interesting tidbits of note from Lowe:

The Thunder continue to have interest in adding a bigger wing to their roster, and Rudy Gay is among their potential targets, Lowe reports. Acquiring such a player would allow some of the members of the Thunder to move to more natural positions.
One of those players who would be affected by an incoming wing is Victor Oladipo. The former Magic guard has started every game so far for the Thunder, but Lowe indicates that the team acquired him with the intention of making him a sixth man, in a role similar to the one James Harden once played in OKC. Trading for Gay or another wing would give the club the flexibility to shift Oladipo to the bench.
Several sources tell Lowe that there is “no sign” that Blake Griffin has any interest in coming home and signing with the Thunder as a free agent next summer, despite reports from earlier this year that OKC had its eye on him. Of course, after extending Oladipo and Steven Adams, the Thunder aren’t expected to have any cap room in 2017 anyway, even if they were to move Enes Kanter‘s contract.
The Thunder remain on the lookout for “incremental” roster moves, like the trade in which they acquired Jerami Grant. However, Lowe believes they’d have enough pieces to make a bigger move – perhaps for a player like Gay – when Cameron Payne gets healthy, if they want to.

Northwest Notes: Oladipo, Ibaka, Jokic, Turner

November 13th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Oladipo has no regrets about the trade that sent him from Orlando to Oklahoma City, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Oladipo, who will face his former team for the first time tonight, not only landed with a contender, but he signed a four-year, $84MM extension last month. He is off to a good start in OKC, averaging 16.2 points per game and shooting 42% from 3-point range. “I was a little shocked at first,” Oladipo said of hearing about the deal. “But after it all soaked in, I was excited and looking forward to the opportunity. I’m glad where I am. Sometimes change is good.”

Serge Ibaka, who went to the Magic in the Oladipo deal, is looking forward to tonight’s return to Oklahoma City, relays John Denton of NBA.com. Ibaka spent seven years in OKC and helped the Thunder become one of the top teams in the Western Conference. He offered thanks to the fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “They gave me a lot of confidence,’’ Ibaka said. “Great things always have tough beginnings. It never starts great [and goes] to great. Big things come from small beginnings, so I have a lot of appreciation for those fans because my first year nobody knew who I was. But they gave me that trust and that’s one of the things I’m always going to appreciate them for.’’
Nuggets coach Michael Malone credits Nikola Jokic for being willing to accept a reserve role to help make the team better, according to Harrison Wind of BSNDenver. Malone tried juggling his lineup as Denver fell to 3-6 Saturday, starting Kenneth Faried and moving Jokic to the bench. “Nikola Jokic is probably the most selfless player on our team,” Malone said. “He’s a guy that even came to me, says ‘Coach I don’t want to start anymore. I just want to win.’ He’s one of the few guys on our team, that if I can pull him out of the starting lineup, he’s not going to be upset and pout. And I give him a lot of credit and respect for that.”
Evan Turner is feeling the frustration of his slow start in Portland, relays Jason Quick of CSNNW. The Trail Blazers gave Turner a four-year, $70MM deal this summer to add backcourt depth and another ballhandler. However, he is playing less than 24 minutes per game and averaging 6.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per night. He has 20 turnovers to go with 24 assists and appears bothered by his lack of playing time. “What can you possibly do?’’ Turner asked after Friday’s game. “When you get three shots and play 27 minutes … that’s not a knock, because we have the best guards in the league, but I mean, what can I possibly do besides be accountable to defense, take care of the ball, rebound, and play the floor? Where I just came from, I had the ball in my hands tons of times to make plays.’’

Contract Details: Farmar, Jenkins, Hunter, Zeller

November 3rd, 2016 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

While the exact terms of Jordan Farmar‘s new deal with the Kings aren’t known, it’s expected to be a short-term pact, with Darren Collison due back from his suspension three games from now. Assuming it’s a non-guaranteed contract, Farmar will make a per-day salary worth about $8,300, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets. And if Farmar ends up being waived when Collison is eligible to return, the deal will result in a modest cap hit of $66K for Sacramento.

Here are a few more contract and cap details from around the NBA:

The Suns had already pushed back John Jenkins‘ guarantee date once this year, and the 25-year-old consented to having that date postponed again, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Per Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, Jenkins’ salary now won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10, the league-wide deadline.
Although Marks’ salary page for the Bulls had previously indicated that R.J. Hunter‘s deal with the team was a guaranteed one-year pact – as we noted on Wednesday – The Vertical’s cap expert has updated the terms of that contract. According to Marks, it’s a two-year, minimum salary deal with a partial guarantee of $425K in year one.
According to Pincus, Cody Zeller‘s new four-year extension with the Hornets will start at $12.5MM next year and has a four-year value of $55.625MM.
Pincus also has the details on the new extensions for Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo of the Thunder. Adams’ contract increases in salary each year and is worth exactly $100MM overall, while Oladipo’s deal has a cap hit of $21MM in each of its four seasons.

Thunder Notes: Grant, Westbrook, Durant, Oladipo

November 2nd, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jerami Grant may be the new guy in the Thunder locker room, but he has a lot of connections already, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Grant has been friends with guard Victor Oladipo since middle school, and he played for Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan for two years on the Under-19 USA Basketball team. Grant, who was traded from Philadelphia to OKC on Tuesday, is familiar with the area because his father, Harvey, played college ball at Oklahoma. “I love the state. I love the city,” Jerami Grant said. “I definitely have a good feel for the area.”

There’s more out of Oklahoma City:

The strong personalities of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were destined to doom their relationship, Horne contends in a separate piece. The former teammates will meet for the first time Thursday night when the Thunder travel to Golden State to face Durant’s new team. Many observers felt it was a slight when Durant sent a text to Westbrook to inform him that he was signing with the Warriors, and they haven’t discussed the situation since Durant announced his decision. “We’ve been together eight years,” Westbrook said. “You don’t throw that away. Obviously, he’s now with a new team. But we definitely will talk. Eventually. But, obviously, now we haven’t.”
There was little opportunity cost to giving extensions to Steven Adams and Oladipo, writes Michael Pina of Real GM. The deals cost OKC about $184MM, but the Thunder weren’t in position to get two better players at that price. The team needs to stay competitive to keep Westbrook from leaving in free agency in two years, so it made sense to spend the money to keep two important players in place. The only downside is that Oklahoma City can’t chase elite free agents next summer.
Giving $84MM to a player like Oladipo is the kind of deal that can backfire, warns Real GM’s Colin McGowan. Oladipo is a shooting guard without a dependable 3-point shot, McGowan writes, and he could create salary cap problems in Oklahoma City if he can’t blend his game with Westbrook’s.

Contract Details: Dieng, Gobert, Kelly, Hunter

November 2nd, 2016 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Gorgui Dieng‘s four-year extension with the Timberwolves, reported to be worth $64MM, will actually count against the team’s cap for $62.8MM over four years starting in 2017/18, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details. Dieng’s new contract, which currently puts him on track to be the second-highest-paid player on the team next year – behind Ricky Rubio – will start at about $14.112MM before eventually increasing to $17.288MM in the fourth and final year.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert‘s four-year extension with the Jazz has a base value of $90MM, but will count against the cap for a total of $94MM over four years, since it includes $4MM in likely incentives. The deal, which starts at about $21.225MM next year, according to Pincus, contains another $8MM in unlikely incentives, per reports, meaning it could max out at $102MM overall.

Here are a few more contract details from across the NBA:

Ryan Kelly, who re-signed with the Hawks on Monday, got a two-year deal from the team, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical. It’s a non-guaranteed, minimum salary contract for Kelly, so he likely won’t be assured of a roster spot through January 10.
Marks also has the details on R.J. Hunter‘s new pact with the Bulls, indicating that the ex-Celtic got a fully guaranteed salary from Chicago. However, it’s just a one-year, minimum salary deal for Hunter.
According to Marks, Victor Oladipo‘s four-year, $84MM extension with the Thunder also features $1MM total in unlikely incentives — $250K per year.