Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Rumors: Batum, Lamb, Clifford

June 27th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Hornet Nicolas Batum can expect an expanded role in Charlotte, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Batum, who was acquired from the Blazers Wednesday in exchange for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh, was a third or fourth option in Portland. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford plans to start Batum at shooting guard and run the offense through him, similar to how Hedo Turkoglu once operated when Clifford was an assistant coach in Orlando. “I know my role is going to be different and I like that,” Batum said. “I know I can do a lot of things on the court; I’m a very versatile player. So me and Kemba [Walker] can do great things together.” Batum has one year left on his contract at nearly $11.9MM and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

There’s more news from Charlotte:

Jeremy Lamb is ready for a “fresh start” with the Hornets, writes Pat James of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets acquired Lamb from Oklahoma City in a draft-day trade as part of an effort to improve their league-worst three-point shooting. The three-year veteran, who is now with his third team, says Charlotte is a good place for him to showcase his skills. “It gives me an opportunity to try to get a role and just play,” Lamb said. “I’m going to make the most of it. I’m just going to work hard and try my best to put myself in a position to play and have a role on this team.” Still on his rookie deal, Lamb is under the Hornets’ control through the 2016/17 season.
Clifford thinks the Hornets are much improved after a week that brought three trades and a lottery pick, according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press. In addition to the deals that added Batum and Lamb, Charlotte acquired Spencer Hawes from the Clippers and drafted Frank Kaminsky at No. 9. Clifford said the moves brought “more size, skill and versatility” to the Hornets.
The Hornets’ priorities in free agency will be finding a third point guard and possibly another shooter, Bonnell tweets. He adds that it’s not certain Bismack Biyombo will receive a qualifying offer. This week’s trades added $5MM to the Hornets payroll. (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sullinger, Tokoto

June 27th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Members of the Knicks’ front office were involved in trade discussions with the Magic, Suns, and Celtics in the hours leading up to Thursday night’s NBA Draft, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Boston discussed a package that included multiple draft picks and Jared Sullinger with New York, and Phoenix also spoke with members of the Knicks about a trade involving Eric Bledsoe in the hours leading up to the draft, Begley adds. Team president Phil Jackson said the Knicks had talked to teams about potential offers but all the offers were contingent on which players were selected ahead of them, the ESPN scribe notes. “Those things fell the way they did. We had what we wanted and we went with it,” Jackson said.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks coach Derek Fisher indicated that finding frontcourt help will be a priority once the free agent signing period begins, Begley also relays. “I don’t think it’s any secret we need to get some size up front, and I think that’ll be a big focus for us,” Fisher said. Potential targets include DeAndre Jordan, David West, Omer Asik, Greg Monroe, and Marc Gasol, Begley adds.
In addition to a pair of second round draft picks, the Nets also sent $880K to the Hornets as part of the deal to acquire the rights to Argentinian small forward Juan Vaulet, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily tweets. Brooklyn doesn’t intend for Vaulet to play in the NBA next season, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter).
According to multiple sources, the Sixers nabbed North Carolina swingman J.P. Tokoto with the No. 58 overall pick with the understanding that he would either play in the D-League or overseas next season, Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers reports (Twitter links). Tokoto will have the chance to compete for a roster spot, but told Philly he would be open to being stashed during the 2015/16 campaign, Fischer adds.
The Greivis Vasquez trade allowed the Raptors to generate a $6.4MM trade exception, since they gave him up without taking back any salary in return, notes Pincus (on Twitter), though with Toronto possessing only about $42.4MM in guaranteed salary for next season, it seems there’s a fair chance they’ll dip under the cap after the July Moratorium and renounce the exception.
The Nets could have created a $1,357,080 trade exception for Mason Plumlee if they decided to use their $2,339,131 Kevin Garnett trade exception to absorb Steve Blake, as Pincus presumes they’ve done (Twitter link). That would knock the Garnett exception down to $982,051. Alternatively, they could have taken Blake into the $3,326,235 Andrei Kirilenko exception and reduced its value to $1,969,155, a move the Nets might have preferred because the Kirilenko exception expires more than two months sooner than the Garnett exception does. The trade meanwhile allowed the Blazers to create an exception worth the $719,920 difference between the salaries of Blake and Plumlee, though that exception would vanish if they go under the cap, as they may well do if LaMarcus Aldridge ends up elsewhere.
The tiny $355,016 leftover portion of the trade exception that the Knicks generated in last year’s Tyson Chandler trade has expired. New York used the bulk of what was once a $3,637,073 exception to acquire Alexey Shved at the trade deadline. The Tim Hardaway Jr. trade afforded the Knicks the chance to create a new $1,250,640 exception for his salary, as we noted, though that will disappear if the Knicks dip below the cap next month, as expected.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Looney, Koponen, Plumlee

June 27th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Trail Blazers were extremely high on Arizona swingman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but could not pass on adding a starting-caliber player like Mason Plumlee, whom the team acquired from the Nets in exchange for Hollis Jefferson and Steve Blake, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. “We really like Rondae. He’s a terrific young player,” Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said. “But we just felt like, based on some of the moves we have to make [and] some of the uncertainly regarding some of our unrestricted free agents, the opportunity to get a dynamic young center that’s a little bit more accomplished, that we know we can put on the floor this fall, that can help you win games but still has a tremendous upside because of his age and his athleticism, it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The NBA is proceeding with a plan to seed playoff teams one through eight in each conference regardless of division starting with 2015/16, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
The reason that talented UCLA forward Kevon Looney lasted until the Warriors nabbed him with the 30th overall pick is that he was red-flagged with a degenerative back as well as a hip issue, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets. Looney may require surgery at some point in his career as a result, Givony adds.
There’s only a 10% chance that Finnish guard Petteri Koponen signs with the Mavericks this offseason, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays (on Twitter). Dallas holds the rights to Koponen, who was selected with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Blazers Acquire Rights To Daniel Diez

June 26th, 2015 at 12:40am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 12:40am: Utah receives cash, according to the formal announcement from the Blazers.

THURSDAY, 11:09pm: The Jazz are sending the rights to the No. 54 pick, Spanish small forward Daniel Diez, to the Blazers, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear what Utah is getting in return.

Blazers Acquire Mason Plumlee

June 26th, 2015 at 12:17am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 12:17am: The trade is official, the both teams announced.

“We are very excited to add Rondae to our roster,” Nets GM Billy King said in a press release. “He is the type of athletic wing we were looking for, and we felt he was the best defensive player in the draft. I also wanted to thank Mason for his time with the Nets and wish him the best with his new team. Mason worked extremely hard from the first time he stepped on the court in training camp last year, and I am sure he will have a long and successful career.”

Technically, Hollis-Jefferson won’t formally join Brooklyn’s roster until he signs, though that should be merely a procedural step.

THURSDAY, 10:41am: The Blazers will acquire Mason Plumlee and the rights to Notre Dame shooting guard Pat Connaughton, who is the 41st overall pick, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. They’ll send the rights to No. 23 pick Rondae-Hollis Jefferson and Steve Blake to the Nets, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links).

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

In Plumlee, the Blazers land a solid replacement should forward LaMarcus Aldridge leave Portland as is anticipated. Brooklyn was reportedly seeking a lottery pick in exchange for the 25-year-old former first rounder, so the team’s return could be considered a disappointment. While Plumlee isn’t in Aldridge’s class ability-wise, he certainly has the talent to step in as an immediate starter. He appeared in all 82 games for Brooklyn last season, averaging 8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 21.3 minutes per night. His shooting numbers were .573/.000/.495. Plumlee is set to earn $1,415,520 next season, and his deal carries a team option worth $2,328,530 for 2016/17.

Connaughton, 22, is an exceptional athlete who possesses good shooting range. He appeared in 139 career games while at Notre Dame, averaging 10.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. His career slash line was .450/.386/.777. He was the 58th best prospect in this year’s draft according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

As for the Nets, they land Hollis-Jefferson, who is arguably the best defender in the entire draft, though there are serious concerns about his outside shot. He is a similar player to the Hornets’ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in skillset. Last season at Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 11.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG, with a slash line of .502/.207/.707.

In Blake, the Nets obtain a veteran point guard who can provide depth off the bench. The 35-year-old is entering the last year of his current deal, and is set to earn $2,170,465 in 2015/16. He appeared in 81 games last season, his most since the 2007/08 season, averaging 4.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 3.6 APG. Blake made 35.2% of his shots from beyond the arc, but only sank 37.3% of his field goal attempts overall.

LaMarcus Aldridge Tells Blazers He’s Leaving?

June 26th, 2015 at 12:09am CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 12:09am: Blazers GM Neil Olshey denies having heard from Aldridge that he’ll sign elsewhere, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman relays. “I hung up with LaMarcus a half-hour ago … he was as bemused by the report as I was,” Olshey said.

THURSDAY, 3:48pm: Rumors have been piling up in recent days indicating that LaMarcus Aldridge will be leaving the Blazers this summer in free agency. Apparently, the Blazers now understand this to be fact. The multiple time All-Star has informed the Blazers that he will not return to them, a Western Conference executive with knowledge of the situation told Erik Gundersen of The Columbian.

Aldridge, 30 in July, has made four consecutive All-Star game appearances over the last four years. Despite his stellar play, he has yet to reach the Western Conference Finals with Portland. The Spurs, Lakers, Knicks, and Mavs have all been heavily connected to the big man and the Hawks and Cavs were mentioned as possibilities by Marc Stein and Chris Broussard of ESPN.com earlier today. Teams, meanwhile, are reportedly grumbling that the allure of the Spurs will be hard to beat for anyone chasing Aldridge. The always ambitious Rockets are also going to try to get in the mix for Aldridge, as well as Cleveland forward Kevin Love.

One league executive told Gundersen that the trade of forward Nicolas Batum looked like “a rebuilding move,” and league sources say that the Blazers are “not done” dealing. On Wednesday, Batum was shipped to the Hornets in exchange for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson. Batum had a weak season, appearing in 71 contests and averaging 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. However, his work prior to last season was more impressive.

Blazers, Nets In Talks About Hollis-Jefferson

June 25th, 2015 at 9:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Blazers and Nets are discussing a potential deal involving the rights to No. 23 pick Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. However, Portland is enamored with the small forward from Arizona, so it’s unclear if the team is willing to give him up.

Nets GM Billy King has made his desire to move up from pick No. 29 quite clear, and has reportedly been dangling Mason Plumlee and exploring trades involving Bojan Bogdanovic. Still, either would represent a larger cap hit than Hollis-Jefferson would for the Blazers, who have their eyes set on free agency with LaMarcus Aldridge reportedly ready to bolt.

And-Ones: Batum, Warriors, Sixers, Clippers

June 25th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves will be on the clock just one hour from now. While we wait with eager anticipation, here’s the latest from around the league:

The Pistons expressed interest in Nicolas Batum before he was shipped from the Blazers to the Hornets, a person with knowledge of the team’s inner workings told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Therefore, Ellis expects that Detroit will target a small forward in the mold of Batum in the draft.
While the Warriors would like to move up from No. 30 in the first round, that doesn’t seem likely right now, David Aldridge of TNT tweets.
Tom Moore of Calkins Media (on Twitter) hears that the players union didn’t like the Sixers trading for JaVale McGee at the deadline. That acquisition cost existing Sixers players money since the team had needed to spend more in order to reach the NBA salary floor. The players association is reportedly probing the moves the Sixers have made of late for possible circumvention of collective bargaining agreement tenets.
The Clippers still attempting to purchase a first-round pick, as Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter) hears.
Brandon Jennings expects he’ll be ready for training camp after having suffered a season-ending torn Achilles this past January, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

Latest On LaMarcus Aldridge

June 25th, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday morning, we learned that the Rockets are planning on getting in the mix for LaMarcus Aldridge this summer, as well as Kevin Love. Of course, Houston will not be alone in that pursuit. Aldridge is reportedly becoming increasingly fond of the Lakers and many other clubs are getting ready to make a play for the four-time All-Star. Here’s the very latest on Aldridge..

A source close to Aldridge told ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Broussard that he’s as good as gone from Portland. “He’s gone,” a source close to Aldridge said. “There’s a 99.9 percent chance that he’s out of Portland.” The duo says Aldridge is thinking about signing with the Hawks, which adds him to the list with the Spurs, Lakers, Knicks, and Mavs. The Cavs, they say, are a longshot team. Aldridge to Cleveland would likely mean a sign-and-trade involving Kevin Love.

Earlier updates:

As the Blazers‘ fear of losing Aldridge grows, they’re working to use the No. 23 pick in the draft to acquire a big man either to help replace him or to bolster the frontcourt around him, Jake Fischer of SI Now tweets. There was talk of the Blazers and Sixers discussing a trade that would send the No. 23 pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the 35th and 37th picks (and perhaps more), but Fischer (link) hears the Blazers are interested in using the No. 23 pick to acquire an established big man, not get more picks.
Teams are already preparing to line up for Aldridge, but several execs have begrudgingly acknowledged to Chris Mannix of SI (on Twitter) that the Spurs will be tough to beat.
Jabari Young of CSNNW (on Twitter) hears that Aldridge wants to live in a more diverse area.

Western Rumors: Lakers, Russell, Warriors

June 25th, 2015 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

League sources tell Jake Fischer of SI (on Twitter) that the Lakers were always going to select whoever was available between Karl Towns and Jahlil Okafor at No. 2. The guards they worked out, like D’Angelo Russell, were only brought in as a smokescreen, according to those sources. However, with so much talk about Russell being the pick at No. 2 today, it’s hard to say what their intentions are. Here’s more from the West on one of the NBA calendar’s craziest days..

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter) heard that one team’s asking price to take David Lee‘s contract off the Warriors‘ hands was Harrison Barnes and the No. 30 pick. As Thompson writes, Warriors management probably laughed that offer off.
At this stage, the Warriors are not working to move Lee’s contract, Jake Fischer of SI tweets. At this point, their looking to move up in the first round, though it’s not clear who their target is. The Warriors own the No. 30 pick in the draft.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak will have the final say on what the team does with the pick, assuming they keep it, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, who spoke with a person familiar with the situation. The GM will receive input from team executive Jim Buss, Lakers scouting director Jesse Buss, and other scouts, but the last call will be his.
The Timberwolves are looking to acquire an additional first-round pick, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
The Rockets have had trade discussions with the Timberwolves, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Houston likes Ricky Rubio, but Wolfson says that it’s hard to see a match there. However, if the Wolves do move to No. 18, Tyus Jones is probably atop their target list (link). Meanwhile, there have been no talks yet between the Wolves and Mavs, who own the No. 21 pick (link).
The Blazers have internally discussed options to grab Kristaps Porzingis since his ASM pro day, Jake Fischer of SI tweets.