Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Victor Claver To Play In Russia

March 1st, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Chuck Myron

SUNDAY, 8:45am: Khimki Moscow confirms that it has signed Claver through the end of the season.

FRIDAY, 10:45am: Former Trail Blazers forward Victor Claver will sign with Russia’s Khimki Moscow, agent Arn Tellem tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Chema de Lucas of Gigantes Del Basket reported earlier today that the deal was close. He’ll replace Joffrey Lauvergne, who left the club a few weeks ago to sign a three-year deal with the Nuggets, Lucas writes. Coincidentally, Claver passed through the hands of the Nuggets last week, having gone to Denver in the Arron Afflalo trade before Denver released him this past weekend. Claver’s new deal runs until season’s end, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia, though it’s unclear if it includes an NBA escape clause (Twitter link).

It’s somewhat surprising to see the 26-year-old head to Moscow, since he was reportedly prioritizing an NBA deal, even if it had to be a 10-day contract, and it appeared too late in the season for him to head back to Europe, where he’d made his mark before joining Portland in 2012. Still, there were rumors dating back to last season that a return overseas was a distinct possibility, though Claver said in late 2013 that he wasn’t thinking about going back to Europe. Earlier this season, he denied a report that he had requested a trade from the Blazers. Portland cut his playing time from 16.6 minutes per game as a rookie to 7.6 MPG this season.

The Blazers made Claver the 22nd overall pick of the 2009 draft, but he remained overseas for three years before signing. He’s drawing an NBA salary of $1.37MM this season, a figure that sticks on Denver’s books, though the Nuggets could recoup some of that through set-off rights if by chance Claver’s Russian deal gives him more than $816,482.

Western Notes: Blazers, Rondo, Thunder

February 28th, 2015 at 12:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Trail Blazers, who have an empty roster spot, are more likely to sign a younger player who they could possibly develop for a role off the bench next season than bring in a veteran, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. There are a few NBA D-League players who Portland could target, including Seth Curry and Glen Rice Jr., or the team may look to ink Jordan Hamilton if the Clippers don’t sign him for the remainder of the season, Young notes. Hamilton was recently inked to his first 10-day contract of the season with Los Angeles.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Despite his recent one game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team that resulted from a dust up with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, Rajon Rondo is committed to helping Dallas to contend for a title this season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com writes. “I’m going to do what’s best for the team and play my heart out for these next 22 games we have left, and [help] make a run in the playoffs,” Rondo said. “We’ve moved forward and our team has moved forward, and we’ve got a game to look forward to tomorrow. You know, I’m playing with some great players, with the addition of Amar’e [Stoudemire] now, and I think we’ve got a great chance to win a championship. So, that’s my main focus. I’m going to continue to work to get better and do what’s best to lead this team.”
The veteran point guard also said that he and the team both want to achieve the same goals, Sneed relays (Twitter link). “I’ve talked to pretty much everybody in the organization, and everyone is pretty much on the same page,” Rondo said.
The trades that Thunder GM Sam Presti made this season will help the team not only in 2014/15, but in the summer of 2016 when Kevin Durant becomes a free agent, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes. The depth that Presti has added should make the team more competitive, which will in turn make the franchise harder to walk away from for Durant, Powell opines. The Slim Reaper is enthusiastic about the Thunder’s mid-season moves, Powell adds. “It shows how great our organization is,” Durant said. “You keep getting talent after talent and keep rolling them in there like that. It shows we’ve got a great eye for talent.“

Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Plumlee, Towns

February 27th, 2015 at 6:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Thomas Robinson is pleased to be a member of the struggling Sixers despite Philadelphia’s waiver claim that prevented him from joining the Nets, who currently hold the No. 8 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, on a 10-day contract, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes. “I was happy because the Sixers made it clear that they wanted me here,” Robinson said. “At the end of the day, I’m happy.” The forward is also glad to have the opportunity to garner playing time after failing to play in 21 of the 53 contests that he was with the Blazers this season, Tokito adds. “I’m going to play basketball,” Robinson said. “Let everything happen on its own. I’m not going to try to force nothing. I’m going to find my way to get comfortable. And then after that, everything will take care of itself.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown said that Robinson will have a chance to make his case for the team to re-sign him long-term, Tokito relays. “He fits all the things we like when we identify keepers. It’s a look that we couldn’t pass up,” Brown said. “He’s not going to have a better environment to have a legitimate chance to be a legitimate NBA player.“
The Nets‘ acquisition of Thaddeus Young has impacted the playing time of Mason Plumlee, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “Time comes from playing well,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “He just hasn’t played well in a couple games. He can’t worry about Brook [Lopez] or not playing. He just has to go out there and play. That’s the game. You have to go play, and he’s the starter and I have no plans of changing that, and he’s just got to play better.”
Duke’s Jahlil Okafor is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft according to NBA scouts, but the Knicks may be better served to select Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns if given the choice, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Though Okafor is more polished than Towns, scouts told Zagoria that the Kentucky big man’s superior athleticism and ability to stretch the floor on offense make him an intriguing prospect who could end up being the most talented in this year’s draft.

And-Ones: Rondo, Towns, Rivers

February 25th, 2015 at 10:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rajon Rondo was suspended for one game by the Mavs for conduct detrimental to the team, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The point guard and coach Rick Carlisle had a verbal altercation on the court that led to Rondo being benched in Dallas’ game against Toronto on Tuesday. The argument continued inside the Mavs’ locker room after that game, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Rondo becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and it’s unknown if his friction with Carlisle will impact the veteran’s decision on possibly re-signing with Dallas.

In other news around the league:

University of Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns is threatening to surpass Duke big man Jahlil Okafor as the No. 1 pick in the June draft, according to draft expert Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Towns is more athletic, a better defender and a superior shot-blocker compared to Okafor, in Ford’s evaluation, and some NBA GMs that Ford interviewed believe that Towns is the better long-term prospect.
Doc Rivers, who is the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, has been a failure as an executive, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Rivers has not found an adequate backup at small forward behind Matt Barnes, secured a rotation player in the draft or fortified his bench, Bolch contends. Rivers’ inability to re-sign Darren Collison and his commitment to Spencer Hawes, whom he signed to a four-year contract during the off-season, are examples of his shortcomings as an executive, Bolch adds. Hawes is averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds this season, a reflection of his minimal impact.
The Heat sent $369K to the Pelicans to complete the Norris Cole side of the deal which brought Goran Dragic to Miami, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The Heat also gave the Suns $2.2MM in that same trade.
Victor Claver could wind up with Spanish power Real Madrid, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Any Liga ACB team seeking his services must negotiate with Valencia, which owns his rights, Pick added in a separate tweet. The 26-year-old forward played in 10 games with the Trail Blazers this season before he was acquired by the Nuggets last week. Claver was subsequently waived by Denver.

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Barton, Nelson

February 25th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Garnett called the Timberwolves the only team for which he would have waived his no-trade clause this year, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes amid his story on Garnett’s welcome-home press conference Tuesday. The 20th-year veteran also indicated his belief that he can overcome any hard feelings toward Wolves owner Glen Taylor that stem from Garnett’s parting with the franchise in 2007.

“You know what, throughout time, I’ve understood that you have to forgive and forget,” Garnett said. “I obviously won’t forget certain things, but it’s time to move on. … Glen and I always had an understanding. I wouldn’t have come back if the relationship was to the point where it’s not reachable. I’m looking forward to this opportunity and I’m embracing this change.”

Taylor was absent from the press conference, but it was a simple scheduling conflict, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Here’s more on a few Northwest Division players who recently relocated:

Will Barton relishes his increased minutes since the deadline trade that sent him from Portland to Denver, and Brian Shaw is impressed with the shooting guard who reminds the Nuggets coach of Corey Brewer, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. Barton is poised for restricted free agency this summer.
Jameer Nelson likes being in Denver and playing for a Nuggets team that he believes wants him around after he was part of two trades in less than a month, as he tells Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. Several teams had reportedly hoped that he and Denver would do a buyout deal, but Denver would apparently like to keep him not just for this season but for next year, too. Nelson has a player option worth nearly $2.855MM.
Arron Afflalo‘s relationship with Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey predates last week’s trade that sent Afflalo to Portland, and the shooting guard already had ties to some of his new Blazer teammates, too, as fellow Basketball Insiders scribe Alex Kennedy points out. Afflalo also has a player option for next season, worth $7.75MM.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Clark, Garnett

February 24th, 2015 at 8:13pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers waiver claim of Thomas Robinson will drop the Nuggets to approximately $2.6MM beneath the NBA’s salary floor, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). This means that Denver would have to pay its players the difference between their team salary and the league’s minimum amount if the team doesn’t raise its payroll above the salary floor prior to the end of the season.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz have assigned Ian Clark to the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Clark’s first trek of the season to Idaho.
At the press conference welcoming Kevin Garnett back to the Wolves, Garnett discussed what led him to waive his no trade clause so that he could return to Minnesota, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets. Garnett said, “I figured if LeBron James can go home, [expletive], why can’t I?“
Garnett relayed that he had no desire to become a coach when his playing career was over, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun tweets. “Heeeeell no. A coach is what I won’t be … you can’t pay me enough to coach,” Garnett said.
The veteran big man says that he is in it for the long haul with the Wolves, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press relays (Twitter link). Garnett says he wants to become part of Minnesota’s ownership and help the team claim an NBA title.
Garnett declined to commit to playing beyond this season, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter link). KG said that he would listen to what his body tells him and seek his family’s input before deciding his future, Kyler adds.
The Blazers‘ Steve Blake said that he plans to exercise his player option for 2015/16 worth $2,170,465, and that he is hoping to play another “year or two” after that, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. “I’ve thought about it for sure,” said Blake of retirement. “I know I’m in the back stretch, that’s why it’s so important for us to be so good. I want a championship really bad and I’m hoping we can get to that level. I only have a few years left to try and get it.”

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Mitchell, Claver, Kanter

February 23rd, 2015 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets’ Jason Terry believes Kevin Garnett will make an immediate impact with the Wolves, reports Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Garnett, a star with Minnesota for more than a decade, was reacquired Thursday in a trade deadline deal. He may not see much playing time, but he is expected to have a strong influence over the Wolves’ young players. “He will infuse discipline right away,” said Terry, who teamed with Garnett with both the Celtics and Nets. “Guys will come in and they are going to be expected to be professional at all times and I think learning from KG the last two seasons in Brooklyn and in Boston, I learned how to be a better leader myself, even in my 16th year in the league.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Some expect that Timberwolves assistant coach Sam Mitchell will succeed Flip Saunders as Minnesota’s head coach, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Mitchell reportedly interviewed for the head job last summer.
After a week that saw him get both traded and waived, Victor Claver got some advice from a former teammate on the Spanish national team, the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol, writes Jabari Young of CSNNW.com. Claver was part of a five-player deal on Thursday that sent him from the Blazers to the Nuggets, but on Sunday he was waived by Denver. “He needed a change from [Portland]” Gasol said. “I don’t think he expected to get waived from Denver, but that’s part of the game.” Gasol’s advice was to stay aggressive and look for an opening where he can fit in. One possibility for Claver is a return to the Euroleague, where he played before coming to Portland.
Enes Kanter gives the Thunder the inside scoring presence they’ve needed for years, writes Dave Leonardis of Bleacher Report. Kanter came to Oklahoma City from the Jazz in a three-team deal just before last Thursday’s deadline. Kanter was inserted into the starting lineup and delivered two straight double-doubles in wins over the Hornets and Nuggets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Aldridge’s Latest: Thunder, Lopez, Jackson

February 23rd, 2015 at 2:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder aren’t making moves simply out of fear that Kevin Durant will jump ship in 2016 and Russell Westbrook will follow suit the next year, a league source tells TNT’s David Aldridge for his Morning Tip column on NBA.com. Still, it’s been an active season for GM Sam Presti, who went over the tax line to acquire Dion Waiters and stayed above it after Thursday’s swap that sent out Reggie Jackson and brought in Enes Kanter. Aldridge has much more in his column, and we’ll hit the highlights, many of which are Thunder-related:

The Thunder let the Nets know they wouldn’t do the proposed Jackson/Brook Lopez trade just 15 minutes before the deadline, Aldridge reports. The Nets likely would have dealt Jarrett Jack to the Wizards if they’d done that deal, Aldridge adds.
The concern that Arron Afflalo would turn down his player option and hit the open market dissuaded the Thunder from trading for him, as Aldridge explains.
The Rockets preferred Goran Dragic to Jackson and the Celtics weren’t willing to trade young players for the then-Thunder guard, Aldridge writes.
The Thunder didn’t have plans to re-sign Kendrick Perkins in the summer even before they traded him at the deadline, according to Aldridge.

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Wolves, Blazers

February 22nd, 2015 at 5:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Garnett is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Wolves this offseason and during his new contract, Garnett and Wolves President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders are expected to try and form a group to buy the team from owner Glen Taylor, writes Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. During his 20 seasons in the NBA, Garnett has amassed more than $325MM in salaries alone while Saunders has made an estimated $40MM during his 17 seasons as an NBA coach.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Garnett will have his greatest impact on the Wolves during practices, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. Anthony Bennett and Adreian Payne seem likely to benefit the most from having the veteran around. “Those two, they’ll be able to take more on the court from KG,” assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. “The things he does, the little nuances he knows, they’ll see the ultimate professional.”
New addition Arron Afflalo was ecstatic about the trade that sent him to Blazers, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The shooting guard believes the Blazers have a real chance to “contend for a championship.” The team believes both Afflalo and Alonzo Gee can help boost its bench unit. “Both guys have been in the league long enough that they know what teams do, it’s just a matter of understanding how we do things,” coach Terry Stotts said. “There will be some time to find a comfort zone, but … I think I have a good feel for who they are as players and what they can do. There’ll be a learning curve for all of us, but hopefully the system that we play fits what they do and they’ll flourish in it.”
Alonzo Gee hopes to make his impact on defense with the Blazers, writes Jabari Young of CSNNW.com. Gee, who has a reputation of being one of the more underrated defenders in the league, admits he will be move motivated playing for a team that has championship goals. “It does change how you look at every game,” Gee said. “Every game counts. You got to go out and try you best to help the team out as well.”

Nuggets Waive Thomas Robinson

February 22nd, 2015 at 3:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SUNDAY, 3:41pm: The Nuggets announced that they have waived Robinson.

THURSDAY, 8:33pm: Robinson and the Nuggets have reached a verbal agreement on a buyout, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.

4:14pm: Thomas Robinson may not be a member of the Nuggets for very long. The player’s representatives are going to seek to reach a buyout arrangement with Denver, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com reports (Twitter link). The young forward out of Kansas was acquired by the Nuggets as part of the deal that sent Arron Afflalo to the Trail Blazers. Denver also received Will Barton, Victor Claver, a second-rounder, and a future lottery-protected first-round pick in the transaction.

The 6’10” forward is making $3,678,360 this season, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. It’s unclear just how much of his salary Robinson is willing to give back in a buyout. But with Kenneth Faried currently entrenched as the starting power forward, and the Nuggets in full-rebuilding mode, Robinson may prefer to seek out a contending team in need of an athletic big man, though that is just my speculation.

In 32 appearances for the Blazers this season, Robinson has contributed 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 12.2 minutes per contest. His career numbers since becoming the No. 5 overall pick back in 2012 are 4.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. Robinson’s career slash line is .462/.000/.523.