Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Hawes, Mozgov
DeMar DeRozan will reportedly turn down his player option and become a free agent this summer, but the Raptors shooting guard reiterated to Sportsnet 590 The Fan that he wants to stay in Toronto for the rest of his career (h/t Jeff Simmons of Sportsnet.ca). DeRozan is a native of California, but he’s only played for the Raptors. The Nets and Lakers both reportedly have interest in him.
“That’s one you thing you can never question: my loyalty to the city,” DeRozan said. “How much I really love and appreciate the team and the organization. I think all the fans understand that. A lot of times they don’t understand how contracts or things like that.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Center Spencer Hawes, whom the Hornets acquired in a June trade with the Clippers for Lance Stephenson, acknowledged his situation with Los Angeles appeared to be a good fit in theory, but can’t quite put his finger on why it didn’t work out well, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com details. “Sometimes, situations just don’t work out the way you draw it up on paper,” said Hawes, who added he was surprised by the deal.
- It would make little sense for the Cavs to trade center Timofey Mozgov, despite his recent struggles and even if moving him could save between $15-20MM in tax penalties, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal argues. Mozgov is a bargain because he is making close to $5MM and it would be difficult for the Cavs to find another serviceable center on the market, Lloyd writes. The Cavs are obviously all-in for this season and do not have any inclination of moving Mozgov, Lloyd surmises.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Lee, DeRozan, Lopez
With the addition of Elton Brand, which led to the release of Christian Wood, the Sixers are no longer the youngest team in the league by average age, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes in a piece that dissects the team’s moves since the hiring of Jerry Colangelo. The youngest team in the league may be the Bucks, but Philadelphia still has several inexperienced players in need of minutes. Jahlil Okafor, whom we examined as a trade candidate, has seen his playing time decreased of late, as he is averaging just 21.6 minutes per game over his last five.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Boston’s need for a go-to scorer, coupled with its logjam in the frontcourt, makes it obvious that a trade is necessary, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet Northeast opines. The scribe names DeMar DeRozan as a player to watch, adding that if the Raptors get a feel that he is going to walk in the offseason, they could be inclined to move him in order to get something in return. The Celtics have several young prospects on the roster and they could potentially have four first-round picks in the 2016 draft, which puts the team in a good position should a marquee player become available on the trade market.
- The team has been open to moving David Lee for most of his time as a Celtic, which makes asking for a trade something that won’t do the big man any good, Blakely opines in the same piece.
- The Nets own a 10-26 record, which is good for second worst in the Eastern Conference. Still, Brook Lopez has no regrets about signing his three-year, $60MM-plus deal with Brooklyn over the summer, Andy Vasquez of The Record writes. “No, no, no. I’m happy to be here,” Lopez said. “Time and time again I’ve said I wanted to see something built here, I see a special opportunity, a great situation to be in.”
Atlantic Notes: Turner, Raptors Picks, Holmes
A strong case can be made that soon-to-be free agent Evan Turner was the most valuable player on the Celtics last season, and his raw numbers don’t show his value the way advanced metrics do, particularly regarding his defense, contends Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Turner, whom the Nets are reportedly fond of as a potential free agent target, has a habit of making eye-catching statements, as Forsberg details. Still, he appeared genuine when he spoke Thursday of his affection for coach Brad Stevens, who’s away from the Celtics to tend to a player he coached at Butler University who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, notes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
“That guy’s lucky to be able to have coach; guys that played for him are lucky to be able to have a coach like that,” Turner said, referring to Stevens’ willingness to leave the Celtics to be with his ex-player in a moment of need. “It just speaks volumes, and I’m blown away by it. I’m lucky to play for him. That says a lot about his character, and obviously it puts him in a higher stature than I already have him.”
See more on the Celtics amid our look around the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge understands the frustration that some of the team’s players are going through as they deal with a lack of playing time on a deep roster, as he explained to Bulpett for a separate piece. David Lee spoke up this week about his dissatisfaction with his removal from the rotation.
- The Raptors have one extra first-round pick in each of the next two drafts, and a source who spoke with Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun indicated that the Raptors don’t plan to add four rookies to the roster in the next two years, a signal that the club will trade one or more of those picks. However, the Raptors aren’t willing to make those selections available for cheap, and multiple other sources told Wolstat that the team would be unlikely to swap one of the picks for a stopgap player on a short-term deal. The team strongly prefers to keep its picks through the end of the season because of the rising value of rookie deals around the league, Wolstat adds.
- Richaun Holmes looks like a find for the Sixers, as his athleticism, his performance in the pick-and-roll, and his shot-blocking have been impressive despite his shortcomings as a defensive rebounder, observes Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. Philadelphia has Holmes, the 37th pick in last year’s draft, on a four-year deal worth about $4.2MM. Holmes, whose stock surged during the lead-up to the draft, spoke with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors in April.
Lakers Have Longstanding Interest In DeRozan
The Lakers appear poised to become one of the teams to make a play for DeMar DeRozan in free agency this summer, given their long-held interest in the native of nearby Compton, California, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Speculation that DeRozan would seek to play close to home has existed for quite some time, and it’s not surprising that the Lakers, who’ve struggled to field competitive rosters the past few years, would want to add a 26-year-old who’s currently the NBA’s 11th-leading scorer at 22.6 points per game. A source close to DeRozan who spoke recently with Brian Lewis of the New York Post confirmed the widely held assumption that the shooting guard will turn down his player option of slightly more than $10MM for next season, and the Nets are also expected to pursue him in free agency this summer.
Still, despite DeRozan’s ties to Southern California, he’s also fond of Toronto and has shown no hesitation to express his affection for the city and the Raptors organization. The source who spoke to Lewis cited DeRozan’s loyalty to the Raptors, and with next month’s All-Star Game set for Toronto, DeRozan again paid homage Thursday to the only NBA city he’s ever represented, as Wolstat points out.
“I think I’m just excited for being in Toronto and people really getting a chance to see what Toronto is like,” DeRozan said. “The city, the culture, really, to put us on the main stage and let this city get the credit that it deserves that I feel like it never got.”
The Raptors have close to $70MM in guaranteed salary committed for next season against a projected $89MM cap, and they have fellow wing players DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross signed to long-term deals, but they hold DeRozan’s Bird rights and can exceed the cap to re-sign him. DeRozan won’t necessarily be the No. 1 priority for the Lakers, with the team no doubt eager to make a pitch to Kevin Durant, this summer’s top free agent prize. DeRozan is No. 8 in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
The rising salary cap and the impending retirement of Kobe Bryant, which will allow the Lakers to remove his massive $26.25MM cap hold from the books next summer, will help give them no shortage of flexibility to sign multiple marquee free agents in the offseason. They have only about $23MM in guaranteed salary, not counting a $3.135MM player option for Brandon Bass and cap holds much smaller than Bryant’s. DeRozan will be eligible for a max deal with a salary of a projected $24.9MM for next season.
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Battier, Smart
Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony‘s willingness to reduce his role in the offense shows that he trusts in his teammates to execute, which is a major step forward from the Melo of last season, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays. “I probably wouldn’t have been at ease because I was the guy who always had to go out there and score 30, score 40 points to even have a chance to win the basketball game,” Anthony said of his willingness to shoot less. “Now, with the makeup of this team, I don’t really have to do that. I feel a lot more comfortable now with … letting somebody else have a breakout game and letting other guys get involved [to] get their confidence up. I feel more comfortable with that now.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Retired forward Shane Battier met with members of the Sixers today, Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com relays (via Twitter). Battier has a relationship with GM Sam Hinkie that goes back to their time spent together in Houston, and all indications are that the team was merely meeting with him to pick his brain, not to discuss a potential contract, Bodner adds.
- Despite their offseason focus on improving defensively, the Raptors are struggling on that end of the court, and the issue goes beyond the loss of DeMarre Carroll to injury, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun writes. “We’ve got guys that have been here with us, that should know the defensive schemes, that do know the defensive schemes,” coach Dwane Casey said. “We’re trying to get guys back in, [but] health and injuries are part of this league,” he continued. “All those are excuses. Next man up, everybody wants an opportunity, that’s what it’s all about. One guy goes down, the next guy has to take up the slack.”
- Celtics point guard Marcus Smart is rounding back into form after missing time with a leg injury, and his recent play has sparked the team on the defensive end, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
Eastern Notes: Mozgov, Lee, Ujiri
Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov has seen himself go from a starter to a reserve this season, which has multiple teams inquiring about his availability via trade, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relays. Cleveland has not expressed any desire to move the center publicly, but the team’s daunting luxury tax bill, as well as Mozgov’s pending free agency, could eventually persuade the team to deal him, Spears adds. The 29-year-old has appeared in 30 games for the Cavaliers this season, including 25 as a starter, and he is averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per night.
Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:
- Wesley Matthews “badly wanted” this past summer to sign with the Raptors, who had mutual interest, but the thought of signing a player still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon was too much for the Raptors to bear, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange writes. That led Toronto to DeMarre Carroll, who’s since suffered injuries of his own, though GM Masai Ujiri played hardball, telling Carroll when he met with him that the team’s offer would come off the table if he didn’t commit before the end of the meeting. Carroll, of course, ended up signing with the Raptors for $58MM over four years. It’s much too early to say the Carroll signing was a mistake, but his injury illustrates how even seemingly safe choices carry risk, leaving the Raptors in limbo, Grange argues.
- Ujiri said he was “torn” before he made the decision to turn down a “great offer” to stay with the Nuggets to become Raptors GM in the summer of 2013, calling Denver team president Josh Kroenke “like a brother” in an appearance on “The Vertical” podcast with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (audio link at 21:30 mark). “It haunts you for a long time,” Ujiri said. “I know I made the right decision, but sometimes I don’t know if I failed with loyalty there.” Still, the lure of the Raptors, whom Ujiri called a top-three organization in the league, proved too strong.
- David Lee chose his words carefully as he expressed frustration and disagreement to reporters about the decision Celtics coach Brad Stevens made to take him out of the rotation, making it clear that he still respects the coach and hadn’t requested a trade, as MassLive’s Jay King relays. Still, Lee said that his lack of playing time is more frustrating this year than it was in Golden State last year. The Celtics are already reportedly making him available in trade talk.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nets Eye DeMar DeRozan, Who’ll Opt Out
The Nets are expected to make DeMar DeRozan one of their primary targets in free agency this summer, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post, who hears from a source close to DeRozan that he’ll turn down the player option for next season on his contract with the Raptors. However, DeRozan feels the Raptors have treated him well, and he has an uncommon loyalty, Lewis’ source cautioned. The Aaron Goodwin client has spoken about his loyalty in the past, saying at the start of camp this fall that he takes pride in being the longest-tenured player on the Raptors roster.
It’s no surprise to hear that DeRozan plans to opt out, since his option is worth only slightly more than $10MM and the 26-year-old is the NBA’s 11th leading scorer this season, averaging 22.6 points per game. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com wrote this summer that early indications were that he’d opt out. DeRozan is eligible for a maximum salary of a projected $24.9MM next season, and turning down the option would make him part of a relatively thin 2016 free agent class just as the NBA’s salary cap is set to surge, leaving teams with plenty of cash to burn. The Nets have only about $45MM in guaranteed salary committed for 2016/17 against a projected $89MM cap.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are the only Nets wing players with fully guaranteed salaries for next season, and the Nets, at 10-25, could use a major upgrade. Brooklyn, which doesn’t have much at the point guard position, either, is reportedly likely to make Mike Conley its top free agent target, though DeRozan, No. 8 in our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, probably wouldn’t be far behind. The Raptors have wing players DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross signed to long-term deals, but they’d surely be loath to watch DeRozan bolt, especially to another Eastern Conference team.
Where do you think DeRozan will be playing next season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Latest On DeMarre Carroll Injury
8:52am: Plantar fasciitis and scarring from previous issues, combined with the right knee surgery, are fueling “murmurs” around the league that Carroll might be done for the rest of the season, but the Raptors have a quiet confidence that he’ll be back before season’s end, Wolstat explains in a full piece.
2:16pm: Carroll definitely won’t play this month or next, and the hope is that he returns in late March or April, Wolstat tweets. Eight weeks, the outer limit of the preliminary timetable reported by Grange and Arthur, as well as Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (Twitter link), would put Carroll back in late February.
1:29pm: One initial estimate places Carroll out six to eight weeks, as Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star hears (Twitter link), so that largely jibes with Grange’s report of an eight-week timeframe.
WEDNESDAY, 11:59am: Early indications are that DeMarre Carroll will miss the next eight weeks, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange (Twitter link), after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this morning. “Mixed signals” exist on whether Carroll will play again for the Raptors this season, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, in the wake of the team’s announcement of Carroll’s procedure. Point guard Kyle Lowry insists Carroll will not miss the rest of the season, Wolstat notes in the same tweet, though the team didn’t release a timetable. Coach Dwane Casey said it will be a lengthy absence, though the hope is that Carroll, Toronto’s highest-paid player, will return for the postseason, Wolstat relays (on Twitter).
Toronto signed Carroll to a surprisingly lucrative four-year, $58MM deal in the offseason, though he had plenty of other suitors after a breakout campaign with the Hawks last season. The Raptors are eligible to apply for a disabled player exception between now and January 15th that would be worth the equivalent of the $5.464MM mid-level exception, but they’d only get approval for it if the league determines he’s likely to miss the rest of the season. The team doesn’t have much roster flexibility anyway, since it has 15 players signed to 15 fully guaranteed contracts. Carroll’s injury is the only long-term ailment the team is dealing with, so a hardship exception for a 16th man isn’t in play.
Carroll missed the stretch run of Sunday’s game against the Bulls because of a minutes restriction for what the team had called a knee bruise, and he missed Monday’s game entirely because of the injury, as Wolstat detailed in a full piece. He’s dealt with minor ailments throughout the season, though he’s still managed to make an impact, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca wrote this week, and he’s clearly an integral part of the Raptors, who are tied with the Hawks at 21-15 for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Casey said he’ll give James Johnson, who’s playing in the final season of his contract, the first chance at the starting small forward job over Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year extension this past fall and whom Carroll displaced from the starting lineup at the beginning of the season, Wolstat tweets. Still, that’s subject to change, Casey said, with power forwards Anthony Bennett and Patrick Patterson candidates to shift to the three, according to Wolstat.
Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Nets, Jefferson, Curry
Coach Dwane Casey isn’t quite sure why DeMar DeRozan has been playing better of late, but the Raptors nonetheless believe his improved shooting and overall play are sustainable, based on an uptick that dates back to this past March, observes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. DeRozan has a player option worth slightly more than $10MM for next season, but it seems a near-certainty that he’ll decline it and hit free agency in the summer. See more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Nets CEO Brett Yormark spoke about the need for the team to play better in an interview with Crain’s New York Business, and while his remarks weren’t particularly substantive, they demonstrate a continued increase in Yormark’s basketball chatter, NetsDaily points out (Twitter link). Yormark, if given basketball decision-making power, would like to offer “everything under the sun” to bring John Calipari back to the Nets, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post wrote in a chat last week (hat tip to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops). However, owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to make CSKA Moscow team president Andrey Vatutin the next Brooklyn GM, with current GM Billy King‘s contract up after the season, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reported earlier today.
- Al Jefferson‘s history of injuries juxtaposed against a rising salary cap suggest that the Hornets face a difficult choice as they ponder whether to re-sign him in free agency this summer, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
- Stephen Curry has no shortage of affection for Charlotte, where he grew up, but a multitude of reasons that extend even beyond his idyllic basketball situation with the Warriors convince Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that Curry won’t give the Hornets a second thought when he hits free agency in 2017.
DeAndre Daniels Joining Raptors D-League Team
The D-League affiliate of the Raptors has acquired DeAndre Daniels, whom Toronto selected 37th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, a source tells Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link). NBA teams are allowed to bring draftees directly onto the rosters of their D-League teams without them being subject to the D-League’s waiver system. The small forward from the University of Connecticut spent last season, when the Raptors didn’t have a one-to-one D-League affiliate, playing for the Perth Wildcats in Australia.
The Raptors weren’t ruling out the idea of adding Daniels to the NBA roster for this season, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reported in June, but the small forward has instead remained unsigned since suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot during preparations for summer league in July. His numbers in Australia last season weren’t overwhelming, as he averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game with 34.1% 3-point shooting.
Toronto is also adding four-year NBA veteran center Greg Smith to its D-League roster, as Reichert also reports and as we detail here. Daniels, who turns 24 in April, isn’t allowed to sign with any NBA team other than the Raptors, unlike Smith and most of his soon-to-be D-League teammates, since Toronto still owns his NBA draft rights. The Raptors don’t have much flexibility on their NBA roster, with 15 fully guaranteed contracts, so it appears Daniels has a lengthy D-League stay ahead of him.