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Hawks plan to keep Lou Williams in bench role

The Hawks plan to bring Lou Williams off the bench once he returns from ACL surgery next season, according to USA Today's Lang Greene.

Jeff Teague will reprise his starting PG role next year, and Williams' sixth-man status is an acknowledgement that he's not big enough (6'1", 175 lbs) to defend the league's starting SGs. The market for free agent SGs has quickly dried up (Nate Robinson, Alan Anderson, Damien Wilkins and Sam Young are among the best remaining), and at the moment it seems as though John Jenkins or Jared Cunningham could be candidates for Atlanta's starting SG job.

Source: Lang Greene on Twitter

Sat, Jul 13, 2013 08:42:00 PM

Carmelo Anthony does not opt out of contract

Carmelo Anthony has informed Oklahoma City that he will not exercise his early termination option and has opted into the final year of his contract.

It was a no-brainer for Melo. He'll stay in OKC and earn $27.9 million in 2018-19. Last season, he became the first player since 2015-16 to attempt at least 15 shots a night, yet shot below 41 percent from the floor. Had Anthony elected to enter free agency, he would have had to take a massive pay cut.

Source: Shams Charania on Twitter

Jun 23 - 12:42 PM

Vlade says Marvin Bagley could play some SF

General manager Vlade Divac said Marvin Bagley III could eventually play some small forward.

To be clear, he's not expected to play the three much or in the short term, but the Kings believe he could play there when he game develops. Bagley is athletic enough to play the three, but there will be limitless concerns about how he'll fair on defense. The Kings have a lot of frontcourt players, so maybe this is an option to help others get minutes. Either way, Bagley is a decent bet to lead the team is scoring in his rookie year.

Source: Sacramento Bee

Jun 22 - 7:49 PM

Markelle Fultz working with Drew Hanlen

Markelle Fultz has been working with shooting coach Drew Hanlen in Los Angeles.

Earlier today, coach Brett Brown said the 76ers coaches are going to take an "elementary" approach to reclaim Fultz's shot the summer, but Fultz is already getting a start on it with outside help. Hanlen has worked with a litany of NBA players like Bradley Beal and more recently Mo Bamba. After Fultz had the yips last year, all parties involved in his on-court life seem to know that his improvement starts and ends with his jump shot.

Source: Drew Hanlen on Twitter

Jun 22 - 7:02 PM

Wilson Chandler will exercise player option

Wilson Chandler will exercise his player option for next season.

It's a $12.8 million decision for Chandler, so it wasn't a tough call for the 31-year-old forward in what should be a tight free agency for spending. Chandler has bounced back nicely from missing the entire 2015-16 season with a only 19 games missed over the last two seasons combined, including 71 stars last year. He'll still be 32 years old and likely will be looking for one more big contract next summer.

Source: Chris Haynes on Twitter

Jun 22 - 6:22 PM

Jaren Jackson expected to help in short term

General manager Chris Wallace said he thinks Jaren Jackson Jr. will help in the short term.

Of course, the Grizzlies love his long-term outlook the most and Wallace called JJJ "a young colt that's growing into his body." Wallace talked a lot about how they like his offense, but clearly they like his defense the most. Wallace called him a "defensive menace" for how he can switch on smaller players, and it sounds like the expectation is that he'll be blocking shots. The sense around the team is Jackson Jr. going to get 20 minutes from the jump, so maybe he can come out and make an impact right away. He's must-see TV in Vegas.

Source: Fox Sports Grizzlies on Twitter

Jun 22 - 5:38 PM

Mikal Bridges could play some power forward

General manager Ryan McDonough hinted that Mikal Bridges could play a lot of power forward.

The GM said that all four of his draftees play different positions, which is noteworthy because of how No. 59 pick George King was a straight SF. The Suns threw in an expensive piece with the 2021 unprotected first to move from 16 to 10, and McDonough also said his team tried to trade up to 7-10 to get Bridges. For what it's worth, he said the 76ers "reengaged" his team when Zhaire Smith fell to 16, so that's how the deal got done. Bridges is a classic 3-and-D player and he is almost a lock to at least get a rotation spot. This is bad news for Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender.

Jun 22 - 5:15 PM

Igor: Elie Okobo can be an elite point guard

Coach Igor Kokoskov said Elie Okobo can be an "elite point guard" in the NBA.

Okobo was a little sloppy with the ball in France and some thought he might be better on the wing, but the Suns sound fully committed he'll be at the one. General manager Ryan McDonough said the Suns had Elie Okobo "a lot higher than 31." Kokoskov said Okobo's speed jumped out when they were scouting him, which also ties into how the Suns want to push the pace next season. The team also said he vastly improved over the last six months, so Okobo is a name to remember this summer.

Jun 22 - 4:51 PM

Igor: Deandre Ayton can be an elite defender

Coach Igor Kokoskov said he thinks Deandre Ayton can be an "elite defender" in the NBA.

Ayton was also asked about Joel Embiid's tweet saying the rookie doesn't play defense, but Ayton said he didn't think about responding to it. Kokoskov talked about energy a bunch and said Ayton is a talent that he hasn't seen in decades. The coach said he wants him to be a rim protector and that he has versatility in space. Ayton himself said the Suns can "run all day" with Devin Booker and the pace, so maybe the Suns can improve on their 30th ranked offense. He's in a fantastic system for his skillset, so Ayton comes in with sky-high upside.

Jun 22 - 4:40 PM

Carlisle suggests Luka Doncic could play PF

Coach Rick Carlisle suggested he is open to playing Luka Doncic at the four in some matchups.

"Him playing four is gonna be a problem for teams to match up with," Carlisle said. Oh boy. Doncic absolutely has the height to guard small-ball fours at 6'8", and the main concern with him is weight gain at 230 pounds. If Doncic plays the four, that means he has four possible avenues for minutes on a team without much depth on the wing, so his floor and ceiling get a noteworthy bump with this quote. He's unlike any prospect we've ever seen and he justifiably will cost a pretty penny in draft season.

Source: Bobby Karalla on Twitter

Jun 22 - 3:39 PM

David Fizdale says Kevin Knox could start

Coach David Fizdale said he could see Kevin Knox as a starter for the Knicks.

"Yeah, I’m looking at our roster right now, absolutely," Fizdale said about Knox starting. The coach did mention that Knox could be an option at the three because the Knicks don't have enough size at that position. Plus, they're also going to be really thin at the four, so Knox finds himself in an excellent spot to see minutes from day one. He's on the radar as a late-round pick in fantasy.

Source: Steve Popper on Twitter

Jun 22 - 3:34 PM

Luka Doncic unlikely to play in summer league

Luka Doncic is unlikely to play in the Las Vegas summer league.

As disappointing as this news is for the summer-league lifers, it's kind of expected. The Mavs don't want to overwork Doncic after his lengthy run in EuroLeague and the ACB. The Mavs obviously believe in Doncic after they threw in a top-five protected pick to move up two spots and he's not your typical rookie, so he should have ample opportunity on his new team. Doncic is worth a pick near 50 in redrafts and maybe the top 30 in dynasty.

Source: Tim MacMahon on Twitter

Jun 22 - 2:39 PM