Central Notes: Jennings, Ellis, Bucks

Brandon Jennings plans to return to the lineup for the Pistons on December 29th in a game against the Knicks in New York, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link), but Jennings said Wednesday that an 80% chance exists that he plays on D-League assignment first, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has appeared to publicly encourage Jennings to accept a D-League assignment, which would require both Jennings and the union to consent because he has more than two years of experience, but the point guard appears willing.

“I don’t care. I just want to play, man. I just want to get out there and hoop and see where it’s at,” Jennings said, according to Ellis.

A D-League trip for Jennings would represent the fifth time this season that a veteran player and the union have given the OK to a D-League trip. That happened with three Sixers, as I noted earlier this month, and this past weekend with Jeremy Evans of the Mavericks. See more from the Central Division:

• Pacers free agent signee Monta Ellis is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, he told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, and he and assistant coach Nate McMillan are confident he’ll start playing better as the season goes on, as Buckner details. Head coach Frank Vogel believes the struggles of Ellis are a result of adjusting to a new role, not his advancing age, Buckner adds.
• Bucks coach Jason Kidd said he spoke with Greg Monroe, Khris Middleton, O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee, all of whom showed up in TMZ Sports videos depicting them in a Los Angeles strip club late at night before the team’s loss to the Lakers this week, relays Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said he didn’t think their partying was a contributing factor to the loss, but, coincidentally or otherwise, the Bucks are reportedly the likely trade destination for veteran leader Caron Butler.
• Bucks preseason cut Marcus Landry has signed with San Sebastián Gipuzkoa of Spain, a source told international journalist David Pick. Radio Marca Donostia first reported the signing would take place (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).