Today's D-League assignments and recalls can be found below, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Rockets have recalled Terrence Jones and Greg Smith from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. The Rockets won't play again until next Wednesday, but the Rio Grande Valley Vipers have an even longer layoff, with their next game coming on February 22nd. While Smith has appeared in just three contests for the Vipers, Jones earned a spot in the D-League's All-Star game, averaging 18.4 PPG and 9.3 RPG in 17 games so far.
We'll round up today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with the latest movement on top of the page.
- Two days after re-assigning him to the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics have recalled Fab Melo, the team announced today in a press release. The rookie big man had six points and five rebounds in his lone game for the Red Claws this weekend.
- Rockets center Greg Smith has been sent to the D-League, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Smith will join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for the first time this season after spending 26 games with the Vipers last year. The 6'10" Smith is averaging 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13.9 minutes with the Rockets this season, but lost his spot in the rotation to Cole Aldrich over the past two games.
- The Bucks have recalled rookie Doron Lamb from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Milwaukee sent him down to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants a week ago, and the 6'4" shooting guard has had mixed results in four games since, going scoreless on Wednesday against Sioux Falls and hitting for 24 points last night versus Iowa. In six D-League games over two separate stints, Lamb is averaging 10.3 points in 25.5 minutes per game. He's put up 3.4 PPG in 12.2 MPG with the Bucks, but hasn't seen action in an NBA contest since January 5th, the final game before Jim Boylan took over for Scott Skiles as coach.
Wednesday afternoon links from around the Association:
Here's the latest out of the Southwest, the only division in the NBA that would send four teams to the playoffs if the season ended today:
Far more attention will be focused on next Sunday's All-Star Game and the competitions the night before, but the D-League also has a major event planned, with its All-Star Game slated for a week from today. Here's the rest of what's going on around the fringes of pro basketball:
- Jordan Hill went down with a knee injury in practice today, and the Rockets have called up center Greg Smith from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League to take his place, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Smith, who was putting up 16.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the Vipers, signed a three-year contract with the Rockets earlier this month. Hill, averaging 5.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG for Houston this year, is expected to be out through the All-Star break.
- Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10", 220-pound forward who the Bulls acquired at the 2011 draft after he was taken 23rd overall by the Rockets, is playing well for Real Madrid. He could wind up being a steal for Chicago, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
The Rockets have officially signed Greg Smith to a three-year contract, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The deal is worth the pro-rated portion of the rookie minimum this season, is partially guaranteed for year two, and has a team option for the third year. The team waived Jeff Adrien to clear a roster spot.
Smith, 21, had averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and a .677 FG% in 18 games for the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season. The Fresno State product, who spent time with the Rockets during training camp, was drawing interest from around the league, Feigen adds.
Feigen first reported that the Rockets had reached an agreement with Smith, while Sam Amick of SI.com added that the deal was expected to be for multiple years.
Congratulations to Paul Pierce, who moved past Larry Bird on the Celtics' list of all-time leading scorers in tonight's win over the Bobcats. Pierce, with 21,797 points, is now second only to John Havlicek, who retired in 1978 with 26,395 points across his 16-year career. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- Suns guard Steve Nash should seek a trade to a contender, opines Eric Koreen the National Post. Nash is a free agent at the end of the season and Phoenix could potentially lose him while getting nothing in return.
- It's possible that the Nuggets could look for some outside help as Danilo Gallinari could miss up to a month with an ankle injury. Gallinari hopes to come back sooner, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
- If his Zalgiris Kaunas squad doesn't qualify for the Euroleague Top 8, then Sonny Weems writes (for HoopsHype) that he'll likely return to the NBA.
- Within his article regarding the Celtics' interest in Pau Gasol, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes that multiple sources say that the J.R. Smith is looking for an opportunity to showcase his talents and be a primary option on offense. This could make teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pacers poor fits for the 25-year-old.
- Veteran point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are going to be in high demand on the open market this summer, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- The timing of Jeff Adrien's release from the Rockets may seem odd, but it was the only way that the club could sign Greg Smith before the center was scooped up by another team, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Adrien pulled down nine rebounds in just 17 minutes of play Monday night against Denver.
