Reggie Evans

McCants Is First Overall Pick In BIG3 Draft

If you had Rashad McCants in your office BIG3 Draft Pool, today is your lucky day. The 32-year-old former Timberwolves guard was the first player drafted in the initial three-on-three league roster draft.

To Kenyon Martin‘s Trilogy the explosive shooting guard goes hoping to replicate the 2007/08 campaign that saw him average 14.9 points per game.

The second overall draft pick was Andre Owens, a now-36-year-old point guard whose NBA resume is limited to two partial seasons with the Jazz and Pacers.

Notable names taken high in the first round include Reggie Evans (third overall), Kwame Brown (fifth overall) and Jerome Williams (sixth overall).

Other notable players taken later include Larry Hughes (14th overall), Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (17th overall) and Ruben Patterson (21st overall).

Worth noting is that several marquee players said to have been available didn’t end up getting drafted, this includes Latrell Sprewell, Steve Francis and Isaiah Rider, among others.

For a complete list of of the draft results, check out the league’s official site.

For a continually updated list of the rosters – including a list of the players who were announced but did not get drafted – check out our own BIG3 player database.

Reggie Evans Still Hoping For Return To NBA

It has been nearly two years since Reggie Evans appeared in an NBA game, but the veteran power forward hasn’t necessarily resigned himself to retirement quite yet. As he tells Mitch Smith of HawkeyeNation.com, Evans would be interested in an NBA opportunity if a team in need of a rebounder and defender came calling.

“I’m still working out and waiting on an opportunity to present itself,” Evans said. “In the meantime, being home has provided me with more time to give back to the community.”

Evans, who will turn 37 in May, played 13 NBA seasons, spending time with seven different teams during that stretch. The Iowa alum averaged 4.1 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 809 career regular season contests, last appearing on the court in April 2015. While his rebounding ability could still appeal to an NBA team, Evans’ lack of a jump shot would be a liability in the modern game, where low-post players have fallen somewhat out of fashion.

Whether or not Evans gets another NBA shot at some point, you might have a chance to watch him play ball this summer. Evans is one of nearly 40 players who is in the draft pool for the BIG3, Ice Cube’s new three-on-three, half-court league which will begin play in June. If he’s selected by one of the BIG3’s eight teams, Evans will compete against other former NBA players for 10 weeks during the NBA’s offseason.

And-Ones: Officiating Changes, BIG3, D-League

David Aldridge of TNT explored changes NBA referees will face in the future, as well as modifications that have already been implemented. One change that has been met with praise, Aldridge writes, is postgame feedback coaches can write regarding a referee’s performance. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called the addition “very valuable,” adding “Constant feedback in essentially real time throughout the season keeps everyone current.” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry concurred: “I have used it, and it’s good to be able to send in comments about the game so quickly.”

The league has also used four (or five) man referee crews at the D-League level, citing the benefits of “having an extra set of eyes on the floor.” Long Island Nets coach Ronald Nored was neutral toward having extra officials.

“It gave us a very open and low-pressure environment to experiment with it,” Nored said. “From a coaching standpoint, to be honest, there was nothing that stuck out in my mind where I would say it was a bad system or there was something negative.”

More from around the game…

  • Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau appreciates the NBA’s efforts to improve officiating. “Ours is a hard game to officiate, it really is,” Thibodeau told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “Our players are so good, it’s hard to see in real time. A lot of it is judgment. … It’s a tough job. We feel the game is in a great place, but you’re always looking for ways to improve the game.”
  • Chris Reichert of The Step Back listed the top prospects still available in the D-League. Reichert excluded prospects still under team control, such as Dakari Johnson and Abdel Nader. Reichert names Pierre Jackson the most “electric” player of the season, and compared Jalen Jones to JaMychal Green of the Grizzlies. Reichert’s #9 pick, Jordan Crawford, was signed to a 10-day contract by the Pelicans today.
  • The BIG3 announced their next round of players set to enter the draft: Josh Childress, Reggie Evans, Larry Hughes, Ivan Johnson, and Brian Scalabrine (press release). Of the recent additions, Evans holds the most recent NBA experience; appearing in 47 games for the 2014/15 Kings. Childress played recent NBA basketball as well, playing four games with the Pelicans in 2013/14.
  • The NBA won’t discipline J.R. Smith for getting into a verbal altercation with Rodney McGruder and Dion Waiters after a recent loss. What’s more, the Cavaliers won’t fine Smith for the post-game incident. Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Smith “took umbrage with a late dunk by McGruder over Channing Frye that McGruder punctuated by pushing Frye in the back.”

Atlantic Notes: Stevens, Brown, Smith, Fredette

The Celtics haven’t had any discussions about filling their open roster spot, coach Brad Stevens said Monday night, according to MassLive’s Jay King. Boston is in no rush to sign anyone to fill the vacancy created when team worked a buyout with David Lee, the coach added, but Stevens nonetheless has an idea of what he’d want in a 15th man.

“I think that we’ll continue to look for versatility,” Stevens said. “And we’ll continue to look for shooting if the right people become available, if we feel like it’s a great fit for our team or if we need them based on injuries or whatever the case may be.”

Boston is reportedly eyeing Reggie Evans, though that appears to be a long shot, at best, and he wouldn’t fit the criteria Stevens laid out, as King notes. See more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Tony Brown knows he’s not going to win much as Nets interim coach, but he thinks that if he can make strides in developing the team’s young players, an effort he believes he can achieve in part through a faster tempo, it’ll help his case for his next job, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. It’s unclear whether Brown has a legitimate chance at staying in the Nets head coaching gig beyond this season. “This is not just an audition for [new Nets GM] Sean [Marks]. A lot of teams are looking to see how I’m doing in this position. It’s a résumé-type deal here,” Brown said.
  • Evaluating whether soon-to-be free agent Ish Smith is worth keeping as the starting point guard is one of the key tasks the Sixers face down the stretch of the season, argues Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, who heard from one rival executive who doubts Smith is any sort of game-changing force.
  • Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis doesn’t seem enthusiastic about the team’s addition of Jimmer Fredette on a 10-day contract, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Eastern Rumors: Frye, Evans, Fredette

Channing Frye realizes he may not get much playing time with the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports. The power forward was acquired in a deadline deal and made his Cleveland debut Monday night, playing nine minutes. “I don’t think they need anything,” Frye told reporters prior to the game. “I think I’m just another option. I like to space the floor and I think I can give guys an opportunity not to get double-teamed. … I know there are All-Stars playing ahead of me so I’m going to have to earn my minutes whenever possible and just be ready.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

  • Veteran power forward Reggie Evans will not be joining the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines (Video link here). The Celtics were reportedly one of the teams interested in signing Evans, who has not played in the league this season. Blakely said that Celtics won’t be filling their open roster spot, created by the release of power forward David Lee, with the 35-year-old Evans. “If you’re thinking you’re going to get that guy, not going to happen,” Blakely said during the team’s pregame broadcast on Monday.
  • Point guard Brandon Jennings admits he’s still not all the way back from the Achilles tendon tear that he suffered last January, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Jennings, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, was traded to the Magic last week along with power forward Ersan Ilyasova while forward Tobias Harris was shipped to the Pistons. “My goal was to get back to that level again — and it still is,” Jennings told Robbins. “So, it’s been a challenging year. Coming off the bench, of course, has been challenging for me. It’s the first time I’ve done it in my career. But I took on the challenge. I’ve accepted it.” The Magic brought in the duo to provide some veteran help to a young nucleus as part of a playoff push, Robbins adds.
  • Interim Knicks coach Kurt Rambis said shooting guard Jimmer Fredette will have to outplay someone over the next 10 days to stay on the roster, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York tweets. Fredette signed a 10-day contract on Monday and played two minutes in the Knicks’ loss to the Raptors on Monday night.

Heat, Rockets, Celtics Eye Reggie Evans

The Heat, Rockets and Celtics have expressed interest in free agent rebounding specialist Reggie Evans, reports Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Evans, 35, has been out of the NBA since his contract with the Kings expired this past summer.

Miami has two open roster spot but is at a disadvantage, since it can’t sign a player before March 6th without creeping back above the luxury tax line. Houston is also poised to open two roster spots, but the Rockets are in limbo as they await more medical exams from the Pistons on Donatas Motiejunas, and the possibility exists that Detroit will void its trade with Houston. The Celtics have only one open roster spot but no mitigating concerns of the sort the Heat and Rockets are dealing with.

Evans, a 13-year veteran, averaged 3.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes across 47 appearances last season. That translates to 14.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, a rate even better than his career 13.3 per-minute mark in that category. He would seemingly be of greatest benefit to the Rockets among the trio of teams Hamilton invokes, since Houston is 24th in rebounding rate, according to NBA.com. The Celtics are 20th while the Heat are ninth, though the uncertain health of Chris Bosh clouds their interior rotation.

Pacific Notes: Hibbert, Crawford, Cousins, Evans

Lakers trade acquisition Roy Hibbert is excited to play for coach Byron Scott, and while he cautioned that he has nothing against Pacers coach Frank Vogel, the center made it clear as he spoke with TNT’s David Aldridge that his preference this summer was to end up on a team with a former player as coach. Hibbert also expressed his unwavering sentiment for Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird, even though Bird strongly signaled to the media this spring that he was ready to move on from the former All-Star.
Larry was very up front with me,” Hibbert said. “He said before the press conference that I can’t promise you minutes next year, and they wanted to go in a different direction. So it wasn’t like what happened came out of nowhere, what he said. I’ll always say that Larry changed my life. I was on the phone with my agent in the office during the [2009] draft process and Larry said ‘If Roy’s there at 17, we’ll take him.’ That meant a lot to me. I know that things change and the NBA is ‘What have you done for me lately?,’ but I could never say a bad thing about Larry or the Pacers organization.”
We had more on Hibbert’s old team earlier today, and now here’s the latest on his new team’s division rivals:

Kings Willing To Trade Nik Stauskas

With Sacramento desperately wanting to upgrade its frontcourt, the Kings are now willing to discuss including their 2014 first round pick Nik Stauskas in a trade, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports. Sacramento wants to pair star center DeMarcus Cousins alongside a frontline player who would complement his skills, Berger notes. The team is seeking either a stretch four or an above-the-rim defender in any deal involving Stauskas, Berger adds.

The Kings have fielded numerous calls about the 21-year-old, who has seen limited playing time in his rookie season thanks to the improving play of the Kings’ 2013 first-rounder, Ben McLemore, Berger reports. Sacramento has thus far declined to deal Stauskas, whom the team selected with the No. 8 overall pick last June. The Nets were reportedly requesting the rookie out of Michigan during their trade talks involving Deron Williams possibly heading west to join Sacramento, but were rebuffed.

Sacramento has forwards Derrick Williams and Reggie Evans, both of whom are on expiring deals, to include in any trade, notes Berger, though there has been no indication that the Kings wish to deal either player just yet. Including either player could allow Sacramento to acquire a player whose salary is in the $10MM-$11MM range, the CBS Sports scribe adds. Jason Thompson is also available to be had in any deal, though Berger notes that any trade involving Thompson is likely to be a separate transaction. The Kings also desire to obtain a wing defender, but that is currently a secondary priority.

In 38 appearances this season, Stauskas is averaging 3.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 14.1 minutes per contest. His shooting numbers are .331/.272/.815.

Kings Trade Thornton To Nets For Terry, Evans

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City ThunderThe Kings and Nets have announced the first trade of the 2014 deadline season, a deal to send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Jason Terry and Reggie EvansDavid Aldridge of TNT first reported the agreement, via Twitter. The deal came together over the last 24 hours or so, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports the first to report that negotiations had become serious. No picks or cash are involved in the transaction, according to Aldridge, though Wojnarowski reported that the teams were discussing making a conditional pick that would go to the Nets a part of the trade. Both teams had room beneath the 15-man roster limit, so no one will have to be released before the trade can become official.

The Nets take on less than $1MM in extra salary as a part of the trade, but that’s compounded because they’re deep into tax territory. The Nets are also willing to take back Jordan Hill from the Lakers, and that would mean the Nets would be in line for a luxury tax payment of about $105MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), and that’s money that would be distributed to non-taxpayers at season’s end. Together with Brooklyn’s roughly $100MM payroll, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend more than $200MM on this year’s team.

Both teams were also in talks with the Cavs about Jarrett Jack, but it appears they instead decided to make a trade of their own. All three players are on guaranteed deals that run through 2014/15. Thornton, the highest-paid player in the deal, earns $8MM this year and is set to receive close to $8.6MM next season. Terry makes about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans will get roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.

The Kings have shown eagerness this season to trade Thornton, their leading scorer from 2011/12. He was involved in multiple reported proposals, including ones to the Cavs and Nuggets. He’s averaging just 8.3 points in 24.4 minutes per game this season, but that includes a 42-point outburst against the Pacers on January 24th.

“Marcus is a proven scorer in this league,” Nets GM Billy King said of the 26-year-old Thornton, in the team’s release. “He is a young talent who will help us in the backcourt.”

Terry, 36, has slumped after signing a three-year contract in 2012 with the Celtics, who traded him to the Nets in the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster this past summer. He’s averaging 4.5 PPG and 16.3 MPG this season, both career lows. Evans, long one of the best per-minute rebounders in the league, is excelling in that category again this season, grabbing 13.4 boards every 36 minutes. He’s nonetheless seen a more than 50% cut in playing time this year for Brooklyn, thanks in part to the presence of Garnett.

“Adding Jason and Reggie provides our roster with toughness and veteran leadership that will help this team continue to grow,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said, in Sacramento’s press release. “They bring a wealth of NBA experience to Sacramento that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on our younger players. We also thank Marcus for his contributions and wish him great success going forward.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings, Nets Near Deal For Thornton, Terry, Evans

12:46pm: The draft compensation being discussed is a future conditional pick to the Nets, Wojnarowski writes.

12:32pm: The teams are indeed discussing draft picks, and they’re haggling over that issue at current, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).

11:45am: There are no picks or cash involved, Wojnarowski tweets.

11:44am: Berger seconds Lloyd’s report that the deal is close, and confirms Evans is still a part of the proposal (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 11:42am: A deal involving Terry and Thornton is nearing completion, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd doesn’t mention Evans, but I presume he remains in the talks.

TUESDAY, 10:44pm: Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report echoes (via Twitter) what Wojnarowski reported earlier, hearing that talks are “heating up” between the two sides, and a deal could happen “soon.”

9:08pm: Sacramento’s discussion with Brooklyn about a move that would see the Kings acquire Terry and Evans in exchange for Thornton have progressed to a “serious stage,” a league source tells Wojnarowski. The Kings are also exploring potential options for Jimmer Fredette, hears Wojnarowski.

2:20pm: The Kings and Nets are discussing a deal that would send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Reggie Evans and Jason Terry, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The talks are concurrent with other conversations the teams are having with several other potential partners, Wojnarowski notes via Twitter. Both teams have been talking to the Cavs about Jarrett Jack.

Multiple reports suggest Sacramento is anxious to trade Thornton, and he’s one of the players the Kings have talked about including in a deal for Jack. Terry has also been linked to Cleveland, but it appears the Cavs have no interest in him. Evans is a newcomer to the chatter.

The Nets would absorb less than $1MM in extra salary via the deal, but that figure would be multiplied, since Brooklyn is deep into the tax. Just how much extra the Nets would have to pay won’t be entirely clear until the end of the season, but it’s likely that any extra money Brooklyn adds at this point will cost them about three or four times as much, because of the tax penalties.

All three are on deals that are fully guaranteed, without player or team options, through 2014/15. Thornton makes about $8MM this year and close to $8.6MM next season. Terry’s take is about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans makes roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.