Eastern Notes: Babb, Onuaku, LeBron
Chris Babb‘s 10-day contract ends on Monday, but the Celtics are high on him, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Coach Brad Stevens said, “He’s a perfect fit for what we need as far as, he’s not going to play 38 minutes a game — he’s going to come in, get open shots, hopefully knock those open shots down, play off of other people, and then be a feisty defender for us. He really is an outstanding defender for a young guy.” There has been no official word on if the Celtics plan to re-sign Babb.
More from around the east:
- The Cavs have assigned Arinze Onuaku to the Canton Charge of the NBA D-League, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Onuaku hasn’t scored in 2 appearances for the Cavs and was re-signed for a second 10-day contract on Wednesday.
- The Cavs were planning on using the ceremony to retire Zydrunas Ilgauskas‘ jersey as one means to recruit LeBron James back to Cleveland, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. But what little chance the team had to that possibility might have ended with the firing of former GM Chris Grant. Grant was one of the team executives who had the best relationship with James, according to Windhorst.
- Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News also weighs in on how unlikely the chances are that James returns to Cleveland this summer. The team’s lack of a proven winner in the front office is the main deterrent to attracting James, writes Lawrence.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post takes a look at how the Wizards trade for Andre Miller is working out for him and for the team. So far, the pairing is paying dividends for both, opines Lee. The Wizards offer Miller a clean slate and a playoff opportunity, and Miller gives the team a proven veteran.
D-League Notes: Cuban, West, Bowles
Mark Cuban continues to argue that the D-League is a more honest and effective developmental system than college hoops. SportsDayDFW quotes the owner’s response to Larry Brown‘s defense of the college system: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence when a dad, uncle, cousin, an AAU coach and six other relatives find themselves at a university. And it seems like there are a lot of guys taking the easiest classes they can to get through, or correspondence or on-line classes and then get to the second semester,” said Cuban. “It’s a business that, when you look at it, it’s ripe for disruption. When you look for a business to disrupt, you look for one that’s done the same thing for years and everybody knows it’s dysfunctional but nobody’s done anything about it. We happen to be in that industry.”
More from the D-League:
- Count Jerry West amongst the fans of what the D-League can do for the future of the NBA game, writes Keith Schlosser of SBNation. Last month West criticized the quality of this year’s draft, as well as expressed his disdain for the one-and-done college system. In Schlosser’s article, West goes into detail on why the D-League is a crucial component for developing young players.
- According to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest, Denzel Bowles has entered the D-League’s player pool. Bowles most recently played for the CBA’s Jilin Northeast Tigers. In 34 games for the Tigers, he averaged 26.0 PPG, and 8.5 RPG. Bowles played on Pelicans’ Summer League team in 2012/2013. He averaged 7.2 PPG, and 6.6 RPG in 16.1 minutes.
- Kevin Jones has accepted a buyout from the Canton Charge to go play in the Philippines, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (Twitter link). Jones last saw NBA action in 32 games with the Cavs during the 2012/2013 season, and averaged 3.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 0.3 APG in 10.4 minutes. Jones was a 2013/14 NBA D-League All-Star with Canton, averaging 16.9 PPG, and 8.0 RPG in 30.5 minutes per game. The Charge will retain Jones’ player rights in the D-League for the next two seasons, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Clippers Interested In Bobby Brown
According to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link), the Clippers have expressed interest in signing Bobby Brown. Brown was previously linked to the team, but this was when Chris Paul was out with an injury. He would not be allowed to sign an agreement with an NBA team until his team is eliminated from the Chinese league, but it’s on the verge of elimination, Amick tweets. The Clippers have one spot left on their 15-man roster.
He has had two previous NBA stints. In 2008/09 he appeared in 68 games for the Timberwolves where he averaged 5.31 PPG, 0.76 RPG, and 1.72 APG. Then in 2009/10, Brown played in 45 games for the Clippers, and averaged 4.78 PPG, 0.84 RPG, and 1.96 APG.
Brown is averaging 30.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG for Dongguan this season. His slash line is .439/.324/.799.
Heat Re-Sign DeAndre Liggins
2:15pm: The signing is official the team has announced via Twitter.
11:33am: The Heat will sign DeAndre Liggins to a second 10-day contract, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN (via Twitter). The 25-year-old wing played just one minute in a single game for the Heat during his first 10-day deal, scoring 2 points and grabbing a rebound against the Bobcats.
Liggins signed with the Heat last Tuesday, after criminal charges that played a hand in his pre-training camp release from the Thunder were reduced. Liggins appeared in 39 games with the Thunder last year, after playing in 17 contests with the Magic in his 2011/12 rookie season. Before joining the Heat, he had averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 40.4 minutes per game for their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls.
This will be the Creative Arts Agency client‘s final audition for Miami, who must either sign him for the remainder of the season or let him go at the end of this second 10-day agreement.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Kings Sign Johnson To Second 10-Day Contract
The Kings signed guard Orlando Johnson to a second 10-day contract, according to Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro (Press Release). After signing a 10-day contract with the team on February 26, Johnson appeared in five games and is averaging 1.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.6 APG in 9.0 minutes per game. This comes after rumors that the team might sign him for the remainder of the season. The Kings could still elect to do so after this second 10-day contract runs out.
Johnson averaged 2.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.4 APG and 9.0 minutes per game with the Pacers before being waived hours after the trade deadline. For the season, he is averaging 2.3 PPG , 1.3 RPG, 0.4 APG and 9.0 minutes per game in 43 appearances as a reserve with the Pacers and the Kings.
Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (36th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Johnson’s draft rights were traded to the Pacers for cash considerations that same night.
Carl Landry Out For Season
Kings forward Carl Landry will miss the remainder of the season with a medial meniscus tear in his right knee, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). He will undergo season ending surgery in the near future (twitter link).The 30-year old forward has missed the team’s previous five games with what was originally called a sprained right knee.
This is the second major injury this year for the seven-year veteran. In training camp, Landry had sustained a torn hip flexor that required surgery and four months of rehab work. He made his return to action on January 19th.
In 18 games this season, Landry has averaged 4.2 PPG, and 3.2 RPG in 13 MPG. This was after signing a four-year, $26 MM deal over the summer.
Wizards Re-Sign Drew Gooden To 10-Day Deal
SATURDAY, 11:57am: The Wizards have officially signed Gooden to another 10-day contract per a team release.
FRIDAY, 11:39am: Gooden confirms he’d accept the offer of another 10-day contract, which the Wizards are planning to make, Michael notes (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 3:51pm: Gooden will indeed stick around on another 10-day deal, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
3:35pm: The Wizards are likely to re-sign Drew Gooden to another 10-day contract, a source tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post. His first deal is set to expire at the end of Friday night. The team brought the Dan Fegan client aboard late last month to offset an injury to Nene that will keep him out for at least the next three weeks.
The 32-year-old went scoreless in his first two appearances but dropped 12 points on six-for-seven shooting in 19 minutes against the Jazz on Wednesday night. Gooden saw significant playing time in both halves, signaling that the Wizards see him as a potential rotation piece, at least for the time being. Washington has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, meaning Gooden occupies the team’s last open spot as it jockeys for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The former Kansas Jayhawk spent much of 2013/14 out of the NBA after the Bucks put him on amnesty waivers over the summer. Gooden balked at joining the Wizards when they traded for him in 2010, prompting the team to flip him in another trade four days later, but even with GM Ernie Grunfeld, who swung those deals, still in place, the two sides agreed to a reunion this year.
Draft Notes: Wiggins, Embiid, Cuban
One NBA GM tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that uncertainty about entering the draft recently expressed by Jabari Parker, along with similar sentiments from Joel Embiid earlier this year, are par for the course. He says the high profile players will all say they are considering staying in college until after the NCAA season, when they will all declare for the draft (Twitter links). Here are more rumors surrounding the draft:
- Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register says that not one NBA source he’s talked to likes Andrew Wiggins as a sure-fire blue chip player. Heisler says NBA personnel people are now only in agreement on Embiid as a top-level prospect.
- Still, an anonymous Eastern Conference scout tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that the 2014 draft class is much better than last year’s, and should be important for the league. The scout also gives his take on Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Dante Exum, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, and Noah Vonleh.
- Adi Joseph of USA Today looks at the draft stocks of Andrew Harrison, Rodney Hood, and Bryce Cotton.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban told reporters, including Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that he wishes there were additional rounds in the NBA draft. “I’d like to see four rounds so you can draft guys overseas, get more guys drafted that are your property so you can try to develop them,” Cuban said. “You’ve got to realize that toward the bottom of the second round there are teams that pick for financial reasons, and that takes advantage of guys that might have otherwise been picked.”
Paul Pierce Open To Return To Celtics
Nets star Paul Pierce says he’s open to returning to the Celtics as either a player or team employee, he told reporters including Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe. Responding to a question on the possibility of a return to Boston, he answered, “Yeah, why not? Maybe play for them, maybe work for them.” As final as the departure from Boston of Pierce and fellow star Kevin Garnett felt last summer, the small forward says he remains close with point guard Rajon Rondo and still has affection for the franchise he build his Hall of Fame career with.
The 36-year-old becomes a free agent this summer, and sees hope in Boston despite the losses that have piled up in their first year of rebuilding.
“They’re a young team. They’ve got a mix of some veterans, some young guys who are developing. They’re only going to get better,” Pierce said. “Rondo is ready to lead, he’s leading them right now, moving into the next generation of Celtics. I think their future is going to be very bright.”
A good chunk of Pierce’s 15 years with Boston was spent enduring similar rebuilding efforts before finally enjoying a championship, so he is optimistic about the Celtics current trajectory.
“When you’re in the middle of your prime, like Rondo is, and you’re frustrated with the losing, it’s about just staying patient, staying with the guys, helping them develop, helping them get better,” said Pierce.
Pierce averaged 21.8 PPG with the Celtics, and only experience three winning seasons during his first nine years in the league. After turning their assets and appeal into the Big-Three of Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen, the Celtics immediately won a title, reached the Finals again, and won nearly two-thirds of their games over his last six seasons in green.
Pierce is averaging career lows in points, assists, rebounds, and minutes per game this season. Although he has played better of late, it would seem out of character for Celtics GM Danny Ainge to consider adding an expensive contract for a veteran in the twilight of his career. Pierce makes $15.3MM this year, and would likely fetch a salary well north of the veteran’s minimum should he extend his career beyond this season. Ainge has vowed to stay patient and avoid shortcuts in the rebuilding process, which in most cases means prioritizing youth on a roster and reserving cap space for elite players that can help build a long-term contender.
Jabari Parker Uncertain About Entering Draft
Jabari Parker says that there is a possibility he doesn’t enter this summer’s draft, per Joedy McCreary of The Associated Press (H/T Adam Zagoria). The freshman, long hyped as a potential number-one-overall draft pick, says his development will be key in his decision.
“If I feel like there are things I could improve on or things I left, like during the season, then I will probably come back,” Parker said. “A deciding factor is where I’m going to grow the most, whether it’s in the NBA or even in college, the learning experiences that I need as far as [growing as] a basketball player.”
Speculation on Parker’s decision has churned all year, with NBA executives going back and forth on what they believe he will ultimately be in the draft. Most have maintained that they expect him to enter the draft, but a veteran NBA scout tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that he’s “buying” the possibility of Parker returning to Duke for his sophomore season (Twitter link). If Parker were to remain in college for another year, it would have a huge effect on the both the 2014 and 2015 draft. In addition to shuffling around the upper tiers in both draft classes, Parker’s prolonged college tenure could alter the exposure and/or development of a 2015 Duke roster likely to feature a handful of draft prospects.
The 6’8″ small forward has been seen as perhaps the most polished player in the top tier of this year’s draft crop, and he began this season in a neck-and-neck projection alongside Andrew Wiggins for the first overall selection. He’s slotted fourth in Chad Ford’s latest Insider-only mock draft at ESPN, third in Jonathan Givony’s mock draft at Draft Express. Parker, who will turn 19 in a week, is averaging 18.8 PPG on .483 shooting, to go with 9.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 30.2 minutes per contest.