Spurs Sign Joel Anthony To 10-Day Contract
JANUARY 23: The Spurs have made it official, formally announcing the signing of Anthony in a press release.
JANUARY 21: The Spurs intend to sign veteran center Joel Anthony to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. He’ll fill some of the frontcourt minutes opened up by the injury to Pau Gasol.
Anthony, who last saw action for the Pistons in 2015/16, played with the Spurs in training camp. He was among the final cuts for the 15th roster spot in October, a spot that was since re-opened when Nicolas Laprovittola was waived last month.
While he hasn’t been used heavily over the course of the past five years, Anthony spent time as the starting five alongside LeBron James and the Heat during their title runs.
Expect Anthony to spend time slotting in behind Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee in the Spurs’ rotation.
Jeremy Lin To Miss 3-5 More Weeks
Jeremy Lin has suffered a setback during the rehabilitation process for his hamstring injury, and will be out three to five more weeks, the Nets announced today in a press release. The veteran point guard had already been sidelined for nearly a month, so this setback could stretch his absence to upwards of two months in total.
“During the course of his rehab, Jeremy re-aggravated his strained left hamstring and will be out approximately three to five weeks as he continues to work towards a full recovery,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in a statement. “We understand and appreciate Jeremy’s competitive desire to get back on the court with his teammates, however, we are going to be cautious with his rehab in order to ensure that he is at full strength once he returns.”
Brooklyn’s top offseason addition, Lin has looked good when he’s been on the court for the Nets, shooting a career-high 46.9% from the field to go along with 13.9 PPG and 5.8 APG. However, nagging hamstring woes have kept Lin out of action for nearly the entire 2016/17 campaign — he has played just 12 games for the Nets so far.
Having signed a three-year contract with the Nets back in July, Lin was never viewed as a trade candidate for the club this season, so his injury won’t have a significant impact on his stock this season like it would for a player such as Rudy Gay. The 28-year-old Lin will remain under contract at a rate of $12MM for Brooklyn in 2017/18, then will face a player option decision in the summer of ’18.
With Lin out of action, the Nets figure to continue relying on players like Spencer Dinwiddie, Randy Foye, and Isaiah Whitehead at the point.
NBADL Expects To Add Multiple Teams In 2017/18
The NBA D-League is close to finalizing the addition of multiple teams for the 2017/18 season, league president Malcolm Turner tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The NBADL is expected to make an announcement on expansion within the next few weeks, perhaps before this year’s NBA All-Star Game, with the league likely to add at least two new teams.
For now, there has been no definitive word on which cities or NBA teams may be involved in the latest round of D-League expansion, but as of this season, there are only eight NBA clubs without an affiliate, so the possibilities are limited.
The Magic have an agreement in place to buy their current affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, and move the team to Lakeland, Florida. According to Howard-Cooper, there’s speculation that Erie could retain a D-League team, with the Hawks replacing the Magic as the club’s NBA affiliate. Atlanta has an affiliate of its own lined up, but that team isn’t expected to begin play until the 2019/20 season.
According to Howard-Cooper, the Wizards and Bucks are among the other NBA teams currently without affiliates that could have an NBADL team in 2017/18. The Clippers have also explored some Southern California venues, but aren’t expected to be ready to launch a D-League team by next season, Howard-Cooper writes.
Meanwhile, the D-League may also change how it runs its annual showcase event, which took place in Mississauga, Ontario last week. The D-League’s showcase serves as an opportunity for NBA and international scouts to assess the league’s talent in one place without having to travel to scout individual teams and games. Per Howard-Cooper, the league would like to either hold the showcase in the same place every year, or establish a rotation of three or four locations for the event.
“I couldn’t tell you specifically where, but I do think we would like to explore, A, whether or not there is such a thing as a permanent home for Showcase or, B, are there two or three venues that we can have in a rotation to different parts of the country, different parks of North America,” Turner said. “Those are a couple scenarios that we would like to spend a little bit of time understanding.”
Magic Notes: Fournier, Hardaway, Gordon
Fifth-year guard Evan Fournier has spent the past week and a half recovering from a foot injury that he believes he may have made worse by attempting to rush back too early, writes John Denton of the Magic’s official website.
“It’s a fine line and [Fournier’s desire to return] probably does work against him,” Magic head coach Frank Vogel said. “We want this to be put behind him. We don’t want him to play a couple and then have to sit another two weeks, play a couple and have to sit. Hopefully when we get him back this time it’s behind him.”
In 36 games for the Magic, Fournier has led the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Over the summer, Fournier signed a five-year, $85MM deal.
There’s more out of Orlando:
- After signing a 10-day contract with the Magic, Anthony Brown expects to bring energy and floor spacing to the frontcourt heavy roster. Brown spoke with Basketball Insiders on Sunday.
- Former Magic star Penny Hardaway wishes he never left Orlando, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Hardaway was honored by the team on Friday night and inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. “Every time I watch the footage, man, I just get tears in my eyes because there’s always that what if if we would have all stayed together,” Hardaway said. Earlier this month the trade that sent Penny Hardaway to the Suns was featured in Hoops Rumors Retro piece.
- The Magic added frontcourt help over the summer that significantly impacted Aaron Gordon, writes Dylan Hughes of 16 Wins A Ring, but the third-year forward has thrived this year at small forward. Hughes cites Gordon’s improved three-point shot as one of the biggest reasons he’s been able to play well out of position, but says that the dunk contest runner-up would benefit from being able to play his own position as Jabari Parker has with the Bucks.
Pacific Notes: Chandler, Richardson, Lakers
Though Earl Watson is well aware that the final decision isn’t up to him, the Suns head coach wants big man Tyson Chandler to stay in Phoenix. According to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, Watson cites Chandler’s willingness to teach his younger teammates as the biggest reason why he remains so valuable.
“I have very little input, but if it was up to me, I love Tyson Chandler,” Watson said. “I think our front office loves Tyson Chandler. Tyson wants to be a part of this process. He doesn’t mind the work and building.”
As the 2017 trade deadline approaches, teams will inevitably inquire about the 34-year-old low post presence. Especially because in his 16th season, Chandler is averaging 8.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. The veteran is under contract through the 2018/19, but could fortify the frontcourt of a playoff team.
“I’m a loyalty guy. I’m really taking pride in helping the process of these young players,” Chandler says. “If things change and somebody comes to me with a conversation, then I’ll have to address it, but I don’t even let my mind go there.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Used sparingly through the first few months of his rookie season, Malachi Richardson didn’t expect to get the taste of first-quarter action he did on Saturday. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee suggests that it might be Dave Joerger‘s December decision to give the Kings shooting guard extra opportunities finally coming to fruition. Already well-equipped to handle himself on offense, the Syracuse product will need to improve upon his defense, suggests teammate Garrett Temple.
- The Lakers would be better off emphasizing player development than chasing a playoff spot, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Changes to the league’s collective bargaining agreement put extra pressure on drafting players now that it will be harder to pry players away from other teams via free agency. A potential No. 3 pick in 2017 could be the next key component of Los Angeles’ process.
- The Clippers could soon face the reality that their championship window is closing, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Years of attrition has taken its toll on the club and they may not get many more opportunities to contend for a ring with the current squad.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/22/17
Here are the D-League transactions from the day:
- The Grizzlies have assigned forward Jarell Martin to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team has announced on their website. In 40 game, including three starts, with Memphis so far this season, Martin has averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bradley, LeVert
After starting the season with a 7-24 record, the Sixers have reeled off eight wins in their past 11. The emergence of Joel Embiid has reinvigorated the franchise and the rookie big man has helped to anchor a rapidly improving defensive presence.
Now that the Sixers have shown an ability to win games, they’ve clawed their way out of the basement and up the standings. Such momentum has general manager Bryan Colangelo reconsidering the team’s willingness to make a short-term splash.
“[Winning] does lead you to want to explore other opportunities that might accelerate where we are in this. It gives us some opportunity to explore some big deals,” Colangelo told Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. “We may be one of the only teams in the league that’s prepared with the resources and the assets to acquire a star level player.”
The Sixers have long been in rebuilding mode, but the strides that the team has taken this season under the guidance of Brett Brown suggest that this team may be ready to compete sooner than initially expected.
“My responsibility is to make sure I do the right thing for the organization,” Colangelo added. “I’ve had a lot of dialogue with a lot of teams. I know what’s out there in the marketplace.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics have been exposed on defense without shooting guard Avery Bradley, writes Josue Pavon of WEEI 93.7 FM. While Isaiah Thomas‘ defensive shortcomings are not new, the team has seen just how much of a drop off there is between Bradley and fill-in Marcus Smart.
- The Nets have seen seen a noticeable improvement in their third-quarter performance of late and credit the decision to bump Sean Kilpatrick from the lineup in favor of the more defensively inclined Joe Harris as part of the reason why, says Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Listen, we’re demanding that those guys — anybody that steps on the floor — we’re demanding them to defend,” says head coach Kenny Atkinson. Harris sprained his ankle Friday and his absence will give Kilpatrick one more opportunity to improve on that side of the ball.
- Not much has gone well for the Nets this season, injuries to Jeremy Lin a major factor in their first-half struggles, but the promising play of Caris LeVert has been one of the few bright spots. Nets Daily discusses the first half of Brooklyn’s season.
And-Ones: All-Star Snubs, BIG3, Team USA
The starters for this year’s NBA All-Star Game were announced this week and, as always, people were quick to disagree with the players selected. Unique this year is the fact that fans don’t shoulder all of the blame. This year the fans accounted for just 50% of the vote, while the media accounted for 25% and players accounted for 25%.
There were plenty of hot takes about what should have happened, but none more memorable than Clippers head coach Doc Rivers‘ regarding the snub of Russell Westbrook. To ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, Rivers said: “Fake news. I am just shocked that fans don’t see the same things we see.”
Also among Westbrook supporters were Sam Amick of USA Today and Kevin Garnett.
“This might be the league’s all-time history snub right here,” Garnett said on his TV show Area 21. “Seriously. He has to be on the team, bruh.”
Another guard left out of the starting lineup was Kyle Lowry and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today made a case for him over either Kyrie Irving or DeMar DeRozan.
Lang Whitaker of NBA.com discussed the official list of starters.
There are more general headlines from around the league:
- Count Ricky Davis and Al Harrington among the retired players expected to sign on with the BIG3, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
- With the trade deadline a month away, Keith Smith of RealGM explored the most tradeable contracts in the NBA. Draymond Green, for example, looks to be a bargain given the under-market deal he signed in 2015.
- A report at NBA.com implies that LeBron James could play for Team USA in the 2020 Olympics. The fact that Gregg Popovich will lead the program has had a significant impact. “It factors a lot,” James said. “I’ve said that before. He’s just a great mastermind of the game of basketball.”
Southwest Notes: Matthews, Capela, Parker
The Mavs will not be trading Wesley Matthews, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News. Team owner Mark Cuban would consider dealing the shooting guard for a select list of players, but those players are unavailable.
“We see Wes and Harrison Barnes as cornerstones,” Cuban told Sefko of the 30-year-old Mavs guard. “I think he’s first-team all-defense and those don’t come around very often.”
In 42 games with the Mavs so far this season, Matthews has averaged 15.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He’s under contract through 2018/19 with a cap hit of $17MM this season.
Even without Matthews may not be on the block, expect Cuban and the Mavs to do their diligence leading up to the February 23 deadline though that doesn’t necessarily mean a trade will be made.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- After missing 15 games with a fractured fibula, Clint Capela is playing himself into shape, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s still a little bit away from his conditioning and different things,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “This road trip we’ll try and wean him in as much as we can.”
- Having experienced trouble with his left foot, Tony Parker will sit out for the Spurs and undergo an MRI at some point this week, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Parker is doubtful to return before the team wraps up its current four-game road trip.
- Big man Andrew Bogut could soon make his return for the Mavs, writes Sefko in a separate piece for the Dallas News. “We’ll have at least one practice day before the game on Wednesday, so we’ll see what’s what,” said head coach Rick Carlisle.
- The Spurs are 4-0 on the road against the Cavs, Rockets and Warriors, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN. The rest of the NBA? A combined 13-72.
Pistons Notes: Jackson, Caldwell-Pope, Bullock
Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy sent Reggie Jackson a text relaying that there was no imminent deal involving the Pistons point guard getting shipped anywhere, but stopped short of saying anyone on the roster was untouchable, Aaron McMann of MLive relays. Van Gundy, speaking generally, said no standout player in the league is not asked about and it only makes sense that teams often only call in regards to another team’s top talent, McMann adds. In that vein, Van Gundy said the Pistons have received offers for Jackson, but did not offer specifics.
“I got asked the other day, ‘There’s a report out there that Reggie’s available for the right price,'” Van Gundy said. “Everybody in the league is available for the right price. Just your main guys, the price is a lot steeper and usually doesn’t come around.”
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- There is a good chance Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returns to action this week after being out with an injury and when he does, Van Gundy will have to make playing time decisions with a fully healthy roster for the first time, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson are likely candidates to see their minutes compromised, Langlois notes, but Bullock is the team’s best 3-point shooter and Johnson has versatility on both ends of the court. Still, this is a problem that Van Gundy likely wants to have, Langlois surmises.
- Speaking of Bullock, he is playing well this season because he has refocused on fundamentals, including cutting more effectively in an effort to create space and give himself opportunities for more shots, Rod Beard of the Detroit News passes along.