Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Hayward, Lillard
The sheer abundance of valuable young assets on the Nuggets make Denver a team to watch prior to February’s trade deadline, writes Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post. Bontemps cites Nikola Jokic and the club’s backcourt full of promising guards as two of the major reasons why the franchise’s forecast is so bright.
In addition to their coveted young core, the multiple first-round picks they hold and a bevy of reliable veterans make them uniquely qualified to deal in the coming months. That bodes particularly well as rumors swirl around Hawks forward Paul Millsap. Millsap has been linked to the Nuggets this year and was nearly dealt to the Mile High City last year as well.
If nothing else, the Nuggets could look to simply free up space for the young players they feel most confident about heading forward. As head coach Mike Malone learned with Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic earlier this season, there are only so many opportunities to go around.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- In the midst of a playoff push, the Jazz have little incentive to deal Gordon Hayward, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, and even if they did, the franchise is notoriously tight-lipped. “No one does things more quietly than Utah,” a league source told him. Alas, the Hayward-to-Boston narrative may, for the time being, be more “myth than reality.”
- After missing five games with an ankle sprain, Damian Lillard returned to action for the Trail Blazers. The All-Star’s return was reported by ESPN’s Chris Haynes. Portland matched up against the Lakers on Wednesday night.
- Recently released by the Pelicans, journeyman forward Reggie Williams has reunited with the Oklahoma City Blue, the D-League affiliate of the Thunder. According to The Oklahoman’s Erik Horne, Williams is expected to play on Saturday.
- Regression across the board has limited Ricky Rubio‘s value, writes Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune, and the veteran guard hasn’t provided leadership to help elevate the young Timberwolves either. Rumored to be on the move for months, Rubio is averaging career lows in points and assists per game and is shooting just .276 from beyond the arc.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/5/17
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
6:29pm:
- The Warriors have assigned rookie center Damian Jones to their D-League affiliate, according to a team-issued press release. The big man has made four starts with the Santa Cruz Warriors so far this season.
3:33pm:
- The Rockets have recalled rookie big man Chinanu Onuaku from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The 2016 second-rounder, who has earned a spot in highlight packages with his underhanded free throws, has averaged a double-double (11.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG) in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season.
- The Grizzlies have assigned Wade Baldwin and Troy Williams to the Iowa Energy, according to a press release issued by the team. The duo should get a chance to suit up for Memphis’ D-League affiliate tonight against the L.A. D-Fenders.
11:27am:
- Richaun Holmes, who is recovering from a concussion, has been recalled from the D-League by the Sixers, according to a team release. Holmes had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Delaware 87ers on Wednesday night, and was apparently deemed ready to return to the NBA.
- The Knicks recalled Maurice Ndour from the D-League after sending him down on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). Ndour had a big game for Westchester last night, posting 26 points and nine rebounds.
- Rookie forward Georges Niang has been sent to the D-League, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Although he has played sparingly for Indiana so far, Niang has spent most of the season with the NBA club — this is just his second NBADL assignment.
- The Pistons have recalled first-round rookie Henry Ellenson from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League affiliate, in a Wednesday victory.
Pacific News: Clippers, Afflalo, Pachulia
The Clippers may be turning the corner, at least as far as their health is concerned. Superstar point guard Chris Paul has missed seven of the last contests but is expected to be back in the lineup uninhibited on Friday, says Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Daily News.
A return from Paul, coupled with news that rookie Brice Johnson has been cleared for contact, will give Clippers head coach Doc Rivers that much more confidence heading into the middle portion of the season. Johnson is a power forward out of North Carolina that Los Angeles drafted with the 25th overall pick last summer.
Additionally, Woike writes that Blake Griffin is expected to make his own return to the Clippers later this month.
Also out of the Pacific Division:
- It wasn’t long ago when Arron Afflalo‘s future with the Kings looked to be in doubt. Now the veteran has upped his standing in the team’s rotation. “I’ve evolved into getting over myself,” Afflalo told the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones. “We have a great opportunity as a team – playoff position. There will be nights where I can perform at a level I was expected to perform at, and there will be nights where other guys take the lead.”
- Things haven’t always gone well for Shaun Livingston since he was drafted in 2004, but he’s settled into a great role with a dominant Warriors team. The veteran point guard spoke with Basketball Insiders’ Michael Scotto about his career thus far and his future. “I’d love to stay [with Golden State].” he said, “It’s been home for me, the Bay has welcomed me with open arms. I love it out there. But, we’ll see what happens. Obviously, decisions have to be made and you just roll with the punches.”
- The NBA recently changed how All-Stars are to be selected and it’s already foiled Warriors big man Zaza Pachulia‘s second consecutive campaign as a dark horse possibility, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Central Notes: Middleton, Bullock, Bulls
The Bucks have been without perimeter scorer Khris Middleton since September when he underwent hamstring surgery expected to sideline him for the duration of 2016/17. According to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, the 25-year-old could be back ahead of schedule and potentially take the court this year at some point after the All-Star Break.
“It’s possible. That’s if everything goes right, with no setbacks and a good, long stretch of practices,” Middleton told Aschburner of his possible return to the Bucks. “Still a long way to go but I’m working towards it.”
Over the last three seasons the Bucks have seen their swingman develop from an unheralded second-round pick to a legitimate perimeter threat. In 2015/16, the small forward averaged 18.2 points per game.
There’s plenty more out of the Central Division today:
- There’s a general attitude in the Pacers locker room that Monta Ellis would produce more in the second unit, writes Jim Ayello of the Indy Star. The team already starts Jeff Teague who, like Ellis, is most effective when he’s free to dominate the basketball. “It’s hard for him to play with the ball in his hands in the first unit,” Indiana reserve C.J. Miles says.
- After signing a substantial four-year, $50M contract with the Bucks over the offseason, Miles Plumlee was expected to play a vital role in Milwaukee’s rotation. Fast forward to January and the center has played just 9.2 minutes per game. According to Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Pressbox, head coach Jason Kidd suggested that Plumlee put less pressure on himself. Worth noting is that Plumlee’s role could change if Greg Monroe is ultimately moved before the deadline, as has been rumored.
- Having recently returned to practice, it appears as though Reggie Bullock could return to action for the Pistons as early as the end of their upcoming west coast trip, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The Pistons play at home against the Hawks on January 18.
- As both the coach on the sidelines and one of the executive charged with making personnel decision, Stan Van Gundy has his work cut out for him with the struggling Pistons. He voiced his perspective on the matter to MLive’s Aaron McMann. “We’re all frustrated, but you can’t make decisions out of frustration,” Van Gundy said. “You’ve got to try and have an objective analysis of what we’ve got and where we’re going and everything else.”
- With circumstances grim in Chicago, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer speculates that the volatile situation could soon erupt. O’Connor explores some of the decisions the Bulls have made in the last year, including their decision to entertain trade offers for Jimmy Butler last summer. Fortunately, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, players on the team have become immune to front office dysfunction.
Heat Notes: Dragic, Bosh, Roster, Waiters
The Heat already owned the NBA’s third-worst record, and announced on Wednesday that they will likely be without forward Justise Winslow for the rest of the season. While the team looks like a prime tanking candidate, don’t tell that to Erik Spoelstra, who tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel that Miami remains focused on winning games.
“We’re always going to play our games to win,” said the Heat head coach. “It’s been tough to be in this situation right now. But we’re developing. Guys are getting better. The team is progressing and that’s all we’re focusing on right now. The mentality won’t change.”
With so many young players on their roster, the Heat could engage in a sort of “natural” tank this season, leaning heavily on those young players who might not be ready to lead the club to many victories. However, Spoelstra added that he doesn’t intend to play anyone based on anything “other than merit, and earning it.”
Here’s more from out of Miami:
- Heat sources have suggested to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the idea of rebuilding around Goran Dragic has some appeal. However, Kyler adds that there’s a “growing sense” that Miami will seriously explore the idea of moving Dragic and other veteran players on expiring deals prior to the trade deadline.
- Appearing on a panel at a conference in Las Vegas, Chris Bosh admitted that he’d getting a “taste of retirement” this year, though he didn’t suggest he has given up on the idea of making a comeback. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (via NBA.com) has the details and the quotes from Bosh.
- Although the Heat have three players on their roster – Winslow, Bosh, and Josh McRoberts – who might be out for the rest of the 2016/17 season, the team isn’t eligible for the hardship exception to add a 16th player, as Winderman explains in a Sun Sentinel story.
- With Dion Waiters back in action for the Heat after missing 20 games with a groin injury, the team will have to determine how he fits in the rotation, Winderman writes in another Sun Sentinel piece. Waiters is eligible to opt out of his contract and return to the free agent market in 2017, so it’s possible Miami will look to move him prior to February’s trade deadline.
Remaining Decisions On Non-Guaranteed Deals
Within the last week or so, several teams have made decisions on players who have non-guaranteed salaries, opting to cut them before their 2016/17 contracts become fully guaranteed. The Bulls waived R.J. Hunter, the Spurs cut Nicolas Laprovittola, and the Hornets parted ways with Aaron Harrison, among other moves.
Still, there are still 35 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed contracts, and decisions will be required on those players by Saturday. Although 2016/17 salaries technically don’t become guaranteed until January 10, players must clear waivers by that date to avoid having their full salaries count against teams’ caps. In order for that to happen, they must be waived on or before January 7.
Of the 35 players still on non-guaranteed deals, some will have to sweat out Saturday’s decision less than others. For instance, Rodney McGruder‘s $543K deal with the Heat is already guaranteed for $400K, and even if it wasn’t, his play this season has assured him of a roster spot the rest of the way. McGruder is one of several players on the list below that almost certainly won’t be going anywhere this week. But not everyone will be so fortunate.
Listed below are the players whose 2016/17 contracts aren’t yet fully guaranteed, sorted by team. Each of these players is on a minimum salary deal, though some have partially guaranteed salaries — if a player’s partial guarantee exceeds the total amount he would earn if he were cut today, we’ve noted it in parentheses.
Here’s the full list:
Atlanta Hawks
- Mike Muscala ($508K guarantee)
- Ryan Kelly
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
- Kyle Wiltjer ($275K guarantee)
- Bobby Brown
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
- Rodney McGruder ($400K guarantee)
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Latest On Andrew Bogut
Mavericks center Andrew Bogut made headlines on Wednesday, after he suggested in an interview with an Australian radio station that he doesn’t expect his time in Dallas to last a whole lot longer. Noting that his expiring contract and his skill set made him a potentially valuable trade chip, Bogut said that he’ll likely only have “a couple of months more” with the Mavs.
Those comments were the primary topic of discussion today when local reporters spoke to Bogut and Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. The former No. 1 pick went into more detail about his expectations for the coming weeks and months, while Carlisle weighed in on the topic as well. Here are some of Bogut’s key quotes from today’s media session, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com:
On why he said he expects to be traded:
“I’m not silly. I’ve been in this league long enough. I’m an expiring contract. I haven’t asked for a trade, but I know in this league we’re 11-24, and I was being honest. There’s a chance that I get traded. That turned out into a headline that says ‘Bogut wants out,’ which is false, but it’s just one of the things you have to deal with in this league. … Like I said, they can obviously get some picks back and build for the future by trading some of the veteran guys, and I could be one of them. Hint and emphasis on ‘could.’
On whether he wants to be traded:
“Look, if there’s an opportunity to go somewhere and they want to do it, I’m not going to beg them to not trade me. But I have not gone to the [front] office and asked for a trade. That’s probably the best answer that I can give you. It’s been a tough season for everybody involved, but it’s far from the truth that I’ve gone to management and asked for a trade.”
On whether he thinks he could stay with the Mavs and re-sign with the team in the summer:
“If you’re asking me today and I had to put my house on it, I’d say no, just because if there was an opportunity for me to come back, there would have been at least extension talks, which I’m not bitter about. I’m not mad about it. It’s just the reality of it. It’s the writing on the wall. … The Mavs eventually have to start rebuilding, too. There’s no point in bringing back a 33-year-old center if you’re in rebuild mode. … I just don’t see it.”
On whether he wants a contract buyout:
“If I was going to push for a buyout, I would have done it weeks ago and tried to get on a team and get solidified.”
Check out MacMahon’s full piece for more from Bogut, along with quotes from Carlisle, who suggests that the Mavs view re-signing the center as “a real possibility.”
And-Ones: Thompson, Pacers, George, T. Mitchell
Although the Sixers waived Hollis Thompson on Wednesday, head coach Brett Brown expects to see the veteran swingman land with another team. “I feel like somebody’s going to pick him up,” Brown said, per Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link). “I don’t feel we’re going to see Hollis Thompson removed from the NBA.” Thompson could still be claimed on waivers tomorrow — if he goes unclaimed, he’d become an unrestricted free agent.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Within a look at potential trade candidates for 15 NBA teams, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders drops a handful of notable nuggets. Among them: Kyler notes that sources close to the situation in Indiana say that the Pacers are optimistic that the league’s new designated veteran extension will give them a good chance to keep Paul George. Of course, to qualify for that extension in 2017/18, George will first have to make an All-NBA team in 2016/17.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Sean Deveney lists 12 big men who may be available at this year’s trade deadline. While most of the players identified by Deveney have been involved in previous trade rumors and speculation, there are some more surprising names, including Amir Johnson, Marcin Gortat, and even Hassan Whiteside.
- Israeli team Maccabi Haifa is cutting former NBA second-round pick Tony Mitchell from its roster after several missed practices and late arrivals, reports international basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter). Mitchell, 24, was selected 37th overall in the 2013 draft by the Pistons after playing his college ball at North Texas.
- NBA teams can sign players to 10-day contracts as of today, and there’s no shortage of candidates for a call-up in the D-League. Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders takes a look at a few players that could draw interest from NBA teams, including Briante Weber, Quincy Acy, and Lamar Patterson.
Celtics Will Listen To Offers For Nets’ Pick
With an 8-25 record so far this season, the Nets currently hold the top spot in our 2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings. If Brooklyn remains in that position at season’s end, the team’s pick will be a guaranteed top-four selection, with a 25% chance of it being No. 1 overall. Nonetheless, the Celtics, who have the rights to that pick, will listen to offers for it, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).
General manager Danny Ainge indicated today that, while nothing is “close or imminent,” he has had some trade calls, per Blakely. This year’s deadline is about six weeks away, so Ainge has plenty of time to continue scouring the market and fielding inquiries.
The Celtics don’t technically hold the Nets’ first-round pick in the 2017 NBA draft, but they have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn, and given how the first half of the season has played out, they’ll certainly be taking advantage of those swap rights. Boston’s own pick – which the Nets would receive – currently projects to be No. 23.
If they were to deal away the rights to the Nets’ 2017 pick, the Celtics would be left without a first-rounder in this year’s draft, and the ’17 class is expected to be a deep and talented one. Still, Boston would be well-stocked for future years — the team owns the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick outright, and is owed first-rounders from the Clippers and Grizzlies in 2019.
The Celtics have been linked to a number of potential trade candidates already this season. According to multiple reports though, the team is intent on finding a deal for a star player, rather than settling for a complementary piece, so it makes sense that the Nets’ pick is in play. If Ainge and the C’s are unable to land that sort of impact player, they could circle back to someone like Andrew Bogut or Nerlens Noel closer to the deadline, but Brooklyn’s 2017 pick would almost certainly be off the table in that sort of deal.
Andrew Bogut Unlikely To Remain In Dallas?
JANUARY 5, 11:07am: Speaking today to reporters, including Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), Bogut said that he hasn’t requested a trade, but he also hasn’t begged the Mavs to keep him. The veteran center does have personal reasons for wanting to stay in Dallas, per Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link).
It’s worth noting that Bogut was given the opportunity to pick his destination when the Warriors traded him last summer, and reportedly chose Dallas over Houston and Philadelphia. Of course, at that time, he expected the Mavs to be a contending team this season.
JANUARY 4, 9:36pm: After an offseason trade from the Warriors last summer, Australian center Andrew Bogut is likely to leave Dallas. The veteran Mavs big man spoke over the phone with Australia’s Sky Sports Radio:
“Thankfully I’m a free agent here so I only have a couple of months more here and then will most likely move on. I don’t see myself hanging around with everything that’s gone on. It will be an interesting six months ahead.”
In 18 healthy games with the Mavericks this season, Bogut has averaged a career low 3.3 points per game. In December, the 32-year-old missed three weeks with a right knee injury.
Relegated to the bench ever since Dirk Nowitzki returned to the lineup, a move that ESPN says he initiated, Bogut has seen his role shrink dramatically. He’s scored just two points in the three games since he returned to action on December 27.
Considering the big man’s expiring contract, it’s well within reason that he gets moved prior to the trade deadline in February and his contributions as a defensive presence in the paint will make him that much more appealing to club’s looking to stock up for the final stretch of the regular season.
“I’ve got a valuable contract … having four months left on my contract I’m a valuable commodity to be moved,” he said in the same interview.
Last October, Carson LaCava of Fansided’s Mavs Moneyball speculated that Bogut’s tenure in Dallas wouldn’t last long. In the 17 seasons since Nowitzki was drafted, LaCava writes, Dallas has started nine different centers for at least half a season.