NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/7/17
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the league:
- The Celtics have assigned Demetrius Jackson to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Jackson, who was the 45th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has played in 21 games for the Red Claws this season and he’s averaging 16.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.
Sixers Notes: Valentine, Okafor, Brown
The Sixers should try to acquire Denzel Valentine from the Bulls if they are going to send Jahlil Okafor to Chicago, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The Bulls reached out to the Sixers regarding an Okafor trade last week.
The details of their talks have not been made clear, though it presumably involves at least one prospect heading to Philadelphia. Valentine or Doug McDermott are potential trade pieces and Brookover believes the former is the better option should the Sixers have to decide between the two. The scribe envisions Valentine developing into a playmaker whom can stretch the floor, while he views McDermott as a career bench player.
[RELATED: TRADE CANDIDATE: JAHLIL OKAFOR]
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why Okafor hasn’t improved all that much since coming to the Sixers. Murphy points out that Nerlens Noel and T.J. McConnell have improved considerably, while Okafor has plateaued.
- Brett Brown is impressed with the way Okafor has handled hearing his name in trade rumors, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The coach said that Okafor should be proud of his work both on and off the court. “We remind him, ‘Go read your resumé,’ “ Brown said. ” ‘You go have a look at who you are.’ And he’s got a lot to be proud of on the court.”
Southwest Notes: D’Antoni, Ferrell, Beverley
The Rockets have won just six of their last 14 games entering Tuesday’s contest, but coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t believe the team should make a trade to get itself back on track, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 passes along via Twitter. “I like what I got,” D’Antoni said. “I’m sure [Daryl Morey] is going to do his job. You’re always trying to better the team. I’m real happy with what we have.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Yogi Ferrell nearly signed in Turkey to play for Darussafaka, the team coached by David Blatt, before the Mavs swooped in to sign him to a 10-day deal, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated writes. The point guard has been impressive for Dallas and the team officially signed him to a two-year deal earlier today.
- Ferrell style of play is a perfect fit for Mavs coach Rick Carlisle‘s system, Fischer writes in the same piece. “You have to attack the rim, you have to know how to score, you have to be a threat on offense, so that it can create not only for yourself and for your teammates as well,” Ferrell said.
- Patrick Beverley was not pleased when Dwight Howard entered the Rockets‘ locker room prior to a game against his former team, David Aldrige of NBA.com relays. “Get Dwight Howard out of our locker room,” Beverley said forcefully, as several witnesses told Aldridge. “I’m serious.” Howard and Beverley were teammates in Houston for three seasons.
Pacific Notes: Green, West, Randle
Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were once again seen in a verbal altercation Saturday night. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, it was all part of a master plan by Green.
“Nothing in general” led to the altercation, the Warriors forward said Tuesday. “It was actually a tactic. But that’s for us to know and for everyone else to figure out.”
Green, Hayes writes, was trying to use reverse psychology to motivate his struggling teammate and supposedly followed it up by winking and smiling at some of the Warriors coaching staff.
Earlier this month Green and Durant were seen arguing with one another on the court when the Warriors lost to the Grizzlies.
Despite their interesting relationship, Green and Durant are said to have watched the Super Bowl together the day after the incident, suggesting that the altercation caused no hard feelings. With a 43-8 record, the Warriors have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to locker room chemistry.
There are more headlines out of the Pacific Division today:
- The Warriors may need to compete with the Lakers if they want to convince 78-year-old executive Jerry West to stay with the team after his contract expires in July, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
- Veteran forward P.J. Tucker knows how to get the most out of his younger teammates and his tough-love approach has been put in effect with current Suns rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic.
- The Lakers handed out significant contracts to veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng over the offseason but lately the tandem has been coming off the bench, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “I’m not going to say it’s permanent, but we’re going to see how it goes,” head coach Luke Walton said, citing the need to develop young players as the reason for the decision.
- Limited to just five minutes over the previous four games, Julius Randle has recovered from pneumonia and and returned to the lineup for the Lakers on Monday. The power forward is expected to be at full strength heading forward, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
- There are plenty of assets on the Suns roster, writes Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer. The scribe breaks down what could be next for Phoenix, including franchise cornerstone Devin Booker and “good-but-not-great” point guard Eric Bledsoe.
Central Notes: Bulls, Jackson, Bucks
The Bulls are in a tough spot trying to make trades before the deadline while remaining in a position to be competitive, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune in a weekly mailbag post. Johnson confirms previous reports that Nikola Mirotic and Rajon Rondo have been made available but suggests that Taj Gibson‘s status would be a better judge of the front office’s mindset heading forward.
Gibson, a 31-year-old eight-year veteran, has averaged 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the Bulls, emerging as a stable source of leadership in the starting lineup. Shopping him, Johnson suggests, would be considered aggressive. The scribe also speculates that the forward could be offered in exchange for a first-round pick, but Johnson doesn’t see that happening.
Also of note out of the Tribune’s Bulls mailbag is the implication that 24-year-old Cristiano Felicio may be better suited as a reserve player than as a starter for the foreseeable future. Johnson applauds the big man’s athleticism and notes his room for offensive improvement but goes on to suggest that current starting center Robin Lopez‘s contract, which stretches through 2018-19, renders the idea a non-issue.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Asked if he was bothered by the fact that the Bulls‘ front office hasn’t explicitly stated that their small forward is off the market, Jimmy Butler claimed to be unphased. “Nope, I don’t care,” he told the media on Monday.
- In response to Stan Van Gundy saying that “everybody is available,” Aaron McMann of MLive ranked Pistons players based on how likely they are to be traded before the February 23 deadline. Heading the list is Aron Baynes, while Reggie Bullock and Reggie Jackson round out the top three. Jackson, it’s worth mentioning, would presumably bring in the biggest haul, despite the fact that his numbers have declined from last year.
- It became clear that the Bucks are willing to shake up their roster when they moved Miles Plumlee for Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes. Now Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times believes that another trade – one for backcourt support – could be in order as the team struggles in the new year. Before Saturday’s victory over the Suns, the Bucks had lost 10 of their previous 11.
- He may not be called upon specifically, but Lavoy Allen is a smart basketball player capable of filling a role, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. The 28-year-old vet, whose recorded 12 DNP-CDs already this season, broke out over the weekend with an 18-point, 11-rebound performance. “He’s been doing what we know he’s capable of doing,” Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. “Solid defender, he rebounds the ball, plays the pick and roll. […] He just plays in the flow of the game. We didn’t run plays for him, he was just making reads.”
Cousins Faces One-Game Ban, Plus Unrelated Fine
For the fourth time in five seasons, DeMarcus Cousins has received enough technical fouls to warrant a one-game suspension. The NBA announced the punishment along with a punishment for a separate incident in a press release earlier today (Twitter link). The big man was issued his 16th technical on Monday night against the Bulls and will miss Wednesday night’s game between the Kings and Celtics as a result.
The second incident mentioned in the press release – an inappropriate gesture and remark – took place after the Kings’ overtime win over the Warriors on Saturday night and has cost the big man a $25K fine. Though not specifically mentioned in the official press release, a video of Cousins in a Golden 1 Center tunnel after the game quickly surfaced online.
This isn’t Cousins’ first brush with controversy this season. In December the All-Star was fined $50K by the Kings for his role in an altercation with a member of the media. Still, thanks in part to the career high 27.9 points per game he has been averaging, Cousins’ status in Sacramento is as stable as it has been in years.
Though Cousins will likely remain the subject of intense trade speculation, he and the Kings are reported to be on track for a $200MM-plus, max contract extension that he would sign this summer. Just yesterday, Kings general manager Vlade Divac said explicitly that they will not trade him.
Latest On Carmelo Anthony, Phil Jackson
Knicks president Phil Jackson was quiet once again after his team suffered an embarrassing home loss to the Lakers on Monday, but he did issue a public statement of sorts this afternoon. In his first tweet of 2017, Jackson drew attention to Kevin Ding’s latest piece for Bleacher Report.
Ding’s article suggests that Carmelo Anthony isn’t as dedicated to winning as Jackson’s previous stars, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. In Ding’s view, Jackson believed when he arrived in New York that he could get more out of Anthony, and has been unsuccessful in turning him into something he’s not. The piece drew a response from Jackson, who seemed to agree with the general premise, though he took exception to one part.
“Bleacher’s Ding almost rings the bell,” Jackson tweeted today. “But I learned you don’t change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze.”
Graham, a Georgetown standout in the mid-1980s, landed on Jackson’s CBA team in 1986 after academic problems cost him his spot on the Hoyas. Graham got into an in-game altercation with Jackson and was waived several days later, having appeared in just 11 games for the Albany Patroons. Jackson later wrote in his memoir that he was unable to get through to Graham, whose eyes would “glaze over” when Jackson tried to talk to him (link via Alan Siegel of The Washingtonian).
The parallel line Jackson appears to draw from Graham to Anthony isn’t exactly a flattering one, and may further alienate the star forward. Anthony has repeatedly said he’d like to remain in New York, and has the power to veto any trade, but Jackson and the Knicks have created a potential rift in the relationship. Jackson’s tweet today suggests the team president isn’t exactly attempting to mend that rift.
And-Ones: 2017 Draft, Trade Rumors, J. Anderson
With the NBA’s All-Star Game around the corner, the trade deadline nearing, and the home stretch of the 2016/17 season not far off, it may not be the time to focus on June’s draft. But don’t tell that to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link), who has published his newest 2017 mock draft, based on the current projected draft order.
In Ford’s latest mock, Markelle Fultz (Celtics), Lonzo Ball (Lakers), Josh Jackson (Suns), Malik Monk (Sixers), and Dennis Smith (Magic) are the first five players off the board. As ESPN’s draft guru explains, teams like the Celtics and Lakers don’t necessarily need another point guard, as their rosters feature bigger holes elsewhere. However, Ford thinks it will be hard for any team in the top two to pass up Fultz or Ball, based on their potential.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype spoke to a handful of current and former NBA players, including Caron Butler, Garrett Temple, and Rashard Lewis, about what it’s like to have one’s name mentioned in trade rumors, and how NBA players deal with those reports. “A lot of times, guys just want to be told the truth – no matter what that is,” Temple said. “What upsets guys the most is when the GM or personnel people are saying one thing to their face and doing something totally different behind the scenes.”
- James Anderson, who has appeared in 247 NBA games, including 51 for the Kings last season, is believed to be drawing NBA interest, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’6″ wing has spent the season with Turkish team Darussafaka Dogus, with whom he has a two-year deal. However, Carchia writes that the club may be willing to let him out of that pact in the event of an NBA offer.
- Former Mavericks center Bernard James has been cut by French club Limoges just two games into his contract with the team, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). It’s not exactly an ideal birthday gift for James, who turns 32 today.
Bucks To Control D-League Affiliate In Oshkosh
FEBRUARY 7, 1:56pm: The Bucks will own and operate a D-League franchise in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, beginning in the 2017/18 season, sources tell Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gardner adds that the city’s new 3,500-seat arena is expected to be ready in time for next season.
FEBRUARY 6, 6:35pm: WBAY-TV in Wisconsin has confirmed a report that the Bucks will soon make an announcement regarding an affiliate D-League team. The announcement will be made in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Ted Miller writes for Action 2 News. Per Miller, Oshkosh is one of three cities vying for the Bucks’ D-League affiliate. According to a WBAY report in January, developers are hoping to begin work on a new basketball arena/entertainment complex by March.
Oshkosh mayor Steve Cummings expressed excitement at the prospect of a D-League team at a town meeting last month. “I think this will transform an area that has been blighted for years into the the crown jewel of this city,” Cummings told Nate Beck of USA Today.
The Bucks, who have used the flexible assignment rule throughout the 2016/17 season, would clearly benefit from having a D-League team in such close proximity to their arena in Wisconsin. The confirmation of a team in Oshkosh would be one step further toward each NBA team having an individual D-League affiliate.
Assuming Milwaukee’s affiliate comes to fruition, 25 of 30 NBA teams will no longer have to rely upon the flexible assignment rule. The Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards, Trail Blazers, and Pelicans are the five teams without their own D-League affiliate lined up for the 2017/18 season.
Here are the other D-League affiliate changes on the horizon:
- The Hawks will get an affiliate in Erie for the next two seasons before moving it to College Park, Georgia in 2019/20.
- The Magic, previously affiliated with Erie, will purchase and control a new D-League team in Lakeland, Florida.
- The Timberwolves will buy and control the Iowa Energy.
- The Grizzlies, previous affiliated with Iowa, will get a new D-League team in Southaven, Mississippi.
Heat Notes: White, Waiters, Richardson, Williams
Okaro White‘s new two-year deal with the Heat will feature a guaranteed prorated minimum salary for the rest of 2016/17, but the details of his 2017/18 salary are a little more complicated.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, White’s minimum salary ($1.3MM) for next season is currently non-guaranteed. However, he’ll get a 25% guarantee if he remains on the team through July 1, with another 25% becoming guaranteed on August 1. If White earns a spot on Miami’s opening-night roster, his full salary will become guaranteed.
Because he won’t have to wait until January for his full salary to become guaranteed, White is in a better spot than most players on similar deals — if the Heat don’t want to commit to his full salary, they’ll have to waive him in the summer, or by the start of the season, which would allow him more time to catch on with another club in the NBA or elsewhere.
Let’s round up a few more Heat-related notes…
- Dion Waiters, who has played a key role in the Heat’s current 11-game winning streak, isn’t certain whether he’ll be able to play in the club’s next game after spraining his left ankle, per Jackson. Meanwhile, another Heat player battling a foot injury, Josh Richardson, hopes to play at least once for the team before this month’s All-Star Game, Jackson writes.
- After being waived by the Heat on Monday, Derrick Williams sent out the following tweet: “Pat Riley is a man of his word. Ultimate respect.” According to Jackson (via Twitter), that message stemmed from the fact that Williams’ release was a mutual decision. The former second overall pick wanted a chance to get more minutes with another team, and the Heat were willing to give him that opportunity by cutting him rather than hanging on to him in an effort to find a trade partner.
- Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explores whether Goran Dragic might be the Heat’s point guard of the future, and discusses whether the club might get a chance to reunite with Briante Weber down the road.