2017 November | Hoops Rumors

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/28/17

November 28th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are the G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA for Tuesday:

The Knicks have recalled Ron Baker from the G League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Baker played for the Westchester Knicks on Monday night, and while the team picked up a win, he recorded just nine points, five rebounds, and zero assists in 37 minutes.
Thomas Bryant had a big night for the South Bay Lakers on Monday, putting up 26 points, nine rebounds, and six three-pointers en route to a win over Iowa. On the heels of that impressive showing, Bryant was recalled to the NBA today by the Lakers, per a team release.
The Celtics have assigned rookie forward Guerschon Yabusele to the Maine Red Claws, the club announced today in a press release. It’s the first G League assignment of Yabusele’s young career.
Rookie center Tony Bradley has been recalled to the NBA by the Jazz, according to the team (Twitter link). Bradley had eight points and eight rebounds in a losing effort for the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday.
The Sixers have sent Furkan Korkmaz back to the G League, the team announced this afternoon in a press release. The rookie shooting guard figures to suit up for the Delaware 87ers tonight against Northern Arizona.

Rade Zagorac To Play In Spain

November 28th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Grizzlies forward Rade Zagorac will continue his career in Spain, having signed a contract with ACB club Real Betis, according to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). Zagorac previously appeared poised to return to his home country of Serbia for the 2017/18 season, but will head elsewhere in Europe after that deal fell through.

As international basketball reporter David Pick explains (via Twitter), Zagorac had reached a verbal agreement on a deal with KK Partizan Belgrade that would have kept him under contract with the Serbian team through 2019. However, Partizan Belgrade had been hit with a FIBA sanction that prevented them from adding new players, meaning Zagorac’s deal couldn’t be finalized.

Zagorac, 22, was the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and after spending one final season overseas, he joined the Grizzlies earlier this year. However, despite signing a contract that was fully guaranteed for two seasons, the 6’9″ forward was unable to earn a spot on Memphis’ regular season roster. The club waived him along with fellow 2016 draftee Wade Baldwin at the end of the preseason.

With Zagorac headed to Spain, the Grizzlies continue to carry $950K in dead money on their 2017/18 cap for the former second-rounder, plus about $1.38MM for 2018/19. However, the club hasn’t given up on the idea of eventually trying to bring the young forward back to Memphis, as Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted last month.

Blake Griffin Sprains MCL, May Miss Two Months

November 28th, 2017 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

2:15pm: The Clippers have now confirmed Griffin’s sprained MCL, announcing in a press release that he didn’t sustain any structural damage in his left knee. However, the team’s announcement indicated that recovery for this specific injury can take up to about eight weeks (Twitter link via David Aldridge). That’s in line with a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Griffin’s recovery could take two months.

2:03pm: The Clippers fear that Griffin could be sidelined for at least the next month, per Sam Amick of USA Today.

1:38pm: Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL after leaving Monday night’s game with a left knee injury, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times first reported earlier today that the Clippers suspected an MCL sprain. According to Aldridge, Griffin will be out for “a while.”

The Clippers have yet to confirm the diagnosis or to announce a recovery timetable for Griffin, but Aldridge suggests the team is relieved that the news wasn’t worse. Griffin sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over the Lakers when he got entangled with Austin Rivers and Lonzo Ball, and it didn’t look good at first glance, with the big man’s knee bending awkwardly as he fell to the floor.

A long-term injury for Griffin, in the wake of a season-ending knee issue for point guard Patrick Beverley, would have been devastating for the Clippers, who have also been without Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari for much of the season. The club entered the season expecting to earn a playoff spot, but dropped nine games in a row this month and currently sits in the lottery at 8-11.

We’ll wait for official word from the Clippers on Griffin’s injury before speculating about what it might mean for the rest of the team’s season. However, if the five-time All-Star misses several weeks and the Clips fall further out of postseason contention, this will be a franchise worth keeping an eye on. DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams are among the veterans on track for 2018 free agency who would have value on the trade market, and Doc Rivers‘ future in L.A. would be uncertain if the team rebuilds – or even just retools – its roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Fizdale Firing: Notes, Reactions, More

November 28th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today at a press conference, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace acknowledged that there was tension between star center Marc Gasol and head coach David Fizdale, and confirmed that was a factor in the team’s decision to fire Fizdale. However, according to Wallace, it wasn’t the overriding factor, as Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.

“We needed to have a change to try to save the season,” Wallace said. “Looking at where we were headed, there just weren’t a great deal of positive trends. We hope to get a positive reboot.”

Despite ongoing trade speculation, Gasol will be a major part of that “positive reboot,” according to the Grizzlies. New interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated today that he plans to lean heavily on the club’s three-time All-Star center going forward.

“Marc is one of the leaders of this team,” Bickerstaff said. “We need Marc to play his best basketball. In order for us to be the team we want to be a ton of the that responsibility falls on Marc’s shoulders. We need him to be Marc Gasol.”

Here’s more on Fizdale and the Grizzlies, as the NBA world continues to react to Monday’s news:

In the wake of his dismissal, Fizdale issued a magnanimous statement to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN thanking the Grizzlies and the city of Memphis for the opportunity to represent them.
The Grizzlies need to come to grips with the fact that the Gasol Era in Memphis is over, argues Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Mannix also passes along a couple more tidbits about the Gasol/Fizdale relationship, along with quotes from Stan Van Gundy, who was “shocked” by the Grizzlies’ decision.
Firing Fizdale won’t solve the Grizzlies’ problems, says Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Meanwhile, Sam Amick of USA Today writes that Fizdale’s firing reinforces the idea that the NBA is a star-driven league.
Fizdale’s ouster doesn’t come as a major surprise to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that Grizzlies owner Robert Pera tried to fire Dave Joerger three games into his head coaching career. Memphis opened the 2013/14 season – Joerger’s first year – with a 1-2 record.
Is a return to Miami the next move for Fizdale? Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said today that he’d embrace bringing back Fizdale as a consultant. However, having the former Heat assistant return in his previous role isn’t being discussed at the moment, since Fizdale plans to take the rest of the year off from coaching, per Spoelstra (Twitter links via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Andre Fernandez of The Miami Herald).

Extension Talks Never Got Serious For Jazz, Favors

November 28th, 2017 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

While not many veteran NBA players qualify for contract extensions, Derrick Favors has been extension-eligible for each of the last two seasons, and came into the 2016/17 campaign hoping to sign a new deal. However, as Favors tells ESPN’s Zach Lowe, he and the Jazz never got close to working out an agreement, despite the fact that Utah had excess cap room to renegotiate his contract.

“They wanted to re-sign Gordon [Hayward], maybe extend George Hill,” Favors said. “And I got hurt. I understand the business part of it. If they had come to me, I’d have been open to it.”

Unrestricted free agency is fast approaching for Favors, who is earning $12MM in 2017/18 on an expiring deal. Considering the Jazz didn’t show much interest in extending Favors’ contract last season when they had plenty of cap flexibility, it’s probably safe to assume the team won’t make an effort to lock him up to an in-season extension this year either, even though he remains eligible. In fact, though he doesn’t cite any sources, Lowe suggests that Utah is more likely to explore the trade market for the 26-year-old.

According to Lowe, it’s not clear if the Jazz could even extract a low first-round pick or an equivalent young player for Favors at this point. Lowe names the Pistons, Pelicans, Bucks, and Nuggets as teams that might be among the potential fits, but cautions that none of those clubs are likely to give up much for a rental.

Favors’ production has been up and down since the start of the 2016/17 season, though he has played well over the last couple weeks with Rudy Gobert sidelined. Having seen more playing time at center during that stretch, Favors has averaged 15.9 PPG and 8.8 RPG in eight games.

Grizzlies Rumors: Gasol, Fizdale, Next Steps

November 28th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Although Marc Gasol expressed displeasure with his fourth-quarter benching on Sunday, there was no “him-or-me” mandate from Gasol to Grizzlies management that led to David Fizdale‘s ouster on Monday, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

The Grizzlies’ decision to fire Fizdale did create the impression that the team was choosing Gasol over its head coach, but it may not be that simple, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Prior to Fizdale’s dismissal, speculation about a possible Gasol trade was beginning to gain steam. If the club had retained Fizdale and Gasol’s frustration led to a trade demand, it would have become more difficult for Memphis to move him. By avoiding that scenario, the Grizzlies can ensure that the veteran’s center trade value remains high, if they decide to consider that possibility.

“I don’t think [the Grizzlies] are done making changes,” one league executive told Deveney on Monday. “They could still move Gasol, they could still go into a rebuilding situation, but it would be harder if Gasol was saying he wants out. They have had plenty of offers for Gasol, and they have a couple of months to sort out whether they pull the trigger. But don’t be surprised if they do, even after this.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

The Celtics and Raptors are among the clubs that could be suitors for Gasol if the Grizzlies entertain offers, according to both Deveney and Forbes’ Mitch Lawrence. Lawrence identifies the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers as other teams that would have interest in the three-time All-Star. It would be tricky for some of those teams to put together viable packages for Gasol and his $22.6MM+ salary.
Fizdale had the support of many of the Grizzlies’ younger players, so his firing may widen a divide between the youngsters and the veterans on Memphis’ roster, says Deveney. The Sporting News scribe also observes that Fizdale is exactly the kind of positive coach and teacher a team would want during a rebuild, meaning the Grizzlies may miss him if they go in that direction.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer lays out the case for why a full-fledged rebuild might make the most sense for the Grizzlies at this point.
While much has been made of Gasol’s role in Fizdale’s firing, former NBA swingman and current ESPN analyst Stephen Jackson set his sights on Chandler Parsons. As AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today details, Jackson suggested that the lack of production the Grizzlies have received from a max-salary player like Parsons put Fizdale at a major disadvantage.

Blake Griffin Being Evaluated After Injuring Knee

November 28th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

After Blake Griffin left Monday night’s game against the Lakers in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury, the Clippers are hoping for the best, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. Griffin, who suffered the injury after getting tangled up with Lonzo Ball and Austin Rivers, will undergo evaluations on Tuesday to diagnosis the issue.

Acknowledging that Griffin’s injury “didn’t look good,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said last night that the team is taking a wait-and-see approach while it waits for the results of Tuesday’s evaluation. Rivers is hopeful that it won’t be a long-term issue.

“I think it’s hyperextended,” Rivers said of Griffin’s knee, per Mark Whicker of The Los Angeles Daily News. “I hope it’s hyperextended. I hope that’s all it is, because if it is, he might miss a game or two. I hope it’s not worse. That’s the last thing we need, missing that guy.”

While Rivers is staying positive, there’s some fear that Griffin suffered a sprained MCL and will miss a significant period of time, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As Turner notes, the team will have a better sense of the extent of the injury after today’s tests.

Griffin, who signed a new five-year, $171MM+ contract with L.A. back in July, has been plagued by left knee and leg injuries throughout his career, as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer details (via Twitter). The former first overall pick hasn’t played more than 67 games in a regular season since the 2013/14 campaign.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have also been hit hard by injuries so far in 2017/18, with Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari missing time and Patrick Beverley undergoing a knee procedure that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Los Angeles has bounced back from a nine-game losing streak to win its last three games, but a long-term injury to Griffin would make it extremely difficult for the club to earn a playoff spot.

Western Notes: Len, Gobert, Leonard, Rockets

November 27th, 2017 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Alex Len has become the odd man out in the Suns’ center rotation and he cannot hide his displeasure, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic reports. Len signed a one-year, $4.2MM qualifying offer with Phoenix after failing to receive an offer sheet that he found acceptable as a restricted free agent over the summer. Len has not played in two of the three last games, as interim coach Jay Triano has decided to ride veterans Tyson Chandler and recently-acquired Greg Monroe. “I put in the work hoping to show my skills on the court,” Len told Bordow. “So when you’re not able to help your team, it’s frustrating.” Len’s lack of playing time won’t help his cause when he enters the market again next summer, this time as an unrestricted free agent.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Jazz center Rudy Gobert is participating in on-court individual drills at practice, Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News tweets. This could be a sign that Gobert, who is recovering from a right knee injury, will return to action sooner than the four- to six-week timetable given on November 12th. Gobert injured the knee in a collision with Heat guard Dion Waiters.
Spurs All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard is making significant progress from the right quadriceps tendinopathy that has kept him out of action all season, coach Gregg Popovich told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News and other media members. Popovich, who jokingly scoffed at “Doctor” Tony Parker‘s estimation that Leonard could return in two or three weeks, said Leonard would soon participate in 5-on-5 practice drills. “He’s getting very close and making progress,” Popovich said. “He’s having contact now and hopefully we will get him back shortly.”
The Rockets are not experiencing chemistry issues because the veterans they acquired know how to blend in, according to Hunter Atkins of The Houston Chronicle. Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute know what it takes to work well with others and it shows now that the team is playing at full strength, Atkins adds.

Southeast Rumors: Monk, Heat, Simmons, Isaac

November 27th, 2017 at 9:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk‘s spotty minutes in recent games is due to Michael Carter-Williams‘ defensive ability and not some sort of punishment for the first-round pick, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. The Hornets have played much better defensively with Carter-Williams in the rotation and Monk became the odd man out, Bonnell continues. Monk is still learning to play point guard after being a shooting guard in college and has plenty of work to do defensively, Bonnell adds.

In other developments around the Southeast Division:

The Heat may have invested too much on complementary pieces, Ira Winderman of the Florida Sun Sentinel opines. It’s fair to question whether the club would be better off now and into the future by spending on top players rather than doling out large contracts to players such as Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk, Winderman adds.
Magic coach Frank Vogel made his first non-injury related change to the starting lineup Monday, inserting swingman Jonathon Simmons in place of Terrence Ross, John Denton of the Magic’s website reports. Vogel wants to give Simmons more playing time and Ross has spent most of his career coming off the bench, Denton notes. “Terrence and I have been in conversations about him maybe being more involved when coming off the bench and with Simmons, we’d like to see what we look like with him having a bigger role,’’ Vogel said.
Magic rookie power forward Jonathan Isaac could return as early as Wednesday from the ankle sprain he suffered on November 11th, Denton notes in a separate story. The lottery pick missed his eighth consecutive game on Monday. “It’s definitely taken longer than I thought it would,” Isaac told Denton.

Central Notes: Bradley, Mirotic, Giannis, Kennard

November 27th, 2017 at 8:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons acquired shooting guard Avery Bradley from the Celtics over the summer with the hope of signing him to a long-term agreement and that hasn’t changed, coach Stan Van Gundy told the Detroit News’ Rod Beard and other media members. Bradley, who is making $8.8MM this season, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and Van Gundy is optimistic the Pistons can lock him up. “I’ll take our chances in the offseason,” Van Gundy said during a press conference.

However, there will be no in-season negotiations, Van Gundy added. “He knew right from the time we got him that we made the move thinking it would be a long-term thing but he knows it’s not something we’re going to talk to him at all about during the season,” Van Gundy said (Twitter links). The Celtics dealt Bradley to free up salary-cap room for free agent forward Gordon Hayward. Bradley is the Pistons’ second-leading scorer at 16.8 PPG.

In other developments around the Central Division:

Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic participated in practice on Monday and will travel with the team to Denver later this week, Vincent Goodwill of NBCSports.com in Chicago reports. Mirotic practiced with teammates for the first time since Bobby Portis punched him last month, resulting in facial injuries and a concussion. Coach Fred Hoiberg is hopeful Mirotic and Portis can coexist, as he told Goodwill and other media members, even though little to no progress has been made regarding their feud. “It is important to get those guys communicating, which I think we’re all confident will happen,” Hoiberg said. “The important thing is getting Niko back on the floor and with the team.”
Bucks All-Star point forward Giannis Antetokounmpo admits that he and assistant coach Sean Sweeney often have verbal altercations but it’s a product of a “tight” relationship, as he explained to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Antetokounmpo was seen yelling at Sweeney during the Bucks’ game against the Jazz on Saturday. Outsiders shouldn’t read anything into it. “We’re OK, that’s what we do — we fight, we argue, but at the end of the day, we both want to win,” Antetokounmpo told Velazquez. “I don’t think there’s anybody from this team who wants to win more than Sweeney and me and coach (Jason) Kidd, of course.”
Pistons rookie swingman Luke Kennard will need to show steady growth defensively to keep his rotation spot, Beard writes in a separate piece. Kennard was considered arguably the best pure shooter in the June draft but his shooting alone won’t guarantee him a spot on the second unit, Van Gundy told Beard and other media members. “He can’t get comfortable and think that he’s got secured minutes,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve flipped that spot over before — and we will again if he’s not going to do what he has to do.”

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