NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/8/17
Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Hornets have assigned point guard Julyan Stone to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Stone appeared in Charlotte’s first two games this season, but has battled a hamstring injury since then and it’s not clear if there’s room for him in the rotation anymore.
- Second-year guard Isaiah Whitehead has been recalled from the G League by the Nets, according to a press release from the club. Whitehead, who will join the Nets in Mexico City, has played in eight NBA games and three G League games so far this season.
- Rookie guard Furkan Korkmaz continues to bounce back and forth between the NBA and the G League, with the Sixers sending him back to Delaware today (link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Korkmaz will suit up for the 87ers – Philadelphia’s G League affiliate – in Canton tonight.
Nikola Mirotic Set To Return For Bulls
After being sidelined for over a month and a half, Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is set to make his season debut on Friday night against the Hornets, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Mirotic had targeted tonight’s game for his return, and head coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed after today’s shootaround that the veteran big man is ready to go.
“Niko will play tonight,” Hoiberg said. “We talked about starting out with him being careful about his minutes. There’s no hard number, per se. We just have to be smart about this as he works his way back into playing shape, especially the back-to-back here in his first stint. So he’ll go out and probably play 15-20 minutes tonight. It could be different depending on the flow of the game, but he’s excited to be back and we’re excited to have him out there.”
It has been an eventful few months for Mirotic, who reached restricted free agency for the first time in July, and had hoped to sign a lucrative new deal. After spending several months on the open market though, the 26-year-old settled for a two-year, $25MM deal with the Bulls. That’s certainly not bad money, but with only the first year’s salary guaranteed, it’s less than what Mirotic had hoped for.
After re-signing with the Bulls, Mirotic appeared poised to open the season as the team’s starting power forward, but an altercation with teammate Bobby Portis prior to opening night hospitalized Mirotic, who was on the receiving end of a Portis punch. The blow resulted in a concussion and multiple facial fractures for Mirotic, as well as an eight-game suspension for Portis.
While Mirotic and Portis appear to have made amends – at least enough to coexist on the court and the bench – it’s still worth keeping an eye on Mirotic’s play over the next several weeks. The sharpshooting power forward becomes eligible to be traded on January 15, and it seems unlikely that he and the Bulls have a long-term future. If he plays well, Mirotic should draw some interest around the NBA prior to the February 8 trade deadline.
Nerlens Noel To Miss Several Weeks
DECEMBER 8, 1:29pm: Noel has officially undergone surgery on his left thumb, the Mavericks announced today in a press release. The team didn’t provide a recovery timetable for the center.
DECEMBER 6, 5:50pm: Nerlens Noel will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, Mavericks team writer Bobby Karalla relays (Twitter link).“He’ll be out for several weeks,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “I don’t know how long.”
Noel hurt his thumb earlier in the season and he hasn’t played since November 23. The center told the media that he expects to be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com passes along via Twitter.
Noel, who ‘s making slightly under $4.2MM this season, missed a total of six games so far this season and has only played 12.5 per contest on the nights he has suited up. He’ll be one of several players to become trade-eligible on December 15 and while there was a decent chance that he would have been switching teams prior to the injury, the latest news puts a hold on any movement.
Suns Sign Danuel House To Two-Way Contract
DECEMBER 8: House’s two-way contract with the Suns is now official, the team announced in a press release. Phoenix once again has a full roster.
DECEMBER 7: The Suns plan to sign guard Danuel House to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The 24-year-old last saw NBA action with the Wizards in 2016/17, but was a late training camp cut by the Rockets this fall.
House will slot in to the two-way spot opened up earlier today when the Suns converted Mike James‘ two-way deal into a regular contract.
House only played in one single minute for the Wizards last season after going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016. After starting this season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as an affiliate player for the Rockets, he’ll play for the Northern Arizona Suns going forward.
When House’s deal becomes official, the Timberwolves will once again be the only NBA club that hasn’t filled both of its two-way contract slots.
Cavaliers Rumors: Rose, Thompson, Rotation
Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose spoke to reporters today for the first time since returning from his time away from the club, and revealed a few more details about the ankle injury that has sidelined him for the last month. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays, Rose said he’s battling a bone spur, and if his rehab process doesn’t take, he may need to undergo a surgical procedure.
“It’s all about first getting the area to calm down and then strengthening your leg back up again,” Rose said. “So, afterwards, we may have to have a procedure but who knows.”
According to Vardon, it wasn’t clear whether Rose was referring to the possibility of undergoing surgery after the season or sooner than that. Either way, it doesn’t sound like great news for the oft-injured point guard, whose recent absence from the Cavaliers stemmed from an overwhelming frustration with his ongoing health problems.
Here’s more on Rose and the Cavs:
- When Rose was contemplating his basketball future, much was made of his Adidas contract, which still has a reported $80MM left on it. However, the former MVP said today that the endorsement money wasn’t a factor in his decision, per Vardon. “Not to be rude — I don’t care about no (expletive) money,” Rose said. “It’s not about that. I’ve saved up enough money. It’s not about that. If I wanted to leave, I would have left. Like I said, coming back here, starting with rehab that’s my first step. Keeping it simple and just giving my team support and then I’ll see what I see off the court.”
- Rose apologized to his Cavaliers teammates at Wednesday’s shootaround for his recent absence, a team source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Multiple Cavs, including LeBron James, had previously said that Rose didn’t owe the club an apology. “It wasn’t a big deal and didn’t need to be,” the team source said of the apology, per McMenamin.
- Injured big man Tristan Thompson had been hoping to get back on the court for the Cavs this week, but he experienced soreness in his troublesome left calf on Wednesday, which may delay his return. Vardon has the details at Cleveland.com.
- In his latest mailbag for Cleveland.com, Vardon examines how the Cavs’ rotation may change when Thompson returns, and discusses the viability of a potential trade involving Rose.
Sixers/Nets Trade Notes: Reactions, Analysis, More
After spending the better part of 2017 on the trade block, Jahlil Okafor finally has a new NBA home, with the Sixers and Nets completing a trade on Thursday that sent Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and a 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Trevor Booker. We’ve got several notes related to that deal to pass along this morning, so let’s dive right in…
Analysis:
- Acquiring Okafor is another shrewd move for the Nets as they continue to rebuild their roster, writes Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. While Okafor didn’t generate a ton of interest on the trade market, one Western Conference exec tells Mannix that his team would have had “strong interest” in the third-year center as a free agent. “He’s a good player,” said that Western exec. “He’s probably never going to be a great player, but he will always be a very good scorer. You go get guys like that when you can.”
- In the view of Derek Bodner of The Athletic, the Sixers essentially traded a future second-round pick for Booker, prompting Bodner to examine whether the veteran forward is worth it. Although the Athletic scribe isn’t quite sure about Booker’s fit, he notes that the deal improves Philadelphia’s bench and doesn’t put much of a dent into the team’s draft-pick stash.
- Okafor has a chance to be a very good offensive player for the Nets, says Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) isn’t overly bullish on the trade for either team, giving the Nets a grade of B, and the Sixers a C. Even though Pelton likes Brooklyn’s side a little better, he notes that opening up a roster spot and adding some extra depth at power forward could pay off for Philadelphia.
Reactions:
- Okafor is “extremely” excited to be a Net, a source close to the former third overall pick tells Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.
- Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Booker said that he wasn’t too surprised by the deal, since he felt like he might be moved at some point in 2017/18. More than anything, Booker says, he’s excited to go to an “up-and-coming team” like the Sixers, adding that he could picture himself in Philadelphia long-term if the team wants to keep him around beyond this season.
- Joel Embiid engaged in some playful trash talk with his longtime teammate in the wake of the trade, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets. “I made sure to let [Okafor] know that I was going to kick his ass,” Embiid said. “We play them four times a year.” The Sixers’ star center added – on a more serious note – that he’s “really happy” for Okafor, who is a good friend (Twitter link).
Other notes:
- We typically like to break down the salary cap implications of each major NBA trade, including how the deal creates trade exceptions or impacts a club’s long-term cap outlook. However, there aren’t many cap-related items to pass along on the Sixers/Nets swap. The Nets remain under the cap, so they can’t create a trade exception, and the 76ers won’t get one either.
- Booker, Okafor, and Stauskas all have expiring contracts, meaning neither team will create or give up any cap room for the summer of 2018. Booker will be an unrestricted free agent, while Stauskas will be eligible for restricted free agency, though he seems unlikely to get a qualifying offer. As for Okafor, he’ll be unrestricted, but the Nets won’t be able to offer him a starting salary worth more than about $6.3MM (the value of his declined 2018/19 option) if they want to re-sign him.
- CBA rules prevent a team from acquiring a player with an exception and then aggregating his salary with another salary in a trade during the next two months. For instance, the Sixers couldn’t immediately combine Booker’s $9MM+ salary with Amir Johnson‘s $11MM salary to trade for a player earning $20MM+. However, that two-month restriction will lift just before the 2018 trade deadline, which falls on February 8.
Hawks Waive Nicolas Brussino
10:10am: The Hawks don’t intend to use their newly-opener roster spot right away, but eventually want to convert Tyler Cavanaugh‘s two-way contract into a standard NBA deal, per Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
10:03am: The Hawks have opened up a spot on their roster by waiving second-year forward Nicolas Brussino, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Atlanta now has a total of 16 players under contract, but only 12 have fully guaranteed NBA salaries — two are on partially guaranteed contracts, and a couple more are on two-way deals.
Brussino, 24, signed with the Mavericks last summer and spent the 2016/17 season with the team, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 54 contests (9.6 MPG). Dallas didn’t want to guarantee Brussino’s salary for the 2017/18 campaign, so the club waived him July, at which point he was claimed by the Hawks. He appeared briefly in just four games for Atlanta this season.
Brussino’s minimum salary for this season became guaranteed in the summer, so the Hawks will remain on the hook for that amount, assuming the 6’7″ Argentinian goes unclaimed on waivers. Brussino’s contract also includes a $1,544,951 salary for 2018/19, but that figure is non-guaranteed.
It’s not clear if the Hawks have another roster move on tap after cutting Brussino. If not, they’ll have some flexibility going forward. NBA teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts next month, so if Atlanta doesn’t fill its open roster spot before then, the club could use the opening to take fliers on multiple young players in the second half.
Southeast Notes: Wall, Belinelli, Heat, Hornets
Wizards point guard John Wall hasn’t taken the court since November 22, having received platelet-rich plasma and viscosupplementation injections in his left knee a few days after that. While Wall’s return isn’t imminent, it’s getting close, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. A source tells Buckner that Wall could get back in the lineup by the middle of next week.
The Wizards’ initial timeline for Wall projected a two-week recovery, which would have put him on track to return this weekend. However, as that same source tells Buckner, the club’s All-Star point guard needs a little more time to get healthy.
Here’s more from around the Southeast division:
- Hawks sharpshooter Marco Belinelli will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2018, and recently told Massimo Lopes Pegna of La Gazzetta dello Sport (English link via Sportando) that his goal is to sign a two- or three-year contract. Belinelli left the door open for a possible return to Europe down the road, but it would be a surprise if he left the NBA anytime soon — he’s still just 31 years old, and his .393 3PT% will appeal to potential suitors.
- The Heat entered this season hoping that their 30-11 second-half record last year was more indicative of their true talent level than their 11-30 first half. So far though, they’ve essentially split the difference, with an 11-13 mark. As the club struggles to get above .500, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald explores whether it was a misstep to give lucrative, long-term deals to James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
- With Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky both sidelined due to injuries, the Hornets will have to make some adjustments to their frontcourt rotation, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, who identifies Johnny O’Bryant and Mangok Mathiang as two players who could benefit. O’Bryant is in the final year of his minimum-salary deal with Charlotte, while Mathiang is on a two-way contract — he was transferred back to the Hornets today.
2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Boston Celtics
The Celtics are in one of the most enviable positions in the NBA, with a winning core composed primarily of veteran players in or near their prime and a wave of promising young players with years left on their rookie deals. This summer, then, won’t be a particularly eventful one relative to the club’s 2017 transformation.
While the club does have a few pending free agents, most are replaceable and nearly all are affordable. The question the Celtics will have to answer in the summer then, is whether they’d be better off welcoming the selected few back or auditioning new options.
Aron Baynes, C, 30 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $4.3MM deal in 2017
After two years serving as Andre Drummond‘s primary backup in Detroit, Baynes signed on with the Celtics over the summer, immediately slotting into the team’s rotation as the most physically imposing big man on the roster. While Al Horford has thrived in customary fashion handling the bulk of responsibility at the five, Baynes has done what’s been asked of him. The C’s won’t need to break the bank to bring Baynes back next season, so – without any other traditional big bodies on board – it’s an easy enough sell.
Shane Larkin, PG, 25 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in 2017
Larkin, an undersized 25-year-old, has bounced around the NBA since coming out of Miami in 2013, but hasn’t made much of an impression at any of his four stops despite fascinating speed. Given Boston’s depth and contention timeline, that’s not likely to change. It’s hard to imagine that a Celtics team with no shortage of assets would prefer a fourth-string point guard with a precarious NBA future over the roster flexibility that letting him walk would bring.
Marcus Smart, PG, 23 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $14.8MM deal in 2014
It’s weird to remember that Smart is still only 23 years old, considering that he’s carved out a niche as a gritty, reliable defender over the course of several postseasons. His offensive game may leave much to be desired – he’s a 29.1% career three-point shooter – but he helps a successful team win games night in and night out. It’s not that much of a stretch, then, to picture other teams looking to poach Smart’s services, hoping for some of that winning mojo to wear off on them. Unfortunately for Smart, a restricted free agent, there’s a dearth of teams projected to have cap space next summer, the majority of whom will likely pursue more grandiose home runs swings. Expect Smart back with the Celtics at a fair price.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/7/17
Here are the G League transactions from around the NBA today:
- The Sixers assigned Furkan Korkmaz to the Delaware 87ers and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a pair of press releases (via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Korkmaz has played seven games with the G League affiliate so far this season, averaging 16.3 points per contest.