Suns GM Not Expecting Another Major Trade
The deal that sent Eric Bledsoe from Phoenix to Milwaukee in November may go down as one of the biggest in-season trades of 2017/18, but the Suns are unlikely to make another splash before the deadline, according to general manager Ryan McDonough. As Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic details, McDonough downplayed the idea of his team completing a major trade by February 8.
“If we do make a move, it will be positionally to fill a short-term need,” McDonough said. “There’s nobody we can sign or trade for that’s going to come close to replicating half of Devin Booker’s production. Nobody out there is 22 years old and like Davon Reed, who we’re really high on. So we’re most excited about getting those guys back [from injuries].”
Trading a veteran player like Tyson Chandler or Jared Dudley would make sense for a rebuilding team like the Suns. However, McDonough values the leadership those players bring to the locker room, suggesting that even in the midst of a rebuild, “you want to keep at least a few good vets around and we’re happy with those guys.”
Chandler is one of three solid centers on the Suns’ roster, and has been competing for playing time with Greg Monroe and Alex Len. Since Phoenix acquired Monroe, there has been a belief that McDonough would like to move one of those three centers, but the GM wouldn’t even concede that the team wants to clear that logjam. As Bordow writes, McDonough noted that the Suns don’t want to be shorthanded if they trade a center and then one of their remaining two gets hurt.
“I get that it’s a challenge for Coach [Jay] Triano and his staff [to find minutes for all three], but at the same time that’s what good teams do,” McDonough said. “They have depth and balance and manage the minutes and manage the situation even if it’s not perfect for anybody involved.”
If the Suns do make a trade in advance of the deadline, it’s “probably” safe to assume that it won’t come at the expense of minutes for their young players, per McDonough.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/14/17
Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- On the heels of a solid game for the Erie BayHawks on Wednesday, rookie guard Tyler Dorsey was recalled today by the Hawks, the team announced in a press release. Dorsey, the 41st overall pick in 2017’s draft, recorded 15 points and 11 boards in Erie’s win over Wisconsin yesterday.
- The Cavaliers have recalled center Ante Zizic to the NBA, according to a press release issued by the club. Zizic poured in 16 points in 16 minutes for the Canton Charge on Wednesday night, helping to lead Cleveland’s G League affiliate to a victory over the Grand Rapids Drive.
- Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz is on the move once again, having been assigned to the Delaware 87ers today, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). It’s already the 10th G League assignment of the year for Korkmaz.
- The Celtics assigned Guerschon Yabusele and Abdel Nader to their G League affiliate, the team announced on Twitter.
Archie Goodwin Rejoins Hornets’ G League Affiliate
Former first-round pick Archie Goodwin is headed back to the G League. The Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate, announced today in a press release that they’ve added Goodwin to their roster as a returning rights player.
The 29th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Goodwin spent the first three years of his NBA career in Phoenix, then played sparingly last season for the Pelicans and Nets. The 23-year-old guard, who has averaged 6.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 165 career NBA games, was in camp with the Trail Blazers this fall, but Portland waived him at the end of the preseason.
Now that he has signed a new G League contract, Goodwin will return to Greensboro, where he spent much of last season. In 2016/17, the former Kentucky Wildcat put up 17.0 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 34 games (32.7 MPG) for Charlotte’s affiliate, which still held his G League rights.
Goodwin parlayed his solid G League performance last season into a pair of 10-day contracts and then a rest-of-season deal with Brooklyn down the stretch. He likely hopes to take a similar path back to the NBA this year — because he’s not on a two-way contract, he’ll be free to sign with any of the 30 NBA teams if he makes a strong impression with the Swarm.
Dirk Nowitzki: “Looking Like” I’ll Play In 2018/19
The prime years of Dirk Nowitzki‘s career are behind him, but he’s not ready to ride off into the sunset quite yet. While Nowitzki said he doesn’t want to set anything in stone quite yet, he’s leaning toward playing at least one more season beyond this one, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
“I’m not going to say 100% I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” Nowitzki told Sefko. “I feel fine so far. I’ve played every game. I’d love to play all 82. That would be amazing at [age] 39. We’ll see how the body feels. But so far, it’s been fine.”
Nowitzki, who will turn 40 in June, signed a two-year, $10MM contract with Dallas this past offseason. That deal includes a team option for 2018/19, so the decision on whether or not the longtime Maverick will be back is technically up to the team. However, owner Mark Cuban has expressed hope that Nowitzki will return for 2018/19 to set the record for most years spent with one team, and it’s not as if Cuban would decline that option.
Although 2017/18 may not be Nowitzki’s last season, he did stress that his current deal “will be for sure my last contract,” according to Sefko. So if he returns for next season, it figures to be his farewell tour.
Having started all 28 games for the Mavs so far this season, Nowitzki is averaging 11.1 PPG and 5.6 RPG with a .443/.416/.919 shooting line.
Mirza Teletovic Diagnosed With Pulmonary Emboli In Lungs
Mirza Teletovic continues to be hampered by health problems, with the Bucks announcing today in a press release that the veteran power forward has been diagnosed with pulmonary emboli in both lungs. Team physicians discovered Teletovic’s condition after he experienced “unusual fatigue” this week.
Back in January of 2015, Teletovic had a similar health scare when he was diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs. That issue sidelined him for the remainder of the 2014/15 regular season, but in this case, the Bucks haven’t ruled out him out for the year.
According to the team, Teletovic will begin a rehab program following a 10-day rest period. No specific timetable was provided for his return, but hopefully he’s able to get back on the court at some point this season, or is at least good to go for the start of 2018/19.
Teletovic, 32, has already missed the Bucks’ last 16 games as he recovers from an arthroscopic procedure on his knee. So far this season, he has been limited to 10 games, averaging 7.1 PPG with a .467 3PT% in 15.9 minutes per contest.
With Teletovic out and Greg Monroe no longer on the roster, Milwaukee figures to keep its eye out for a possible frontcourt addition as the February 9 trade deadline nears.
Marcus Thornton Joins Pistons’ G League Team
Veteran NBA guard Marcus Thornton has signed a G League contract and has been acquired from the available player pool by the Pistons’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, a league source tells Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). The G League’s official transactions log confirms the move.
This Marcus Thornton should not be confused with the Marcus Thornton who was selected 45th overall in the 2015 draft by the Celtics — that former William & Mary guard, who has not appeared in an NBA regular season game, is currently playing for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s G League affiliate.
This Thornton, 30, has played in 483 NBA regular season games since the start of the 2009/10 season, spending time with seven NBA teams over the course of his professional career. Most recently, the LSU alum averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 33 contests for the Wizards in 2016/17. Although he worked out for the Timberwolves in the offseason, he was unable to land an NBA contract.
Thornton is the second former NBA player acquired by the Drive this week — the team also added swingman K.J. McDaniels. It’s not clear what sort of roles the two veterans will have for the Pistons’ G League affiliate, but both players will look to use the opportunity as a springboard back into the NBA.
Northwest Notes: George, Millsap, Timberwolves
It was an emotional night for both Paul George and Pacers fans as the Thunder arrived in Indiana. Now, with the contest in the rearview mirror, George is ready to move on. As Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star writes, the All-Star is happy that the “circus” is over.
While George struggled in his return to the city in which he launched his career, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan thinks that his forward handled it well, showing incredible poise.
George shot 3-14 from the field in the Thunder’s narrow victory Wednesday night, the latest inconsistent offensive showing in a season that has, to this point, been full of them.
“I understood I was going to be coming into it, so it wasn’t a surprise,” George said. “My [Thunder] teammates did a great job of helping me battle this one tonight. Just kept everything within that rectangle out there.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- While his return is still weeks, if not months away, injured Nuggets forward Paul Millsap is back with the team and doing everything possible to return to the court as quickly as possible, Christopher Dempsey of Denver’s official site writes.
- Much has been said of the heavy usage that Timberwolves starters have seen so far this season but that could be caused by a lack of depth. Michael Rand of the Star Tribune writes that the Wolves wouldn’t need to rely on their short-list of stars if they could consistently expect more out of their bench.
- It was always possible that the NBA’s latest big three experiment could take time to bear fruit. Now 27 games into the 2017/18 season, however, Royce Young of ESPN asks, if the Thunder are running out of time.
Shoulder Injury Sidelines Luc Mbah A Moute 2-3 Weeks
The Rockets will be without forward Luc Mbah a Moute for two to three weeks following a shoulder injury sustained Wednesday night but, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets, the results of an MRI conducted reveal that there are no significant issues.
Shortly after the game on Wednesday, head coach Mike D’Antoni speculated that the 31-year-old had dislocated his shoulder and Rockets fans braced for an extended stretch without a key rotation player.
In just over 25 minutes per game this season, Mbah a Moute has averaged 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Rockets while establishing himself as a defensive cornerstone.
“Luc is a key for us defensively,” center Clint Capela told Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. “We’re going to have to be more focused on defense because without Luc, it’s not going to be easy.“
2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are in a curious position as an NBA franchise, suspended in a unique limbo between rebuilding and (sorta) contending. Thank Dirk Nowitzki for most of it, as team owner Mark Cuban seems to have insisted that the Mavs field a semi-competent roster in the future Hall of Famer’s final years.
While the club has seemingly acknowledged the writing on the wall and started to amass long-term building blocks – most recently, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. – it’s unlikely that the Mavs will fully give into an outright rebuild so long as Nowitzki is on board for 2018/19 (which, for reasons discussed below, we’re going to assume to be the case).
Seth Curry, PG, 27 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $6MM deal in 2016
Curry has yet to see the court this season on account of a leg injury that may now require surgery. Even at full health, however, it’s not likely that Curry would have siphoned minutes away from either lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. or several other niche players in Dallas’ backcourt rotation, a reality that casts doubt on his future with the franchise.
Devin Harris, SG, 35 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $17MM deal in 2014
While Harris has produced admirably off the bench for the Mavs, it doesn’t make sense for a team attempting to usher in a new era to retain a 35-year-old reserve in an already crowded backcourt. Harris could be a sneaky value add for a contender late in the free agency process next summer.
Yogi Ferrell, PG, 25 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Ferrell carved out a role for himself as a rotation piece on the Mavs last season but he probably won’t garner much interest as a restricted free agent next summer given that his ceiling seems somewhat capped. Still, he could provide solid long-term value in Dallas if the team does decide to part ways with Curry and/or Harris.
Wesley Matthews, SF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $70MM deal in 2015
The Mavs poached Matthews from an elite Trail Blazers squad hopeful that the swingman’s two-way game would help keep their aging core relevant in the West. Through three seasons, Matthews has posted a relatively uninspiring 12.9 points per game but will almost certainly return to Dallas considering how unlikely it would be for him to exceed his $19MM 2018/19 player option on the open market.
Josh McRoberts, PF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $23MM deal in 2014
The Mavs absorbed the final year of McRoberts’ contract over the summer, yielding a future second-round pick from the Heat in the process. Considering that the 30-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury since joining the organization, he’ll be hard-pressed to earn a significant contract after this season. McRoberts may be able to fill a rotation spot somewhere – maybe even in Dallas – but he’ll presumably have to do so on a minimum salary.
Salah Mejri, C, 32 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $3MM deal in 2015
While Mejri has played a modest role for the Mavs in each of the past three seasons, he won’t command much on the open market as a 32-year-old free agent with career averages south of five points per game.
Nerlens Noel, C, 24 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $4MM deal in 2017
It’s been less than a year since the Mavs plucked a disgruntled Noel away from the Sixers, but any notion that the team was eager to include the 23-year-old in their long-term plans has quickly faded. It’s hard to picture Noel commanding the big money he supposedly aspired to land last summer but even harder to picture him back in Dallas next season after how head coach Rick Carlisle has handled his minutes so far this season. Realistically the 2016 lottery pick’s value falls much higher than his $4MM qualifying offer and, once the free agency dominoes start falling next summer, he should find a team happy to throw him a more significant long-term offer.
Dirk Nowitzki, PF, 40 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $10MM deal in 2017.
Nowitzki has said that his decision (yes, his decision, even though it’s formally and contractually the team’s) will be based on how he feels over the course of this season. For what it’s worth, Cuban hopes to see him return and thinks there’s good chance that he does so in order to break the record for most seasons with one franchise.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Rivers, Booker, Hill
Injury woes continue to plague the Clippers and the most recent victim of the team’s misfortune is guard Austin Rivers. Per an ESPN report, Rivers suffered a concussion in the second quarter of Los Angeles’ Wednesday night win.
Rivers took an elbow to the head in the waning seconds of the first half and did not return for the Clippers. He has already been ruled out for Friday’s contest.
Rivers has been enjoying a career year with the Clippers, averaging 14.5 points and 3.4 assists through 26 games. The 25-year-old has stepped up as an offensive weapon on the short-staffed team, cracking the 20-point plateau five times already this season.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division today:
- The Suns are hoping to get Devin Booker back in the lineup before December 29, Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic tweets. That means he could be in the lineup on Boxing Day. Earlier this month, Booker strained his left adductor and was expected to miss two-to-three weeks.
- Recently added Kings guard George Hill understands that his role with his new team will fluctuate over the course of the season. While he’s scored 16 or more points six times in 24 games this season he’s scored six or fewer nine times. “That’s the rotation coach wants to go with,” Hill told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. “You’ve got to respect that he’s trying put the young guys in situations where they can learn and things like that. Whatever he asks me to do, I’ve been trying to do it to the best of my ability.“
- Second-year Suns forward Marquese Chriss returned to his hometown of Sacramento for a contest against the team that drafted him. Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic writes that the forward preferred to not play for the Kings and was happy when Phoenix acquired him on draft day. “I’m the type of person I want to do stuff on my own,” Chriss said. “Just kind of expand what I’m learning instead of staying in the same environment. I’m grateful that they did trade me. I think I’m in a better situation for myself and my career.“