NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/10/17
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
2:14pm:
- The Rockets have sent rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer back to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). As noted below, Wiltjer was recalled to Houston earlier today, but it appears it was just for practice purposes. By rejoining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Wiltjer will get a chance to play in the team’s playoff game tonight against the L.A. D-Fenders.
- According to RealGM’s transactions log, the Celtics have assigned Jordan Mickey to the Maine Red Claws, the Lakers have assigned David Nwaba to the L.A. D-Fenders, and the Pelicans have sent Axel Toupane to the Raptors 905. Mickey and Nwaba will be in action tonight, while Toupane’s team is awaiting the winner of the Maine/Fort Wayne series.
1:25pm:
- The Cavaliers have recalled rookie guard Kay Felder from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The Canton Charge’s season came to an end over the weekend, so Felder would’ve likely been back with the Cavs either way, but it’s worth noting that he could see some action for Cleveland tonight, with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James among the regulars expected to rest.
- The Rockets have recalled forward Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team (Twitter link). Houston has the No. 3 seed in the West locked up, so Wiltjer could get some playing time this week if regulars rest. However, if he remains with the Rockets through tonight, the rookie sharpshooter would miss the Vipers’ deciding first-round game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the D-League playoffs.
Johnathan Motley Declares For 2017 NBA Draft
Baylor power forward Johnathan Motley has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft to test the waters, the school announced today in a press release. Motley won’t hire an agent, which will allow him to withdraw his name by the May 24 deadline if he wants to retain his NCAA eligibility.
“Johnathan had a tremendous junior season, and he became one of the all-time Baylor greats,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said in a statement. “Entering his name into the draft without hiring an agent gives him a chance to get feedback from NBA teams and make an informed decision for his future. We want what’s best for him and his family, and Baylor Nation will fully support him along the way.”
Motley, who will turn 22 next month, is coming off a breakout junior year in which he averaged 17.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, NBA scouts would like to see him shoot and make a few more three-pointers — if he were able to consistently make outside shots, he could be a first-round pick, though he’s more likely to come off the board in the second round, assuming he remains in the draft.
Ford ranks Motley 46th overall on his big board at ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony has the 6’9″ junior at No. 39 on his top-100 list at DraftExpress.com.
Spurs Assistant Turns Down NCAA Job, Open To NBA Head Coaching Opportunities
1:35pm: New Mexico attempted to re-engage Borrego with a head coaching offer today, but the Spurs assistant will stay in San Antonio, as expected, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
12:59pm: According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link), two of New Mexico’s top head coaching candidates are now out of the mix, and Borrego is “back in the fray,” so perhaps the school is making a renewed push to hire the Spurs assistant away from San Antonio.
12:22pm: Spurs assistant James Borrego had been considered a potential frontrunner for the University of New Mexico’s head coaching vacancy, but Borrego has decided to withdraw from the school’s search and remain in San Antonio, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Although Borrego will stick with the Spurs for now, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll remain in San Antonio for years to come. The 39-year-old assistant was interviewed by the Rockets and Grizzlies for their head coaching jobs last spring before those teams hired Mike D’Antoni and David Fizdale, respectively. Borrego made a good impression on both clubs and will likely remain a top coaching candidate going forward, according to Wojnarowski, who suggests that the veteran assistant will continue to explore head coaching opportunities as they arise.
After joining the Spurs in 2003 and spending seven seasons with the franchise, Borrego spent time with the Hornets and Magic between 2010 and 2015. In Orlando, he was Jacque Vaughn‘s top assistant and even served as the Magic’s interim head coach in 2015 after Vaughn was dismissed. The Magic had a 10-20 record in Borrego’s 30 games as head coach.
Borrego returned to the Spurs as an assistant on Gregg Popovich‘s staff in 2015 and has spent the last two seasons with the team.
While the NBA’s head coaching carousel this offseason likely won’t be as active as it was a year ago, when one-third of the league’s teams made changes, I’d still expect at least a couple teams to be in the market for a new coach in the coming weeks, so Borrego may draw interest once again.
Pistons Unable To Waive Beno Udrih, Sign Lorenzo Brown
11:45am: The Pistons won’t be waiving Udrih and signing Brown after all, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. According to Charania, league rules dictate that Sunday was the deadline for Detroit to cut Udrih and have him pass through waivers, so the Pistons were unable to complete the pair of transactions, despite the fact that Brown had been set to join the team.
As Bobby Marks of The Vertical explains (via Twitter), multiple teams finish their regular season on Tuesday, so not every team would have the opportunity to claim Udrih if he were to clear waivers on Wednesday.
10:05am: A source tells Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link) that the Pistons signing Brown and cutting Udrih is “possible, but complicated,” so we’ll wait to see whether the team is able to make it official today.
9:46am: The Pistons will make a change at point guard with just two games left in the season, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will cut Beno Udrih and sign Lorenzo Brown.
Udrih suffered a right knee injury on Sunday, and hadn’t been expected to be available for the Pistons’ last couple games this week, so the move is designed to get a healthy body in to back up Ish Smith at the point guard position. Udrih had been on a one-year, guaranteed deal, so being waived now won’t affect his salary or his summer outlook. For the season, Udrih recorded 5.8 PPG and 3.4 APG in 39 games (14.4 MPG) for Detroit.
As for Brown, he returns to the Pistons after a 2016/17 season that saw him make a number of stops. After failing to earn a spot on Detroit’s regular season roster out of camp, Brown played in Russia and China. He eventually returned stateside and joined the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, with whom he averaged 23.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 11 games down the stretch this season.
With Udrih out, the Pistons could have inserted Reggie Jackson back into their rotation for the final two games of the season. However, head coach Stan Van Gundy suggested last night that Jackson likely wouldn’t be an option, since the team had already committed to shutting him down for the season, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News details.
Key 2017 NBA Offseason Dates
With the 2016/17 regular season coming to an end, many teams have already shifted their focus to the offseason, and others will soon follow suit. With that in mind, it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the 2016/17 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months. Here’s a breakdown:
April 12 — Last day of regular season. Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.
April 14 — Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).
April 15 — Playoffs begin.
April 24 — Deadline for early entrants to declare for draft (10:59pm CT).
May 9-14 — Draft combine.
May 16 – Draft lottery.
May 24 — Last day for early entrants to withdraw from draft and retain their NCAA eligibility.
June 12 — Deadline for early entrants to withdraw from draft (4:00pm CT).
June 18 — Latest possible date for end of NBA Finals.
June 22 — Draft day.
June 24 — Last day for potential restricted free agents to exercise player options.
June 26 — NBA awards show.
June 29 — Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options, unless individual contracts specify otherwise.
June 30 — Last official day of 2016/17 league year; last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
July 1 — Official start of 2017/18 league year; July moratorium begins. Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams.
July 6 — July moratorium ends (11:00am CT); teams can begin officially signing players and making trades.
July 13 — Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
July 15 — Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned first-round picks; those players become free agents on July 16 if not tendered.
August 31 — Last day teams may waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2017/18 salaries.
September 5 — Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.
Late September (specific dates TBA) — Training camps open.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.
Metta World Peace Aims To Play 20 Seasons
Metta World Peace is nearing the end of his 18th professional season – 17th in the NBA – and will turn 38 in the fall, but he doesn’t intend to retire just yet. As Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News details, the man formerly known as Ron Artest hopes to play 20 seasons of professional basketball, meaning he’ll aim to put off retirement for at least two more years.
Although World Peace has spent the entire 2016/17 season with the Lakers, his playing time has been very sporadic — he has acted as more of a mentor on the bench to the team’s young players. The veteran forward has appeared in just 23 games and hasn’t seen the court much in those contests, accumulating only 125 minutes for the season.
Those numbers don’t necessarily bode well for World Peace’s NBA future, though he isn’t necessarily locked into playing two more years in the NBA. Having spent the 2014/15 season in China and Italy, World Peace is open to returning overseas if no NBA opportunities arise. While he’d love to re-sign with the Lakers, the 37-year-old acknowledges that bringing him back may not be feasible for the franchise.
“There’s too many free agents and rookies they have to sign,” World Peace said. “It’s the last thing I would think about this early. The whole league has to get the free agents, the rookies, and get the B-class players and C-class players. I never think about it. It’s too early.”
Although World Peace’s long-term future with the Lakers is up in the air, he should have the opportunity to see a little more action for the club in the short term. Los Angeles will host the Pelicans on Tuesday before traveling to Golden State on Wednesday for the regular season finale. And head coach Luke Walton expects to get World Peace some minutes, particularly in the Lakers’ last home game.
“We want to reward Metta every chance we get for how great he’s been this year and the way he’s worked and the way he helps the young guys and being positive,” Walton said. “He’s been one of the better players in this league for a long time. He’s won a championship with this organization, obviously. So that comes into play.”
OG Anunoby To Enter 2017 NBA Draft
Indiana small forward OG Anunoby is set to enter the 2017 NBA draft, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. According to Rothstein, who notes that an official announcement should come soon, Anunoby will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility.
Anunoby’s sophomore season with the Hoosiers was cut short when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in January. However, the injury doesn’t appear to have significantly affected Anunoby’s draft stock. He still ranks 14th overall on DraftExpress’ big board, and 15th on ESPN’s top 100 list.
Before he went down in January, the 19-year-old forward was averaging 11.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG, and 1.3 SPG in 16 games for Indiana. Although he was shooting an impressive 55.7% from the field, Anunoby’s overall shooting percentage was dragged down by a 3PT% of just .311. Still, he’s a very strong defender who is capable of contributing in a number of different ways on the court.
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, Anunoby projects as a probable mid-first-rounder in June if NBA teams are comfortable about how his knee is recovering. If it looks like he may miss a significant chunk of his rookie season, Anunoby could slip a little further, but Ford still expects him to be a first-round pick, noting that his “talent level as a two-way player is off the charts.” Ford had the Indiana sophomore going 15th overall to the Pacers in his latest mock draft.
Northwest Notes: Timberwolves, Thunder, Jokic
The Timberwolves fell short of their goal to win a playoff spot this season and team owner Glen Taylor is already thinking about how his organization can put the roster in position to do so in 2016/17, says Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. One solution? Add veterans.
“[Tom Thibodeau] needs some players that will come off the bench and keep us going and not give up the lead,” the Timberwolves owner said. “I think he would say if he can get some guys with experience that would be helpful, so he can mix them in with our young guys during those substitution times. I think that will be a priority.”
The Timberwolves have plenty of money heading into the offseason, especially as the injured Nikola Pekovic‘s salary gets covered by insurance. That budget, coupled with Minnesota’s genuine emergence as a squad capable of contending in the near future (as opposed to a hypothetically spooky one), could bode well for the franchise’s pursuit of establish talent this offseason.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- It’s been an interesting year for the Thunder, one that started with devastation when Kevin Durant decided to leave via free agency. One thing the franchise has to be proud of, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes, is how they’ve responded to the heartbreak with a historic season. “We’re going to continue to advance, and we’ve always taken the approach of things are more new beginnings than endings, and there’s a new beginning here for the Thunder,” general manager Sam Presti said. “We have to embrace that, and we have to lean into that.”
- The Nuggets aren’t concerned that Nikola Jokic has gone through a bit of a slump from the outside, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes. “He’s shown that he can make that shot, and he’s a skilled player,” head coach Michael Malone said. “To his point, you don’t want any of your bigs to become reliant upon the shot. He’s one of your best finishers around the basket. … If he’s open from the 3-point line, sure. Feel the game, feel the situation, but we like putting him at the post and at the elbows, and his versatility is what makes him such a special player.“
- Jokic is making a case for the Most Improved Player of the Year award, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post says. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is well aware of how impressive his young center has been. “The numbers that Nikola Jokic are putting up are just a joke,” he said.
Westbrook Sets New Triple-Double Record
When fans pictured the game in which Russell Westbrook recorded his record-setting 42nd triple-double, it would have certainly been impressive, but few could have conceptualized that the game that pushed him ahead of Oscar Robertson would involve a 50-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist stat line and a game-winning buzzer beater.
Alas, that’s exactly what happened.
Just days after clinching a triple-double average for the season, Westbrook went to work chasing history. Had the 28-year-old not managed to complete the feat Sunday, he’d have had two more chances before the end of the season on Wednesday.
Westbrook’s historic triple-double came on an assist when Semaj Christon nailed a jumper and it was at that moment that the Big O’s 55-year, 1961-62 record fell.
A run of seven triple doubles from March 22 to April 4 put the guard in position to tie Robertson’s mark but he was thwarted twice this week against the Grizzlies and Suns. Consider the Nuggets more welcoming of history.
Pacific Notes: Labissiere, Randle, Suns
The Kings have done a fine job giving their young big men an opportunity to develop this season, as Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee recounts. For 2016 28th overall pick Skal Labissiere, the opportunities let him show all the teams that passed on him what they’re missing.
Sparsely used in the first three months of the season as the Kings flirted with the idea of the competing for the postseason, Labissiere has seen more time on the court as the year has progressed. In three April games, the 21-year-old has played 29.0 minutes per.
“I’m feeling a little more comfortable out there,” the Kings center said. “It’s me learning at my own pace, not getting rushed, learning how to see things on the court. […] I’m nowhere near [physically] where I want to be. But this should be a fun summer. Lots of time with the weights, and working on all aspects of my game.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- It’s harder to deny the appeal of tanking when your draft picks are tied up in previously negotiated trades. Such was the case when the Lakers and Kings met Friday, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. The Lakers had incentive to lose in order to keep their top-3 protected pick. The Kings had incentive to lose to keep their top-10 protected pick. (The Lakers won).
- The Suns have undergone an extensive evaluation period over the course of the final months of the regular season. Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic takes a thorough look at what we’ve been able to learn from it.
- Count Kentucky head coach John Calipari among Julius Randle‘s biggest supporters, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Calipari recently spoke with Lakers coach Luke Walton about the forward. “If you can just get a bunch of guys that will fight every possession, you’re winning,” Calipari told Walton. “The dude is going to fight.“