Cavaliers Notes: Sanders, J. Smith, D. Williams
The Cavaliers reached an agreement today with free agent center Larry Sanders, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since December 2014. Although Sanders has been preparing this season to make a comeback, he probably isn’t ready to jump into the Cavs’ rotation right away, so the team intends to take it slow with him.
According to David Aldridge of TNT (via Twitter), the plan for Sanders is to have him play games with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, for the rest of the regular season. Sanders would still practice with the Cavs, but the goal would be to get him in shape and ready to contribute for the NBA team in the postseason, per Aldridge.
As we wait to see how that plan works, let’s check in on a few more Cavs-related notes…
- Before reaching a deal with Sanders, the Cavaliers also talked to veteran free agent forward Josh Smith, says Shams Charania of The Vertical. Although there was contact between the Cavs and Smith, the club was focused on getting something done with Sanders, Charania adds.
- Sanders’ contract will reportedly include a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18 that essentially functions as a team option. That option was “vital” for the Cavs, sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. As Amico notes, Cleveland wanted the ability to retain the big man for another year in case he flourishes down the stretch this season.
- Although Andrew Bogut‘s time in Cleveland will come to a premature end, the team’s other recent free agent addition is working out well. As Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal details, backup point guard Deron Williams is drawing rave reviews from head coach Tyronn Lue and his Cavs teammates.
Sixers Not Re-Signing Justin Harper
Justin Harper‘s 10-day contract with the Sixers expired overnight, and he won’t receive a second deal with the team at this time, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Following his stint in Philadelphia, Harper will rejoin the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders.
“It’s a great team and a great group of guys,” Harper said of the 76ers. “I was just fortunate for the opportunity to be a part of it. If it’s not for the long term, I still enjoyed my time with the team when I was here.”
Harper, the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 draft, made his NBA debut way back in 2011 for the Magic, but was out of the league for a few years following his rookie season and had only appeared in 19 total regular season games in his career before catching on with the Sixers this month. Appearing in three games for Philadelphia during his 10-day stint with the club, Harper chipped in with 4.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG.
Harper’s return to the D-Fenders will be a welcome one for the No. 1 seed in the NBADL’s Western Conference. The Lakers’ D-League affiliate is 29-13 for the season, but has lost three of four games since Harper joined the Sixers. The 27-year-old earned an NBADL All-Star nod a year ago, and has been arguably even better this season, averaging 16.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and a .401 3PT% in 37 D-League games.
As for the Sixers, they now have 15 players on their roster — they had been carrying an extra man, having received an injury exemption as a result of carrying four players with long-term injuries. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tiago Splitter, and Jerryd Bayless all remain sidelined, so the Sixers should still be able to continue taking advantage of that exemption if they so choose. Philadelphia could also open up a roster spot later this week if Shawn Long isn’t re-signed to a second 10-day contract.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls 3/12/17
Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
11:58pm:
- The Warriors assigned Damian Jones to the D-League, writes Connor Letourneau of SFGate. Jones is expected to finish the D-League season with Santa Cruz.
5:00pm:
- The Raptors have assigned Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam to the Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Poeltl and Siakam are just two of the 2016 first-round picks who were sent down to the D-League this season, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors details.
- The Mavericks have recalled Manny Harris and Jarrod Uthoff from the Texas Legends, according to a team press release. Dallas is about to embark on a 4-game road trip and each of the 15 players on the roster will make the journey, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Kay Felder from the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. Felder has seen action in 37 games for Cleveland this year and he’s averaging 4.0 points per game
MRI Reveals Derrick Favors Has Bone Bruise
An official report from the Jazz reveals that Derrick Favors has undergone an MRI and been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left knee. Per the report, the big man has struggled with soreness since returning from a similar incident in mid-December.
Favors underwent the MRI Saturday and will be held out of action and re-evaluated later in the week. The 25-year-old has played in 47 games for the Jazz this season, averaging 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
The 2016/17 campaign has been a quiet one for the seven-year veteran, despite the success of the Jazz as a team. Favors’ averages are far shy of those he set in 2015/16. In 62 games last season, Favors averaged a career high 16.4 points per game and 8.1 rebounds.
Just last month the Jazz failed to extend the big man to a longer term contract, leaving him on pace to reach unrestricted free agency in 2018. On the open market one could reasonably expect Favors to land a considerable pay raise over the $11MM he’s owed this season (and $12MM in 2017/18), even considering the decline in his production and any possible ongoing injury concern.
It’s unclear how much of Favors’ knee woes factored into Utah’s decision to opt against renegotiating the forward-center’s contract but worth nothing that his court-time has gradually increased since December to the point where it’s in line with last season.
Favors is averaging 24.1 minutes per game in 2016/17, considerably less than the 32.0 he averaged last year, but he had logged 29.5 per game in four March contests before being pulled from action.
The Jazz will update the big man’s status as new information comes in.
Northwest Notes: Mudiay, Jokic, Oladipo
It wasn’t long ago when Emmanuel Mudiay was being touted as a key component of the Nuggets franchise. One year later, his future with the organization is uncertain, says Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post.
Over the course of the 2016/17 campaign, the second-year guard has seen his role in Denver shrink. In the eight games since the All-Star break, Mudiay has seen action just three times. It’s a precipitous drop for a 21-year-old once taken with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft but an understandable one considering the stable of young talent on the Nuggets roster.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division.
- The Timberwolves are running out of times to sneak into the Western Conference playoff picture, Jerry Zgoda of the StarTribune writes. With just 17 games left in the season, the Wolves will have to leapfrog three teams and make up 3.5 games in the standings.
- After missing a pair of games with a flu, Nikola Jokic returned to action for the Nuggets. “I can still feel it in my chest, and my throat is a little sore when I start coughing,” Jokic told Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. “It feels really good to be back.”
- Though he missed six games resting his back, the time off helped Victor Oladipo in more ways than one, Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman writes. “It was amazing for my wrist, actually,” Oladipo said. “I’m not one to complain. It wasn’t 100 percent, but that rest kind of helped it out a little bit. It’s a lot better now.”
Spurs Notes: Aldridge, Leonard, Mills
There’s cause for concern in San Antonio these days, Matt Tynan of USA Today writes, citing the Spurs’ recent injury struggles as a major hurdle heading into the playoff gauntlet.
With LaMarcus Aldridge‘s long-term health in doubt now that he’s been diagnosed with heart complications and Kawhi Leonard‘s recent concussion, the Spurs may lack the star power to compete in the West.
Tynan writes that the Spurs did well to claim home-court advantage over the Warriors in their Saturday night contest but even if they hold on to their current seed or better, navigating the postseason without Aldridge and/or Leonard would be difficult.
- There’s a difference between Aldridge’s heart condition and most other player injuries, head coach Gregg Popovich tells NBA.com’s Fran Blinebury. “That’s a little scary. But you don’t go there yet,” Popovich said. “He is going to see some people on Monday, and based on what they do and see, we’ll know better what we are really looking at. But we don’t know right now.”
- Veteran guard Patty Mills has embraced his role as a representative of his Aboriginal Australian culture, Nick Metallinos of ESPN writes.
- Though he’s found himself firmly established in the conversation, some believe Leonard lacks a good enough narrative to land the MVP award. Marilyn Dubinski of SB Nation’s Pounding The Rock blog sets out to change that.
Lakers Notes: Walton, Old Trades, Draft Picks
There are a few areas that the Lakers will need to address as Rob Pelinka tackles his new role as general manager of the franchise, but head coach isn’t one of them. In fact, the presence of Luke Walton on the payroll could be an asset for the organization, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“Everyone loves you,” Pelinka said to the Lakers coach at the press conference when his hiring was formally announced. “You have this genuine honesty and coolness about you that just makes every player in the league want you to be their coach.”
Walton spoke about his new boss’ support at practice, mentioning the benefits of knowing that the front office supports him. “It gives you the confidence to make the decisions you feel are best for the team,” Walton said.
There’s more from the Lakers:
- When Jeanie Buss opted to hand the keys to the Lakers over to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka rather than her own brother Jim Buss and long-time general manager Mitch Kupchak, it showed that loyalty matters more than family, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes.
- Though reluctant to commit to a timeline, newly hired general manager Rob Pelinka insisted that the Lakers need to be aggressive in their rebuild and “get better talent for Luke Walton to coach,” Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote in a separate piece.
- In a column published Friday, Mark Heisler of the Orange Country Register wonders if the Lakers forgot to tank. Heisler reminds readers that if the Lakers pick falls out of the top three this year, they lose it (on account of the Steve Nash trade) — otherwise they lose next year’s pick. Should they lose this year’s pick and retain next year’s pick, they would lose their 2019 first-round pick due to the Dwight Howard trade and the Ted Stepien rule. Check out the column for more details.
Hoops Links: Fultz, Wolves, Noah, Heat
On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:
- The 76er Files makes a case for the Sixers passing on Markelle Fultz should they land the No. 1 pick.
- Hoop-Ball examines the Wolves’ season and finds evidence that Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Town are becoming stars in the league.
- Hoop-Ball also looks at the Knicks and finds one positive from Joakim Noah‘s season.
- The Jump Ball talks about the Heat‘s chances to make the playoffs as well as the playoff races in both conferences.
- The Jump Ball also examines how passing has become a crucial skill for the league’s big men.
- The Sixers Sense takes a look at five players the Sixers should offer the max to in the offseason.
Rockets Notes: Harden, Capela, Beverley
The Rockets are headed for a top-3 seed in the Western Conference just a season after the team underachieved and barely made the playoffs. James Harden, who is in the discussion for the MVP award, credits coach Mike D’Antoni and his staff for the improvements, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 relays (Twitter link).
“The coaching staff did a really good job of helping us fix the culture that we had last year, the addition of new players, the same players that we had, we’ve meshed really well together,” Harden said.
Here’s more from Houston:
- Clint Capela echoes Harden’s sentiment on the Rockets‘ culture, as Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle writes. “Since last year, it’s a different team,” Capela said. “Of course, we’re better than last year. We play every game to win. Tonight, we don’t think about if we win we go to the playoffs. We have the mindset to come into the game to win, play hard, be aware of the tendencies of each player. But of course, since 11 months, our team is way different.”
- Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle details Patrick Beverley‘s journey from playing outdoors in Chicago as an adolescent to finding his niche on the Rockets. The point guard was a high school star but had to go overseas and through the D-League to get his opportunity in the NBA.
- Harden believes that many factors should go into deciding who wins the MVP award, but he adds that winning is at the top of the list, Feigen writes in a separate piece. While Harden didn’t come out and say he should win the award, his teammates weren’t as bashful. “No matter what the media say, no matter what the people say, everybody in the league knows who the MVP is,” Beverley said. “James Harden.”
Central Notes: Bulls, Harris, Bucks, World Peace
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will have to decide soon whether to emphasize making the playoffs or developing young talent, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. Chicago is coming off a terrible week, losing four straight games and slipping to 10th in the East. Hoiberg continues to experiment with different combinations, playing everyone but Nikola Mirotic in the first half of each game.
Last month’s five-player trade that sent Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to Oklahoma City clouded the team’s direction, Goodwill writes, with newly acquired Cameron Payne now the team’s third “point guard of the future” since Dwyane Wade signed last summer. “We’re doing everything we can to compete to win, at the same time we have some young guys we wanna get on the floor. It’s a balance,” Hoiberg said. “It’s guys, we want to get them out there and see how they play then make a decision in the second half.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons have climbed back to .500, sparked by the insertion of Tobias Harris into the starting lineup, notes Aaron McMann of MLive. Harris scored 28 points Saturday against the Knicks and helped Detroit build a comfortable early lead. “He came out really aggressive,” said teammate Marcus Morris. “It was good to have him back in the starting lineup. We know what he can do. We know how well he can score the ball. So, it’s not really surprising to us.”
- The Bucks have named Steve Brandes president of their new D-League affiliate, the team announced on its website. The Oshkosh, Wisc., franchise will begin play next season.
- At age 37, Metta World Peace has assumed the role of a mentor with the young Lakers. But the former Ron Artest still has strong regrets about the effect he had on the Pacers almost 13 years ago, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Artest was suspended for the season after charging into the crowd in Detroit on November 19, 2004, to confront a fan. That effectively killed Indiana’s title chances and led to the breakup of a promising young team. “We were supposed to win a ring together,” World Peace recalls. “Everything revolved around me, because I was unstable. That’s what I feel bad about to this day. That’s something I can never, ever forgive myself for. It’s something I have to recognize. We were on our way. [GM] Donnie [Walsh] put a helluva team together. I wanted to win a championship here. That was a big thing to me. And to Reggie [Miller]. At my most unstable point, it was the end of Reggie’s career.”