Hornets Sign Briante Weber To 2nd 10-Day Deal
MARCH 9: Following the expiration of his initial 10-day deal, Weber has inked a second contract with the Hornets, as expected, the team announced today in a press release. When Weber’s second 10-day pact expires, Charlotte will have to decide whether or not to retain him for the season.
MARCH 8: The Hornets will sign Briante Weber to another 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Weber’s first 10-day contract with the team expires tonight and by retaining the him, the team keeps its roster count at 15.
Weber hasn’t seen much action in Charlotte, logging just two minutes of action. He played seven games for the Warriors earlier this season, where he scored a total of 12 points in 46 minutes.
Weber has played for four NBA franchises during his brief career. In addition to the Warriors and Hornets, the second-year guard spent time with the Heat and the Grizzlies.
Mavericks Sign Manny Harris To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 9: The Mavs have officially signed Harris to a 10-day deal, according to a press release from the team. Dallas’ roster is now back up to 15 players.
MARCH 8: In addition to signing Jarrod Uthoff, as was reported earlier today, the Mavericks are also expected to call up guard Manny Harris from the D-League, reports Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Assuming the club finalizes 10-day contracts with both Uthoff and Harris, Dallas’ 15-man roster will once again be full.
Harris, 27, has played in 89 total regular season NBA contests for the Cavaliers and Lakers, but he hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2013/14 season. Since then, he has played primarily in the D-League. As a member of Dallas’ NBADL affiliate – the Texas Legends – this season, Harris has been one of the most prolific scorers in the league, averaging 26.2 PPG to go along with 7.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.1 SPG.
Few teams have used 10-day contracts more often this season than the Mavs — Uthoff and Harris will be the fifth and sixth players to sign 10-day deals with the club this year. Of those players, only Yogi Ferrell has earned a full-season contract so far.
Uthoff and Harris will be stepping in for Ben Bentil and Quinn Cook, who are headed back to their respective D-League clubs after their 10-day contracts with the Mavs expired last night. Cook, in particular, looked like a candidate to get a second 10-day deal from Dallas, but perhaps that will happen later this season if he doesn’t catch on with another NBA team.
Mavericks Sign Jarrod Uthoff To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 9: The Mavericks have signed Uthoff to a 10-day contract, the team officially announced today in a press release.
MARCH 8: The Mavericks intend to fill one of their open roster spots by signing Jarrod Uthoff to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). When Uthoff finalizes his deal, he’ll become the fifth player to ink a 10-day contract with the Mavs this season.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 10-day contract tracker]
Uthoff, 23, went undrafted of the University of Iowa and received a training camp invite from the Raptors last summer. After failing to earn a spot on Toronto’s regular season roster, the 6’9″ forward headed to the D-League, where he has played 35 total games for the Raptors 905 and Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Since joining Indiana’s D-League affiliate in Fort Wayne, Uthoff has thrived, averaging 17.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 1.5 BPG to go along with a red-hot .548/.500/.909 shooting line in 11 games. Chris Reichert of The Step Back ranked Uthoff sixth on his list of D-League prospects earlier this week, writing that the former Iowa standout has been playing like a top-five D-League player. In Reichert’s view, Uthoff is an NBA-caliber player and “some team is going to get really lucky when they realize it.”
The Mavs may be that team — Dallas has already struck gold with NBADL call-up Yogi Ferrell this season, and Quinn Cook has played well for the club since signing a 10-day deal at the end of February.
Cook and Ben Bentil both had their 10-day contracts with the Mavs expire overnight, and the club’s agreement with Uthoff suggests at least one of those two players won’t be back. Bentil is likely the odd man out, since he has played less than Cook and his skill-set overlaps more with Uthoff’s. We’ll see if the Mavs announce a second 10-day pact for Cook at the same time that they confirm Uthoff’s deal.
Pacific Notes: Durant, Nwaba, Ingram, Kings
Although the Warriors have a “high level” of optimism that Kevin Durant will be able to get back on the court before the end of the regular season, Durant said that he isn’t even thinking about or targeting a specific return date yet.
“I know that’s what everybody wants to know, and is wondering,” said the Warriors forward, per Sam Amick of USA Today. “But whenever my body tells me I’ll be ready to play then I’ll be ready to play. I’m not really thinking in that frame of mind.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific division:
- The Lakers haven’t made a final decision yet, but with David Nwaba‘s 10-day contract set to expire tonight, head coach Luke Walton says he has been impressed by the young swingman, who has done everything he can to earn a second deal (Twitter link via Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times). If the club doesn’t re-sign Nwaba, it will have an opening on its 15-man roster.
- The Lakers‘ DeMarcus Cousins talks with Sacramento last month reportedly fell apart when L.A. refused to include Brandon Ingram. With that in mind, Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider link) examine whether Ingram, whose production this season has been modest, is a future Lakers star or a potential trade candidate. As Pelton observes, there are plenty of examples of teams that waited too long to trade former lottery picks, so if the Lakers aren’t entirely sold on Ingram’s star potential, it could make sense to consider trading him this summer.
- The new-look Kings are still a work in progress, particularly on offense, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. As Jones outlines, the offense was centered around DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in the first half, but with neither player on the floor for the Kings anymore, the retooled squad sometimes looks like “five guys on the court just trying not to step on each other’s toes.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/8/17
Here are Wednesday’s D-League transactions:
- The Spurs have recalled Bryn Forbes from their D-League affiliate, according to the team’s website. In 18 D-League games this season, Forbes is averaging 23.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest.
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. The forward is averaging 13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in the D-League this season.
Northwest Notes: Nurkic, Adams, Payne
Jusuf Nurkic‘s presence on the court has opened up the Blazers‘ offense and his energy has helped the team on the defensive end, Mike Richman of the Oregonian writes. Coach Terry Stotts praised the big man after Tuesday’s win over the Thunder.
“There’s no question he’s had an impact,” Stotts said of Nurkic. “I don’t want to undersell that. But I do think everybody is playing well off of him. But I think he has infused some energy and a different look. His style of play is obviously different than [Mason Plumlee]. The way he’s been able to integrate with our team on both ends of the court has made a huge difference.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The addition of Nurkic has helped the Blazers get back into the playoff picture and Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (podcast link) wonders if the big man can be the team’s center long-term. Nurkic is averaging 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 54.9% from the field since coming to Portland.
- Steven Adams, who signed a $100MM extension during the offseason, admits that he’s struggled on the defensive end lately, but added that the Thunder‘s issues go beyond his poor play, as Erik Horne of the Oklahoman relays. “Even though your defensive coverages aren’t perfect or everything, the backside’s still got to be there. It’s literally a five-man thing. It ain’t really on one guy on the team. It ain’t so much scouting. It ain’t scouting at all. It’s our discipline to the defensive system we have going on.” Oklahoma City has lost four straight games.
- Adreian Payne, who missed the last 13 games for the Wolves while being treated for thrombocytopenia, has been cleared to practice and the big man is thrilled to be back on the court, as Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press passes along. “I’m feeling good,” Payne said. “Healthy. I’m just trying to get back in shape. I’m happy to be with the team.”
Wizards Notes: Beal, Brooks, Jennings
Bradley Beal believes the arrival of coach Scott Brooks has changed the culture in Washington, as he writes on his new blog.
“With Coach Brooks, it’s never been about one player dominating the game, or winning us a game,” Beal writes. “There’s no favoritism for any of us. We’re all being held to a high standard, and knowing that has actually given all of us confidence. Coach trusts us all with the same responsibility, from the top down, and it’s spread throughout the players, too. The team atmosphere is great. It’s a family, brother-like atmosphere.”
Here’s more from Washington:
- In the same piece, Beal praised the Wizards‘ recent roster moves. “We picked up a couple guys recently that should help us a lot,” Beal writes. “Bojan Bogdanovic is a scorer, and he showed that against Orlando the other night. We just tell him, ‘If you’re open, you knock it down,’and he does that. He has a big body, and he’s able to switch from defense and help us out on the glass, too, which should make things a little bit easier for us. Brandon Jennings is a good addition, too. He’s a fierce, feisty guard, and I think he’ll definitely intimidate point guards on other teams.”
- Brooks wants Jennings to be more aggressive on offense and the point guard feels his new coach has helped him to be more confident on the floor, Chase Hughes of Comcast Sportsnet relays. “I think this is the first coach to ever tell me to shoot more,” Jennings said. “Honestly. When I first came into the league, shooting wasn’t really that popular where guys didn’t really like point guards to shoot that much. Now it’s like ‘shoot the ball.’ I’ve gotta get back to that.”
- The Wizards‘ bench appeared to be holding the team back earlier this season, but after making upgrades, the team is prepared to make a deep postseason run, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post opines. Buckner is particularly high on Bogdanovic, adding that he can play with the starters or lead the second unit.
Ty Lawson Facing Legal Troubles?
Ty Lawson was arrested in 2015 for drunk driving and TMZ Sports reports that he violated the terms of his probation, which resulted in a bench warrant being issued for his arrest.
Lawson was sentenced to a year of probation in March of 2016 after pleading guilty to one count of driving while impaired and failing to drive in a single lane, Kirk Mitchell of The Denver Post relays. He was required to stay completely sober and submit to drug testing. He allegedly tested positive for alcohol twice in the month of September and once last month. He also failed to complete his mandatory community service.
Lawson’s attorney issued a statement to deny the reports and clarify the situation, as James Ham of Comcast Sportsnet relays (Twitter link).
“Reports that there is a warrant out for Mr. Lawson’s arrest are incorrect. On March 22, 2016 the court reset this matter for March 22, 2017 to review Mr. Lawson’s probation status. All related matters will be reviewed by the court at that time.”
The Kings play the Bucks on March 22 and they will likely be without Lawson as he appears in a Denver courtroom. If he fails to show up for his court date, a warrant for his arrest will be issued.
Carmelo Anthony Hopes To Play 20 Seasons
Carmelo Anthony is currently in the midst of his 14th NBA season, and he thinks he still has several more years left in him. As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, Anthony has set a goal of playing 20 total seasons in the NBA, which would mean another six more years starting in 2017/18.
“I would love to get 20 in, I could do 20,” Anthony said on Wednesday. “I could do 20. I’ve done a great job taking care of my body. I’ll continue doing that. No severe injuries. I can see myself going for 20.”
The 2022/23 season would be Anthony’s 20th, so he still has quite a ways to go. Major injury problems or a significant drop-off in his production in the coming years could force the veteran forward to eventually reevaluate that goal. However, more and more NBA stars are approaching that two-decade mark as of late.
Dirk Nowitzki, who surpassed the 30,000-point mark on Tuesday night, has said he plans to return for 2017/18, which will be his 20th season. Vince Carter has also expressed a desire to put off retirement for at least one more year and get to his 20th season. Even Jason Terry, who will have to play two more seasons to get to No. 20, said last month that he hopes he can pull it off.
While Anthony is no longer the superstar scorer he was four seasons ago, when he led the NBA with 28.7 PPG, his numbers haven’t fallen off substantially. The longtime Knick, who earned his eighth consecutive All-Star nod this season, is averaging 23.2 PPG through 62 games.
Anthony has never averaged below 20.8 PPG in a season since entering the NBA, and while that won’t continue forever, he has a chance to reach some milestones of his own in the next few years if he can stay healthy, either in New York or with another team. Earlier this season, he passed Charles Barkley to become the league’s 30th-leading scorer of all time.
Pelicans Sign Wayne Selden To 10-Day Contract
MARCH 8: The Pelicans have officially signed Selden to a 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
MARCH 7: The Pelicans continue to rotate through free agent guards, and are lining up a 10-day deal for another new addition. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the club is expected to call up Wayne Selden from the D-League to fill the current opening on the roster.
Selden, a former Kansas guard who went undrafted in 2016, caught in with the Grizzlies last summer and was a member of the club for training camp and the preseason. However, he didn’t earn a spot on Memphis’ regular season roster and ultimately landed with the team’s D-League affiliate in Iowa. In 34 games for the Energy, Selden averaged 18.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.9 APG, with a shooting line of .451/.357/.660.
After sending Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway to the Kings in their deal for DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans have experimented with a number of new guards on 10-day contracts. Hollis Thompson, Jarrett Jack, and Reggie Williams were the team’s original signees, and of the three, only Thompson earned a second 10-day deal. Jack suffered a meniscus tear, while Williams, whose 10-day contract expired overnight, apparently won’t be re-signed.
The Pelicans signed Jordan Crawford to a 10-day deal on Monday and he made an immediate impact for New Orleans by scoring 19 points last night. Selden, who worked out for the team last month, should be active for Wednesday’s game, assuming the two sides finalize a deal today or tomorrow.
Once the signing of Selden becomes official, the Pelicans will once again have a full 15-man roster, with 12 guaranteed contracts and three players on 10-day pacts.