And-Ones: Lowry, M. Gasol, D-League, BIG3
All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, who underwent wrist surgery last week, confirmed that the injury wasn’t exactly a new one. As Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun details, Lowry has been dealing with wrist problems for a while, but aggravated it prior to the All-Star break, necessitating surgery.
“From what I’ve been told, it’s a 10-year process,” Lowry said. “It’s a long process of wear and tear, and bumping and grinding, and hitting guys. It’s a little bit of wear and tear. It was just at the point where it got a little bit worse to the point where I couldn’t play. If it’s that serious for me, I knew it was something that needed to be checked on.”
Although Lowry has a plan in mind for when he’d like to return, the Raptors guard was unwilling to lay out his recovery timetable publicly, telling reporters that he just wants to be sure he’s “completely healthy” when he gets back on the court: “I don’t want to have to be not full Kyle going into any situation. I want to be able to go out and play and not have any hold-back.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:
- After signing with Octagon Sports last year, Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has left that agency and is currently without representation, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). Gasol’s max contract won’t expire until at least 2019, so he won’t need to negotiate a new contract anytime soon.
- While most NBA pundits who handed out grades for deadline trades did so just hours after the trade deadline passed last month, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer decided to wait a couple weeks to see how players meshed with their new teams. The Wizards, Raptors, Mavericks, and Rockets are among the teams to get high grades, while the Pelicans have earned an F so far, with the potential for an eventual A if they can figure things out with DeMarcus Cousins.
- Former NBA players Jabari Brown, Jerrelle Benimon, and Shane Edwards have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (all Twitter links). As Reichert notes (via Twitter), Brown’s rights are held by the Santa Cruz Warriors, while Benimon’s are held by the Delaware 87ers.
- Allen Iverson and DerMarr Johnson will serve as co-captains for a BIG3 team called 3’s Company, according to the league’s website. Iverson and Johnson will fill out the rest of their five-man roster via the BIG3 draft pool.
Cavaliers Plan To Waive Andrew Bogut
As expected, Andrew Bogut‘s stint with the Cavaliers will end after just 58 seconds of game action. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net report that Cleveland intends to waive Bogut soon in order to open up a spot on the team’s 15-man roster. The team figures to fill that roster opening with another player, despite the luxury tax ramifications.
Early in his first appearance as a Cavalier, Bogut went down with a leg injury that was later diagnosed as a broken tibia. The Cavaliers issued a press release today announcing that Bogut wouldn’t require surgery to repair the injury. However, the club ruled him out for the rest of the regular season and the postseason, suggesting that he should be recovered in time to participate in an NBA training camp. Per McMenamin, the former No. 1 overall pick intends to rehabilitate his leg injury in his native Australia.
The Cavs had hoped to lean on Bogut for size, rim protection, rebounding, and veteran experience down the stretch and in the playoffs. Now, the they’ll have to look elsewhere for a 15th man. According to McMenamin, Cleveland is more likely to target a specific free agent and make an offer than to hold another audition for several free agents.
If the Cavs look to sign another big man, veterans like Anderson Varejao, Larry Sanders, Kendrick Perkins, Jared Sullinger, Carl Landry, and Luis Scola are among the names on the free agent market. If Cleveland is willing to go after a player with less experience, D-League standouts such as Walter Tavares, Keith Benson, and Eric Moreland could also be options.
According to McMenamin, the Cavs will likely make an adjustment to their roster after their upcoming road trip. The team will play in Detroit on Thursday, Orlando in Saturday, and Houston on Sunday. Although Bogut is out, the Cavs will likely get some reinforcements during that trip — J.R. Smith, out since December with a broken thumb, has been cleared to practice fully, and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
The Cavs will take a financial hit by paying Bogut’s remaining salary and potentially adding another salary to their books, with tax penalties multiplying those charges. However, the cost won’t be exorbitant. As of today, a minimum salary deal for the rest of the season would count for about $208K on a team’s cap — the Cavs would also be on the hook for an extra tax payment of about $519K for such a deal.
Sixteen 2016 First-Rounders Have Had D-League Assignments
Twenty-two of the NBA’s 30 teams have D-League affiliates this season, and that number appears set to increase to 25 for the 2017/18 season. As a result, NBA clubs are assigning players to D-League affiliates and recalling them from those assignments at a greater rate than ever.
Since most NBA teams own and operate their own D-League affiliate, those NBADL clubs are being used more and more for developmental purposes. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that so many of 2016’s draft picks have been sent on D-League assignments this season. Still, the number of first-rounders who have seen D-League action is a little higher than anticipated.
Three of 2016’s first-round picks remained overseas, and one – Ben Simmons – has been injured all season. Of the other 26 first-rounders, 16 have been assigned to the D-League at least once, and many of those players have spent extended time with NBADL squads.
Here’s the full list of 2016 first-rounders who have been on D-League assignments this season:
- Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poeltl
- Atlanta Hawks: Taurean Prince
- Sacramento Kings: Georgios Papagiannis
- Chicago Bulls: Denzel Valentine
- Denver Nuggets: Juan Hernangomez
- Memphis Grizzlies: Wade Baldwin
- Detroit Pistons: Henry Ellenson
- Denver Nuggets: Malik Beasley
- Atlanta Hawks: DeAndre’ Bembry
- Sacramento Kings: Malachi Richardson
- Philadelphia 76ers: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
- Los Angeles Clippers: Brice Johnson
- Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam
- Sacramento Kings: Skal Labissiere
- San Antonio Spurs: Dejounte Murray
- Golden State Warriors: Damian Jones
Some of these players have held rotation roles for a good chunk of the season with their respective NBA clubs, and have only appeared sparingly in the D-League. Poeltl, Hernangomez, and Siakam are among the players whose NBADL stints have been extremely brief.
However, many 2016 first-rounders have spent much of the season improving aspects of their game in the D-League. Papagiannis, Baldwin, Ellenson, Labissiere, Murray, and Jones have all appeared in at least 15 NBADL games, and some of those players have made a real impact for affiliates.
Murray, for instance, has filled up the score sheet for the Austin Spurs, averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 15 games for San Antonio’s D-League affiliate. Ellenson has recorded 17.3 PPG and 9.1 RPG for the Grand Rapids Drive, and they’ve played better when he’s in the lineup — the Drive are below .500 for the season, but 11-5 with Ellenson active.
It’s also worth noting that those teams playing their first-rounders most often in the D-League are all clubs with their own affiliates. The Kings, Pistons, Spurs, and Warriors are geographically adjacent to their NBADL teams, while the Grizzlies have a relationship with the Iowa Energy.
The NBA will never be a league like Major League Baseball, where even the highest draft picks generally spend a few years in the minor leagues before making any impact at the highest level of the sport. But NBA teams are increasingly using their D-League affiliates like minor league squads, sending their top picks to the NBADL to learn their systems and to play major minutes before throwing them into the fire in the NBA. It will be interesting to see how D-League expansion and the league’s new two-way contracts continue to shape that trend going forward.
Wolves Sign Lance Stephenson To 2nd 10-Day Deal
MARCH 8: The Timberwolves have officially signed Stephenson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Once this deal expires, Minnesota will have to decide whether or not to commit to Stephenson for the rest of the season.
MARCH 7: Minnesota will sign Lance Stephenson to a second 10-day contract, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Haynes adds that the move will take place on Wednesday.
Stephenson signed his first 10-day deal with the Wolves in mid-February and he suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain while playing for the team. Coach Tom Thibodeau recently said that Stephenson was “coming along” in his recovery and it was reported on Monday that another 10-day deal was likely.
Injuries have plagued the 26-year-old this season. He suffered a severe groin injury earlier this season, which forced the Pelicans to waive him and look at other options. His health has limited him to only 10 games with New Orleans and Minnesota this season.
Eastern Notes: Baynes, J.R. Smith, Celtics
Aron Baynes looked like a logical trade candidate for the Pistons prior to last month’s deadline, since he’ll likely become a free agent this summer and Detroit may not be able to re-sign him. However, as Aaron McMann of MLive.com writes, Stan Van Gundy preferred to roll the dice on retaining Baynes rather than accept a low-ball offer on the trade market.
“You couldn’t get enough of a return to make up for what we think we lose in him,” said Van Gundy, the Pistons’ president of basketball operations. “And even thought we know it’s about that-much-of-a-percentage we could have him back, we didn’t want to give up that percentage. … We have a lot of respect for him. He’s a guy that we obviously play really well with. And he’s a big part of what we’re doing now. We didn’t want to give him up.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- J.R. Smith, who hasn’t played since December due to a broken thumb, has been cleared to resume full practice, and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game in Detroit, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release.
- Although they’re still hanging on to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics have some inner turmoil to deal with after Isaiah Thomas publicly voiced his frustrations earlier this week, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Pointing to Boston’s unusually strong record in close games, head coach Brad Stevens also admitted that the C’s might not be as good as their overall record suggests. “We’ve been fortunate. We have to get better,” Stevens said. “I think that everybody talks about chasing other teams or whatever the case may be. We have a long way to be what I think is competitive at a necessary level to be really good when it’s all on the line.”
- The annual list of “Luke Walton All-Stars” from ESPN’s Zach Lowe includes several role players who could be headed for lucrative paydays in free agency, including Michael Beasley (Bucks), Dion Waiters (Heat), and James Johnson (Heat).
- For most of the last year, the Sixers have been viewed as a team with too many centers and no long-term solution at point guard. However, John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News wonders if the club might end up entering the 2017/18 season with more certainty at point guard than center, due to T.J. McConnell‘s solid and reliable play, as well as Joel Embiid‘s ongoing health issues.
Andrew Bogut Fractures Tibia, Out For Season
MARCH 8: Bogut’s tibia has been set and he is undergoing non-surgical treatment on the injury, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. As expected, the veteran center will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, though he’s expected to complete his recovery in advance of training camp.
MARCH 6: Andrew Bogut suffered a fractured left tibia during the second quarter of Cleveland’s match-up with Miami. Per the team’s official website, Bogut was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further imaging and evaluation (link). As Bobby Marks of The Vertical points out, while the Cavs could release Bogut to create an extra roster spot, they’ll still be on the hook for his salary.
The injury is a terrible stroke of luck for Bogut, who was making his team debut. With the addition of Bogut and Deron Williams, the Cavs had recruited highly sought-after veteran presence as they prepared to enter the postseason. While Bogut had weighed signing with the Rockets or Celtics, the Australian big man felt he had the best chance at a title in Cleveland.
If the Cavs opt to part ways with Bogut, there are a number of big men they could pursue in free agency. Jared Sullinger, Luis Scola, Omri Casspi, and Mike Scott are all playoff eligible. Additionally, the team’s interest in Larry Sanders could heat up, as David Aldridge of TNT speculates (Twitter link). Sanders is playoff eligible, as he hasn’t been waived this season.
Festus Ezeli Undergoes Knee Surgery
MARCH 8, 11:32am: Ezeli has undergone surgery on his left knee and has been officially ruled out for the remained of the 2016/17 season, the Trail Blazers announced today in a press release.
MARCH 4, 10:01pm: A cadaver donor will be used in Ezeli’s surgery, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Ezeli had been awaiting a donor for months, but because he is 6’11” it wasn’t easy to find a match.
A doctor recently submitted the name of a potential donor, and the surgery has been set for an undetermined day next week. Ezeli is believed to be the first NBA player ever to rely on a cadaver donor for an operation.
Haynes notes that NFL quarterback Carson Palmer had a cadaver donor when he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in the 2006 playoffs. Palmer was able to return to the field for the start of the following season.
Ezeli’s recovery time is projected to be much longer, with one source saying it could take up to a year.
6:05pm: Festus Ezeli will undergo surgery next week to fix his left knee, the Trail Blazers posted on their website.
President of basketball operations Neil Olshey made the announcement, saying Ezeli’s operation will be performed by Dr. Robert LaPrade at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.
Ezeli hasn’t played this season after signing a two-year, $15MM deal with Portland last summer. He had offseason surgery on the knee, but it started hurting again early in training camp. He announced in December that he was considering another operation because he believes his long-term health is at stake.
Ezeli’s contract creates the possibility that he will never play a game for the Blazers. He is owed $7.73MM for 2017/18, but only $1MM of that is guaranteed through the end of June. With the Blazers possibly looking at luxury tax payments next season, Ezeli’s deal seems like a good way to save money, either by waiving him or trading him. Portland reportedly tried hard to find a taker for Ezeli before last week’s trade deadline.
The 26-year-old center is in his fourth NBA season. He averaged 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game during three years in Golden State.
Lakers Rumors: Magic, Buss Family, Cousins
The Lakers officially named Magic Johnson an advisor at the start of February, but in the weeks leading up to his promotion, Johnson wasn’t being kept apprised of the goings-on in the team’s front office, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. As Shelburne details in her inside look at the Lakers’ front office shakeup, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak continued to run team business without integrating Johnson or even informing him of what they were planning.
In one case, that meant conducting a workout with Larry Sanders without inviting Johnson to attend. It also meant that Johnson had to inquire about trade calls on his own, since Buss and Kupchak weren’t telling him about them, let alone asking his opinion. The fact that Johnson wasn’t been involved in the decision-making process was one reason why president Jeanie Buss felt it was necessary to make a change just days before the trade deadline, writes Shelburne.
Let’s round up a few other Lakers items, including more from Shelburne’s piece…
- Another key factor in Jeanie Buss‘ decision to oust Jim Buss and Kupchak in favor of Johnson was the way DeMarcus Cousins talks with the Kings were handled. According to Shelburne, Johnson received a call from Sacramento GM Vlade Divac, but since Magic was still just a consultant at that point, he referred Divac to Buss and Kupchak. Divac wanted to move quickly on a Cousins deal and was meeting with Pelicans GM Dell Demps in person at the All-Star Game in New Orleans, but could only talk to Buss and Kupchak on the phone, slowing negotiations.
- As Shelburne explains, Jeanie Buss wanted a heads-up if the Lakers were discussing any of their three previous lottery picks – Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle – in trade talks. The talks with the Kings involved two of those three players, but Jeanie and Magic were kept out of the loop until Sacramento had essentially finalized a deal with New Orleans.
- According to Shelburne, the Jazz had offered a first-round pick for Lou Williams before Johnson took over as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, but that proposal was off the table by the time he was promoted.
- Shelburne’s piece includes several more interesting items about Lakers ownership, the tension between the Buss brothers and Johnson, and a possible role for Kobe Bryant, among other topics, so it’s worth checking out in full.
- Speaking of Kobe, the future Hall-of-Famer publicly endorsed the Lakers’ choice of his former agent Rob Pelinka for general manager (Twitter link). Head coach Luke Walton is “excited” to begin working with Pelinka, as Mark Medina of The O.C. Register details.
- Legal experts say that Jeanie Buss is well positioned to retain control of the Lakers franchise even if her brothers attempt to oust her, writes Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times. Shelburne’s report suggests that Janie Buss believes Jim and Johnny Buss hope to eventually cash out.
Mavericks Notes: Curry, Roster, Parsons, Powell
After getting off to a very sluggish start this season, the Mavericks have shown real promise for the future in recent months, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Mavs owner Mark Cuban said earlier this week that he likes the current roster, despite the fact that the team remains below .500.
“We basically went from 4-17 to, all right, this squad has got some real potential,” Cuban said. “We did it on the back of undrafted free agents and one trade. There’s a lot to be said for that.”
As the 27-36 Mavs, who currently sit 10th in the West and two games behind the No. 8 Nuggets, continue to push for a playoff spot, let’s check in on a few more items out of Dallas…
- Within MacMahon’s piece linked above, Cuban also raved about Seth Curry, who is enjoying a breakout year in Dallas this season. In 59 games, the lesser-known Curry brother has averaged 12.9 PPG with a .487/.435/.831 shooting line. “We want him to be [with us] forever,” Cuban said. “He’s our kind of guy — shoots, plays hard defensively, great in the locker room. We call him Swaggy Swag. High swag level, low volume level. Those kind of guys are good. Swaggy Swag’s a keeper.”
- For his part, Curry sounds optimistic about the future for the Mavericks: “As long as we continue to play well and turn the season around like we are, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a nucleus that would get better and continue to be better as a team.”
- As MacMahon details, Cuban also weighed in on Chandler Parsons‘ struggles in Memphis this year, admitting that he’s somewhat conflicted watching his old friend endure the worst season of his NBA career. “I feel bad for him. As a friend, I feel bad for him,” Cuban said. “As an opponent, thrilled to death. That’s par for the course for me. I know he’s struggling, I know it’s hard on him. You don’t like to see your friends go through that, but that’s just the NBA. Happens to everybody.”
- In a chat with Mavs fans, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News explores several topics, including whether Dwight Powell will still have a real role with the franchise going forward, now that Nerlens Noel is in the mix.
- In case you missed it on Tuesday, Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors examined how Cuban and the Mavs have built their roster around Dirk Nowitzki.
Fantasy Hoops: Holmes, Ulis, Cauley-Stein
Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more analysis.
Players To Target
Injuries and trade deadline deals have impacted the fantasy world. Finding undervalued players is key in daily fantasy and in season-long leagues, it could help you find a contributor on the waiver wire before your league-mates do. Here are some players to keep an eye on:
- Richaun Holmes has a dozen blocks since the All-Star break, which is behind only Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo for most in the league. Holmes has seen an uptick in minutes since the Sixers traded away Nerlens Noel. He makes a nice daily fantasy play when Jahlil Okafor sits and with Philadelphia’s propensity to be “cautious” with injuries, Holmes could become valuable down the stretch in season-long leagues.
- Jordan Clarkson is averaging nearly three more shot attempts per game since the Lakers traded away Lou Williams. Before the trade, Clarkson played approximately 75% of his minutes next to Williams, as I mentioned in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops. In addition getting up more shots, Clarkson is averaging more points, steals, assists and minutes per contest than he was prior to the deal.
- Tyler Ulis is making a case for March’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, but I’m not adding him yet in season-long leagues. There are likely stronger options available on your league’s waiver wire with Cory Joseph being a player to target. Toronto’s point guard is averaging 11.8 points and 4.7 assists per game since Lowry hit the sideline and he’s available in nearly 80% of ESPN leagues.
- Willie Cauley-Stein is still available in 70% of ESPN leagues, though that figure should be much lower. The big man has taken on a significant role in Sacramento since DeMarcus Cousins‘ departure. He has 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while adding at least a steal and block per game over his last six contests.
- Tyreke Evans is scoring 13.2 points per game in Sacramento after only scoring 9.5 per game in New Orleans. He’s not playing back-to-back, so his value is limited in season-long leagues, but he could be a nice option in daily formats on nights where he hits the floor.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Statistics are current through Tuesday afternoon.