Pelicans Sign Hollis Thompson To Second 10-Day Contract
2:48pm CST: The Pelicans officially announced the signing via Twitter (link).
12:07pm CST: The Pelicans are expected to give shooting guard Hollis Thompson a second 10-day contract when his first deal expires today, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
Thompson is in the starting lineup for tonight’s game with the Lakers, so it’s reasonable to think that New Orleans plans to keep him around for a while. The Pelicans are short on wing players after shipping Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway to the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
They signed Thompson on February 23rd to help fill the void. He has appeared in five games since then, starting four, with averages of 4.6 points and 3.0 assists.
”I think he’s solid and we like our rotation with E’Twaun Moore coming off the bench because we have the ability to, if a guy got in quick foul trouble or something like that,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. ”We stuck Hollis out there to see if he would be OK. I think he’s been a pleasant surprise, really … moreso on the defense end, just being able to get to the right spot and things like that.”
Thompson started the season with the Sixers and played 31 games, but was released in early January before his salary became fully guaranteed. When his second 10-day contract with New Orleans expires, the Pelicans will have to either waive him or sign him for the remainder of the season.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/5/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:
- The Mavericks recalled A.J. Hammons and Nicolas Brussino from the Texas Legends, the team announced in a press release. Brussino recorded a double-double last night for the Legends, whereas Hammons recorded 11 rebounds over 23 minutes.
- The Kings recalled Georgios Papagiannis from the Reno Bighorns, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports (Twitter link). Papagiannis has appeared in six NBA games this season.
- The Spurs assigned Davis Bertans and Dejounte Murray to the Austin Spurs, the team announced on its official website. Bertans and Murray will each be available for this afternoon’s match-up with the Salt Lake City Stars.
- The Pelicans recalled Cheick Diallo from the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced in a press release.
Southwest Notes: Parsons, Noel, Cousins, Davis
Chandler Parsons played in back-to-back games for the first time since signing with the Grizzlies this summer, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The action came Friday and Saturday against his two former teams, the Mavericks and Rockets, and although he didn’t put up great numbers, Memphis was encouraged to have him on the court. Parsons has battled through a string of injuries since joining the Grizzlies on a four-year, $94MM deal last summer, appearing in just 32 games so far and averaging less than 20 minutes per night. “Look, I signed a four-year deal. I didn’t sign a one-year deal,” Parsons said. “The team expectations for me are to go very slow. It’s going to be a long process.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Nerlens Noel may be claiming the Mavericks‘ starting center spot sooner than expected, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Noel made his first start Friday since joining the team and responded with 15 points and 17 rebounds in a win over the Grizzlies. “He did a good job, very active,” Carlisle said of his new big man. “It’s very difficult to outrebound this team and when you got a guy getting 17, that’s a big part of that. He did a very good job.”
- Many thought the Pelicans were a sure thing to grab the final playoff spot after acquiring DeMarcus Cousins, but they’re running out of time to make a postseason push, notes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans was two and a half games behind Denver for the eighth spot in the West when it traded for Cousins on February 25th. Since then, the Pelicans are 1-4, with the only victory coming in a game where Cousins was suspended. They have fallen to 24-38, which puts them in 13th place, four games in back of the Nuggets. “It’s still a work in progress,” Cousins said after Friday’s loss to the Spurs.
- Cousins has adapted quickly to life in New Orleans, according to Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. He and Anthony Davis had a minus-11.9 net rating while sharing the court heading into Friday’s game, but individually they have the highest player efficiency ratings in the league since the All-Star break. Despite the struggles, Cousins has found no trouble settling into his new home. “He definitely embraced it all,” Davis said of Cousins’ experience on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans. “He kept telling me he was happy to be here.”
Knicks Notes: Jennings, Griffin, Hornacek, Porzingis
Brandon Jennings is still taking shots at the Knicks, even though he’s now in a Wizards uniform, relays Keely Diven of CSNMidAtlantic. After his first game for Washington on Friday, Jennings told reporters the change has been beneficial. “I’m in the same position I was in New York,” he said, “but just in a better system for me personally and with a team that actually plays together.” Jennings was never shy about criticizing the Knicks while he played there, perhaps surprised to see the inner turmoil in the organization after signing a one-year deal worth more than $4.8MM last summer. Jennings agreed to a buyout with New York and signed with the Wizards on Wednesday. He will be an unrestricted free agent again in July.
There’s more out of New York:
- Cavaliers GM David Griffin said the team agreed to take J.R. Smith from the Knicks in a 2015 trade involving Iman Shumpert so it wouldn’t have to surrender a first-round pick, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Griffin recounted the deal Saturday at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Smith and Shumpert both became contributors during the Cavs’ two trips to the NBA Finals, while the Knicks received Lance Thomas, Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk and a 2019 second-rounder.
- Coach Jeff Hornacek says defensive lapses, not the triangle offense, are behind the Knicks’ difficulties in closing out games, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Several players have been pointing fingers at the triangle, with Carmelo Anthony saying after Friday’s loss to the Sixers that other teams adjust during the games, but the Knicks don’t. “When we get down, especially in fourth quarters, we want to run something that’s part of a system,” Hornacek said. “The triangle aspects is one of the systems that you can run that hopefully they can’t double, hopefully they can’t switch. It at least gets you organized in a set.”
- Phil Jackson’s attempts to trade Anthony and Derrick Rose before the deadline are evidence that the Knicks will eventually revolve around Kristaps Porzingis, Iannazzone writes in a separate story. He suggests that Porzingis should be made the focus of the offense now, even if it means fewer touches for Anthony.
Luol Deng’s Role Declining In L.A.
Eight months after signing a huge contract with the Lakers, there appears to be no role in L.A. for Luol Deng, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
Deng was on the inactive list Friday as the Lakers hosted the Celtics. Coach Luke Walton explained that he wants to get more court time for his younger players over the final month and a half of the season.
But part of the decision stems from Deng’s production. The 31-year-old small forward has averaged just 7.6 points per game and is shooting a career-worst 38.6% from the field. He was given a four-year, $72MM contract last July to be the team’s starting small forward. He held that role through his first 49 games, but his playing time for the rest of the season appears to be limited.
Deng, who still has three seasons and $54MM left on his deal, said he understands Walton’s decision to make him inactive.
“He wants the guys to be in situations where they learn and play minutes,” Deng said. “It’s always about what we’re trying to do. Why am I going to be on the bench if I’m not playing?”
Deng lost his starting spot to rookie Brandon Ingram about a month ago. His production plummeted in a reserve role, down to just 4.1 points and 21.3 minutes over seven games while shooting 27.8% from the field. Walton kept him on the bench for all of Tuesday’s game with Charlotte before deactivating him on Friday.
In addition to giving more playing time to the Lakers’ young core, Walton needs to evaluate Tyler Ennis, who was acquired from the Rockets last week, and David Nwaba, who is with the team on a 10-day contact. There has been no announcement on whether Deng will be in uniform for tonight’s game with the Pelicans.
“He wants to play the young guys, so I’m not going to play,” Deng said. “So there’s no point of being on the active roster and sit on the bench. He’s got to keep all the guys he’s going to play and evaluate.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/4/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Saturday:
- The Mavericks sent center A.J. Hammons and swingman Nicolas Brussino to their Texas affiliate. Hammons has played 17 games for Dallas this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per night. Brussino has appeared in 39 games for the Mavericks, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds.
Community Shootaround: Buyouts
Why make a trade when you can get the players you want for free?
Neither Cleveland or Golden State was active around last week’s trade deadline, but the Cavaliers wound up with Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut, while the Warriors first landed Jose Calderon, then replaced him with Matt Barnes.
The NBA buyout process has always benefited the most successful teams, but the outcry seems louder than ever this year as the rich get richer and their competitors are shut out of the process. Williams knew where he wanted to go as soon as his buyout was complete. Bogut took a few days to consider his options before coming to the same conclusion. For veteran players who want to chase a championship ring, there are two options that stand far above the others.
But is this system good for the league, or does it further damage an already shaky competitive balance? With the Big Three in Cleveland and four All-Stars in Golden State, should these teams be allowed to add even more depth through buyouts?
A lot of their rivals don’t think so, and they’re airing their complaints to the league. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported on Friday that several alternatives have been offered, including a “buyout wire.” Under that system, players who agree to buyouts would go up for bid among all the teams with available cap space. The team that submits the highest bid would get the player, who would have no say in where he winds up. If no bids are submitted, then teams over the cap would be able to make offers, possibly in reverse order of records like the waiver wire.
We want to hear your opinion on this topic. Would this be a good solution to the buyout market? Do you have a better idea, or does it need to be fixed at all?
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hawks’ Budenholzer Suspended For One Game
9:44pm: Budenholzer has issued a statement on the suspension. “With the league’s permission, I have reached out to and apologized to Ben Taylor for what happened in the game versus Cleveland,” he said. “Ben is an excellent young referee who is a valuable member of the NBA family. We all understand that any contact — including incidental contact — with an official is unacceptable. I accept the NBA’s fine and look forward to putting this situation in the past.”
8:31pm: The NBA has suspended Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer for one game, tweets Chris Mannix of The Vertical.
The incident that prompted the suspension happened Friday night when Budenholzer made contact with an official during a loss to the Cavaliers. He will not be on the sidelines for Sunday’s game with the Pacers and will not be paid.
In announcing the suspension, the NBA noted that Budenholzer had a similar suspension last season, stemming from a Nov. 21st, 2015, game against Cleveland.
Heat Notes: Weber, McGruder, Richardson, Wade
When the Heat host the Hornets on Wednesday, it will mark their first game against training camp cut Briante Weber, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Weber had been a fixture on Miami’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls for the past two seasons, helping the Skyforce win the league title in 2015/16. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Warriors last month, but was released when Golden State wanted to make room for Jose Calderon, and later Matt Barnes. Weber agreed to a 10-day deal with Charlotte February 27th. “I just told him I appreciated his attitude and his effort and what he brought to us,” Stephen Curry said about Weber’s time with the Warriors. “He has a lot to offer this league, his tenacity on the defensive end and his confidence. … He’s going to be around for a long time.”
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Rodney McGruder has come a long way to earn a starting job and get consideration for the All-Rookie team, Winderman writes in a separate story. McGruder went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013, then played in Hungary and the D-League before making the Heat roster at the start of this season. “It is nice being mentioned,” he said. “… But I’ve just got to thank my teammates. The coaching staff put me in a great situation, that’s what I always say.”
- The injuries that have followed Josh Richardson through his first two NBA seasons are a new experience, writes Shandel Richarson of The Sun-Sentinel. The former Tennessee standout said he never missed a game in college and only one in high school. But injuries limited him to 52 games last season, and he has sat out 30 already this year because of knee surgery and ankle problems. “Figuring out how to get through injuries has been good for me,” Richardson said. “… Now I just got to get my basketball rhythm back. I think I was starting to show good growth before I was injured the last time.”
- Dwyane Wade keeps dropping hints about opting out of next season’s contract with the Bulls, but Dave Hyde of The Sun-Sentinel argues that it’s not time for a reunion in Miami. Signing Wade, who would want more than the $23.8MM he’s scheduled to get from Chicago, would make it unlikely that the Heat could keep Dion Waiters, who has been a major part of their recent surge back into playoff contention.
Hawks Claim Jose Calderon Off Waivers
The Hawks have claimed Jose Calderon off waivers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Atlanta had been hoping to add Calderon as a backup to Dennis Schroder, either by submitting a claim or signing him once he cleared waivers. Hawks officials decided to go with the safest route and enter their own claim on Calderon.
The move will cost Atlanta $247,991 for the rest of the season, tweets Bobby Marks of the Vertical. That will cover the salary that Golden State gave Calderon when it signed and released him on Wednesday, and that money will come off the Warriors’ cap.
Calderon played 24 games for the Lakers this season before agreeing to a buyout on Monday. He had a salary of slightly more than $7.7MM, and L.A. will still be responsible for the money it owes him for the rest of the season. Calderon didn’t make any salary concessions in his buyout agreement, according to Marks (Twitter link).
The Hawks had an open roster spot after waiving Lamar Patterson, so another move won’t be necessary to add Calderon. He is expected to be in uniform for Sunday’s game with the Pacers, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 35-year-old will be eligible for the playoffs after the league ruled that Golden State waived him in time. He is now with his seventh NBA team, if the Warriors are included.