Eastern Rumors: Magic, Mirotic, Parker, Simmons
The Magic will likely be in firesale mode approaching the trade deadline, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. Rival executives expect Orlando, which has sunk to the bottom of the conference standings, to shop guards Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton and swingman Mario Hezonja, Stein adds. Fournier is signed through the 2020/21 season at $17MM annually. Payton can become a restricted free agent in the summer, while Hezonja will be an unrestricted free agent after the team declined to pick up his fourth-year option in October.
In other items regarding the Eastern Conference:
- Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is now eligible to be dealt and admitted to reporters, including ESPN’s Nick Friedell, that he’s motivated by the trade chatter. He signed a two-year, $27MM contract in September that includes a team option for next season. That made him ineligible to be moved until mid-January. “This is kind of some motivation for me,” he said. “I know it sounds weird. But people are talking, ‘OK, Niko be gone’ and ‘Bye bye, Niko’ or whatever. But for me, it’s OK, just do what you’ve got to do. Play well and try to do your best until the last day and not be distracted.”
- Bucks forward Jabari Parker believes he’ll make his season debut before the All-Star break, he told Scott Grodsky of CBS 58 in Milwaukee. Parker tore his ACL in February, his second major knee injury since entering the league. Parker, who was assigned to the Bucks’ G League affiliate on Monday to continue his rehab, is targeting “the first two weeks before the All-Star game. It’s probably in that area.”
- Sixers rookie Ben Simmons vows he won’t back down from a challenge, according to an Associated Press report. Simmons and the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry were ejected during the closing seconds on Monday after an altercation. Simmons believes that veteran opponents are trying to intimidate him. “I don’t know if they’re trying to test me or see how I am on the court, but I won’t play around,” he said.
Rockets Sign Markel Brown To Two-Way Contract
10:15pm: The Rockets officially signed Brown to a two-way deal and cut Weber, the team announced tonight in a press release.
5:51pm: The Rockets plan to sign Markel Brown to a two-way contract and release guard Briante Weber, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
Brown has been playing for the Thunder’s G League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, after getting waived by the Thunder during training camp. Brown appeared in 22 games with the Blue, averaging 17.4 PPG in 31.4 MPG. Brown hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2015/16 season. He saw extensive action for two seasons with the Nets, appearing in 109 games and averaging 5.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.2 APG in 16.2 MPG.
Brown will give Houston a little more depth at the two-guard spot.
Weber had used up a good portion of his 45-day limit of NBA service. Houston decided to bring in another player with NBA experience who could restart the clock in terms of service time. Weber appeared in 13 games with the Rockets, averaging 2.0 PPG in 9.1 MPG. All but four of those appearances came over the last 11 games after James Harden was sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Community Shootaround: First-Half MVP
We’ve reached the midpoint of the NBA season and several players have stood out during the first half of the schedule.
Certainly, last season’s runner-up in the MVP chase has made his mark once again. Entering Monday’s action, Rockets superstar guard James Harden topped the scoring column by a significant margin. He was averaging 32.3 PPG before being sidelined by a hamstring issue. Led by Harden, who is expected to return this week, the Rockets got off to a 25-4 start.
The Greek Freak, Bucks point forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, leads the All-Star voting while taking another step in his development. He’s averaging 28.4 PPG, second only to Harden, while also ranking in the Top 20 in rebounding, steals and blocks for a playoff contender.
LeBron James is showing no signs of wear and tear despite all the minutes he’s logged during his storied career. The Cavaliers forward ranks third in scoring (27.1 PPG), 24th in rebounding (8.0) and fourth in assists (8.8) while being forced to carry a heavy load with Kyrie Irving in Boston and Isaiah Thomas recently returning from a hip injury.
Speaking of Irving, he’s doing quite well in his new home. The Celtics point guard is averaging 24.0 PPG as Boston cruised into the second half of the season atop the East despite the season-opening loss of Gordon Hayward.
Kevin Durant (26.3 PPG) is enjoying another banner season and carried the Warriors for a stretch when Stephen Curry suffered an ankle injury. Jimmy Butler (21.5 PPG) might not boast the gaudy numbers of the aforementioned group but he’s sparked the resurgent Timberwolves with his defensive intensity and offensive versatility.
That leads us to today’s question: Which player do you feel was the league’s first-half MVP and what is your reasoning behind your selection?
Please weigh in below in our comments section. We look forward to your opinion on this topic.
Cavs Notes: Thomas, Thompson, James, Lue
Isaiah Thomas has shot poorly in his last two outings and he attributes that to his ongoing recovery from his hip injury, as he told Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other media members. Thomas scored a combined 13 points on 5-for-26 shooting from the field against the Raptors and Timberwolves after averaging 18.0 PPG in his first two games with the Cavaliers. “I knew it was going to be like this,” the point guard said. “I have no legs. So it’s going to take some time to get it back. Even when I played well those first two games I told coach [Tyronn] Lue it didn’t feel right. It was kinda fool’s gold.” Thomas sat out Friday’s game against the Pacers.
In other developments concerning the Cavaliers:
- Center Tristan Thompson is doing his best to block out trade rumors that surfaced last week, as he relayed to Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other media members. Cleveland is reportedly willing to part with Thompson in order to land DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers. “That business side, people get paid to do that stuff. I get paid to be out there on the court and compete and do my job,” Thompson said. “Guys get paid to make decisions and move pieces around. For me, seven years in the league and seeing guys get traded and just understanding the business of basketball, it doesn’t faze me at all.”
- Retirement isn’t on LeBron James‘ radar screen at the moment, as he told Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. James is enjoying one of his best statistical season and says he feels “great.” “The game will let you know when it’s over with,” James told Zillgitt. “Retirement for me is like getting engaged. I didn’t know if I was ready or not. I just felt it was the time. Timing was right. The vibe was right. … I definitely never had nobody in my family play in the NBA and retire. So, we’ll see.”
- Some players are grumbling about Lue’s lineups, Vardon writes in a separate piece. Those team members are wondering if Thompson should be re-inserted into the lineup on a regular basis and believe power forward Channing Frye should receive more playing time, Vardon adds. The team had lost three straight entering Monday’s marquee matchup against the Warriors.
- Lue doesn’t anticipate the team making any moves before the trade deadline, Vardon relays in another notebook.
Wolves Sign Amile Jefferson To Two-Way Deal
5:04pm: The signing is official, per team release.
1:17pm: The Timberwolves will fill their open two-way contract slot by signing forward Amile Jefferson to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charania adds that Jefferson will be a free agent this summer, meaning his new deal will just be a rest-of-season agreement.
Jefferson, 24, went undrafted in 2017 and signed with the Timberwolves for training camp. He was cut at the end of the preseason, joining the Iowa Wolves – Minnesota’s G League team – as an affiliate player in the fall. The former Duke standout has been dominant in his first G League season, averaging 18.0 PPG and 13.1 RPG with a .640 FG%, earning his shot at a two-way deal.
The Timberwolves had been carrying just one two-way player – Anthony Brown – for months, but decided to add a second before today’s deadline. After January 15, teams are no longer permitted to sign players to two-way contracts until the 2018/19 league year begins.
Jefferson may remain with the Iowa Wolves for now, but his two-way deal will allow him to spend up to 22 days in the NBA with the Timberwolves.
Sixers Sign Demetrius Jackson To Two-Way Deal
4:58pm: The signing is official, per team release.
4:42pm: The Sixers will sign guard Demetrius Jackson to a two-way contract and release forward James Michael McAdoo, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
Jackson signed a two-way deal with the Rockets during the offseason after the Celtics waived him. Houston terminated Jackson’s contract and then signed him to a 10-day deal earlier this month. However, he did not figure in the Rockets’ plans and the 10-day deal bought him and his representatives time to find a better situation.
The 6’1” point guard made 12 cameo appearances with the Rockets, playing an average of 5.3 MPG. The Notre Dame product played five games for Boston last season after being selected in the second round as the No. 45 overall pick in 2016.
He’ll provide depth behind T.J. McConnell, Jerryd Bayless and top pick Markelle Fultz, who has been plagued by shoulder woes in his rookie campaign.
McAdoo signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia in late August but appeared in just three games.
Nets Sign James Webb III To Two-Way Contract
4:48pm: The signing of Webb is official, per team release. The club also confirmed the release of Wiley.
3:21pm: The Nets are expected to cut Wiley to make room for Webb, according to a NetsDaily report.
11:48am: The Nets intend to sign G League forward James Webb III to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). As we noted this morning, Monday is the last day that teams can sign players to two-way deals this season, so Brooklyn will have to finalize the signing today.
In order to clear room on their roster for Webb, the Nets will also have to make a roster move involving one of their current two-way players, Jacob Wiley and Milton Doyle. Brooklyn currently has a full 15-man NBA roster, so converting one of those two-way players to a standard contract isn’t an option unless someone else is waived.
Webb, who played his college ball at Boise State, went undrafted in 2016 and joined the Sixers for training camp. After being cut by Philadelphia prior to the 2016/17 season, he caught on with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. Webb has since appeared in 60 games for the 87ers, averaging 12.6 PPG and 8.4 RPG with a .439/.361/.747 shooting line.
Once his two-way contract with the Nets becomes official, Webb will make the move over to the Long Island Nets. He’ll also be eligible to spend up to 22 days with Brooklyn the rest of the way.
Heat Apply For Disabled Player Exception
The Heat have applied for a disabled player exception to gain extra cap flexibility in the wake of Dion Waiters‘ ankle injury, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Today was the last day for teams to apply for disabled player exceptions for the 2017/18 season.
As we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, a disabled player exception gives a team some additional spending flexibility in the event that an NBA-designated physician determines an injured player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year. Waiters is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on his ankle, so if the league agrees with the Heat’s medical assessment, the team will receive a DPE.
The amount of that disabled player exception is either half of the injured player’s salary or the amount of the mid-level exception, whichever is smaller. In the Heat’s case, the DPE would be worth $5.5MM, half of Waiters’ $11MM salary. If the Heat are granted that exception, it wouldn’t give them an extra roster spot, and the league wouldn’t reimburse the team at all if it uses the exception. Nonetheless, a DPE can be a useful tool for clubs that have already used their cap room and/or mid-level exceptions.
Assuming they receive a disabled player exception, the Heat could use it to sign a free agent to a one-year deal, or to trade for (or claim) a player with one year left on his contract. It can only be used once, so if the club uses it to sign a player to a $2.5MM deal, the remaining $3MM wouldn’t be available.
The Heat would have to use the exception by March 12, the first business day after the typical March 10 deadline. So if Miami doesn’t use the DPE to acquire a player at the trade deadline, it could still come in handy on the buyout market.
The Celtics also hold a disabled player exception worth about $8.4MM, while the Nets are expected to be granted one that would be worth $6MM.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/15/18
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
3:50pm:
- First-year forward Guerschon Yabusele has been assigned to the G League by the Celtics, the team announced today (via Twitter). The Maine Red Claws will host Austin in the only game on Monday’s G League slate, so Yabusele figures to suit up for that contest.
- The Jazz assigned rookie center Tony Bradley to the G League this morning so he could practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, and have since recalled him to the NBA, per the team (Twitter link).
2:18pm:
- As he continues to rehab his injured knee, D’Angelo Russell has been sent to the G League, the Nets announced today in a press release. Russell will practice with the Long Island Nets and will be recalled to the NBA later today, according to the club.
- Another former top pick will continue his rehab in the G League today as well, with the Bucks announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve assigned Jabari Parker to the Wisconsin Herd. Parker will practice with the Herd again as he works his way back from his ACL tear.
- The Magic have recalled rookie big man Khem Birch from the G League, the team announced today (Twitter link). Birch is coming off a 15-point, five-block performance on Saturday for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s affiliate.
- Rookie forward Tyler Lydon has been recalled from the G League by the Nuggets, according to the team (Twitter link). Since Denver doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own, Lydon had been playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He has averaged 13.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 14 G League games this season.
Injury Notes: Turner, Harden, Leuer, Ball
Pacers center Myles Turner has missed his club’s last three games and has already been ruled out of the remaining four contests on Indiana’s current road trip, the team announced today in a press release. Turner won’t require surgery, but he has been diagnosed with a ligament sprain and muscle strain in that troublesome elbow, and isn’t close to returning. Following the Pacers’ current road trip, Turner will be considered week to week, according to the team.
Here are a few more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni hopes that James Harden will be able to return from his hamstring injury before the end of this week, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN details. “It could be Thursday or Saturday, I don’t know,” D’Antoni said on Sunday. “He’s got to get better. We’ll see. Whenever he’s ready.” Harden would presumably like to be back on the court for those showdowns later this week against Minnesota (Thursday) and Golden State (Saturday).
- Jon Leuer continues to battle ankle issues, having recently received a second injection in his ankle, according to Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy (Twitter link via Rod Beard of The Detroit News). Season-ending surgery looks like an increasingly likely possibility for the veteran big man.
- After undergoing an MRI, Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball was diagnosed with minor left knee sprain, the Lakers announced last night (via Twitter). It’s not viewed as a significant injury.