NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/6/2018
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Kings have recalled forward Justin Jackson and center Georgios Papagiannis from their affiliate in Reno, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
- The Suns have recalled second-round pick Davon Reed from their Northern Arizona affiliate, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Reed, who is recovering from meniscus surgery in August, may play in Sunday’s game.
- The Magic have recalled Wesley Iwundu and Khem Birch from the G League, per RealGM’s transactions log. Birch posted a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) for the Lakeland Magic on Friday night, but Iwundu struggled mightily, putting up just two points on 1-of-9 shooting.
Kings Fire Scouting Director Mike Bratz
JANUARY 6, 11:03pm: The Kings have released an official statement on Bratz, Cunningham tweets, saying, “We agreed to part ways and appreciate all of his contributions to the Kings. We wish him nothing but the best.”
JANUARY 6, 10:45pm: The Kings have decided to part ways with senior director of scouting Mike Bratz, tweets Sean Cunningham of station KXTV in Sacramento. Cunningham says two sources have told him about the firing, but the team hasn’t confirmed the move.
A former assistant coach with the Kings, Bratz also served as a senior advisor to GM Vlade Divac (Twitter link).
A long-time coach and executive in the NBA, Bratz was hired as assistant GM for the Kings prior to the 2013/14 season. He was director and player personnel and director of scouting for the Nuggets before coming to Sacramento and spent time as an assistant coach and executive with the Cavaliers.
Eric Moreland’s Contract To Be Guaranteed
The Pistons will guarantee the contract of Eric Moreland for the rest of the season, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.
The third-year power forward signed a three-year deal with Detroit in July, but none of the seasons is fully guaranteed. He has a $1,739,333 salary for this season with a $750K guarantee that kicked in opening night and a $1MM guarantee through Wednesday, which is when all NBA contracts become fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.
The 26-year-old played 11 combined games during his first two seasons with the Kings, spending most of his time in the G League. He was waived by the Cavaliers before the start of last season and spent the year with Cleveland’s G League affiliate.
Moreland has appeared in 33 games for the Pistons and is averaging 1.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes of action. He made his first career start tonight.
Community Shootaround: Andrew Bogut
The Andrew Bogut experiment in Los Angeles is over, as the Lakers waived him today to avoid having to fully guarantee his $2,328,652 contract. Bogut and his agent offered his services throughout the NBA last summer, attempting to show that he was fully recovered from a fractured left tibia. However, the response was lukewarm and he wound up signing a one-year, partially guaranteed deal with L.A. shortly before the start of training camp.
The 33-year-old proved to be an awkward fit for the Lakers and averaged just 1.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 9.0 minutes of playing time in 21 games. He is expected to clear waivers Monday and hit the open market again, hoping to catch on with a contender for a playoff run.
The Cavaliers, who signed Bogut last March but lost him to the injury in his first game, reportedly aren’t interested in bringing him back. That raises the question of which contending teams might line up for his services.
The Celtics contacted Bogut in August and could be on the radar again, writes Nick Metallinos in an ESPN article, although fellow Australian center Aron Baynes already fills a similar role in Boston. Another possibility, Metallinos suggests, are the Bucks, who made Bogut the first player taken in the 2005 draft and who are expected to open a roster spot by waiving DeAndre Liggins. Milwaukee has been in need of help in the middle since moving Greg Monroe to Phoenix in the Eric Bledsoe trade, and Bogut would be an inexpensive addition. They also reportedly had contact with Bogut before he joined the Lakers.
Even though Bogut would have liked more playing time in Los Angeles, he was realistic about his situation and believes he benefited by showing the league he is fully recovered.
“The whole goal for me was just to come in relatively healthy from the broken leg, and just be ready to play,” Bogut said last month. “I knew there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of minutes [with the Lakers] because I was the 15th guy signed to the roster.”
We want your opinion on Bogut. Which team is the best fit for him, and do you believe he can still help a conteder? Jump into our comments section and leave your response.
Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Ntilikina, Smith, Kanter
Tim Hardaway Jr. was a limited participant in practice today and is optimistic about returning during a six-game road trip that starts January 18, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hardaway has been sidelined for five weeks by a stress reaction in his left leg, and the Knicks have fallen below .500 without him as an outside scoring threat.
“I was itching to get back for Christmas, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Hardaway said. “I was itching to go home against Miami [Friday], my hometown. It was painful not to be there. I had those two games circled on the calendar.’’
Hardaway was New York’s top free agent addition of the offseason, signing a $71MM deal over four years. He was an important contributor to the team’s fast start, averaging 17.8 points over 21 games before the injury.
There’s more tonight out of New York:
- Point guards Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith may be linked throughout their careers because of their proximity in the draft, but they are different types of players, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Ntilikina is a defensive standout who has struggled with his shot and ballhandling, and some scouts believe he will eventually be moved to off guard. Smith is outstanding on offense, but has shortcomings on defense. They will meet for the first time Sunday when the Mavericks host the Knicks. “That part of him being aggressive, that’s always interesting to watch,” Ntilikina said of Smith. “That’s the part I have to explore in my game. Something I can learn and take [from him], as I said he’s a great player offensively.”
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is denying a New York Times report that his professed interest in Ntilikina before the draft was a ruse to get the Knicks to pass on Smith, Bondy adds in a separate story. “Not a stunt at all,” Cuban wrote in an email. “We like Frank quite a bit. If Dennis had been selected there was a very good chance we would have taken Frank.” Smith had an awkward pre-draft meeting with the Knicks, Bondy recalls, and he refused to hold an individual workout or share his medical records with the team.
- After a few months in New York, Enes Kanter feels like he wants to retire as a Knick, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Kanter has excelled since being acquired from the Thunder in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but he has an $18.4MM player option that could determine his future with the team. He said he hasn’t decided if he will exercise it.
Cavaliers Notes: Bogut, Trade Exception, Thomas, Thompson
The Cavaliers aren’t interested in bringing back Andrew Bogut, who was waived by the Lakers today, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Cleveland already has 15 players on its roster and isn’t willing to open a space to take another shot at the veteran center.
Bogut signed with the Cavs in March, but suffered a fractured left tibia 58 seconds into his first game with the team and was subsequently waived. The 33-year-old appeared in 24 games for L.A., but averaged just 9 minutes per night. He is hoping to sign with a contender if he clears waivers Monday.
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- Having 15 players with guaranteed contracts makes it unlikely the Cavaliers will use a $4.8MM trade exception before it expires Monday, writes Dan McCormack of AmicoHoops. With the team already far over the salary cap, the front office doesn’t want to take on extra salary that would result in higher luxury-tax penalties. Cleveland is unlikely to hand out any 10-day contracts for the same reason, McCormack adds, with any roster moves expected to come through trades.
- Isaiah Thomas is making his first start of the season tonight in Orlando, McCormack adds in a separate piece. The high-scoring guard, who was acquired from Boston in the Kyrie Irving trade, put up 17 points in 19 minutes Tuesday in his first game since recovering from a hip injury. LeBron James believes Thomas will provide an instant boost to the offense. “It definitely adds another playmaker on the floor, another shotmaker on the floor, another guy who can command a double-team, especially off pick-and-rolls,” James said.
- Tristan Thompson has been criticized for his lack of production, but he is beginning to contribute again after returning from a calf injury, McCormack notes in another story. The former starting center, who has taken over Channing Frye‘s role as the first big man off the bench, is averaging eight rebounds per game over the past three contests. “I think it’s getting back into rhythm,” Thompson said. “Especially, a guy like me. My whole strength is flow of the game. You take that away for six weeks, the first couple of games back was like a training camp.”
Trail Blazers Notes: Stotts, Lillard, Collins
Players are standing behind Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts through the team’s inconsistent performance, according to Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. Stotts has become a target of fan anger during a 20-18 start that has included losses to lower-level teams such as the Hawks, Nets and Kings. With 13 returning players, Portland was counting on continuity to improve on last year’s .500 performance, but the Blazers have often struggled to score and enter tonight last in the league in assists and 25th in total offense.
“We all know what’s going on,’’ Ed Davis said. “The guys on the team, we read about it, and I know Coach does … that ‘Hot Seat’ stuff and things like that. Everybody sees it, and I know while I’m here, [along with] a bunch of the rest of the guys in the locker room, we are going to fight for Coach. Every night. There is no quit in us. He’s our leader.’’
Stotts is in his sixth year as Portland’s coach, compiling a 243-205 record with four straight playoff appearances. He has one more season left on the contract extension he signed after the 2015/16 season.
There’s more today out of Portland:
- Damian Lillard said his admiration for Stotts factored into his decision to accept an extension with the Blazers in 2015, Quick adds in the same piece. Lillard has been a strong defender of the coach, including a publicized interaction with a fan on Instagram in November. The star point guard said owner Paul Allen hasn’t asked him about Stotts, but he knows what he would say if Allen or GM Neil Olshey approached him about a coaching change. “I would want to know why,’’ Lillard said. “Because I honestly don’t feel like he is the issue. As players we have to do things a lot better. I honestly feel like he is one of the better coaches in the league as far as being an offensive coach, but also in giving players an opportunity, and connecting with the players, too. And then we have a great coaching staff. That is not the issue.’’
- Lillard was surprised to end up in Portland in the 2012 draft, relays Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee. In response to a fan’s question on Twitter, Lillard said he expected be taken by the Kings, who held the fifth pick, one ahead of the Blazers. Sacramento opted for Thomas Robinson, who played for six teams in five years and is currently in Russia.
- Rookie center Zach Collins has brought some toughness to the Blazers, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Collins has earned a spot in the rotation over the past month after seeing little playing time to start the season. “The biggest thing is his character has come through in that he’s aggressive, he’s determined,” Stotts said. “After a tough summer, he came in and wanted to improve. I think it just shows his determination.”
Clippers Sign Tyrone Wallace, Waive Jamil Wilson
JANUARY 6, 4:15pm: Wallace’s signing is official, according to Real GM’s transactions report.
JANUARY 5, 4:58pm: The Clippers will sign Tyrone Wallace and waive Jamil Wilson, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Wallace’s deal with the club will be a two-way pact, as was Wilson’s.
Wojnarowski adds that despite his release, Wilson had looked like a serviceable NBA player during his stint with the Clippers; the organization simply needed backcourt help at this point in the season.
With both Austin Rivers and Patrick Beverley on the sidelines, the Clippers have lacked guard depth behind sixth man Lou Williams. Wallace, the final pick of the 2016 NBA draft, will look to bring some of the skills he’s flashed with Los Angeles’ G League affiliate now that he’s been called up to the big league club.
In 23 contests with the Agua Caliente Clippers, a team he’ll continue to play for intermittently due to the two-way deal, Wallace has averaged 22.8 points and 5.4 assists per game. His ability to score the ball will be much appreciated by the team currently getting just 13.7 points per game out of the starting backcourt of Milos Teodosic and C.J. Williams.
As Wojnarowski mentioned in his tweet, Wilson had played well for the Clips, averaging 7.0 points per game in 18.3 minutes. He started 10 of his 15 games with the big league franchise and played five more in the G League.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 12/30/17 – 1/6/18
Every week, even during the holidays, we at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Below are our original segments and features from the last 7 days:
- Given the new year, Luke Adams detailed the important NBA dates and deadlines coming up in January, 2018.
- In two different Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Which team, the Celtics or the Sixers, would more greatly benefit from receipt of the Lakers‘ 2018 first round pick?
- How do you expect the Clippers so-far underwhelming 2017/18 season to play out?
- In a Weekly Mailbag segment, Arthur Hill answered questions involving the latest trade rumors surrounding the Bucks, the asking price for Bulls frontcourt players Nikola Mirotic and Robin Lopez, and LaVar Ball’s junior basketball league.
- Luke Adams revisited the Hoops Rumors Glossary to analyze 10-day contracts and the Ted Stepien Rule.
- We reminded our readers of the new Hoops Rumors feature, 2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Charlotte Hornets.
- Chris Crouse offered fantasy hoops advice focusing on Marquese Chriss, James Harden, and even newly-signed Gerald Green, among others.
- We polled our readers, asking:
- Should the Hornets look to trade All-Star point guard Kemba Walker?
- Which team represents the biggest threat to the defending champion Warriors?
Five Key Stories: 12/30/17 – 1/6/18
Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s (Happy New Year!) headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.
Tomorrow is the last day for teams to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts before those players’ contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. As a result, several teams have already come out and reported that they plan to retain certain players beyond the deadline, thereby guaranteeing (albeit unofficially) those players’ salaries for the remainder of the season. As it currently stands, the following players will reportedly not be waived:
- The Rockets will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Gerald Green.
- The Jazz will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Raul Neto.
- The Hawks will guarantee the non-guaranteed contracts of Tyler Cavanaugh and Isaiah Taylor.
- The Magic will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Khem Birch.
In other news, Isaiah Thomas made his return for the defending Eastern Conference Champions in the Cavaliers‘ win over Portland on Tuesday. Thomas came off the bench and, as part of his continued treatment, did not play Wednesday against his former team in Boston. However, Thomas is expected to start tonight against Orlando. In his first game back, Thomas went off for 17 points in only 19 minutes.
Rockets star guard and MVP candidate James Harden will be sidelined for at least another week, if not more, after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the team’s double-overtime victory over the Lakers last Sunday. Despite the injury, Harden still managed to post 40 points and 11 assists.
Warriors point guard and two-time MVP Stephen Curry returned to action last Saturday night in the Warriors’ win over Memphis. Curry, who had missed 11 games with a sprained right ankle, scored 38 points in only 26 minutes of action in Golden State’s victory.
Here are 11 more headlines from around the NBA last week.
- Former Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas has signed with Olimpia Milano of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A.
- Former Hawks forward Nicolas Brussino has signed with CB Gran Canaria of Spain’s Liga ACB.
- The Heat waived shooting guard Matt Williams and signed small forward Derrick Jones to his now vacant two-way contract.
- In response to a missed call that potentially cost the Thunder a win against the Bucks, the NBA is going to consider potential solutions on late game out-of-bounds replays.
- Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard returned to action Tuesday after missing nearly two weeks with a hamstring injury
- The Wizards waived one their two-way players – rookie forward Michael Young.
- Turns out that the Spurs were serious contenders for Kyrie Irving this summer, but ultimately failed to have the draft assets so coveted by Cleveland that Boston possesed.
- The Knicks are considering signing former first-round pick and current G League star Trey Burke to an NBA deal.
- Despite signing a lucrative three-year, $57MM deal with the Kings this summer, George Hill is having a difficult time adjusting to his new role.
- The Clippers signed Tyrone Wallace to a two-way deal after waiving two-way contributor Jamil Wilson.
- The Sixers signed former first-round pick James Young to a two-way contract after waiving guard Jacob Pullen.