Ike Diogu, Tim Quarterman To Play In China
A pair of former NBA players have signed to new teams in China to kick off the 2018 calendar year, according to international basketball reporter David Pick. Former first-rounder Ike Diogu has signed with the Sichuan Whales, while former Trail Blazers guard Tim Quarterman has agreed to join the Jiangsu Dragons, per Pick (Twitter links).
Diogu, 34, was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Warriors. The veteran big man ultimately appeared in 225 NBA regular season games, spending time with the Dubs, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Kings, Clippers, and Spurs.
Diogu has played for a variety of international teams since 2012, and according to Pick, he’ll replace former NBA guard Jamaal Franklin on the Whales, who have a CBA-worst 3-20 record this season.
As for Quarterman, the former LSU standout began his NBA career with the Blazers last season, appearing sparingly in 16 games in his rookie season. The 23-year-old shooting guard was traded to the Rockets in June and was later cut by Houston.
Quarterman, who averaged 11.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 6.3 RPG in 22 G League games last season, is signing a one-month contract with the Dragons. He’ll step in for former NBA guard MarShon Brooks, who is returning to America for the birth of his son, Pick reports.
Damian Lillard To Return On Tuesday
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who hasn’t played since December 20 due to a hamstring injury, will make his return to the court on Tuesday night, confirms ESPN’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Lillard had initially said on Monday that he planned to play in tonight’s game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland (Twitter link via Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest).
A two-time All-Star, Lillard is enjoying another strong season in Portland so far in 2017/18. Although his FG% (.418) and 3PT% (.348) are career lows, he has still managed to average an impressive 25.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.0 RPG.
The Blazers, who went 3-2 in Lillard’s absence, are currently tied for sixth in the Western Conference with a 19-17 overall mark. They’ll resume their push for a playoff spot with their standout point guard back in the lineup tonight.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: 10-Day Contracts
This Friday marks the renewal of the annual tradition of the ultimate on-the-job tryout in professional sports. The 10-day contract has been the foot in the door for several players who’ve gone on to lengthy, successful NBA careers, like Anthony Mason, Bruce Bowen, Raja Bell, Kurt Rambis, Howard Eisley, and several others. C.J. Watson saw his first NBA action on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Warriors in 2008, and blossomed into a sought-after backup point guard. He signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Magic in 2015.
Ten-day deals also help veterans make comebacks. Chris Andersen languished in free agency for six months after the Nuggets used the amnesty clause to get rid of him, but two 10-day contracts with the Heat in 2013 kick-started a revival for the Birdman. He wound up signing for the rest of the season that year and played a key role in Miami’s championship run. Andersen reprised that role on a guaranteed minimum-salary contract the next season, and that led the Heat to re-sign him in 2014 to a two-year, $10.375MM deal.
More recently, players like David Nwaba, Okaro White, and Yogi Ferrell jump-started their respective NBA careers last season with 10-day contracts, parlaying those deals into multiyear pacts. While those guys remain on NBA rosters, the 10-day is often a fleeting glimpse at NBA life for players on pro basketball’s fringe — the majority of last year’s signees aren’t currently in the league.
Beginning on Friday, January 5, a team can sign a player to as many as two 10-day contracts before committing to him for the rest of the season or, as in many cases, turning him away. A player can’t sign three 10-day contracts with the same team, but after signing two 10-day deals with one club, he’s allowed to sign another with a separate club.
Ten-day deals are almost always for a prorated portion of the minimum salary, though they can be worth more. A minimum-salary 10-day contract for a rookie this season is worth $46,080, or 10/177ths of the full-season rookie minimum salary. A one-year veteran would earn $74,159. A minimum-salary 10-day deal for any veteran of two or more seasons would represent a cost of $83,129 to the team.
Veterans with more than two years of NBA experience would earn more than $83,129 on a 10-day contract, but the league would pay the extra freight. However, teams gain no financial advantage if they eschew 10-day contracts with more experienced players to sign rookies or one-year veterans to 10-day deals in an effort to avoid the tax, as those deals count the same as the ones for two-year veterans when the league calculates a team’s salary for tax purposes.
Teams would have to pay slightly more if they sign a player to a 10-day contract and they have fewer than three games on their schedule over that 10-day period. In those cases, the length of the 10-day contract is extended so that it covers three games for the team. It’s rare that any team would have such a light schedule, since most play at least three games a week, but the rule sometimes comes into play around the All-Star break.
If there are fewer than 10 days left in the NBA regular season, a team can’t sign a player to a 10-day contract.
A team may terminate a 10-day contract before it runs to term if it wants to use the roster spot to accommodate a waiver claim, signing, or trade acquisition. Players whose 10-day contracts end early don’t go on waivers, so they become free agents immediately. Still, those players receive their full 10-day salaries — the contracts are fully guaranteed for the 10 days.
While clubs close to the luxury tax threshold may be wary of bringing players aboard via 10-day contracts, other teams will make liberal use of those deals, in part because they’re relatively inexpensive. A year ago, the rebuilding Mavericks and the short-handed Pelicans each signed six different players to at least one 10-day deal.
Usually, teams only have one player on a 10-day contract at a time, though they’re allowed to carry as many 10-day contracts as they have players on the inactive list. If a team has 13 players on the active list, it can carry one more 10-day contract than the number of inactive players it has, meaning that if a team has a full 15-man roster, as many as three of those players may be on 10-day deals.
Young players recently released by NBA teams, like Kay Felder and Gary Payton II, figure to draw consideration for 10-day contracts, as should notable veteran free agents, such as Jordan Crawford and Derrick Williams. G League standouts like Trey Burke, Xavier Munford, and Amile Jefferson could all find paths to the NBA via 10-day contracts. Other NBA hopefuls from the G League will make their cases to scouts at a four-day showcase which will take place later this month in Mississauga, Ontario.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Earlier versions of this post were published in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron.
Western Notes: Daniels, Booker, Nuggets, Paul
Shooting guard Troy Daniels is one of the players the Suns could move before the trade deadline, according to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Daniels is averaging 8.3 PPG off the bench this season while shooting 42.5% from long range. He is signed through next season for a very affordable $3.25MM but if rookie Davon Reed comes on strong this month, Daniels becomes expendable, Bordow continues. Veterans Tyson Chandler, Greg Monroe and Jared Dudley could also be moved during the next five weeks, Bordow adds.
In other Western Conference developments:
- The Suns have been using Devin Booker at the point during crunch times situations, Bordow notes in the same piece. Interim coach Jay Triano believes Booker could eventually become a playmaker in the mold of James Harden.
- A friendly schedule could boost the Nuggets over the two next months, as Christopher Dempsey of the team’s website points out. They play 17 of their next 25 games at home, where they have gone 12-4 this season. “Hopefully we can use January, which is a lot of home games, to kind of build and get ahead and not be two games over .500,” coach Michael Malone told Dempsey. “I’m pretty satisfied with where we are, but we have a lot of work to do.”
- Gerald Green was surprised how much he was able to contribute after signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Rockets last week, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Green scored 18 points in 27 minutes off the bench on Friday in Washington, his first NBA game since a preseason stint with the Bucks. “I am very surprised about my wind,” he told Feigen. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I’m actually happy with myself about the work I’ve been putting in. That’s really been paying off.”
James Harden Out At Least Two Weeks
Rockets star guard James Harden will be sidelined at least two weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the club announced in a press release.
Harden suffered the injury on Sunday in a 148-142 double-overtime victory against the Lakers in which Harden posted 40 points and 11 assists. The release said Harden will be re-evaluated after the two-week period, which suggests he could require another week or more to get back in action.
Harden is enjoying another stellar season, averaging 32.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 9.1 APG. The Rockets snapped a five-game losing streak on Sunday and they are now two games behind the Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference. Harden’s injury naturally decreases their chances of regaining the top spot.
In his absence, Eric Gordon and Chris Paul will have to take a bigger share of the scoring load. It also means an increased role for recently-signed Gerald Green.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/1/18
Here are the G-League moves from around the NBA today:
- The Bucks assigned forward Jabari Parker to their affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, to continue his rehabilitation process. Parker suffered a torn ACL in February. The club is hopeful Parker can make his season debut next month.
Clippers Notes: Williams, Rivers, Evans, Wilson
The Clippers now have a formidable 1-2 offensive punch in power forward Blake Griffin and combo guard Lou Williams, Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register writes. Franchise player Griffin pumped in 24 points on Friday after missing 14 games with a knee injury. Williams, who became the team’s top scorer in his absence, poured in 40 points off the bench on Sunday as the Clippers won their third straight. “He’s been unbelievable for us,” Griffin told Teaford and other media members. “I knew he could score and all that, but he’s been better than advertised in my opinion.” Williams, 31, is averaging a career-high 21.4 PPG and 4.8 APG.
In other developments concerning the Clippers:
- The team was relieved that Austin Rivers’ right Achilles tendon injury wasn’t serious, Teaford reports in a separate story. Rivers was injured on Friday but an MRI revealed no structural damage and he could return to action on Wednesday. “I didn’t see it,” coach and father Doc Rivers said. “I just saw him lying on the ground. My nerves came from our trainer’s look when he pointed to his Achilles. Whenever someone points to an Achilles we’ve been conditioned to think like Pavlov’s dog, ‘Oh my.’ Talking to Austin, he was scared and I think that probably played into it, as well. He’s good now.”
- Rookie guard Jawun Evans made his first NBA start on Sunday in place of Rivers, as Teaford notes. Evans, who is averaging 5.4 PPG and 1.9 APG, has made a strong impression on Doc Rivers. “Jawun has been way more effective than I ever thought,” he said. “We didn’t know we were going to play Jawun and we were getting him ready for the G League. He’s had an impact in games.”
- Forward Jamil Wilson, who is on a two-way contract, didn’t think he’d get a chance to play in the NBA until the Clippers gave him a shot on their summer-league team, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reports. Wilson, 27, thought he’d spend the rest of his career overseas. “I’m not going to lie about it. When I was in Italy, it was a crossing point for me,” he told Woelfel. “I wasn’t seeing any real NBA interest and I decided if nothing happened I’d continue my career over there. I could play in Europe until I was 38 or 39. As long as you can shoot the ball, you can play over there. I thought I’d be over there a while.’’
New York Notes: Porzingis, Lin, LeVert, Back-To-Backs
Dirk Nowitzki is widely regarded as one of the top international players in NBA history but the German legend feels Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis will surpass him one day, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
“He’s way ahead of the curve,” Nowitzki tells Berman. “My first year I was struggling straight out of Germany and he had that great rookie year. If he stays injury-free, working like that — and I know he will — the sky’s going to be the limit.’’
In his third season, Porzingis is averaging a career-best 24.5 PPG with 6.7 RPG in 30 games. Recent shooting issues aside, Porzingis has made tremendous progress not just this season, but over the last three years. Nowitzki referred to Porzingis as a “walking mismatch” for opposing teams. Porzingis’ combination of size, shooting, and defense is why Nowitzki feels he can one day become one of the all-time greats.
Check out other news and notes out of New York:
- In an update on Jeremy Lin, who suffered a season-ending ruptured patella tendon in the right knee on opening night, he is recently started cycling, Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily relays. Lin, 29, has been stationed in Vancouver to do his rehab with periodic visits to Brooklyn. He has until June 29 to decide whether he will exercise his option for a third season in Brooklyn but after a season-ending surgery, it’s hard to envision Lin forfeting guaranteed money.
- If it were solely based on talent, Caris LeVert would likely be a starter for the Nets. While he is currently coming off the bench, LeVert has made himself the leader of Brooklyn’s second unit, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “He’s making it his group,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You do need someone to lead a unit, and they’ve got nice chemistry going.”
- The Nets have struggled when playing back-to-back games this season and it’s something the team needs to fix, Lewis writes in a separate story.
Isaiah Thomas To Make Season Debut Tuesday
Cavaliers’ head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed to reporters, including ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (via Twitter), that point guard Isaiah Thomas will make his season debut tomorrow night against the Trail Blazers. Thomas will come off the bench and will play on a minutes restriction, per Lue.
Since Thomas will not play in back-to-back games for a while, he will miss Wednesday night’s contest against his former team, the Celtics, in Boston. While the Cavaliers will attempt to ease Thomas into game action, he is ready to play at full speed.
“My hip is better but I have no rhythm … It feels like I lost my powers … but once I get out there it’s going to be too hard to hold me back,” Thomas said, per McMenamin (via Twitter).
Thomas, 28, has been rehabbing from a hip injury he suffered in last year’s postseason while he was still with the Celtics. After he was traded from Boston to Cleveland as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, the Cavaliers expected to be without Thomas for several months. With Thomas back after 36 games, Cleveland will have him for more than half of the remainder of the season.
The two-time All-Star brings a natural scoring ability that the Cavaliers — losers of four of their last five games — have lacked. In 76 games for the Celtics last season, Thomas averaged an Eastern Conference-best 28.9 PPG, finishing fifth in the NBA Most Valuable Player voting. In his absence, the Cavaliers have tried several players at point guard, including Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and most recently, Jose Calderon.
If healthy, Thomas will be another scoring threat for a Cleveland team led by superstar LeBron James.
Celtics Notes: Ainge, Draft Picks, Zeller
Of all the moves that Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has made at the helm of the Celtics organization, hiring head coach Brad Stevens could be his best, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes. When Stevens was hired, he had no prior NBA head coaching experience but Ainge said that his communication and work ethic made him a natural fit.
“You know, Brad was an outstanding move, yeah. He’s a joy to work with. I think that not only is he fun for me to work with, he’s fun for everybody to work with,” Ainge said to Bulpett. “I think he’s someone that respects every person in the organization, from the lowest-level people all the way up to Wyc and Pags (part-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca). I think he has relationships with everybody in the entire organization. And that makes my job easier, because so much of my job is managing people, and when there’s conflict, it just makes my job harder. So having a guy like Brad around makes my job easier, and I can focus on more important things.”
The Celtics currently own the best record in the Eastern Conference at 30-10, three games ahead of the Cavaliers. While the roster has changed a lot since Stevens took over for Doc Rivers, Stevens’ ability to manage and guide the team to winning has not changed.
Check out other Celtics news below:
- As the Nets win more games, the Celtics could not be happier as it reduces the chance that the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick — which was sent from Boston to Cleveland as part of the Kyrie Irving trade — being first overall, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. It’s the last remnant of the lopsided 2013 trade that sent future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn for a series of first-round picks.
- Former Celtics center and current Net Tyler Zeller recently spoke to Jared Weiss of Celtics Wire to discuss his three-year stint in Beantown. Zeller discussed how he accepted a constantly changing role in Boston as he went from playing 82 games (59 starts) in 2014/15 to an occasional reserve last year.