NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/28/18
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
7:40pm:
- After participating in today’s practice with the South Bay Lakers, Thomas Bryant has been recalled to the NBA, the Lakers announced (via Twitter). Bryant, who will be in uniform for L.A.’s game on Wednesday night, has posted 19.7 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 37 G League games this season.
7:24pm:
- The Rockets assigned young bigs Zhou Qi and Chinanu Onuaku to the G League today, the team announced (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston). Houston’s affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, will be in action on Friday night, hosting the Texas Legends in the NBAGL playoffs.
Maryland’s Justin Jackson Entering 2018 Draft
Maryland sophomore Justin Jackson is turning pro, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who reports that the 6’7″ forward will enter the 2018 NBA draft and forgo his remaining years of NCAA eligibility. He’ll hire an agent in the near future, Givony adds.
“After talking with my family and weighing my options, it’s my desire to turn my full attention to preparing for a career in pro basketball,” Jackson told Givony.
Jackson tested the draft waters a year ago, but ultimately withdrew from consideration and returned to Maryland for his sophomore season. His stock appeared to be on the rise entering the 2017/18 campaign as he looked to solidify himself as a first-round pick in the ’18 draft.
However, a torn labrum slowed Jackson down at the start of the season and ultimately brought his year to an early end. Before he was shut down for the season, the sophomore forward tried to play through the injury, posting 9.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG on .366/.250/.828 shooting in 11 games.
Having undergone surgery to repair that torn labrum in December, Jackson hasn’t yet been cleared for all basketball activities, but hopes to be ready to play competitively at the May combine, per Givony. The Maryland prospect currently ranks 41st on Givony’s big board, but will have a chance to climb closer to first-round territory if he can show he’s fully recovered this spring.
Marvin Bagley III To Enter 2018 NBA Draft
Star prospect Marvin Bagley III has confirmed that he’ll be entering his name in the 2018 NBA draft pool. Bagley made the announcement today in a post on his Instagram account, with the Duke basketball program confirming the decision in a press release of its own.
“No freshman has done more in his freshman year than Marvin,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. “He’s broken every record and he’s really represented us at the highest level. I’m proud of him because he came in late and he adapted at the highest level. We wish him well. He and his family have prepared him well for this move. He’s ready. I can only see great things happening for him.”
Long considered one of the standouts in the 2018 draft class, Bagley had an excellent freshman season at Duke in 2017/18, averaging a double-double for the Blue Devils. In 33 games, the 6’11” forward/center posted an impressive 21.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG to go along with a .614/.397/.627 shooting line.
While Bagley may not be the first player off the board in June, he’s a very good bet to be a top-five pick. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony had Bagley selected third overall, praising the youngster’s “athleticism, motor, rebounding, finishing ability, and overall productivity.” Givony has Bagley ranked fourth overall on his top 100, behind only Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
While neither Bagley or Duke said anything specific about the big man signing with an agent, the wording of both announcements makes it clear he’s not just testing the waters — he’ll forgo his remaining years of NCAA eligibility.
How Non-Guaranteed Salaries Will Affect Trades In New CBA
Under the NBA’s old Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was in effect through the 2016/17 season, a player’s full salary (not including unlikely incentives) was used for trade purposes, whether or not it was guaranteed. If a player had an $10MM salary with a partial guarantee of $1MM, his outgoing salary in a trade was the same as it would have been for a player who had a fully guaranteed $10MM contract.
That’s no longer the case under the league’s new CBA, however. While contracts signed under the old agreement still operate by the old rules, contracts signed after July 1, 2017 will be subject to the rules of the current CBA.
Under the current CBA, only the guaranteed portion of a player’s contract counts for outgoing salary purposes in a trade, limiting the appeal of non-guaranteed salaries as trade chips.
This detail is crucial for determining how much salary a team can acquire in a trade — unless a team is under the cap, the amount of salary it sends out in a trade dictates how much salary it can take back. The amount of salary an over-the-cap team can acquire in a trade ranges from 125% to 175% of its outgoing salary, depending on how much salary the team is sending out and whether or not the team is a taxpayer.
In the old system, it might make sense for a cap-strapped club to trade a player with a guaranteed salary for a player earning an equivalent non-guaranteed salary — the cap-strapped club could then waive that newly-acquired player to cut costs. That’s trickier to do now.
Complicating matters further is that a team can’t simply circumvent the new rules by trading a player before a league year ends on June 30, then having his new team waive him when his non-guaranteed salary goes into effect on July 1. After the end of the regular season, a player’s outgoing salary for trade purposes is the lesser of his current-year salary and the guaranteed portion of his salary for the following season.
Here’s a practical example: Darren Collison‘s deal with the Pacers featured a fully guaranteed $10MM this season, with only $2MM of $10MM guaranteed for 2018/19. Once the regular season ends this year, Collison would only count for $2MM in outgoing salary for trade purposes.
To paint a complete picture of exactly how these new rules work, let’s assume that a free agent signs a two-year, $24MM contract during the summer of 2018. Each year is worth $12MM, but the first season of the contract is guaranteed for $3MM, while the second year is fully non-guaranteed. Here’s how it would count, for trade purposes, as outgoing salary:
- From the date of the signing until the one-quarter mark of the 2018/19 season:
- $3MM
- Note: Due to other CBA rules, the player wouldn’t become trade-eligible until at least December 15, 2018 anyway.
- From the one-quarter mark of the 2018/19 regular season until salaries become guaranteed on January 10, 2019:
- A prorated amount of the salary based on the player’s earnings to date.
- Note: The player would earn 1/177th of his $12MM salary per day; so 60 days into the season, his outgoing salary in a trade would be $4,067,797 (60/177ths of $12MM).
- From January 10, 2019 until the 2019 trade deadline:
- $12MM
- From the day after the 2018/19 regular season ends until the start of the 2019/20 regular season:
- $0
- From the start of the 2019/20 regular season until salaries become guaranteed on January 10, 2020:
- A prorated amount of salary based on earnings to date.
- Note: The player would once again earn 1/177th of his $12MM salary per day; so 10 days into the season, his outgoing salary in a trade would be $677,966 (10/177ths of $12MM).
- From January 10, 2020 until the 2020 trade deadline:
- $12MM
This new rule in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement won’t stop teams from tacking on non-guaranteed years to the end of certain players’ contracts, since those non-guaranteed salaries still provide flexibility. However, the new CBA rules will ensure that they’re no longer as valuable for trade purposes as they once were.
Blazers’ Maurice Harkless Undergoes Knee Procedure
MARCH 28, 3:51pm: After undergoing a procedure on his left knee today, Harkless will be re-evaluated in two weeks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The regular season will end two weeks from today, so it sounds like the Blazers likely won’t get Harkless back until the playoffs. The forward’s recovery could take about two to three weeks, league sources tell Wojnarowski.
MARCH 27, 9:41pm: Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless will undergo an arthroscopy Wednesday to remove a loose body in his left knee, the team announced in a press release. His timetable to return to action will be determined following the procedure.
Harkless is averaging 6.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 21.4 MPG. He’s coming off one of his best performances of the season, as he posted 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks against the Thunder on Sunday. He has scored 16 or more points in four of the last six games.
The Blazers are currently third in the Western Conference and this could be a significant blow if Harkless is not ready to return by the postseason. This leaves the club thin at the small forward spot, since Evan Turner and Harkless have played the bulk of the minutes there.
Northwest Notes: Exum, Nuggets, Wolves, Turner
Point guard Dante Exum has played in just 72 games since his rookie year, having had to deal with injuries in each of the last three seasons. He’s healthy now, and playing regular backup minutes for the Jazz, but he’s on track for restricted free agency this summer, and one general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that it may be worth rolling the dice on Exum despite his injury history.
“I think you have to look at him as a physically gifted guy who is only 22 (he turns 23 in July) and has already gone through the huge NBA learning curve,” the GM said. “There are guys in this year’s draft who will be 22 but aren’t going to have the kind of knowledge of the league he has, and don’t have the physical gifts.”
According to Deveney, one front office executive estimated that a two-year deal in the $18-20MM range might be enough to pry Exum away from the Jazz. That would be a steep price for a fourth-year player who has yet to deliver on the promise he showed heading into the 2014 draft, but overpaying a restricted free agent is often necessary to avoid having his old team match.
“He’s a gamble,” that same executive told Deveney. “But $10MM a year is not as big a gamble as it once was. He could show something here.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- With the G League’s regular season over, players on two-way contracts are no longer limited to 45 days of NBA service time. That’s good news for Nuggets two-way player Torrey Craig, who is free to travel with and play for the NBA squad, and hopes to make a strong impression down the stretch, per Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. “Just show them that I can be a consistent, impactful player on both ends of the court and just try to fit in wherever I can and play a role,” Craig said of his goals for the rest of the season.
- The Nuggets had been hoping to get injured guard Gary Harris back on Friday, but he’s now doubtful for that game, and is aiming for a Sunday return, per head coach Mike Malone (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of BSNDenver.com).
- In a mailbag for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski examines Karl-Anthony Towns‘ future extension, Nemanja Bjelica‘s upcoming free agency, and more Timberwolves-related topics.
- Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner was fined $10K for making an “inappropriate gesture” during Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City, the NBA announced in a press release.
Rodney Purvis Signs Two-Year Contract With Magic
2:24pm: The Magic have officially re-signed Purvis, the team announced in a press release.
11:42am: With Rodney Purvis‘ second 10-day contract ending today, the Magic will sign him to a two-year deal, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The second year will not carry a guarantee.
The 24-year-old shooting guard has appeared in seven games during his 20 days with Orlando, averaging 6.3 points in 13.7 minutes per night. Purvis went undrafted last summer out of Connecticut and spent most of this season with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Lakeland, Fla.
Orlando will have a full 15-player roster once the signing is complete.
Injury Notes: Smart, Love, Ingram, Wall
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is making progress in rehabbing a torn ligament in his right thumb and hopes to be available for the second round of the playoffs, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
A cast on his hand was recently replaced by a splint with an opening at the top that allows him to move his thumb, and he has been able to do some light exercises with the injured digit. Smart tore the ligament earlier this month and underwent surgery March 16. His original prognosis had him out six to eight weeks, which sets a potential return about the time of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“Definitely right now, that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said. “The way it’s going now, we’re on the right path. Hopefully nothing happens where it gets delayed.”
There are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Kevin Love has been placed in concussion protocol and will miss tonight’s game, the Cavaliers announced on their website. He suffered a front tooth sublexation last night and experienced concussion-like symptoms at halftime.
- After missing nearly four weeks with a strained groin, Lakers forward Brandon Ingram expects to return tonight, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sports Net.
- Coach Luke Walton says Lakers rookie Josh Hart has looked good in three-on-three games and may be cleared to play Friday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).
- John Wall, who has been sidelined since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late January, may be able to return tomorrow, according to a tweet from the Wizards. Coach Scott Brooks said Wall will participate in the team’s shootaround and a decision will be based on how the knee responds. He is officially listed as questionable.
- Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is targeting Friday to return from a fractured right hand, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “I hope to play a few minutes against Portland [Friday],” Gallinari said in an interview with Italian outlet Sky Sport. “The hand is not completely healed, but we’ll see how I can help the team in the games left in the regular season. I will try to bite the bullet for the playoff race. The franchise asked me to grit my teeth and play. I will try to do that.”
- After re-injuring his right ankle Monday, Celtics forward Marcus Morris will sit out tonight’s game, according to a tweet from the team. He will probably return Saturday, according to Himmelsbach (Twitter link).
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens provided an another update on Gordon Hayward, saying he’s still limited to the Alter-G treadmill and hasn’t been cleared to run on the court (Twitter link). “There will be nothing more exciting for him than being able to get back out on the basketball court,” Stevens said (Twitter link).
- Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman may be cleared to return to action after a hip flexor injury. He tweeted an image of himself accompanied by the word, “finally.”
- Jazz center Tony Bradley has cleared concussion protocol, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News.
Surgery Set For Isaiah Thomas; Lakers Still Interested In Re-Signing Him
Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right hip tomorrow, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The Lakers confirmed the report, (Twitter link), adding that more updates will be provided after the procedure is complete.
Thomas will have a scope performed on the hip and faces an “extended” rehabilitation process, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It will mark an early end to his season and raises another question mark as he heads toward free agency this summer.
The purpose of the operation is to “clean up the joint of all inflammatory debris related to his injury from last season,” Dr. Bryan Kelly of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York said in a statement to ESPN. He described the process as minimally invasive.
This setback hasn’t changed the Lakers’ stance on wanting to keep Thomas beyond this season, Wojnarowski adds, although the team’s plans will hinge on its ability to attract free agents LeBron James and Paul George. If the front office can’t land a big star with its cap space, that increases the chances that Thomas might receive a hefty one-year offer. If the Lakers are successful, Thomas would have to be renounced to help create cap space.
Thomas, who was acquired at the trade deadline last month, has impressed management and coach Luke Walton in his fit with the team, Woj adds, although the progress he makes in rehab between now and the start of July will affect the offers he receives.
Thomas plans to divide his rehab time between Los Angeles and his home in Seattle, and the Lakers have offered to let him use the team practice facility.
After playing at a near-MVP level last year in Boston, Thomas has been limited to 32 games this season — 15 with the Cavaliers and 17 with the Lakers. He has averaged 15.6 points per night since coming to L.A., mostly in a reserve role.
Xavier Silas Signs 10-Day Deal With Celtics
The Celtics have signed Xavier Silas to a 10-day contract, the team announced on its website.
The 30-year-old shooting guard is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2012, when he played two games for the Sixers. He spent this season with Northern Arizona in the G League, averaging 18.4 points in 43 games. Over the past five seasons, Silas has been with several G League teams and played overseas in Israel, Greece, Germany, Argentina and China. He was with the Wizards in training camp in 2014, but was unable to earn a roster spot.
Silas played in the BIG3 league last summer, being drafted fourth overall by Tri-State and later traded to the Ball Hogs.
The Celtics are using a hardship exception to sign Silas, so another roster move won’t be necessary. Boston thought it had a 10-day deal with Sean Kilpatrick last week, but he wound up signing a multiyear contract with the Bulls.