Knicks’ Troy Williams Fractures Jaw, Out For Season
Knicks swingman Troy Williams has sustained a fractured jaw and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2017/18 season, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williams suffered the injury against the Pistons on Saturday.
Williams, who began his career with the Grizzlies in 2016/17, has bounced around the league since then, joining the Rockets for parts of the last two seasons before signing a 10-day contract with the Knicks this February. Williams parlayed that deal into a second 10-day pact, then signed a rest-of-season contract with New York that includes a partially guaranteed salary for 2018/19.
Williams has played some of the best ball of his young NBA career in 17 games with the Knicks, averaging 7.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG with a .490/.333/.704 shooting line. He had been spending most of his time at small forward in New York, so his injury should open the door for the likes of Lance Thomas and Damyean Dotson to pick up some extra minutes down the stretch.
Although it remains to be seen whether he’ll still be on the Knicks’ roster in the fall, Williams should be recovered from his jaw injury well before the 2018/19 season gets underway.
Hornets Offer GM Job To Mitch Kupchak
The Hornets have formally offered their open general manager job to former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). According to Stein, the Hornets are confident that they’ll be able to work out an agreement to bring Kupchak aboard. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer echoes that sentiment, tweeting that it’s “basically a done deal.”
Charlotte has officially been on the lookout for a new general manager since informing Rich Cho he wouldn’t be retained back in February. However, even before then, Kupchak’s name was linked to the Hornets as a potential candidate to head the team’s basketball operations department. Kupchak had an existing relationship with Hornets controlling owner Michael Jordan, as both men attended the University of North Carolina.
While Kupchak was considered the frontrunner for the Hornets’ GM job throughout the search process, the team received permission to interview at least a few other candidates. Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas was viewed as a serious contender for the position, and Sixers VP of player personnel Marc Eversley and Heat assistant GM Adam Simon were among Charlotte’s other potential targets. However, it appears the Hornets have chosen to offer the job to the candidate who has the most experience running a franchise.
A three-time champion as an NBA player, Kupchak assumed control of the Lakers’ basketball operations in the summer of 2000, and won four more titles as the general manager in Los Angeles. Kupchak made several key moves to help buoy the franchise to its most recent championships in 2009 and 2010, including trading for Pau Gasol.
Despite his solid overall résumé, many of Kupchak’s personnel decisions during his last several years in Los Angeles didn’t pan out. The acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard in 2012 backfired, and the massive contracts handed out to Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov in 2016 were among Kupchak’s most significant missteps. The longtime Lakers executive saw his tenure come to an end in February 2017, when the franchise replaced him and Jim Buss with Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka.
If Kupchak accepts the Hornets’ offer and joins the franchise as its general manager, he’s expected to work with Buzz Peterson, another UNC alum who is currently handling GM duties in Charlotte on an interim basis.
Jacob Evans Enters 2018 NBA Draft
Cincinnati swingman Jacob Evans announced on Sunday that he has elected to enter the 2018 NBA draft, confirming his decision on Twitter.
Speaking to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com, Evans called the decision “the best move for me,” noting that he won’t yet hire an agent, preserving his NCAA eligibility for the time being. However, it doesn’t sound like he intends to simply test the waters and then withdraw his name.
“I didn’t sign an agent yet, but I’m entering my name with plans on getting picked in the first round,” Evans said. “I’m not just testing to come back to school.”
Evans, a junior, averaged 13.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.1 APG with a shooting line of .427/.370/.754 shooting line for the Bearcats in 2017/18. Although Evans’ shooting numbers were better in his sophomore year (.473/.418/.732), his performance this past season still has him positioned as a potential first-round pick.
Givony ranks Evans 24th overall on his big board, and had him at No. 25 in his most recent mock draft, referring to the 20-year-old as an “ultra-versatile player who guards all over the floor.”
Aaron Harrison Signs Rest-Of-Season Deal With Mavs
APRIL 2: The Mavs officially signed Harrison on Sunday, the team announced in a press release. The third-year guard actually received a rest-of-season contract rather than a 10-day deal.
Since the regular season is almost over, the agreement only keeps him under contract for 11 days this season, but Dallas will now have the option of making him a restricted free agent this summer.
MARCH 31: The Mavericks will sign Aaron Harrison to a second 10-day contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Harrison has appeared in four games under his current deal, averaging 4.5 points in about 20 minutes per night. He previously played five games for the Hornets last year and 21 in 2015/16. Before signing with Dallas, he was with the Reno Bighorns in the G League.
The Mavericks will have a full roster of 15 players once Harrison re-signs.
Hornets Notes: Howard, Hernangomez, Walker
The Hornets shouldn’t have any regrets when it comes to their offseason acquisition of Dwight Howard, but despite the 32-year-old veteran’s admirably productive season, the team should look into trading him, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes.
Howard has been impressively consistent and durable and the move that the club made to acquire him was worth the risk. Unfortunately for Hornets fans, Charlotte seems destined to rebuild, something that Howard may not be all that interested in and that his arduous $23.8MM 2018/19 contract may complicate.
In 76 games for the Hornets this season, Howard has averaged 16.8 points – his highest scoring output in four seasons – and 12.4 rebounds.
There’s more out of Charlotte tonight:
- Midseason acquisition Willy Hernangomez has had his work cut out for him appeasing Hornets coach Steve Clifford but the young big man appears to be taking the constructive crticisim to heart, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “With every player, you have to find a way that you’re comfortable talking with them and they are comfortable talking with you. Serious players, they want a coach who can help them play better,” Clifford said.
- A year of setbacks and injuries has continued into the final month of the regular season. Most recently, the Hornets have watched big man Cody Zeller shut things down for the remainder of the season. “I would say we’re at the stage now where it almost becomes, ‘Why [ask him to play]?‘” head coach Steve Clifford told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s so hard to not play for long stretches off the season. Why, with five games left, would we even play him? It makes more sense to me to let him get back to 100 percent and then just start again next [season].”
- A dramatic year has resulted in another disappointing, playoff-less season for the Hornets and now it seems as though Kemba Walker‘s future in Charlotte is far from certain. This week we asked readers what they think will come of Walker’s tenure with the organization. Could Hornets fans be nearing the end of an era?
Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Brooklyn Nets
With little other options available, Nets general manager Sean Marks has made the most out of his biggest asset: cap space. For that reason, the Nets will likely be diligent as to how they handle free agency in 2018.
While Brooklyn will have its first-round pick in 2019 and doesn’t necessarily have to use its payroll as a landfill for unwanted player contracts just to add assets, the club may continue to leverage its cap space during what continues to be the early stages of a rebuild.
With no set core in place, the Nets won’t feel much pressure to make deals this summer, which is actually kind of a luxury. Don’t expect the franchise to stretch itself thin to bring back any of its free agents if doing so will put them in a bad position.
Jahlil Okafor, C, 22 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $14MM deal in 2015
Is there another player in NBA history who, despite a solid first-year campaign and reasonable health throughout, saw his value plummet more over the course of a rookie contract? It’s hard to imagine that Okafor’s decline is solely a product of his old-school game — he’s also had the misfortune of being employed by two franchises that couldn’t seem to care less about legitimately developing him as an asset. There will be at least one team willing to give Okafor another shot. It could even be the Nets, considering they’d get for an entire offseason and training camp this time. In any case, Okafor will probably have to sign a short-term, prove-it deal before he gets another significant NBA contract.
Quincy Acy, PF, 27 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $4MM deal in 2017
Acy is an affordable role player who has served well in two stints with the Nets. Since he comes with a cheap price tag, appears to be content with a minor role, and is a serviceable veteran who contributes when called upon, it’s hard to imagine Brooklyn wouldn’t welcome him back. Acy may get a longer-term commitment from the Nets this time around, but he isn’t likely to draw much more than a modest raise above the league minimum from Brooklyn or anybody else.
Dante Cunningham, SF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
The Nets absorbed Cunningham’s contract in a midseason deal, so there’s no guarantee that either party would be interested in a commitment beyond 2017/18. Cunningham is a utility forward seemingly intent on contributing to a reasonably competitive team so maybe their timelines just don’t match. In any event, the eight-year veteran isn’t likely to top the $2MM-$3MM threshold he’s flirted with for the majority of his career.
Joe Harris, SG, 26 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $3MM deal in 2016
The return on investment for Harris has been great, but the Nets may want to pump the brakes when it comes to re-signing him in the offseason. While Harris has been an excellent example of how the Nets franchise has developed youngsters, overpaying for a niche player without a set core in place isn’t the wisest course of action. If it looks like Harris might get poached by a more competitive team looking to add a solid depth piece, the Nets shouldn’t reach to retain him — not with so many other holes to fill first.
Nik Stauskas, SG, 24 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $12MM deal in 2014
The Nets have given Stauskas something of a tryout to prove that he could possibly live up to his eighth overall selection back in 2014, but he hasn’t done enough to warrant a raise from his rookie deal. While Stauskas may get another chance to prove himself next season, it’ll have to come cheap and potentially non-guaranteed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mavs Notes: Smith Jr., Noel, Discrimination
Despite the Mavs’ disappointing 23-53 mark through 76 games, it’s hard to consider Dennis Smith Jr.‘s rookie season anything less than a success, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. The 20-year-old has put forth 15.2 points and 5.0 assists per game, which both rank among the top five for first-year players.
More importantly, however, Smith Jr. has been healthy for the majority of the season. Considering the high-flying guard tore his left ACL back in 2015, it bodes well that he has made it through the bulk of an entire NBA campaign in relatively good shape. With the exception of a few instances of soreness, the guard’s knee has held up and he’s played in 86% of the team’s games so far.
“A lot of rookie point guards who have the responsibility of starting would be worn down mentally and really banged up physically,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s neither. He’s very strong and has worked very hard on his body and his mind is fresh. He wants to be one of those guys that’s really depended on by a franchise and he’s gained is a real knowledge of the amount of work that’s going to go into that.”
There’s more news out of Dallas this evening:
- While it seemed as though Nerlens Noel‘s exit from Dallas was a foregone conclusion a couple months ago, the fact that the injured big man has done so little over the course of the 2017/18 campaign may mean that there isn’t much of a market for him in free agency. Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News writes that he doesn’t believe the franchise views Noel as a building block anymore but that the club could use him as a placeholder.
- A woman fired by Arena Operating Co., the company that operates the American Airlines Center, is following up a January complaint alleging gender, sexual and racial issues by seeking information from Mark Cuban about a 2011 incident involving a noose hung in the Mavs’ stadium, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. It’s alleged that Cuban disposed of the noose at the time, but did not “make a big deal of it.”
- Under the leadership of new CEO Cynthia Marshall, the Mavs have hired a pair of executive leadership employees and officially launched an initial “100-Day Plan” to improve the culture of the disgraced organization. A team-issued press release states that the Mavs plan to position the organization as a standard bearer for inclusion and diversity.
Whiteside Blasts Coaches Over Playing Time
5:57pm: The Heat have fined Hassan Whiteside for what they deem “comments detrimental to the team,” an ESPN report states.
9:00am: Frustrated all season by reduced playing time, Heat center Hassan Whiteside launched a tirade against the coaching staff after Saturday’s overtime loss to the Nets, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Whiteside played just 20 minutes in the 53-minute game and didn’t get off the bench in the fourth quarter and overtime as the team was using a small-ball lineup to match up with Brooklyn.
“It’s annoying,” he said to reporters. “We shouldn’t. Why are we matching up? We’ve got one of the best centers in the league. Why are we matching up? A lot of teams don’t have a good center. They are going to use their strengths. … There are a lot of teams that can use a center.”
“I don’t know if it’s because I’m on a minutes restriction,” he said. “The minutes have been like that all year. It’s really frustrating. It’s been frustrating. It’s tough. I don’t know, man. It’s crazy. I don’t understand it.”
When asked if the reduced minutes made him doubt if he has a future in Miami, Whiteside responded, “I don’t know. Maybe,” before a Heat public relations official ended the interview.
Whiteside has one year left on his contract at $25.4MM, then can opt out of a $27MM salary next summer. Jackson notes that if he does opt out, the Heat would have to unload another significant salary to be competitive in a star-studded free agent market. He adds that Whiteside’s comments may make Miami’s front office more likely to consider trading him before that option year arrives.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 4/1/18
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Lakers recalled Travis Wear from their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, after their playoff matchup against the Oklahoma City Blue on Saturday, the team announced on Twitter. Wear enjoyed a strong regular season for South Bay, averaging 16.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 33 games.
- The Hawks recalled forward Tyler Cavanaugh to their affiliate in Erie, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
- The Thunder recalled rookie center Dakari Johnson from their Oklahoma City Blue affiliate after yesterday’s playoff game, the team announced in an email.
Central Notes: Calderon, Thomas, Lopez, Lottery Pick
Jose Calderon has become the Swiss army knife of players for the Cavaliers. As the team has dealt with injuries and inconsistency, Calderon has provided a spark in the lineup, on the bench, or any role he’s asked to fill, per USA TODAY Sports.
The 36-year-old has appeared in 53 games for the Cavaliers, starting 30 of them. His numbers are modest as he’s averaging 4.2 PPG 2.1 APG and 1.4 RPG in less than 16 minutes per contest. However, he’s always prepared to help the team, which is an invaluable commodity for a veteran team that underwent a midseason makeover. His teammate, LeBron James, is one of his biggest supporters.
“You got to have one or two guys like that on every team, someone who has kind of like zero ego, zero notion of entitlement,” James said. “Listen, his whole thing is like, ‘I’m going to stay ready. I’ll stay ready so if my number is called,’ and he goes out and produces and that’s big for our team because you never know when someone is going to go down.”
Check out more Central Division notes below:
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer revisited the offseason trade that brought an injured Isaiah Thomas to the Cavaliers and shipped Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Pluto writes that it would have probably made sense for Thomas to undergo hip surgery last season as he will miss the next four months due to hip surgery. Thomas never got acclimated to Cleveland and was shipped to the Lakers. Pluto also looks the deal for the Celtics and several other aspects of the deal.
- Bulls center Robin Lopez was fined $25,000 for abusing game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to the Heat on Thursday, the league announced.
- Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago looks at the Bulls’ odds of falling to a top three pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and which players would make sense as targets.