Dion Waiters Unhappy With Playing Time
After missing more than a full year due to an ankle injury, Dion Waiters has recently returned to the Heat‘s rotation, with the team easing him back into a regular role. However, after playing just 12 minutes in a blowout loss to to the Bucks on Tuesday night, Waiters expressed frustration with his limited playing time, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
“F— patience!” Waiters said. “I want to play. I’ve been patient long enough. What do I got to be patient for? Come on man. I’ve been patient. I think everybody knows that. It’s time. What are we waiting for? If I’m out there, play me.”
According to Jackson, head coach Erik Spoelstra has said repeatedly that Waiters needs to be patient because he’s coming off a major injury and the Heat already have an over-crowded rotation. The 27-year-old has been available for seven games since returning to action earlier this month, but has appeared in only five, and averaged just 15.4 minutes in those contests, which would easily be a career low.
Waiters said after Tuesday’s game that his patience “has run out,” and that the “next step is being back in the starting lineup,” per Jackson. In his first two seasons with the Heat, Waiters started 73 of the 76 games he played, but he has come off the bench in his five games so far in 2018/19.
Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, and Rodney McGruder are currently in Miami’s starting lineup, and the team also has to find playing time for Derrick Jones, Dwyane Wade, and Tyler Johnson. Throw in frontcourt minutes for starters Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson and backups Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo, and it doesn’t leave much time for Waiters — or fellow shooting guard Wayne Ellington, who has fallen entirely out of the rotation. Keeping everyone happy will be even more challenging once Goran Dragic returns from his knee injury.
It will be interesting to see how the Heat, who currently hold the sixth seed in the East, manage their logjam in the coming weeks. Making a trade or two before the February 7 deadline might be in the best interests of both the club and its players.
Turkish Prosecutors Seek Extradition Of Enes Kanter
While Knicks center Enes Kanter remains the subject of trade rumors this week, his non-basketball future remains far more complicated than his future on the court. According to a report out of Kanter’s home country of Turkey, relayed by The Associated Press, Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization and looking to extradite him.
According to a report from Turkish newspaper Sabah (via The AP), prosecutors are “citing Kanter’s ties” to Fethullah Gulen, the group blamed for a failed coup in 2016. Those prosecutors are also accusing him of providing financial support to Fethullah Gulen.
Turkey, which previously revoked Kanter’s passport, is allegedly seeking a “red notice” for the Knicks center. A red notice represents an Interpol request to “locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition,” per a Reuters report.
Kanter has been vocal about speaking out against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has forced family members still living in Turkey to disown him.
Kanter is currently not traveling with the Knicks on their trip to London due to concerns about his safety. He wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post this week explaining his situation.
“Anyone who speaks out against him is a target,” Kanter wrote of Erdogan. “I am definitely a target. And Erdogan wants me back in Turkey where he can silence me.
“My decision not to travel to London was difficult from a competitive standpoint but much easier from a safety one. It helps puts a spotlight on how a dictator is wrecking Turkey — people have been killed, thousands are unjustly imprisoned, and countless lives have been ruined. That is no game.”
Fantasy Hoops: Mitchell’s Jazzy Role, Rockets’ Center Dilemma
Injuries are piling up around the league and they are shifting values in the fantasy basketball. Let’s take a look at a pair of developing situations.
The Jazz are out of point guards with Ricky Rubio (hamstring), Dante Exum (ankle), and Raul Neto (groin) all sidelined. The team adapted to the injuries by playing Donovan Mitchell at the one and the early returns are promising.
Over the last four games (contests which Rubio has missed), Mitchell is averaging 32.0 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league over that stretch ( behind James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Bradley Beal). He’s making 51.1% of his attempts and averaging 6.0 assists per game, up from the 3.4 he averaged leading up to the unexpected role change. 
Utah has won all four games since Rubio went down and while it’s worth noting that the wins came against the Magic, the LeBron-less Lakers, the Bulls, and the Pistons, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Mitchell appears more than comfortable in the point guard role, playing like a young Harden. It will be interesting to see if the arrangement makes the Jazz think about making future plans with him at the one, as I recently mentioned on Twitter.
Season-long fantasy owners probably missed the boat on trading for Mitchell. December was his worst month as a professional. He shot just 38.1% from the field while clocking more turnovers than assists. After this recent stretch, he’s flirting with top-50 fantasy value and that’s factoring in the chances of him staying hot once the team gets a bit healthier, so it’s hard to envision him rising too much further in the overall rankings.
Daily fantasy is a different story. Building a lineup around Mitchell while he’s running the show for the Jazz is a sound strategy. The team plays the Clippers on Wednesday and the Cavs on Friday in a pair of games that should be favorable to the second-year guard. Los Angeles has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to the point guard position this year, according to Basketball Monster. Atlanta and Washington are the only teams to surrender more than Cleveland.
Clint Capela will miss four-to-six weeks with an injured thumb and if the first game without the big man was any indication, the Rockets don’t have a clear replacement plan in place.
Five different players manned the center spot on Monday against the Grizzlies. Nene started and remained on the floor for slightly more than three minutes before coach Mike D’Antoni spelled him with Marquese Chriss. Chriss did not play well and Isaiah Hartenstein then took over. That was before P.J. Tucker closed out the first quarter as the center. Gary Clark then opened the second quarter as the five.
“I was hoping to go big by committee, hoping that works out, or I wouldn’t have done it in the first place,” D’Antoni said (via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). “It didn’t work out, so guess what: We’re going small. If next game we go small and it doesn’t work out, we go back to going big by committee. Just trying to get a feel for the game and see what works out.”
The Rockets won’t specifically target a center in trades prior to the February 7 trade deadline, Feigen hears. Still, they also won’t restrict potential acquisitions to wing players as they had previously intended to do.
If I had to pick one player to gain fantasy basketball value as a result of Capela missing time, it would be Tucker, as I suspect the team works on its small-ball lineup with the 33-year-old at the five. Regardless, this is a situation to avoid unless the team brings in another player who would demand a full-time role. As for Capela, don’t drop him. He should be back in time for the fantasy playoffs.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/15/19
Here are Tuesday’s NBA G League assignment and recalls from across the league:
- The Grizzlies have assigned Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle, the team’s G League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The No. 35 overall pick in the 2017 draft has seen action in 15 NBA games this season, scoring 40 points over 90 minutes.
Rival Teams Interested In Cavs’ Tristan Thompson?
The Cavaliers are in year one of a rebuild and Tristan Thompson is among the veterans who could be dealt. The team has taken a few calls on the big man, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops, though the scribe cautions that the franchise is in no hurry to deal him away.
Thompson has become a leader for the Cavs, aiding Cleveland’s younger players and showcasing high energy even as the team’s losses pile up. It’s clear that Thompson has a different mindset than he did last season where he appeared distracted. It’s possible rival teams are seeing the value of a productive player who is shooting 52.9% from the field and making a positive impact in the locker room.
Kevin Love is the only Cavalier this season earning a higher salary than Thompson’s, which comes in at approximately $17.5MM. The former No. 4 overall pick will make $18,5MM next season during the last year of his current deal.
Thompson has spent his entire eight-year career in Cleveland. He’s averaging a career-high 11.2 rebounds per game this season and his 19.2 player efficiency rating is by far the best of his career.
Rockets Expected To Sign Wing Via 10-Day Deal
8:46pm: House’s agent, Raymond Brothers, claims the Rockets initially offered a non-guaranteed, three-year deal before offering him a guaranteed one, MacMahon tweets. “We rejected both offers and asked the Rockets to convert him for the remainder of the season,” Brothers said.
House’s representatives want him to be a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
7:51pm: The Rockets are expected to sign a wing to a 10-day deal on Wednesday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter links).
It appears unlikely that the team reaches an agreement with Danuel House on a standard NBA contract today, meaning the team has a need for another perimeter player. House remains on a two-way deal with the organization, though has already spent 45 days (the maximum allowed) with the NBA club.
House has been offered a deal by the Rockets but has declined it. Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports tweets that 25-year-old was offered his choice of the rest of the season on a minimum-salary deal or a two-year deal at the minimum. The Rockets were unwilling to go further given their luxury tax issues. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com confirms (Twitter link) that House, who has been starting for Houston, has been offered a deal.
Feigen notes that the Rockets and House still could come to an agreement but it’s not an expected outcome. He’ll be in the G League when the Vipers, Houston’s affiliate, plays on Wednesday.
James Nunnally may be a potential fit for the Rockets, Feigen tweets, adding that the team has contacted Nunnally but no offer has been made at this time. Jodie Meeks and Brandon Rush are among the veteran wing options available on the free agent market.
Pistons Add Kalin Lucas On Two-Way Deal, Waive Zach Lofton
The Pistons have signed Kalin Lucas to a two-way contract, waiving Zach Lofton in the process, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays (Twitter feed). The now team has a bounty of guards after adding Isaiah Whitehead on a separate two-way deal earlier today.
Behind Reggie Jackson, the team has veterans Ish Smith, Langston Galloway, and Jose Calderon on the payroll. The Pistons also have rookie Khyri Thomas, who has seen court time in each of the last three games after playing sparsely in just seven of the franchise’s previous 39 contests.
After the Lucas signing, seven of the team’s 17 players man the point guard position. It’s possible that the club is preparing to make a trade and while that’s merely my speculation, the calculated roster imbalance suggests the Pistons are strategically planning something. It could be more lineups with two point guards or it could be a more drastic measure like shipping Jackson to a new team.
Detroit entered the day 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-24, just a game-and-a-half behind the eighth-place Hornets. Adding Lucas, who has appeared in just one NBA game since leaving Michigan State, won’t likely impact the team’s win total. However, with Lucas and Whitehead in the fold, the team has great depth at the position and it can now more easily swap a floor general for some needed wing support.
Bobby Portis Talks Future, Betting On Himself
Bobby Portis turned down the long-term security of a contract extension with the Bulls with the hopes of landing a more lucrative deal on the open market during the summer of 2019. While it may appear as if Portis made a bad bet, the former No. 22 overall pick believes he’s still in position to cash in.
“Obviously I’ve had some injuries up to this point, but I still feel like everything is lined up,’’ Portis said of his plan to become a restricted free agent this summer (via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Tribune). “It’s about me just staying healthy now and me doing my thing. The wins and losses obviously, come and go from game-to-game. You really can’t control that part all the time. We control our effort.”
The upcoming market should be much better than it was in 2018 due to the number of teams with available cap space. Many of the sour contracts from the 2016 offseason will come off the books, leaving teams the ability to make major additions. However, the competition for deals will be fierce with roughly 50% of NBA players eligible to hit the open market. Portis will likely be behind other power forwards, such as Tobias Harris, Julius Randle, Harrison Barnes, and former sparring partner Nikola Mirotic, when teams set their wish lists for a forward.
Portis has had opportunities to improve his stock, particularly during the stretch of games Lauri Markkanen missed to begin the season, but he hasn’t been able to capitalize them due to health problems. He suffered a knee injury near the start of the season and has since been sidelined during two separate stretches with ankle and elbow woes.
“I just need to stay healthy, be on the court, play as hard as I can when I can,” Portis said. “With the minutes that Coach Jim [Boylen] gives me, go out there and play with force. At the end of the day everybody wants to make as much money as they can in this game, but with me I’m just focused on my team, turning this around, and going out there and having fun. Enjoy the ride the rest of the year.’’
Entering Tuesday, Portis’ ride with the Bulls this season has only spanned 13 games. He’s been outspoken about his desire to remain with the Bulls past this season and he believes the feeling is mutual.
“Obviously I know that I really want to stay a Bull,’’ Portis said. “I can’t see myself in any other jersey. It would be weird to start the next season off in another uniform. I’ve been here for four seasons now, time flies fast, but I think I will be a Bull. It’s not only in my control, but honestly I’ve loved this opportunity to be a Bull and don’t see that changing.”
Portis will be a restricted free agent, meaning Chicago can match any offer sheet he receives. The franchise’s recent strategy has been to let RFAs hit the market and then decide whether to match, as the organization did with Zach LaVine‘s deal last offseason. Drafted in 2015, Portis is the Bulls’ longest-tenured player and he doesn’t “want that to change.’’
“To be around this long … obviously Bulls across my chest means a lot to me. I really take pride in that every time I step on the court. It’s a big-time honor to be the longest-tenured Bull, but at the same time I feel like I’ve got a long way to go,” Portis added.
Bucks Sign Bonzie Colson To Two-Way Deal
JANUARY 15: The Bucks have officially signed Colson to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JANUARY 14: After opening up a two-way contract slot by waiving Jaylen Morris, the Bucks are filling that opening with new two-way player Bonzie Colson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Wojnarowski reports that the Bucks and Colson have agreed to a two-way deal in advance of Tuesday’s deadline.
Colson, 23, joined the Cavaliers as an undrafted free agent during the 2018 offseason after having missed most of his senior year at Notre Dame due to multiple foot injuries. He was viewed as a potential second-round pick before fracturing his left foot against Penn State during the National Invitation Tournament in March.
Although he didn’t make Cleveland’s regular season roster in the fall, Colson joined the team’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, and has bounced back nicely. In 23 NBAGL games, the rookie forward has averaged 15.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.5 BPG with a .489/.385/.667 shooting line.
The Bucks will have a full 17-man roster (15 standard contracts and a pair of two-way deals) once they make it official with Colson.
Central Notes, Bullock, I. Smith, Bucks, Leaf
Reggie Bullock and Ish Smith have been solid this season for the Pistons and would have some value on the trade market, given their modest salaries and expiring contracts. However, the club would like to re-sign both players during the 2019 offseason, if possible, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. That would throw a wrench into the idea of trading either player during the season.
Ellis notes that Bullock, in particular, is generating “strong” interest on the trade market. The sixth-year wing is having another excellent shooting season for the Pistons, making 39.8% of his three-point attempts. That’s nearly right in line with his 40.2% career rate, and would appeal to a ton of contenders — especially given his $2.5MM salary.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Frank Isola takes an in-depth look at Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry in an interesting piece for The Athletic. Within the story, Lasry confirms that Milwaukee made an effort to acquire Kyle Korver from Cleveland before the Cavs traded him to Utah earlier this season. A December report had suggested that the Bucks came close to trading for both Korver and George Hill before working out a separate deal for Hill.
- T.J. Leaf, who has had a chance to play regular minutes with Myles Turner sidelined, may stick in the Pacers‘ rotation even after Turner returns, head coach Nate McMillan said this week. Mark Montieth of Pacers.com has the story, along with the quotes from McMillan.
- Kris Dunn has been something of an enigma in his first season and a half with the Bulls, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com, who explores whether the former fifth overall pick can still be Chicago’s point guard of the future.