Sixers Working Out Jodie Meeks, Corey Brewer, Others
The Sixers are hosting a handful of NBA veterans and G League for workouts on Monday and Tuesday, with an emphasis on backcourt players, wings, and shooters, according to reports.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that the club would be working out Jodie Meeks, Corey Brewer, Brandon Rush, and Jamel Artis on Monday. Rush also worked out for the 76ers in December, but this appears to be the first time that the team has brought in Meeks, Brewer, and Artis.
Meanwhile, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link) hears that a workout on Tuesday will feature G League wings Josh Huestis, Rashad Vaughn, and D.J. Hogg. Hogg was briefly a Sixer back in October when the club signed him at the end of the preseason to secure his NBAGL rights.
The Sixers have one open roster spot and could use some shooting help, as well as some depth on the wing. The team will keep an eye out for trade opportunities and will monitor the buyout market in the hopes of striking gold again after landing Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova a year ago.
However, while they wait for those opportunities to materialize, the Sixers might explore short-term solutions. Philadelphia’s open roster spot could accommodate a player on a 10-day contract, and the 76ers have until tomorrow to make a change to their two-way contract slots if they so desire.
Knicks Have Explored Kanter, Parker Trade Scenario
As the Knicks attempt to find a new home for Enes Kanter, one scenario recently discussed by the team would see New York acquire Bulls forward Jabari Parker, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
Both Kanter ($18.6MM) and Parker ($20MM) are on pricey expiring contracts, and the Knicks were previously cited as one of the teams that expressed interest in the former No. 2 overall pick. However, Chicago is unlikely to have any interest in Kanter, since the team is headed for the lottery and wants youngsters like Wendell Carter, Lauri Markkanen, and Bobby Portis to handle the brunt of the frontcourt minutes.
Bondy acknowledges as much, writing that finding a third team to take Kanter represented a “snag in the framework” of a deal involving Kanter and Parker. It’s unclear if discussions ever really got off the ground and advanced beyond the preliminary stages, Bondy adds.
Like the Bulls, the Knicks are currently focused on player development rather than playoff contention, and Kanter has made it clear he’s not on board with that approach, so the team has been on the lookout for potential trades.
The Knicks reportedly talked to the Kings about a possible swap involving Kanter and Zach Randolph, who has an $11MM+ expiring contract. Bondy suggests that Sacramento would like to add Kosta Koufos – another veteran on an expiring contract – to that hypothetical deal, but says the Knicks would require a sweetener (ie. a second-round pick) to make it work.
It’s not clear how much interest the Knicks really have in Parker, but if they like him as a player and view him as a better long-term fit than Kanter, acquiring him in a trade would give them some options in the offseason. His $20MM team option will certainly be declined, but whichever team has him at the end of the season would hold his Non-Bird rights and could offer him a starting salary ranging from anywhere between the minimum and $24MM.
Bucks Waive Jaylen Morris
The Bucks have requested waivers on shooting guard Jaylen Morris, the team announced in a press release. Morris had been one of two Milwaukee players on two-way contracts, along with Trevon Duval. The club now has an open two-way slot.
Morris, 23, signed a two-way contract with the Bucks back in July, but only appeared in four regular season contests for the team, averaging 2.5 PPG in 7.3 minutes per game. He played more frequently for the Wisconsin Herd, recording 14.1 PPG on .503/.217/.639 shooting in 13 G League games (35.1 MPG).
Morris is on track to become an unrestricted free agent, while the Bucks have a two-way opening that they’ll have to fill before Tuesday’s two-way signing deadline if they want to use it.
J.J. Barea Suffers Torn Right Achilles Tendon
JANUARY 14, 8:59am: Barea has undergone surgery to repair his right Achilles, the Mavs announced today in a press release. No timeline for the guard’s recovery has been established, but it’s safe to assume he won’t be back before the end of the 2018/19 season.
JANUARY 12, 1:44pm: An MRI has revealed that Barea did indeed suffer a torn right Achilles, per a tweet from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Doctors and the team are still evaluating the severity of the injury.
JANUARY 12, 10:56am: The Mavericks fear that sixth-man J.J. Barea suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles in the team’s 119-115 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, a source told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Barea suffered the injury with 6:28 left in regulation as he cut to the basket for a layup. The point guard hit the hardwood and immediately grabbed his right Achilles before being helped to the locker room. Barea finished the win with 16 points and seven assists.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Barea would undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the severity of the injury. While the Mavericks reportedly fear a torn Achilles, the team categorized Barea’s injury as a “lower right leg injury.”
The 34-year-old is in his 13th NBA season, averaging 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG for Dallas. Barea has become a fan favorite with the Mavericks having spent 1o of his 13 seasons with the team after he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He was part of Dallas’ 2011 NBA championship-winning team.
MacMahon noted that Barea, whose contract expires at season’s end, wants to play at least two more years after the current campaign. A torn Achilles would likely delay his start to the 2019/20 season.
Bulls Resisting Buyout For Robin Lopez
The Bulls are adamantly opposed to negotiating a buyout with Robin Lopez, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. According to Haynes, Lopez’s representation has been in talks with Bulls management since late December about a possible exit strategy for the veteran center. However, the team intends to stand firm.
While the Bulls aren’t opposed to parting with Lopez, they remain focused on trading him for an asset, rather than losing him for nothing, Haynes writes. That could be tricky — while Lopez has an expiring contract, his $14.36MM cap hit will make it difficult to move him for anything of value without taking back any future salary.
If Lopez is bought out and/or waived at some point, the Warriors would be his next team, sources tell Haynes. The center position has been an area of some concern for Golden State this season, but the Dubs will be getting DeMarcus Cousins back very soon and they look like locks to land Lopez as well if he reaches free agency at some point during the season.
“I think it’s an appealing situation for just about anybody in the league,” Lopez told Haynes when asked about the Warriors. “You go there, they share the ball, they play defense, they play the right way. But right now, that’s something we’re aspiring to do here. And there’s a certain joy in trying build a culture like that, and I appreciate being a veteran in that position of helping shepherd a team towards that point.”
It makes sense that the Bulls would keep all their options open up until the February 7 trade deadline. Early-season buyouts – like the ones negotiated by Tyson Chandler and Austin Rivers in Phoenix – are somewhat rare, with veteran buyouts typically happening between the trade deadline and March 1.
It’s not clear whether the Bulls will continue to maintain a hard-line stance with Lopez if they’re unable to find a suitable trade. The team values his leadership, as Haynes notes, and is of course under no obligation to do a favor for the defending champions. However, allowing Lopez to join a contender rather than keeping him on a lottery-bound roster could buy Chicago some league-wide goodwill with veterans and agents.
Poll: Nets’ Playoff Chances
Heading into the 2018/19 season, many expected the Nets to make another jump in the standings as a result of their players developing and the quality depth they added in the offseason. However, there were no expectations that at the halfway point of the season, the Nets would be sitting in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference despite not having their best player available for the past two months.
The Nets are 21-23, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they were 8-18 in early December. Instead of focusing on getting the best draft pick possible, Kenny Atkinson continued to believe that his team could turn it around, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Since December 6, the Nets own the league’s 12th-ranked offense and 15th-best defense.
D’Angelo Russell has made strides as a playmaker and scorer, Spencer Dinwiddie is a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, and Joe Harris has provided elite shooting and floor-spacing.
Keep in mind that a lot of this recent run by the Nets has come without Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, not to mention Caris LeVert. The Nets use their depth and bench to their advantage on a nightly basis, which allows them to stay afloat when injuries strike.
With that being said, many still expect teams like the Pistons and Hornets to improve moving forward, while the Wizards have found new life since John Wall went down for the season. Do the Nets have enough top-end talent to lead them to the playoffs? Or will their strong bench and depth be enough for them to sneak in? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments!
Will the Nets make the playoffs?
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Yes 70% (971)
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No 30% (413)
Total votes: 1,384
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/13/19
Here are Sunday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Wizards have recalled rookie wing Troy Brown Jr. from their G League affiliate, according to a tweet from the team. Brown has appeared in 21 games so far for the Wizards, averaging just 2.3 points per game.
- The Warriors recalled (via Twitter) rookie guard Jacob Evans from the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team’s G League affiliate. Evans has also appeared in 21 games this season, but is averaging just 4.4 minutes per game.
New York Notes: Knicks, Nets, Dinwiddie, Irving
The Knicks aren’t focused on contending this season, but that doesn’t mean that coach David Fizdale doesn’t have concerns about how his young team is playing. As Zach Braziller writes for The New York Post, Fizdale is frustrated with the lack of defense he is seeing on a nightly basis, and with good reason.
As Braziller points out, the Knicks have allowed at least 109 points in 21 straight games and currently rank 29th in the league with a defensive rating of 113.5, ahead of only the struggling Cavaliers.
Fizdale voiced his concerns regarding the team’s lack of weak side defense and the struggles to adjust defensive schemes. The Knicks may not be focused on the win-loss column, but Fizdale would surely love to see more effort and execution on the defensive end from his young players.
There’s more from the Atlantic division:
- While the Nets currently sit in seventh in the Eastern Conference, Brian Lewis of The New York Post points out that they will have to go through a tough stretch of the schedule in the near future, which will test their playoff chances.
- Speaking of the Nets, they would surely love to see Spencer Dinwiddie snap out of his slump as they enter this stretch of the schedule. As Brian Lewis points out, Dinwiddie is averaging just 11.5 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 35.1% and 16.7% from deep in the past four games, far cries from his season averages.
- Hopeful Knicks fans have certainly enjoyed seeing the frustration being expressed by Kyrie Irving recently. Marc Berman of The New York Post wrote about how the Knicks may be able to take advantage of Irving’s frustrations and the Celtics underachieving so far this season.
Southeast Notes: Huerter, Beal, Prince, Isaac
The Hawks are in the early stages of a rebuild. Having brought in a new coaching staff and with a new focus on player development, it has been very encouraging for the team to see Kevin Huerter break out in recent weeks. After slowly adjusting to the NBA, Huerter has received more playing time as of late and has been productive in his role. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details Huerter’s recent stretch of play and what it means for the Hawks’ future.
For the season, Huerter is averaging 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while knocking down 38% of his 3-pointers. However, in January the 20-year-old guard is averaging 15 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while playing 38 minutes per contest.
As Huerter continues to develop alongside Trae Young and John Collins, it’s clear that the Hawks have quality young talent to grow and develop for years to come.
There’s more from the Southeast division:
- With Bradley Beal stepping up his performance in recent weeks to lead the Wizards without John Wall, Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington writes about Beal’s place among the best guards in the league.
- As Jonathan Isaac continues to develop and show defensive potential, he has already played in more games than last season, which is a good sign regarding his health and durability. John Denton of the Magic team website details the work that Isaac put in to strengthen his ankles over the summer.
- Speaking of injuries, Taurean Prince has returned from a left ankle sprain that caused him to miss the past 18 games for the Hawks. Prince is averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season.
Kyle Anderson Out 2-to-4 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
The Grizzlies have revealed that Kyle Anderson will miss at least 2-to-4 weeks with a grade two left ankle sprain. The team’s PR department sent out a tweet detailing the injury and timetable.
Anderson was one of the main free agency additions for the Grizzlies and had started 38 of the team’s 41 games this season while playing nearly 30 minutes per contest. Anderson joined Memphis as a restricted free agent during the 2018 offseason when the Spurs decided not to match the Grizzlies’ four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet.
Anderson has averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. The Grizzlies have struggled in recent weeks, having fallen out of the playoff picture and down toward the bottom of the Western Conference.