NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 4/3/19
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors have recalled rookie wing Jacob Evans from the G League, the team announced today in a press release. The Santa Cruz Warriors’ season is over after they were eliminated in the Western semifinal, so Evans should be back with Golden State for the rest of the season.
Earlier updates:
- The Kings have recalled recently-signed shooting guard B.J. Johnson from the G League, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link via Jason Jones of The Athletic). With their own G League affiliate done for the season, the Kings sent Johnson to his old team, the Lakeland Magic, for Tuesday’s semifinal vs. Long Island. Despite Johnson’s 22 points and 11 rebounds, Lakeland lost and was eliminated from the NBAGL playoffs, so the 23-year-old should stick with Sacramento for the rest of the season.
- The Nets have recalled rookie forward Dzanan Musa from the G League after Tuesday’s semifinal, the team announced today (via Twitter). The NBAGL Finals are set to begin on Sunday, so Musa seems like a good bet to rejoin Long Island for that best-of-three series.
Draft Updates: Dort, Sirvydis, Reid, Shittu, More
Arizona State freshman guard Luguentz Dort reportedly intends to formally declare for the 2019 NBA draft next week, according to Nancy Audent of French-language TVA Sports.
Audent’s report doesn’t confirm whether Dort intends to remain in the draft or if he’ll just test the waters, but he’s a potential top-30 pick — currently, he ranks 27th overall on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. According to Chris Karpman of 247Sports.com, multiple people familiar with Dort’s thinking have previously said he’ll likely go pro if the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee says he’s a probable first-round pick.
In his first – and possibly only – season with the Sun Devils, Dort averaged 16.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG.
Here are more of today’s early entrant decisions:
- Lithuanian wing Deividas Sirvydis tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com that he has submitted his paperwork to enter the draft. Sirvydis, No. 48 prospect in ESPN’s top 100, currently plays in the Lithuanian league and EuroCup for Lietuvos Rytas.
- LSU freshman center Naz Reid has elected to enter the 2019 NBA draft and pursue a professional career, he announced today in an Instagram post. “I will be entering the NBA Draft with an agent in hopes of finally fulfilling a dream I believe is my destiny,” wrote Reid, the No. 50 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- Vanderbilt freshman Simisola Shittu will hire an agent and test the draft waters with the intent of keeping his name in the 2019 pool, he tells Givony. The 6’10” forward is the No. 81 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- Sophomore guard Charlie Brown, the leading scorer for Saint Joseph’s this season and the No. 96 prospect on ESPN’s top 100, is entering his name in the 2019 NBA draft, as Mike Jensen of Philly.com relays. Although Brown doesn’t yet have to make a final decision, it sounds like he’ll likely keep his name in the draft, having said in a statement that he’s “ready to move on to the professional ranks.”
- The following prospects who fall outside of ESPN’s top 100 are also declaring for the draft:
- Jordan Bone, G, Tennessee (junior): Link via Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com.
- Eugene German, G, Northern Illinois (junior): Press release via NIU.
- Vance Jackson, F, New Mexico (sophomore): Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
- Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State (freshman): Twitter link via Perry.
Shaun Livingston Contemplating Retirement
Warriors guard Shaun Livingston is still only 33 years old, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility that 2018/19 will be his last NBA season.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes, while Livingston is under contract for 2019/20, his $8MM salary is only partially guaranteed for $2MM, increasingly the likelihood of his release. With potential free agency looming, Livingston is contemplating the idea of calling it a career, he tells Slater.
“Yeah. For sure. Absolutely,” Livingston said when asked if he retirement is on the table. “It’s just all the signs on the wall. And just more so from a physical standpoint. If I’m healthy and having fun, then I want to play. But physically, if I’m not … Like, I put so much work in my body just to get back to playing basketball, let alone get to this point where I’m at. So now that it’s getting harder. Like this year, I’ve struggled with injuries more than any other year I’ve been on the Warriors.”
Livingston, whose professional career was put in jeopardy back in 2007 by a horrific knee injury, made an admirable comeback and has thrived as a backup point guard for the Warriors and other teams since then. However, as he explains to Slater, Livingston has dealt with knee stiffness, soreness, and swelling this season, prompting him to consider how much longer he’ll play.
Earlier this season, Livingston said his retirement was coming “sooner than later,” though he estimated at that point that he might still have a “couple years” left. While that estimate may still be accurate, he admits that if his role gets reduced more significantly than it already has, that would be a factor in his decision. He’s currently averaging a career-low 15.3 minutes per contest.
“We’ll see. This is — like, I don’t want to come out and announce anything,” Livingston said. “I’ve been trying to stay in the moment. But it’s just, looking at it like, if this year or next year is the last year, it would probably be the cap. Even next year, like, I’m maybe playing 12 minutes right now. So it’s just, how much do I want to contribute? I enjoy feeling good. But, also, I got a young family.”
Livingston’s future could also hinge on whether the Warriors would want to bring him back – either on his current contract or a new deal – since the veteran doesn’t sound overly enthusiastic about the idea of switching teams.
“We have a great situation. So going to another organization at this point? It doesn’t sound like the greatest thing to do,” he said to Slater. “It would just have to be somewhere, to me, that made sense. Somewhere warm, somewhere close, that maybe the family would want to be in. But that’s a conversation for the summer.”
After Livingston does retire, whether that’s in 2019, 2020, or further down the road, he intends to take at least a year off before exploring a potential front-office role, he tells Slater.
UNC’s Coby White Declares For 2019 NBA Draft
North Carolina shooting guard Coby White has announced his intent to enter the 2019 NBA draft, confirming his decision in a statement on his Twitter page.
“I’ve always had a dream of playing basketball in the NBA and with that being said, I’ve decided to enter the 2019 NBA draft,” White wrote. “This year, this school, this experience has prepared me for the next phase of my basketball journey.”
A 6’5″ freshman, White had a strong year for the Tar Heels in 2018/19, averaging 16.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 3.5 RPG with a .423/.352/.800 shooting line in 35 games. He scored a team-high 15 points – albeit on just 4-of-15 shooting – in UNC’s final game of the season, a 97-80 loss to Auburn in the Sweet 16 last week.
White is currently the No. 10 player on Jonathan Givony’s big board, though ESPN’s scouting report notes that the youngster is more comfortable as a catch-and-shoot player rather than as the focal point of the pick-and-roll.
NBA G League Announces 2018/19 All-NBAGL Teams
After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player and the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2018/19 season on Monday, Raptors 905 big man Chris Boucher – now a member of the Toronto Raptors – headlines the All-NBA G League first team, as the league announced today in a press release.
Boucher was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by teammate Jordan Loyd, as well as Capital City Go-Go guard Jordan McRae, Long Island Nets big man Alan Williams, and Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario center Angel Delgado. All four players are currently on two-way contracts with NBA teams.
That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams, as most of the 15 players named to the three squads aren’t currently NBA free agents, having signed two-way or NBA contracts.
The complete list of the 2018/19 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on a 15-man NBA roster are marked with an asterisk (*), while players on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).
All-NBAGL First Team:
- Chris Boucher (Raptors 905) *
- Angel Delgado (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario) ^
- Jordan Loyd (Raptors 905) ^
- Jordan McRae (Capital City Go-Go) ^
- Alan Williams (Long Island Nets) ^
All-NBAGL Second Team:
- Isaiah Hartenstein (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
- Walt Lemon (Windy City Bulls) *
- Note: Lemon wasn’t on an NBA contract for most of the season, but was recently called up by the Bulls.
- Yante Maten (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
- Johnathan Motley (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario) ^
- Theo Pinson (Long Island Nets) ^
All-NBAGL Third Team:
- P.J. Dozier (Maine Red Claws) ^
- Amile Jefferson (Lakeland Magic) ^
- Kalin Lucas (Grand Rapids Drive) ^
- Duncan Robinson (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
- Christian Wood (Wisconsin Herd) *
- Note: Wood spent most of the season on the Bucks’ roster, but was recently released and claimed off waivers by the Pelicans.
NBAGL All-Rookie Team:
- Chris Chiozza (Capital City Go-Go) *
- Note: Chiozza wasn’t on an NBA contract for most of the season, but was recently called up by the Rockets.
- Angel Delgado (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario) ^
- Yante Maten (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
- Theo Pinson (Long Islands Nets) ^
- Duncan Robinson (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
NBAGL All-Defensive Team:
- Kadeem Allen (Westchester Knicks) ^
- Chris Boucher (Raptors 905) *
- Amida Brimah (Austin Spurs)
- Gary Payton II (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Norvel Pelle (Delaware Blue Coats)
The All-Defensive team is the only squad that features players who are currently NBA free agents — Brimah and Pelle haven’t been on an NBA roster this season, while Payton only briefly spent time with an NBA team, signing a 10-day contract with the Wizards in January.
Warriors Notes: Durant, Kerr, Cousins, Curry
Kevin Durant is one technical foul away from a one-game suspension after picking up a pair in last night’s win over the Nuggets, writes Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. The Warriors held a 21-point lead in the third quarter when Durant became upset that no foul was called on a 3-point attempt. He screamed repeatedly at official Zach Zarba, who T’d him up twice and ejected him.
It’s an ongoing problem for a team that has 60 technicals and six ejections on the season. Durant ($15,000), Stephen Curry ($25,000) and Draymond Green ($35,000) were all fined for criticizing the officiating against the Timberwolves last week.
“We can be better in terms of keeping (our) poise, myself included,” said coach Steve Kerr, who has collected six technicals. “You go into each game. You’re excited. But you’re going to yell at the refs. Both teams are, but you have to keep your poise and we’ll have to do a better job in the postseason.”
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- DeMarcus Cousins offered a reminder that he’s still among the NBA’s elite big men in the win over Denver, Medina notes in a separate story. In a matchup with All-Star center Nikola Jokic, Cousins posted 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Warriors pulled away in a battle of the top two teams in the West. “He kind of goes at every guy that since his injury a lot of people have tried to put some guys before him,” Green said. “He goes at every one of them. It’s personal for him. When you can back that up with the talent that he has, it’s special to watch.”
- Curry doesn’t have any plans to leave a good situation, relays Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. Asked on a “Today Show” appearance this morning where he sees himself in five years, Curry responded, “Still playing for the Warriors and still hopefully winning championships.” Curry’s current contract expires in 2022, so he would have to re-sign with Golden State to make that happen.
- Curry credits new contact lenses for his improved shooting of late, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry revealed that he’s had vision issues throughout his life, dealing with Keratoconus, which has produced an astigmatism that can lead to blurred vision. “It’s like the whole world has opened up,” he said.
Knicks Notes: Kornet, Allen, Mudiay, Oakley
Luke Kornet is making a strong push for a new contract during his late-season audition with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Coach David Fizdale has benched veteran center DeAndre Jordan to take a longer look at rookie Mitchell Robinson alongside Kornet, who will be a free agent this summer. They will be starting for the rest of the season as management evaluates how well they fit together.
Kornet responded to the opportunity with 17 points against the Heat, followed by a career-high 24 against the Bulls. Fizdale has called him the smartest player on the team when it comes to ball movement and helping his teammates on defense.
“They have chemistry together,’’ Fizdale said of the Kornet-Robinson pairing. “Luke stretches the floor for us. Mitch puts pressure on the rim. Both when they get the ball in their hands, they’re looking to get down the floor and get other people involved.”
There’s more out of New York:
- Two-way point guard Kadeem Allen would also be getting a chance to showcase his talents if he hadn’t suffered a concussion Monday, Berman notes in a separate story. Allen was a two-way player with the Celtics last season and reportedly turned down an offer to stay in Boston because he believed the Knicks provided a better opportunity. Berman states that scouts from other teams have shown up since the All-Star break to get a look at Allen. He adds that Fizdale has included Allen in discussions of the team’s future and seems to prefer him to Frank Ntilikina.
- Emmanuel Mudiay started his 41st game Monday, meeting starter criteria and making him eligible for a $5.75MM qualifying offer, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Knicks have a June 29 deadline to make the offer. His $12.88MM cap hold will not change.
- Former Knick Charles Oakley is predicting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be the next owner of the team, tweets Bill Simmons of the Ringer. Oakley, who has feuded with current owner James Dolan, made the surprising statement during the filming of a “Tough Chef” segment. Oakley also predicts New York will miss out on free agent targets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and will sign Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler instead.
Central Notes: Brogdon, Wilson, Bulls, Sexton
Even though Malcolm Brogdon is sidelined for the rest of the regular season and probably at least the first round of the playoffs, he says the plantar fascia tear in his right foot isn’t nearly as problematic as the torn quadriceps tendon he suffered last year, relays Matt Velasquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That injury forced the Bucks guard to miss 30 games before returning just prior to the postseason.
Brogdon said he had been experiencing plantar fasciitis for weeks before suffering the tear March 7. He has already made significant progress toward a comeback, getting rid of crutches and a walking boot last week and doing small exercises to try to rebuild his strength before he starts running again.
“The injury is minor; I’ll come back and be full speed,” Brogdon said. “The team is better this year, so they can hold it down while I’m gone. I just want to get back in time so when we play a tough opponent I can help in the playoffs.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- A summer of intense workouts transformed Bucks forward D.J. Wilson from an afterthought to a valuable reserve in his second NBA season, writes Lori Nickel of The Journal Sentinel. Wilson is playing 17.6 minutes per night this year after averaging just 3.2 in 22 games as a rookie. “I’ve always kind of been that guy to be the first one out and then the last to leave,” he said. “I think that’s the mentality my mom and my godfather instilled in to me at a young age.”
- Finding a point guard to pair with their young talent should be the Bulls‘ top priority this summer, observes Sean Deveney of Sporting News. The ideal scenario would be to land the No. 2 pick in the draft and add Ja Morant, and the team is likely to turn to the free agent market if that doesn’t happen. Deveney states that Chicago isn’t in position to compete for top-tier players like Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker, but may pursue Utah’s Ricky Rubio, a pass-first point guard who doesn’t need a lot of shots to be productive.
- After a rough start to his NBA career, Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton has become a candidate for the All-Rookie Team, according to Joe Gabriele of NBA.com.
Ja Morant To Enter NBA Draft
Murray State guard Ja Morant, who is expected to be among the first players selected, will formally declare for the draft in a press conference today, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Morant is listed as the number two prospect on Jonathan Givony’s latest “big board” for ESPN. The talented sophomore steadily rose up the draft ranks with a spectacular season that saw him average 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists per night. He followed that by posting the eighth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history with 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in a victory over Marquette.
The Knicks, Suns and Bulls, who have three of the four worst records in the league, figure to jump on Morant if they land the No. 2 pick. The Cavaliers, who are also in that mix, seem set at point guard with the performance of rookie Collin Sexton.
Celtics Won’t Re-Sign Greg Monroe
The Celtics will part with veteran center Greg Monroe, whose 10-day contract expired Tuesday night, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.
Monroe got into two games during his return to Boston and played just five total minutes. He was signed to provide insurance for the front court after a wave of injuries to Al Horford, Aron Baynes and Robert Williams.
This marks the second trip to the waiver wire this season for Monroe, who was released by the Nets in February after being acquired from the Raptors in a deadline deal. He was a playoff contributor for the Celtics after signing with the team in February of last season, but never got close to that level this time around.
Boston will likely fill its open roster spot before the regular season ends next week, but a source tells Murphy that a move isn’t expected today. Thomas Robinson played well after joining the organization’s G League affiliate in Maine and was considered for the opening before the Celtics opted for Monroe.