Jonathon Simmons Eyes NBA Return
Guard Jonathon Simmons will sign with Warriors‘ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz in an effort to gain another NBA contract, Jabari Young of CNBC tweets.
Simmons had two 10-day contact offers with NBA teams on the table but chose a different path to revive his career, Young adds.
There’s been little news regarding Simmons since he was waived by the Wizards over the summer. Washington averted paying his full $5.7MM salary for this season by cutting ties with him, though Simmons did receive a $1MM guarantee.
Washington acquired Simmons along with the 42nd pick in a draft-day trade with the Sixers, sending cash considerations in return. The Wizards used that pick to select Admiral Schofield of Tennessee.
Simmons appeared in 15 games with Philadelphia after being acquired last February in a deadline deal, along with two draft picks, for Markelle Fultz.
Simmons, 30, went undrafted out of Houston in 2012, but was able to earn a spot on the Spurs‘ roster in 2015. He played two seasons with San Antonio before signing a three-year, $20MM contract from the Magic in 2017. Simmons enjoyed a career year in his first season with Orlando, averaging 13.9 PPG in 29.4 MPG.
He played a combined 56 games last season between Orlando and Philadelphia, averaging 6.5 PPG. Overall, Simmons has averaged 8.3 PPG in 258 career games.
And-Ones: Buford, Wiseman, Okafor, Bibby
Wisconsin Herd coach Chase Buford has been suspended two games without pay for a direct and extended public attack on the integrity and credibility of the game officials, according to a league press release. Among other comments, Buford called one of the officials a “clown” after his team, the Bucks’ G League affiliate, got outscored 48-20 in the fourth quarter and lost 126-117 to the Grand Rapids Drive on Sunday. Buford subsequently apologized for his tirade.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Projected lottery pick James Wiseman felt he was treated unfairly by the NCAA before he decided to leave Memphis during his freshman season, as he told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He left the Tigers during a 12-game suspension for rules violations. His family accepted $11,500 in moving expenses in 2017 from Penny Hardaway, who became the team’s coach a year later. “I was really in the middle of a hurricane,” Wiseman said. “That’s like the worst place you could possibly be.” Wiseman is currently rated No. 3 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
- Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor has agreed to play for Nigeria in this year’s Tokyo Olympics, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets. The team will be coached by Warriors assistant Mike Brown. Okafor’s grandfather Chicko was born in Nigeria.
- Mike Bibby will coach the Aliens in the BIG3 this season, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. The former Kings guard was the Ghost Ballers’ team captain last season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/24/20
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Pistons recalled guard Khyri Thomas from the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a team press release. In two games with the Drive, Thomas averaged 17.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.5 APG in 22.0 MPG. Thomas, a second-round pick in 2018, played two early-season games with the Pistons before undergoing foot surgery.
- The Warriors assigned big man Alen Smailagic to their Santa Cruz affiliate, the team’s PR department tweets. He has averaged 15.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 18 games with the G League club. The rookie has also seen action in 14 Golden State games.
- The Timberwolves recalled swingman Jacob Evans III and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from their Iowa affiliate, according to a team press release. Evans was acquired from Golden State and Vanderbilt was acquired from Denver earlier this month.
- The Pacers assigned forward Alize Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s PR department tweets. The 2018 second-round pick has appeared in 12 games with the NBA club this season.
- The Spurs assigned Keldon Johnson and Chimezie Metu to their Austin affiliate, according to the G League transactions log. Johnson, the team’s first-round pick last June, has played five NBA games. Metu, a second-year forward, has appeared in 16 games for San Antonio this season.
Pistons Notes: Casey, Walton, Hall, Doumbouya
Pistons coach Dwane Casey didn’t sign up for a rebuild, but that’s the situation he finds himself in, as James Edwards of The Athletic details. Casey will have three years remaining on his contract after this season and the front office has a plan in place for a turnaround. He did that with the Raptors and he hopes to get a chance to coach the finished product in Detroit. “You’d love to finish what you start building,” Casey said. “That’s what you want to be known for, and you want to have an opportunity to finish.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Point guard Derrick Walton Jr. hopes to stick with the club beyond the 10-day contract he signed on Friday, as he told The Detroit Free Press. Walton became a free agent when the Clippers dealt him earlier this month to the Hawks, who quickly waived him. “They like that I make shots, that I make other players better, that I think the game and overall, I’ve always been know as a great teammate, a great locker room guy,” said Walton, who grew up in Detroit and played four seasons for the University of Michigan. “I think that’s going to follow me wherever I go.”
- Forward Donta Hall, who has been playing for the Pistons’ G League affiliate in Grand Rapids, also signed a 10-day contract over the weekend after Markieff Morris‘ contract was bought out. Hall will provide depth in the frontcourt, at least in the short run, Keith Langlois of the team’s website relays. “Being down Markieff, he gives us another long guy inside,” Casey said. “He’s been playing well, playing hard with our G League team, giving us everything. … Won’t hesitate to play him if the situation calls for it.”
- Developing Sekou Doumbouya into a star, as the Bucks did with all-world talent Giannis Antetokounmpo, is one of seven ways the Pistons can emulate Milwaukee’s blueprint for success, Matt Schoch of the Detroit News writes.
Community Shootaround: Trade Deadline
There was a flurry of activity around the NHL on Monday as its trade deadline arrived.
There were plenty of moves just before the NBA trade deadline as well, but that passed nearly three weeks ago.
It hasn’t been that way for very long. The NBA traditionally scheduled its trade deadline after the All-Star break but that changed a couple of years ago.
Players and executives grew weary of speculation regarding trades during All-Star weekend. That culminated in 2017, when a much healthier version of DeMarcus Cousins was dealt from Sacramento to New Orleans just after he represented the Western Conference in the All-Star festivities. The following year, the trade deadline was moved up to 10 days prior to the All-Star Game.
The league and its players have reaped some benefits from an earlier trade deadline. It removes the uncertainty surrounding the also-rans and teams on the fringe of the playoff race a lot sooner.
It also buys more time for those organizations to reach buyout agreements with some veterans who don’t figure in their long-term plans. For the contenders, it allows newly-acquired players a greater chance to gain chemistry with their new teammates and provides the coaches with more time to set rotations and determine their postseason approach.
On the flip side, it amounts to extended tank-a-thons for teams that are not in contention. Those teams are now playing out the string with makeshift lineups for over two months. An earlier trade deadline also kills off the anticipation of what teams might or might not do, which is often as exciting and intriguing to fans as the games themselves.
That brings us to our question of the day: Do you like the fact the NBA moved the trade deadline prior to the All-Star game a couple of years ago? Or would you prefer to see it switched back to later in the season?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Simmons, Johnson, TLC, Bacon
It remains unclear how long Ben Simmons‘ back injury will sideline him but it’s not a day-to-day thing, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The Sixers star departed early in the team’s matchup with Milwaukee on Saturday when his back flared up.
Simmons is still undergoing treatment and evaluation and a course of action will be decided upon soon, Wojnarowski adds. Sixers head coach Brett Brown will use a committee approach at point guard in Simmons’ absence, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers were interested in former NBA coach Avery Johnson prior to hiring John Beilein last spring, Chris Crouse of Heavy.com reports. Johnson, the former head coach of the Mavericks and Nets, most recently coached the University of Alabama. Cleveland’s interest in Johnson dated back to the 2018 offseason but the Cavs are now committed to J.B. Bickerstaff, who replaced Beilein after the All-Star break.
- Swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot could be the Nets’ latest reclamation project, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris blossomed in the organization and Luwawu-Cabarrot could join that list. After signing him to a multi-year contract, they’re looking for him to be a sparkplug off the bench. “They gave me that role and I embrace it: I love it,” Luwawu-Cabarrot told Lewis. “I love. to go out there and compete and play super-hard.”
- Dwayne Bacon may be shuttling between the Hornets and their Greensboro G League affiliate quite a bit, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. The club wants him to get more reps but will need him at times for depth at the NBA level, according to coach James Borrego. Bacon, a third-year guard, is averaging 5.7 PPG in 17.6 MPG over 39 games with Charlotte this season, including 11 starts.
Lakers Notes: Kobe’s Memorial, Waiters, Roster
Nearly a month after Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed in a tragic helicopter crash, a memorial service was held today at the Staples Center to honor their memory. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, Hornets owner Michael Jordan, and Kobe’s widow Vanessa Bryant were among those who spoke at the emotional event, as an ESPN story outlines.
In addition to publicly mourning her late husband on Monday, Vanessa Bryant has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters Inc. and the “representative or successor” of pilot Ara Zobayan, per an ESPN and Associated Press report. The lawsuit claims that Zobayan was careless and negligent by flying in poor weather conditions rather than aborting the flight.
Here’s more on the Lakers and their late superstar:
- Dave McMenamin of ESPN has an in-depth look at how Lakers players and staffers found out about Bryant’s death on January 26. The team was flying from Philadelphia to Los Angeles following a five-game road trip when the news broke, making for a somber, miserable cross-country flight.
- On his latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirms that the Lakers met with Dion Waiters last week, as was expected. According to Windhorst (hat tip to RealGM), the team is “mulling” the idea of signing him, since it could use “perimeter player who can score a little bit.” However, L.A. will want to see what sort of condition the veteran guard is in. An earlier report suggested the Lakers may have to be won over by Waiters in the same way they were by Dwight Howard last summer.
- In case you missed it, the Lakers officially signed Markieff Morris on Sunday, waiving DeMarcus Cousins to make room on the roster. As we relayed earlier today, Cousins and the Lakers are said to have mutual interest in a new deal in the offseason.
Knicks Not Planning To Buy Out Veterans
The Knicks have no plans at the moment to buy out any of their veteran players on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts, according to Steve Popper of Newsday.
New York began its post-All-Star schedule hoping to make a push for a playoff spot in the East and not intending to prioritize playing youngsters over veterans if it compromised the team’s ability to win games. That philosophy has meant that players like Reggie Bullock, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson are still key contributors rather than buyout candidates.
While it’s possible the Knicks will adjust their approach to late-season player development as their postseason hopes continue to fade, their position on buyouts isn’t expected to change, says Popper. The team still views many of its veteran contracts – several of which include team options or small partial guarantees for 2020/21 – as potential trade assets for the offseason, Popper adds.
Besides Bullock, Portis, and Gibson, Wayne Ellington and Maurice Harkless are among the vets who fit the mold of a typical buyout candidate, at least to some extent. However, if those players aren’t interested in buyouts, the Knicks would have little to gain from pursuing them — the team already has one of the NBA’s lowest payrolls for 2019/20 and the savings would be minimal.
Additionally, none of those players have more than $1MM in guaranteed money on their contracts for next season, so they could be easily cut loose if no trade materializes in the offseason and the Knicks decide to move on. The only real benefit to moving on from them now would be to open up an immediate roster spot or two for developmental projects.
For what it’s worth, players like Portis and Harkless have publicly suggested they’re not looking to go the buyout route.
Jeremy Lamb Out For Season With Torn ACL, Meniscus
Pacers wing Jeremy Lamb, who left Sunday’s game in Toronto with a knee injury, has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL, a torn meniscus, and a lateral femoral condylar fracture, the team announced today in a press release. Lamb will undergo surgery and will miss the rest of the 2019/20 season.
The injury occurred when Lamb went up for a dunk attempt in the second quarter. Raptors guard Terence Davis met him at the rim in an attempt to block the shot and Lamb landed awkwardly on his left leg. After the game, he referred to the play as a “freak accident” (Twitter link via Scott Agness of The Athletic).
The diagnosis is a devastating blow for the Pacers and for Lamb, who had been playing a key role for the team in his first season in Indiana. In 46 games (42 starts), the 27-year-old averaged 12.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG with a .451/.335/.836 shooting line in 28.1 minutes per contest.
The Pacers do have Victor Oladipo back in their lineup now, and Oladipo figures to play many of the minutes that belonged to Lamb during the first half of the season. Justin Holiday, Aaron Holiday, T.J. McConnell, and even Edmond Sumner are among the other players who could be relied upon more heavily with Lamb no longer an option.
Given the serious nature of Lamb’s injury, he’s unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2020/21 season. Although the Pacers haven’t offered a recovery timeline beyond ruling him out for this season, they’ll likely play it safe with the veteran swingman, who is under contract with the team through 2021/22. I’d be surprised if we see him back in Indiana’s lineup before 2021.
The Pacers aren’t eligible to apply for a disabled player exception to replace Lamb this season, since the deadline to apply for a DPE was January 15.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: Beasley, Hernangomez, Layman, Dort
Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez played their old team for the first time on Sunday, suiting up for the Timberwolves against the Nuggets, less than three weeks after being traded to Minnesota. Before the game, Hernangomez was the more nostalgic of the two former Nuggets, praising the organization and the fans in Denver, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post details.
“I’m the man who I am because (of) Denver, because (of the) organization, all the teammates, all the coaches,” Hernangomez. “I just want to (say) thanks to everybody for making my dream come true, make the chance to a kid who was dreaming about the NBA, make believe it and make it true.”
Beasley was more pragmatic about seeing his old team, per Singer: “It’s a business, put it like that. It’s not about personal life or anything like that. It’s just a strict business. That’s how you gotta take it.”
According to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, the Nuggets offered Beasley a multiyear extension worth “north of $10MM annually” last fall. When Beasley turned down that offer, it increased the odds that he wouldn’t remain in Denver long-term.
As Kosmider explains, the Nuggets have “strongly hinted” that they’d like to re-sign Jerami Grant, and they’ll also have to negotiate new deals with Paul Millsap and Torrey Craig this summer if they intend to keep them, which reduced the team’s spending power for RFAs-to-be like Beasley and Hernangomez.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Addressing the Timberwolves‘ recent acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said the NBA is “all about taking chances,” according to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. “You have to pay a premium for good players,” Rosas said. “Not only did we need a point guard in our system, we needed a guy who fit our timeline and a guy who has already established himself as a player in this league. In those pursuits, you have to be comfortable hearing ‘no,’ and you have to be comfortable being patient.”
- Timberwolves forward Jake Layman, who has been sidelined since November 18 due to a toe injury, appears to be on the verge of returning to action. Layman was cleared to practice last week, per a press release, and is listed as probable for Monday’s game vs. Dallas (Twitter link).
- On the heels of one of the best games of his season, rookie Thunder swingman Luguentz Dort is making a case for a promotion to Oklahoma City’s 15-man roster, writes ESPN’s Royce Young. Dort, who scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting in a Sunday win over San Antonio, won’t be eligible for the postseason if he remains on his two-way contract.