Warriors Impressed With Dragan Bender
Dragan Bender inked a 10-day deal with the Warriors in late February and today was the final day of that pact. Head coach Steve Kerr, who said Bender has impressed the team, would be on board with keeping the big man around.
“I think he has a lot of potential…I’d love to give him another 10 days,” Kerr said (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic)
Bender, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is still just 22 years old. He spent the first three years of his career with the team that drafted him, the Suns. He spent the first half of this season with the Bucks, though he appeared in just seven games for Milwaukee before the team waived him.
The Warriors have won two of the past three games with Bender in the rotation. He’s scored 35 points, going +6 over 63 minutes in that timespan.
Oubre To Be Re-Evaluated In Four Weeks Following Meniscus Surgery
Suns forward Kelly Oubre underwent surgery on his torn meniscus in his right knee earlier today, as expected. In addition to confirming that report, the club issued an updated timeline for Oubre’s recovery, announcing he’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks, as ESPN relays.
Oubre, who was acquired mid-season last year in a trade with the Wizards, was having a career year with the Suns this season. He’s averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
The timing of Oubre’s re-evaluation would leave about two weeks left in the season, so it’s possible we won’t see him return to the court this spring, especially if the Suns have fallen entirely out of the race for the eighth seed by that point.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/3/20
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic have assigned Melvin Frazier to the Lakeland Magic, per the team’s Twitter feed. Frazier was drafted back in 2018 with the No. 35 overall pick.
- The Thunder recalled Isaiah Roby from the Oklahoma City Blue, per the team’s website. The forward has played in 13 games for the G League squad this season, starting in nine of them.
Southwest Notes: Covington, Bell, Duncan
Rockets GM Daryl Morey said on Tuesday that Robert Covington has been better than the team anticipated when it acquired him at the trade deadline.
“The biggest reason for the trade was to get Covington and he’s actually been even better than we thought,” Morey said (via Salman Ali of Clutch Points on Twitter). “…Not only how good he is, but how much he helps everyone on the team, but in particular Russell Westbrook. The driving lanes for him are super important.”
Morey added that the trade for Covington, which sent out Clint Capela, gave the Rockets more flexibility to make another move in the future.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Jordan Bell, who was waived by the Grizzlies earlier this week, will not be eligible to play in the playoffs should he sign with a playoff team, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks relays (Twitter link). Memphis had to wait until Monday to release Bell to ensure that Anthony Tolliver cleared waivers.
- Rudy Gay, who re-signed with the Spurs last offseason, has had a disappointing campaign and the veteran forward knows that he can do better. “It’s no secret I haven’t been playing well,” Gay said via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “You just need a good one to get out of it.”
- Tim Duncan is serving as the head coach of the Spurs tonight, as Gregg Popovich misses the contest because of personal issues, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.
International Notes: Mirotic, Bolomboy, Douglas, N’Doye
Nikola Mirotic was said to be in line for at least one contract offer in the three-year, $45MM range if he had remained in the NBA last summer, but he opted instead to return to the country where he began his professional career, signing with Barcelona. While he may not be earning quite as lucrative a salary in Spain, the veteran forward is enjoying a successful season so far.
The EuroLeague announced this week that Mirotic has been named the league’s MVP for the month of February, the equivalent of the NBA’s Player of the Month award. It’s the second time this season that Mirotic has earned the honor — he knocked down a pair of game-winning shots in February and averaged 21.0 PPG for the month. His Barcelona squad is now 20-6, good for third in the EuroLeague standings.
Here are more notes from around the international basketball world:
- Former NBA forward Joel Bolomboy has signed a two-year contract extension with Russia’s CSKA Moscow, the club announced this week in a press release. Bolomboy, a former Weber State standout who appeared in 18 NBA games between 2016-18 for Utah and Milwaukee, is now under contract with the EuroLeague club through the 2021/22 season.
- Veteran guard Toney Douglas, who played 394 regular season NBA games from 2010-17, has signed with Italian team Pallacanestro Varese for the remainder of the season, the club announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando). Douglas has also played in Turkey and Spain since last suiting up for an NBA team.
- After testing the draft waters a year ago, French prospect Abdoulaye N’Doye wasn’t sure he’d be drafted and decided to try to improve his stock leading up to his final year of eligibility. So far, N’Doye’s plan to bet on himself has been a success, according to Jeff Greer of The Athletic, who explores how the young guard’s impressive season for Cholet Basket has improved his standing on big boards for 2020.
Atlantic Notes: Kemba, Knicks, Thybulle, Tatum
Kemba Walker will return to action on Tuesday night for the Celtics as they host the Nets, head coach Brad Stevens confirmed today (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Walker, who has missed Boston’s five games since the All-Star break due to a nagging knee injury, will play approximately 20-25 minutes, according to Stevens.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- New Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose made a good first impression in his initial meeting with players on Monday, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose also met with Mike Miller and his coaching staff, and while the new head of basketball ops could end up replacing many of those coaches in the spring, Miller wasn’t fazed by the situation. “I don’t need any assurances from anyone as we go through this,” he said. “I trust the process, I trust what we’re doing. I’m perfectly fine working the way we’re doing day to day.”
- Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle has expressed interest in representing Australia in the 2020 Olympics, per The Australian Associated Press (link via ESPN). Thybulle, who said his Australian passport is up to date, will make a decision after the season. If he does suit up for the Boomers, he could be playing alongside 76ers teammate Ben Simmons for head coach Brett Brown.
- Within an article on Jayson Tatum‘s ascension to stardom, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer revisits the Celtics‘ decision to move down from No. 1 to No. 3 in the 2017 draft. According to O’Connor, before zeroing in on Tatum, Boston was exploring acquiring extra assets in a trade down from No. 1 in the hopes of flipping them for Paul George, who was ultimately sent to Oklahoma City instead.
Western Notes: Conley, Turner, Howard, Suns
After a long, successful run with the Grizzlies, Mike Conley was viewed heading into this season as the player who was going to help turn the Jazz from a solid playoff team into a bona fide contender. However, it has been an up-and-down first season in Utah for Conley, who is averaging just 13.5 PPG on 39.8% shooting.
Speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Conley admitted he hasn’t been able to entirely block out the criticism he has faced this season, and that he understands that criticism.
“Nobody is more frustrated than me,” Conley said. “Not the fans, not the media, not my teammates. I’m not a guy who runs from looking in the mirror. But, at this point, I have to control what I can control. I have to stay locked in. I have to focus on what I can handle. I know what’s being said. But in a big way, it’s not in my control what people may think.”
As Conley gears up for the home stretch and looks to become a consistent, reliable contributor for the Jazz, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Western Conference…
- The Timberwolves and Evan Turner “came close” to reaching a buyout agreement by Sunday night, but couldn’t finalize a deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. According to Wolfson, Turner would still like to play this season, but that seems unlikely to happen with the Wolves, who are prioritizing the players they expect to be longer-term pieces.
- Discussing Dwight Howard‘s initial stint with the Lakers, team owner Jeanie Buss singled out former Lakers – and current Rockets – head coach Mike D’Antoni as a reason why the veteran center didn’t succeed and chose to leave in free agency. “We hired a coach that didn’t respect his game and wasn’t going to put him in a position to succeed,” Buss said (video link via The Los Angeles Times).
- Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic examines how Jordan McRae could fit with the Suns this season and potentially beyond. Phoenix reportedly intends to place a waiver claim on McRae, but there’s a possibility Detroit will do so as well, and the Pistons would have the higher priority.
- NBA fans interested in the league’s salary cap minutiae will enjoy Jeff Siegel’s latest article at Early Bird Rights, which details the unusual case of the Kings‘ buyout agreement with Anthony Tolliver and explains why it could indirectly cost the Trail Blazers a little money.
Hornets’ Biyombo Explains Decision To Pass On Buyout
Following last month’s trade deadline, the Hornets were more than willing to negotiate buyouts with their veterans on expiring contracts. Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were both bought out within days of the deadline and quickly caught on with new teams.
Veteran center Bismack Biyombo, whose four-year, $68MM contract will be up at season’s end, tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that he could have gotten a buyout and that he considered the possibility, noting that “a lot of (teams were) calling.” However, he opted to stick with the Hornets and play out the rest of his contract in Charlotte, explaining that he wanted to continue to be a veteran mentor as the team rebuilds.
“The house is on fire? Let’s find a way to fix it,” Biyombo said of the Hornets’ situation. “I think the way we have been competing shows a lot of character from a lot of guys.”
Biyombo, 27, has been out of the starting lineup and even out of the rotation at times this season, but he’s seeing regular minutes lately, averaging 8.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in his last seven games (20.5 MPG).
Although it’s probably too late for the Hornets, who are 5.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Nets, to make a run at the playoffs, Biyombo is happy to fill the leadership void that was created in Charlotte when longtime Hornets like Kemba Walker, Williams, and Kidd-Gilchrist departed.
“When things are not going right, everybody wants to run away. It’s human nature,” Biyombo said. “Instead of always seeing problems, sometimes you can see opportunity. So we lean on each other.”
Injury Updates: Dunn, LaVine, Curry, Oubre, Dedmon
The Bulls‘ frontcourt has been getting a little healthier lately, with Otto Porter and Wendell Carter returning to action within the last few days and Lauri Markkanen making good progress as well. However, the team isn’t in the clear yet when it comes to injuries, especially in the backcourt.
Speaking today to reporters, including K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), Bulls head coach Jim Boylen confirmed that Kris Dunn will miss the rest of the 2019/20 season. That update doesn’t come as a surprise — we heard nearly two weeks ago that Dunn’s season was in jeopardy as a result of his right MCL sprain. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer and won’t meet the starter criteria, which will reduce the value of his qualifying offer, as we detailed in that February story.
Meanwhile, the Bulls’ leading scorer, Zach LaVine, confirmed that he’ll remain on the shelf for Wednesday’s game in Minnesota after missing Monday’s contest vs. Dallas (video link via Tony Gill of NBC Sports Chicago). LaVine added that his quad strain will probably sideline him for about a week.
Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:
- A Thursday return vs. Toronto is a possibility for Warriors star Stephen Curry, head coach Steve Kerr said today (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Curry’s return date was pushed back after he originally targeted March 1, but it sounds like he’s pretty close.
- Suns forward Kelly Oubre will undergo surgery on his torn right meniscus, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Oubre’s recovery timetable remains unclear — an update is expected to be provided on Wednesday, per Arizona Sports 98.7.
- The Hawks announced in a press release today that injured center Dewayne Dedmon (elbow) has been cleared to practice on Wednesday. GM Travis Schlenk said in an appearance on 92.9 FM in Atlanta that the Hawks “fully expect” Dedmon to be available on Friday (Twitter link via Kevin Chouinard).
- Asked today if Derrick Rose will return this season, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey was noncommittal, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We’ll just see how he feels. I wouldn’t put that in concrete,” Casey said. “… I don’t know what he would gain from it by coming back (for the final weeks). We haven’t made that decision yet.” Rose, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Knicks Exchange Barbs With Super-Fan Spike Lee
The best win of the Knicks‘ season is being overshadowed by a very public disagreement with one of the team’s most famous fans.
During Monday’s contest, a dramatic 125-123 upset of the Rockets, video surfaced of film director and Knicks super-fan Spike Lee arguing with Madison Square Garden security about which entrance he was permitted to use. Appearing this morning on ESPN’s First Take, Lee said he has used the same entrance for decades and hadn’t been informed of any policy change.
Lee referred to the Knicks’ claim that he has been previously told not to use the employee entrance as “spin” and said he’s being “harassed” by team owner James Dolan. The longtime Knicks fan added that he doesn’t plan to attend any more games at MSG this season.
“I’m coming back next year, but I’m done for the season,” Lee said. “I’m done.”
Not content to take the high road and avoid a potential PR disaster, the Knicks shot back early this afternoon, issuing a statement criticizing Lee.
“The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance – which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden – is laughable,” the Knicks’ statement reads. “It’s disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama. He is welcome to come to The Garden anytime via the VIP of general entrance; just not through our employee entrance, which is what he and Jim (Dolan) agreed to last night when they shook hands.”
Accompanying their tweeted statement, the Knicks attached photos of the building’s employee entrance and of Lee’s handshake with Dolan.
Even if the Knicks are telling the truth here – Lee has claimed again that they’re not – it’s a bad look for the organization, which went through a similar PR nightmare with Charles Oakley three years ago. With Leon Rose taking over as the team’s new basketball president of basketball operations on Monday and Steve Stoute looking to rebrand the franchise and resolve old feuds, the Knicks should be looking to move beyond the petty, drama-filled subplots that have dominated headlines in recent years.
It seems unlikely that most NBA players will take the Knicks’ side in their conflict with Lee. While the incident won’t necessarily be a deal-breaker if a star player is considering signing in New York, it’s another factor that could negatively impact the team’s free agent recruiting efforts going forward. New York is already facing an uphill battle on that front, despite its strong market and cap flexibility.