NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/2/20
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from across the NBA G League:
- The Warriors assigned guard Stephen Curry to its affiliate in Santa Cruz and then recalled the former MVP, according to a team press release and Twitter post. Curry got in a practice with the G League club as he prepares to return from a broken left hand. The team also assigned forward Alen Smailagic to Santa Cruz. Smailagic has appeared in 19 games with Santa Cruz this season, posting averages of 15.2 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 25.9 MPG.
- The Pacers recalled center Goga Bitadze and forward Alize Johnson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s PR department tweets. Bitadze, the team’s first-round selection, has averaged 3.0 PPG in 8.5 MPG while making 46 appearances for the Pacers. Johnson, a 2018 second-rounder, has seen action in 12 NBA games this season.
- The Magic recalled guard Melvin Frazier from Lakeland, the team’s PR department tweets. A 2018 second-round pick, Frazier has appeared in 14 games with Orlando this season.
- The Bulls assigned and then recalled power forward Lauri Markkanen from the Windy City Bulls, the team tweets. Markkanen participated in a practice as part of his rehab process. He has been sidelined since January 22 with a stress reaction of his right pelvis.
- The Clippers assigned big man Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Terance Mann to their Agua Caliente affiliate, according to the team’s PR department. A late first-rounder last June, Kabengele has appeared in 12 Clippers games. Mann, a rookie drafted in the second round, has seen action in 35 NBA games.
- The Jazz assigned forward Juwan Morgan and guard Rayjon Tucker to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the G League transactions log. A pair of undrafted rookies, Morgan has appeared in 16 Jazz games this season while Tucker has made 14 NBA appearances.
Coronavirus Could Impact Combine, Workouts
Concerns over the coronavirus could impact the NBA’s pre-draft combines, on-site workouts and international scouting events, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN report.
League officials and team executives are monitoring the situations and those events could become more limited in scope, or even cancelled, depending upon the spread of the virus. The global Hoop Summit is scheduled to be held in Portland in April, and the draft combine is, as usual, scheduled to be held in Chicago in May.
The league has already outlined short-term recommendations to its teams. Players are being asked to fist-bump instead of high-fiving fans and avoid handling items from fans such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph, according to a league memo.
Blazers guard CJ McCollum has already stated in a Twitter post he won’t sign autographs until further notice and many other players are likely to take the same stance.
According to the ESPN report, the NBA and the Players Association have been consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and infectious-disease experts.
To date, there have been no reports of anyone associated with the league contracting the disease. A player who contracted the coronavirus would likely miss two weeks, the ESPN report adds.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bacon, Adebayo, Robinson
The Hornets might be in the market for an experienced point guard, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. Devonte’ Graham, who is dealing with left ankle soreness, is doubtful to play Tuesday against the Spurs. Terry Rozier can slide over as the starter but fill-in point guard Malik Monk is suspended indefinitely under the league’s anti-drug policy and the team didn’t renew Joe Chealey’s 10-day contract. Charlotte has two open roster spots and will need to fill one soon, Bonnell adds.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Dwayne Bacon‘s status with the Hornets is a fluid situation, Bonnell tweets. Bacon has been toiling with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm and it’s uncertain whether he’ll return to the NBA level, according to Borrego. Bacon has played in 39 games with Charlotte this season, including 11 starts, but hasn’t seen action since the All-Star break.
- Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo share the same agent but Adebayo insists that won’t mean anything if the Bucks superstar hits the free agent market in 2021, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel relays. Both players are represented by Alex Saratsis. “At the end of the day, I can’t force a man to make that decision,” the Heat center said of potentially recruiting the reigning MVP. “That’s going to be his decision, his family’s decision. I can’t persuade him to do that.”
- The Heat’s offense has been most efficient this season with Duncan Robinson on the court, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald points out. Robinson owns the team’s best plus/minus rating. Additionally, the team’s offensive rating is 114.3 when he’s on the floor, compared to 105.9 when he’s on the bench. That bodes well for his future with the club, although his $1,663,861 salary for next season doesn’t guarantee until after training camp.
Al Horford Dismisses Trade Speculation
After a weekend report suggested that the Sixers may explore trading Al Horford this summer, just one year into his four-year contract with the club, the veteran big man was asked on Monday about the possibility of an offseason deal. Predictably, Horford dismissed the report, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“All I can say is I am focused on right now,” Horford told Pompey. “I can’t control speculation. That is a decision they would have to make when the time is right. Right now, I am focused on getting some wins for our team.”
Horford received one of the most lucrative long-term deals of the 2019 offseason, with the Sixers envisioning the 33-year-old as someone who could play alongside Joel Embiid and provide solid minutes at the five when Embiid sits.
However, it has been a shaky fit so far. Horford is averaging just 11.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG with a career-worst .435 FG% in 56 games (30.6 MPG). He was recently moved to the bench for three games, though he has returned to the starting lineup during the last week with Ben Simmons and Embiid sidelined.
If the 76ers do try to move Horford in the offseason, his contract figures to be a turn-off for potential trade partners. He’s owed a guaranteed $54.5MM over the next two seasons, with a partially guaranteed salary ($14MM of $26.5MM) in 2022/23. He’ll be 36 years old by the time the contract ends.
Buyout Details: Crabbe, McRae, Tolliver
Allen Crabbe surrendered $681,544 in his buyout agreement with the Timberwolves, according to reports from Dane Moore of ZoneCoverage.com and Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (Twitter links). That’s more than the veteran wing would earn if he signs a rest-of-season deal with a new team after clearing waivers, but it wasn’t quite enough to get Minnesota below the luxury-tax threshold, as Moore and Siegel note.
If the Timberwolves are dead-set on getting out of tax territory, buying out Evan Turner remains a possible path, but it appears less likely now that he would no longer retain his playoff eligibility if he’s released.
The Timberwolves’ other option for sneaking below the tax line would be to cut a little-used player who is likely to be claimed on waivers, like Miami did at the end of last season with Rodney McGruder. That’s a risky alternative though, since any player valuable enough to be claimed on waivers probably isn’t someone Minnesota wants to lose.
Here are more details on the latest round of buyouts from around the NBA:
- Jordan McRae agreed to give up $390,424 in his buyout from the Nuggets, per Siegel (via Twitter). That’s the equivalent of McRae’s $1,645,357 salary prorated over 42 days. However, if the Suns claim McRae off waivers, as they’re expected to, the buyout agreement will be unnecessary and won’t apply to his cap hit — he’ll simply continue earning the rest of his remaining salary for 2019/20 in Phoenix instead of Denver.
- Anthony Tolliver gave back $144,901 as part of his buyout from the Kings, according to Siegel. That’s the equivalent of the 10-day salary for a veteran with 10+ years of NBA experience. Tolliver’s cap hit on Sacramento’s books ($1,620,564) will remain unchanged, since the NBA is reimbursing a portion of his minimum salary. However, the Kings will save a little cash as a result of the agreement.
- Our recap of the 2020 buyout market can be found right here.
Damian Lillard Targeting Wednesday Return
Damian Lillard, who injured his right groin on February 12 and has missed the Trail Blazers‘ last five games, will also be out for Monday’s contest in Orlando. However, the star point guard is targeting a return on Wednesday at home vs. Washington, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link).
In addition to losing the game in which Lillard went down, Portland has dropped four of the five post-All-Star contests he has missed. The Blazers squandered the opportunity to make up some ground in the playoff race during that stretch — they’re currently 26-35, 12th in the West and 3.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies.
If Lillard is able to return this week and stays healthy, he figures to play a key role in the Blazers’ push for a spot in the postseason. After Wednesday’s game against the Wizards, Portland’s next four games are against the Suns (twice), Kings, and Grizzlies, so that will be a crucial stretch for the club.
Lillard, 29, had been enjoying the best season of his career before being sidelined by his groin injury. In 54 games (37.0 MPG), he has averaged 29.5 PPG, 7.9 APG, and 4.4 RPG with a .460/.393/.889 shooting line — several of those marks are career highs.
Pacific Notes: Bender, Kings, Lakers, Ayton
After failing to become long-term building blocks in Phoenix, former Suns lottery picks Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender have reunited in Golden State. Bender is only on a 10-day contract for now, but Chriss thinks his former and current frontcourt mate is fitting in nicely with the Warriors, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
“I think it’s a good fit for him, especially being around people who believe in you and help you grow,” Chriss said. “I think that’s all he needs.”
Bender’s 10-day contract with the Warriors will expire on Tuesday night, at which time Golden State will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on a rest-of-season commitment. Bender, who is simply looking to prove he still belongs in the NBA, hopes he’s making a good impression.
“I take it day-by-day,” Bender recently said, per Rankin. “I think there’s always options, but with this team, take it day-by-day and see what happens. Obviously, a great place to be, like I said. Great organization. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, but like I said, take it day-by-day and see what happens.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Although the Kings have missed Richaun Holmes over the last two months, they could actually have a logjam at center soon, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California. Holmes is reportedly nearing a return, but Harry Giles and Alex Len have played well up front for Sacramento as of late, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team divvies up playing time down the stretch.
- Despite the fact that Anthony Tolliver was waived by the Kings over the weekend, he and Kent Bazemore helped get the team out of its lowest point of the season in January, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The two recently-acquired veterans told their new teammates in a team meeting that they were better than their record showed. “We were very vocal about the potential here,” Tolliver said. “Coming from Portland and seeing how we played there, and seeing how these guys played here, even though they were losing a lot of games at that point, we were like, ‘You guys are not that far away from winning.'” Sacramento is 11-5 since that motivational pep talk.
- With a comfortable hold on the top seed in the West, the Lakers are using the final stretch of the season to experiment a little with lineups, says Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. That included starting Alex Caruso when Danny Green missed Saturday’s game with a minor hip injury.
- Even though he’s not the All-Star and borderline MVP candidate that Luka Doncic is, Deandre Ayton is on an impressive run for the Suns, averaging 20.9 PPG and 12.4 RPG in his last 19 games. Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic makes the case that it wasn’t a mistake for Phoenix to select Ayton first overall in 2018, two spots ahead of Doncic.
Otto Porter Set To Return For Bulls
Otto Porter, who has been sidelined for nearly four months, said today that he’ll return to the Bulls‘ active roster for Monday night’s game against Dallas, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link).
Porter suffered a foot injury early in the 2019/20 campaign, dealing with a bone bruise, bone edema, and a small fracture in that troublesome left foot. He last suited up for Chicago on November 6, having appeared in the Bulls’ first nine games of the season.
Acquired at last year’s trade deadline for the expiring contracts of Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis, Porter has played just 24 total games since arriving in Chicago, averaging 15.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG with a .463/.458/.846 shooting line. When he’s in the lineup, he has been a reliable three-and-D frontcourt option for the club, but health issues have limited his playing time both this season and last season.
Even if Porter finishes stays healthy and plays well over the next month and a half, he’s unlikely to opt for free agency by turning down his $28.5MM player option for 2020/21 this summer. As such, he’ll likely return to the Bulls next season, barring a trade.
The Bulls are gradually getting healthier after being hit hard by the injury bug this season. Wendell Carter played on Saturday for the first time since early January, while Lauri Markkanen, who last played on January 22, appears to be nearing a return as well.
Ballmer In Advanced Talks To Buy Forum In Inglewood
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is in advanced negotiations to purchase The Forum in Inglewood, California from its current owner, the Madison Square Garden Company, sources tell ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz.
The Forum, the former home of the Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, is no longer the home arena for any professional sports teams, but continues to host major sporting events and concerts. With the Clippers looking to open a brand-new arena of their own in Inglewood once their current agreement with the Staples Center expires, the presence of The Forum has represented a major roadblock.
Ballmer wants to build the Clippers’ new arena on a parcel of land that sits approximately a mile from the Forum, as Arnovitz notes. The Clippers owner and the city of Inglewood have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle with James Dolan‘s MSG Co. for the last year or two. MSG has taken exception to the city working with the Clippers to develop a new, nearby arena that would be a major competitor for The Forum.
Sources tell ESPN that the two sides began to engage in negotiations about a sale of The Forum following the most recent round of lawsuits by MSG and community groups bankrolled in part by MSG. Arnovitz suggests that a sale looks like the “path of least resistance” when it comes to finding a resolution to the stalemate.
If it’s sold, The Forum would continue to operate until the Clippers’ new arena is ready to open, and perhaps even beyond that, per ESPN. Although sources tell Arnovitz that an agreement is “imminent,” the Clippers wouldn’t confirm or deny the report.
“The Clippers continue to pursue plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat basketball arena and entertainment complex in Inglewood and are currently working with the city to successfully complete the comprehensive Environmental Impact Report,” the team said in a statement. “We are examining every possible way to resolve our differences with Madison Square Garden Co. regarding our new arena.”
Players Waived Between Today, End Of Season Won’t Be Playoff-Eligible
It’s March 2, which means that a player waived by an NBA team today, tomorrow, or on any day before the end of the 2019/20 regular season won’t retain his postseason eligibility. The league’s rules state that a player must be released by the end of the day on March 1 in order to be playoff-eligible for a new team.
For the most part, this means that a player who is on one NBA roster today can’t suit up in the postseason for a different team, though there are a few exceptions to that general rule. Those exceptions apply to players currently on 10-day contracts: Donta Hall (Pistons), Dragan Bender (Warriors), Mychal Mulder (Warriors), and Jarrod Uthoff (Grizzlies).
If, for instance, Bender’s 10-day deal with Golden State expires on Tuesday night and he subsequently signs with a playoff team, he’ll be eligible to participate in the postseason, since he wasn’t released from a standard NBA contract after March 1.
It’s also worth clarifying that a player didn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 to be playoff-eligible — he simply had to be placed on waivers or reach free agency by Sunday night. As long as a player who fits that bill signs with a new team by April 15, the final day of the regular season, he can play in the postseason.
As our recap of the 2020 buyout market shows, several players have been bought out or released since the trade deadline and joined new teams, including Marvin Williams (Hornets to Bucks), Reggie Jackson (Pistons to Clippers), Markieff Morris (Pistons to Lakers), and a handful of others. They’ll all be postseason-eligible.
Several players were also waived in recent weeks but haven’t yet lined up new teams, including Tyler Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, and Dion Waiters, among others. If they do sign with a new club anytime between now and April 15, they’ll be eligible to participate in the playoffs too. The same goes for players who haven’t played at all in the NBA this season, such as J.R. Smith and Joakim Noah.
The Nuggets have yet to announce the release of Jordan McRae, and that move isn’t yet showing up in NBA.com’s official transactions log, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t technically happen on Sunday night. That would allow McRae to retain his playoff eligibility as he prepares to join the Suns, who still have an outside shot at the postseason.
McRae and Lakers guard Troy Daniels were the last two vets released on Sunday, after Allen Crabbe (Timberwolves) and Anthony Tolliver (Kings) were waived on Saturday.