Cavaliers Bring Back RJ Nembhard On Two-Way Deal
Shooting guard RJ Nembhard has returned to the Cavaliers on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.
Nembhard originally signed a two-way deal with Cleveland in October and was converted to a standard contract on March 31. He was waived Thursday to give the Cavs a roster opening to convert Moses Brown‘s contract, a move that was confirmed in today’s press release.
A rookie out of TCU, the 23-year-old Nembhard appeared in 13 games this season, playing just 4.6 minutes per night. He had a much bigger role with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, averaging 24.5 points, 8.1 rebounds an 5.5 assists in 23 games.
It’s unclear if Nembhard’s new contract is for one or two years. If it’s a one-year deal, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. A two-year deal would give Cleveland the option of keeping Nembhard in one of the team’s two-way slots next season.
Devin Cannady Signs With Magic
The Magic have used their open roster spot to sign guard Devin Cannady, the team announced in a press release.
Cannady, 25, just completed a 10-day contract with Orlando that he signed in late March. He appeared in four games during that deal, averaging 8.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.8 minutes per night. He spent much of the season with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Lakeland, putting up 15.8 PPG in 16 games.
Cannady also played eight games for Orlando last season after signing a 10-day contract and then a two-way deal in April. He was in training camp with the team before the start of this season.
Kings Notes: Gentry, Jones, Metu, Mitchell
Alvin Gentry will likely coach his final game with the Kings today, but he didn’t want to talk about his future Saturday night, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. In a pre-game meeting with reporters, Gentry brushed aside the topic when asked if he wants to remain with the organization beyond this season.
“I’ve not talked to anybody about that and I’m sure that’s going to come quickly after the season is over, so I’ll leave it at that,” Gentry said. “I’m sure that’s something that’s going to happen pretty quickly after the season.”
Gentry, who started the season as the team’s associate head coach, was promoted to interim coach in November when Sacramento decided to fire Luke Walton 17 games into the season. Gentry was previously able to remain as head coach of the Pistons and Suns after taking over those teams on an interim basis, but it doesn’t appear that will happen with the Kings, who are reportedly looking at established names such as Mike D’Antoni and Terry Stotts, among others.
There’s more from Sacramento:
- More changes are expected after another losing season, and they could include Damian Jones, who is headed for free agency after spending his first full season with the Kings. The 26-year-old center played 55 games this year, starting 14, and averaged a career-high 7.9 points per night. “We’ll see what happens in the summer,” he said Saturday when asked about his free agent plans. “… I’ve gained more chemistry with the guys and we see eye-to-eye on some things, so we’ll see what happens when that time comes.” (Twitter link from Anderson)
- Chimezie Metu is also uncertain about his future, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320. Metu became a regular part of a rotation this season for the first time in his four-year NBA career, playing 59 games and averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night. However, his $1.91MM contract for next season is non-guaranteed. “The one thing I learned about this league really fast is that situations can change really fast,” Metu said. “You can’t fall in love with your situation, whether it’s good or bad. Wherever I end up, whether it’s here, another team, it is what it is.”
- Losing has been an adjustment for Davion Mitchell, who won an NCAA title last season at Baylor, but he believes things are going to improve, Anderson adds in a separate story. Before setting the franchise mark for assists by a rookie in a single game earlier this week, Mitchell addressed Sacramento fans and promised, “This offseason we’re going to get better and make you guys proud.”
Cavaliers Convert Moses Brown To Standard Contract
Moses Brown, who signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers in late March, now has a standard deal with the team, according to the NBA.com transactions log. Cleveland had an open roster spot available, so the club was able to convert Brown without any other move.
Although no details were provided, it’s likely a minimum-salary arrangement that covers the final day of the regular season. Brown will now be eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs, which two-way players cannot participate in.
The 22-year-old center joined the Cavs in March on a pair of 10-day contracts to provide center depth with Jarrett Allen injured and signed a two-way deal at the end of the month. He has appeared in 13 games, starting five, and has averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per night while shooting 62.3% from the floor.
Brown also played 23 games for the Mavericks this season before being waived on February 10 when Dallas needed to open a roster spot to complete a trade with Washington.
Juwan Morgan Signs Multi-Year Deal With Celtics
APRIL 10: Morgan’s signing is official, according to the NBA.com transactions log.
APRIL 9: The Celtics will fill their open roster spot before the playoffs by signing Juwan Morgan to a multi-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The deal is expected to be for two years, with a non-guaranteed salary for 2022/23, a source tells Keith Smith of CelticsBlog (Twitter link).
The 24-year-old forward recently completed a 10-day contract with Boston, getting into one game and playing four minutes without scoring. He also appeared in a single game with the Raptors on a 10-day deal in December.
Morgan spent most of this season with the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine, where he averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29 games. He was in training camp with Boston, but was waived before the start of the regular season.
Morgan began his NBA career with the Jazz after going undrafted out of Indiana in 2019. He spent his first two seasons in Utah, playing a combined 50 games.
No corresponding roster move will be necessary to complete the signing, since Boston’s 15th roster spot had previously been occupied by Morgan on his 10-day contract.
Central Notes: Casey, Bucks, Holiday, York
The Pistons haven’t won much since Dwane Casey became their head coach, but he has impressed owner Tom Gores with the way he has developed young talent, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Casey was the reigning Coach of the Year when he was brought in to oversee the Pistons’ rebuilding project, and while the on-court success has been limited, Gores is convinced that Casey has the franchise moving in the right direction.
Casey received a contract extension last spring that will run through the 2023/24 season, and Gores indicated Friday that he wants him to serve as head coach for much longer.
“I want to see Dwane more than next year. Dwane has threaded the needle this year, because to lose a lot — and we lost a lot of games — the key is whether can you keep everybody’s spirit alive,” Gores said. “So, he has the ability to keep everybody’s spirit alive. I just think it’s such a talent. … He really understands how to keep these guys engaged while they’re going through a hard time. So, he’s really threaded the needle. He really has this ability to just to keep everybody inspired, and the players love him, and I do too.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- As the Bucks prepare to defend their NBA championship, they have two players on the roster who understand how hard that can be, notes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Serge Ibaka was a member of the Raptors when they staged their title defense in Orlando after the league-wide shutdown due to the pandemic, and Wesley Matthews was on the Lakers, who were knocked out in the first round last season.
- Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has earned a $306K bonus for playing in 66 games, marking the fifth straight season he has achieved the bonus, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Because the incentive was considered likely, Milwaukee’s luxury tax projection won’t be affected.
- The Pacers awarded a game ball to Gabe York, who made his NBA debut today at age 28, per James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. York, who signed a two-way contract on Thursday, played 15 minutes and scored seven points. “Gabe is a good player,” said teammate Isaiah Jackson. “I played with him in the G League a couple times, so we’ve always been cool. It was just crazy seeing him out there doing his thing. I was telling him when we was sitting out, ‘I know it’s a lot right now, but just let the game just come to you. Don’t try to force it. … Once you get out there, it’s just natural.'”
Southwest Notes: Morant, Williamson, Pelicans, LeBron
Ja Morant got the pre-playoff tuneup he wanted tonight, playing 27 minutes as the Grizzlies raced past the Pelicans, writes Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian. After missing more than three weeks with soreness in his right knee, the dynamic guard showed little sign of rust as he put up 21 points, nine assists and four rebounds with a few highlight plays mixed in.
“It’s something I’ve been waiting on since March 18,” Morant said. “… I had a lot of fun. I’m just preparing for this stretch we are about to go on in the playoffs. I feel like I needed a game or two to get my legs back under and get a game feel.”
Morant didn’t shy away from contact, Hill adds, as he repeatedly drove into the heart of the New Orleans defense. That’s something coach Taylor Jenkins wanted to see after Morant spent so much time away from NBA conditions.
“There’s nothing comparable (to game action),” Jenkins said. “You can’t fill out. It’s hard to get 10 NBA bodies out there to simulate games for him (in practice). The physicality, the speed, it’s a great tuneup. It’s your natural ramp up, one-on-zero, one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on-five, but nothing replaces NBA games.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Zion Williamson was able to take part in what Pelicans coach Willie Green called a “controlled scrimmage” on Thursday, but his prospects of returning remain uncertain, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. After ending the regular season Sunday night, New Orleans will be in Wednesday’s 9-10 play-in game and will need to defeat the Spurs to avoid elimination, so the time for Williamson to come back is running short. “The beauty of it is that it’s good to see him on the floor,” Green said. “I think he’s feeling more normal, the fact that he gets to play basketball. That’s what he wants to do. That’s what he loves to do. We just want him to get as healthy as he can and continue to progress in that way.”
- The Lakers‘ late-season slide has increased the chances that the Pelicans will receive their first-round pick, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. There’s now a 99.6% chance that the selection will fall in the top 10 and be conveyed to New Orleans. The pick would go to the Grizzlies if it lands outside the top 10.
- The chances of LeBron James leaving the Lakers to team up with Luka Doncic on the Mavericks down the road should be considered remote but not impossible, contends Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Isaiah Mobley Among Latest To Enter NBA Draft
USC big man Isaiah Mobley announced on Twitter that he will declare for the NBA draft and hire an agent. Mobley also entered the draft last year, along with his brother Evan, who is among the favorites for Rookie of the Year honors. Isaiah decided to return to school for his junior season and averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 32 games.
“These past three years have been amazing,” he wrote. “I’ve had experiences that I’ll never forget, played with teammates that have become brothers (well, one brother that became a teammate), and I’ve done it all in front of the best fans in the country.”
There are a few more draft decisions to pass along:
- South Carolina forward Keyshawn Bryant also used a tweet to announce his decision to enter the draft and hire an agent. “To Frank Martin and the coaching staff, thank you guys for everything you’ve done,” wrote Bryant, who averaged 8.7 PPG in his senior season with the Gamecocks. “To the fans and the university, this was an amazing four years here. Thanks for all the love and support.”
- Purdue senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. will also forego an extra year of eligibility and enter the draft. Hunter, who averaged 6.2 PPG this year, also made his announcement on Twitter.
- Jalen Adaway, a senior guard at St. Bonaventure, will enter the draft as well (Twitter link). He averaged 15.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 32 games this season.
- SMU guard Kendric Davis, also a senior, will enter the draft but will keep his college eligibility, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Davis scored at a career-best 19.4 PPG clip for the Mustangs this season.
- A report last week stated that TCU guard Mike Miles was expected to remain in the draft, but he now plans to maintain the option to return to college, according to Rothstein (Twitter link).
Donte DiVincenzo Reportedly Thinks Kings Are Attempting To Lower His Value
Donte DiVincenzo and his camp believe the Kings are intentionally trying to suppress his market value ahead of free agency, James Ham of ESPN 1320 says on the latest Kings Beat podcast (audio link from SabonisMuse on Twitter).
According to Ham, DiVincenzo and his representatives think he was kept out of the starting lineup to make him more affordable for Sacramento to re-sign.
Having started 66 games last season for Milwaukee, DiVincenzo would’ve met the “starter criteria” and been eligible for a higher qualifying offer ($7.9MM) if the Kings had started him at least seven times. Head coach Alvin Gentry suggested in mid-March that there was a good chance the 25-year-old would move into the starting lineup down the stretch, but that never happened.
DiVincenzo has appeared in 23 games, starting just one, since being acquired from the Bucks in a four-team trade at the February deadline. He has been a regular part of Sacramento’s rotation, playing 26.8 minutes per night and averaging 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Assuming the Kings make a $6.6MM qualifying offer, DiVincenzo will be a restricted free agent since he didn’t reach an agreement with Milwaukee on a rookie-scale extension before the start of the season. That means Sacramento will have the option to match any offer he receives.
Ham adds that DiVincenzo is optimistic about receiving a mid-level exception offer from somebody this summer, while the Kings would prefer to keep him at a salary lower than that.
DiVincenzo had a regular role with the Bucks before suffering a torn ligament in his ankle during last year’s playoffs. He underwent surgery in June and wasn’t able to return until Christmas Day.
Cavaliers Notes: Allen, Garland, Mobley, Love
The Cavaliers are still hoping injured center Jarrett Allen can return at some point, but he will miss Sunday’s regular season finale against the Bucks, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Allen, who hasn’t played since fracturing his left middle finger on March 6, is listed as “out” on Cleveland’s official injury report.
Allen went through a 15-minute workout before Friday’s game at Brooklyn, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. He wore a splint over the injured finger and did nearly everything one-handed as he simulated a variety of game situations. Every shot he took was with his right hand, Fedor adds.
A source told Fedor that a major concern involves Allen’s pain tolerance, particularly when he catches passes. Allen and the team remain hopeful that he’ll be ready for the Cavs’ first play-in tournament game, which will take place Tuesday if they’re in the 7-8 matchup or Wednesday if they fall to the 9-10 contest.
There’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers have slumped lately amid a series of injuries, but Darius Garland believes they’re still a “scary” postseason opponent for anyone, whether or not Allen is able to play, Fedor writes in a separate story. “We’re scary with him or without him,” Garland said. “There’s a lot of teams that don’t want to see us with him or without him. We get him back, great. If we don’t, great. We still got basketball games to play.”
- Although Cleveland lost its third straight game Friday, there was some good news, Fedor adds. Rookie star Evan Mobley returned from a five-game absence with a sprained left ankle and contributed 17 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.
- In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Kevin Love said this season is the most fun he’s had since winning the NBA title six years ago. Love, who has been through disputes with management in recent years, credits the trust that coach J.B. Bickerstaff has shown in him. “J.B., he’s like, ‘I want you to play free,’” Love said. “You have the green light … so for me, there was no pushback. And from then on, it took me about, I’d say four to six weeks to really feel right and secure and find how I was going to play within our group and different matchups and who I was going to be playing with. I’d say around December is where I found myself within that sixth man role. And then it just grew from there.”