NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/6/19
Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- With Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier both dealing with injuries, the Timberwolves recalled rookie point guard Jaylen Nowell from their affiliate in Iowa, the team announced in a press release. Nowell, the 43rd pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t gotten into a game yet.
- The Jazz recalled Dante Exum and Miye Oni from their Salt Lake City affiliate, according to a tweet from the team. Exum, who is still recovering from knee surgery in March, was assigned and recalled in the same day so he could practice with the G League team. Oni, a second-round pick, was on his third assignment of the season.
- The Thunder assigned center Justin Patton to their Oklahoma City affiliate, the team announced. The first-round pick in 2017 has gotten into one game this season and played six minutes.
Court Victory Boosts Clippers’ Arena Prospects
A lawsuit seeking to block the Clippers‘ proposed new arena in Inglewood on the basis that the land should be used for affordable housing was denied today by Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy, writes Jason Henry of The Pasadena Star News.
After hearing legal arguments yesterday, Murphy dismissed the suit filed by the Uplift Inglewood Coalition, a citizens group that was alleging an agreement with the NBA team violates California’s Surplus Land Act, which requires cities to make affordable housing a priority when selling publicly owned land.
City officials contend the land doesn’t qualify as surplus because the stated uses – economic development and aircraft noise mitigation – are permissible under the law. The city purchased properties on the land with a $120MM grant from the Federal Aviation Administration that discourages residential use.
“Under these circumstances, the City did not abuse its discretion in determining the Property remains ‘necessary for the agency’s use’ and is not surplus land,” Murphy wrote in his ruling.
The ruling takes away a significant obstacle for the proposed arena, which the Clippers hope to have ready for the fall of 2024. The project has been targeted by numerous lawsuits since it was announced, including one by the Madison Square Garden Co., which owns the Forum in Los Angeles.
“The people of Inglewood have time and again stood up for, testified for, and voted in favor of this project,” Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts said after today’s ruling was announced. “It would have been a travesty to allow a few malcontents to sabotage so much prosperity for this community.”
Warriors Notes: Future, Russell, Green, Looney
No matter how poorly this season turns out for the Warriors, the franchise is in good position for the future, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Golden State has seen a nightmarish run of injuries dating back to last year’s NBA Finals, and while none of the currently active players were on the roster last season, the situation gives the front office time to assess what they have before trying to jump back into title contention in 2020/21.
Windhorst notes that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are all in the prime of their careers and are under long-term contracts. In addition, the first-round pick the Warriors owe Brooklyn in 2020 is top-20 protected and seems in no danger of conveying. It could wind up high in the lottery and provide another building block for the future. Also, Golden State holds a $17MM trade exception from the Andre Iguodala deal that doesn’t expire until July 7, and the franchise has the top source of revenue in the league thanks to a new arena.
The team also has a prime trade asset in D’Angelo Russell, who becomes eligible to be dealt on December 15. Windhorst believes the Warriors can get another first-round pick and at least a role player for Russell, who is in position to be showcased once he returns from an ankle injury. He adds that if no deal can be reached by the trade deadline, Russell should keep his trade value for the summer.
Willie Cauley-Stein and Alec Burks, who signed with Golden State expecting to be part of a playoff team, suddenly look like valuable trade assets as well, Windhorst adds.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Golden State started three rookies for the third consecutive game tonight, and coach Steve Kerr told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that the immediate focus will be on player development. “While we have guys out, we have to try to bring along our young players, help them develop and give them every opportunity to develop into rotation players, maybe even starters,” Kerr said. “If we can do that, that makes this a successful season or half season, however long it is. And we have a leg up when guys get healthy again.”
- Green, who has a torn ligament in his left index finger, didn’t accompany the team on its current road trip, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He won’t return to action until Monday at the earliest.
- The Warriors are encouraged by the latest tests on Kevon Looney, who is undergoing treatment for a neuropathic condition, Slater adds (Twitter link). The team believes he will be able to play again this season, but he has been ruled out for the next two weeks.
League OK With Kawhi Leonard’s Load Management
The Clippers are hearing complaints after deciding to rest Kawhi Leonard in a pair of nationally televised games, but the NBA has ruled that the load management plan falls within league guidelines, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Leonard will sit out tonight’s home game against the Bucks, depriving viewers of a match-up between reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the MVP of last season’s NBA Finals. L.A. isn’t currently planning to use Leonard in back-to-back situations any time during the season, sources tell Wojnarowski, and the Clippers host Portland tomorrow night.
“Kawhi Leonard is not a healthy player under the league’s resting policy, and, as such, is listed as managing a knee injury in the LA Clippers injury report,” league spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league office, in consultation with the NBA’s director of sports medicine, is comfortable with team medical staff’s determination that Leonard is not sufficiently healthy to play in back-to-back games at this time.”
The Raptors employed the same strategy last year, using Leonard in just 60 regular season games. That preserved him for the playoffs, where he averaged 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 24 games and led Toronto to its first NBA title.
Wojnarowski notes that Leonard hasn’t played on back-to-back nights since April of 2017 when he was still with the Spurs. A quad injury the following season limited him to nine games for the season and led to a falling out with the organization.
“He feels great because of what we’ve been doing,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “There’s no concern here. Our job is to make sure he stays that way.”
Celtics Notes: Hayward, Walker, Fall, Smart
The Celtics may finally have the version of Gordon Hayward that they invested a four-year max deal in, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Two years ago, Hayward suffered a severe ankle injury that wiped out virtually his entire 2017/18 season and limited his effectiveness throughout 2018/19.
But through the first six games of this season, he seems back to his All-Star self, averaging 20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per night while emerging as the leader of Boston’s offense. The latest example came last night as he hit 17-of-20 shots from the field and posted 39 points in a win at Cleveland, then told reporters that he hopes to leave concerns about his ankle in the past.
“I don’t think about it,” Hayward said. “I haven’t thought about it for a while. Hopefully you guys can stop asking me questions about that.”
There’s more Celtics news to pass along:
- Some of Kemba Walker‘s former Hornets teammates shared their memories of him with Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer in advance of Walker’s return to Charlotte tomorrow night. Walker spent eight years in the city and set nearly every franchise scoring record before signing with the Celtics this summer. “If you didn’t know basketball, and you walked into our locker room, you wouldn’t guess that guy was the star,” Nicolas Batum said. “He never acted crazy with any of that star stuff, like skip practice or be lazy today.”
- With the G League season starting soon, fan favorite Tacko Fall will probably only make brief appearances with the Celtics, according to Tom Westerholm of MassLive. Fall is limited to 45 days in the NBA, and the team wants to maximize that time in case early-season injuries to its centers continue. “We’ve played multiple games now down two bigs,” coach Brad Stevens said. “So now we’re going to have him come up for one day (at a time) a lot I think, rather than a week at a time or two weeks at a time.”
- Marcus Smart had an injury scare during a collision last night, relays John Karalis of MassLive. “The oblique again, the exact same one, and it knocked the wind out of me,” Smart said in reference to the torn left oblique that limited his availability in last year’s playoffs. “It was scary because I thought the same thing was about to happen that happened last year. But thank God the oblique is stronger and it’s able to withstand hits like that, so that’s good.”
Cavaliers Notes: Windler, Veterans, Porter, Beilein
Cavaliers rookie Dylan Windler could be ready for his NBA debut next week, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 26th pick in this year’s draft continues to make progress after being sidelined with a stress reaction in his leg. He has been ruled out for the team’s upcoming three-game road trip, which starts Friday, but may be ready for the next home game on November 14.
The Cavs are counting on Windler to add another shooting threat to their lineup, with Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Porter Jr. most likely to lose minutes, Fedor states, noting that Porter still gets lost on defense and slows down the flow of the offense. Cleveland needs a reliable backup for Cedi Osman, and the front office is encouraged by Windler’s performance this summer.
There’s more from Cleveland:
- Brandon Knight, Tristan Thompson, John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova and Clarkson are all veterans on expiring contracts. While the Cavaliers will shop all of them between now and the trade deadline, they will consider long-term deals with whomever who still remains, Fedor adds in the same piece. Management considers all five players to be good for the team culture and accepting of their roles.
- Porter has expressed regret over the one-game suspension he received for running into an official, Fedor relays in a separate story. It happened during Sunday’s game when Porter bumped into Bill Spooner after not getting a foul call. “He was very contrite, very disappointed in himself,” coach John Beilein said. “I didn’t see the bump (at the time). I just saw him running that way and I turned to talk to the assistants. I didn’t even know about it until (general manager) Koby (Altman) told me.”
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens marvels at the Cavs’ progress since the teams met twice in the preseason, Fedor writes in another piece. Boston picked up a victory in Cleveland last night, but Stevens believes Beilein has the team headed in the right direction. “I have a lot of respect for him,” Stevens said. “I watched how they’ve even tweaked and changed since we played him in the preseason. He’s just really advanced, he’s very good. Structurally, they’ve changed so much on offense and defense. I feel like they’ve really adjusted too as they’ve gotten back healthy, playing to the strengths of (Kevin) Love, playing to the strengths of Thompson.”
Troy Caupain Signs With Israeli Team
NOVEMBER 4: Caupain has officially signed with Hapoel Holon, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along.
NOVEMBER 2: Israel may be the next stop for Troy Caupain, who was waived by the Trail Blazers before the start of the season, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Caupain is reportedly in talks with Hapoel Holon, according to a report from Walla Sport of Israel.
A 6’4″ guard out of Cincinnati, Caupain spent last season as a two-way player with the Magic. He got into just four NBA games, but averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 49 games for Lakeland in the G League. The 23-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland in September, but wasn’t able to earn a roster spot.
Caupain’s teammates with Hapoel Holon would include Malachi Richardson, who played briefly for the Raptors last season.
Sixers Notes: Thybulle, Korkmaz, Neto, Richardson
It hasn’t taken long for Matisse Thybulle to become recognized as one of the NBA’s best defenders, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Defense was the calling card for Thybulle when he was selected with the 20th pick in this year’s draft, and his impact has been immediate. He leads the league in steals at 2.8 per game and is second on the team in blocks with 1.4 per night
“I try not to look at the numbers, because for me all the defensive (ones) just come from hustle and just getting lost in the game,” he said. “So it’s exciting to see the numbers. But do I really worry about them? No.
Pacific Notes: George, Fox, Ayton, Curry
The Clippers are getting encouraging signs that Paul George might be ready for action soon, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. George participated in a full-court, three-on-three scrimmage Saturday that lasted about 20 minutes, his most strenuous workout since having offseason surgery on both shoulders.
The team still isn’t offering a timetable for his season debut, and coach Doc Rivers didn’t provide any new information. Rivers speculated last month that George would miss the first 10 games, which would keep him sidelined for at least four more.
“At some point, someone’s going to tell me who can play,” Rivers said yesterday. “I’ve never really gotten involved in it.”
- De’Aaron Fox hasn’t lost faith in new Kings coach Luke Walton despite a rough start, relays Jason Jones of The Athletic. Walton wants Fox to assume more control over the team as the season wears on, and the confidence seems to be reciprocated. “We’re going to ride with him,” Fox said of Walton. “He’s been great since the day that he stepped in. I think we feel like we trust him and he trusts us.”
- Deandre Ayton has served five games of his 25-game suspension, giving the Suns an opportunity to add another player to the roster, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Ayton is now on the suspended list, where he will remain until December 17 unless his appeal is successful. Phoenix already has 15 players with guaranteed contracts, and there has been no indication on whether the team plans to make a roster move.
- A broken hand hasn’t affected Stephen Curry‘s desire to play in the 2020 Olympics, his father tells Marc J. Spears of ESPN. Former NBA star Dell Curry said his son is still looking forward to his first Olympic experience. “That was definitely a goal coming into this year,” he said. “He wants to play in the Olympics. This is a little setback, but hopefully it’s a goal he can strive for through his rehab.” Curry added that Stephen is “doing the best he can” after having surgery this week.
Magic Notes: Fultz, Bamba, Birch, Jefferson
It only took six games for Markelle Fultz to crack the starting lineup in Orlando, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Magic head coach Steve Clifford called Fultz Saturday morning to tell him that he would be replacing D.J. Augustin as a starter for yesterday’s game against the Nuggets.
The reasons for the move go beyond a show of confidence in the top player taken in the 2017 draft. Clifford and his staff believe Fultz’s ability to get into the lane will create better scoring opportunities for the rest of the starting lineup, while Augustin provides another shooter for the second unit with Terrence Ross struggling to score.
“I don’t look too far back, but I’m taking baby steps,” Fultz said after the game. “That’s the biggest thing. I want to take it a step at a time, and I’m just checking stuff off my list. I’ve got to start small. My goal is high, but I’ve got to start with the basics.”
It’s a significant milestone after Fultz saw his season end last November because of thoracic outlet syndrome. Traded to the Magic in February after playing just 33 games in a year and a half in Philadelphia, Fultz has a chance to become a regular contributor for the first time in his NBA career.
There’s more news from Orlando:
- Mo Bamba won’t be used in back-to-back games this season, Robbins tweets. The first instance came this weekend as he was held out of Friday’s game against the Bucks before playing last night. The Magic are being careful with their second-year center after a tibial stress fracture caused him to miss 30 games last year. Orlando has just 11 back-to-backs, tied for the lowest number in the league.
- Reserve center Khem Birch, who has gotten into just two games so far, offered to go to the G League as a way to get playing time, according to John Denton of NBA.com (Twitter link). “How many guys would do that,” Clifford said. “He’s the best, the best.”
- Amile Jefferson will make $9,156 per day while he’s on the Magic roster and will count as a $1.52MM cap hit, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Facing a Monday deadline to reach the 14-man roster minimum, Orlando converted Jefferson’s two-way deal to a standard contract on Friday.