And-Ones: G League, T. Robinson, Hawes, Ajinca
More G League players than ever are either leaving their teams for personal reasons or being “removed from a team,” writes Adam Johnson of 2 Ways and 10 Days. Terrence Jones, who recently completed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Rockets, is the latest example, as Johnson tweets that he has been removed from the active roster of the Erie BayHawks.
Jeff Ledbetter, Lavoy Allen, Jarnell Stokes, Raphiael Putney, Quincy Acy, DeAndre Liggins and Chris McCullough have also left their G League teams this season for various reasons. Some ultimately returned, but Johnson sees the pattern as an issue for the league. He notes the stress involved in being so close to the big leagues can make players react poorly if they have a bad game in front of NBA scouts.
Johnson urges new G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim to expand the availability of mental health services available to players and encourage more discussion on the topic, just like the NBA did after revelations from Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- Former NBA forward Thomas Robinson, who signed a G League contract this week, has been claimed on waivers by the Celtics‘ affiliate in Maine, Johnson tweets. The league mistakenly awarded Robinson to the Red Claws a day early, as players must spend at least 48 hours on waivers unless they are claimed by the team with the top waiver spot. Robinson prefers to go to Maine, and Johnson states that still appears to be his destination (Twitter link). The fifth player selected in the 2012 draft, Robinson played for six NBA teams in five seasons.
- Spencer Hawes has been impressive in the G League and is “on the radar” for an NBA call-up, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Playing for the Lakers‘ affiliate, Hawes had a 29-point game last night and is shooting 59% from 3-point range.
- A few unlikely teams appear to have done very well at the trade deadline, according to Matt John of Basketball Insiders. Many observers thought the Clippers were giving up on this season when they traded away leading scorer Tobias Harris, but they got a nice collection of young talent and future assets in return and acquired Ivica Zubac from the Lakers in a separate deal. The Clippers have solidified a playoff spot at 40-30 and appear in stronger position to make an offseason run at Kawhi Leonard. The Pistons only made minor moves, John adds, but trading away Stanley Johnson and Reggie Bullock created more playing time for Luke Kennard and Wayne Ellington, who have helped Detroit to a 10-4 record since the deadline. The Grizzlies have been playing better since unloading Marc Gasol, JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple. Avery Bradley and Jonas Valanciunas have been standouts in Memphis and have increased the chances that the Grizzlies will convey their first-round pick to the Celtics this year rather than having to worry about it in the future.
- Italian club Grison Bon Reggio Emilia has expressed interest in former NBA center Alexis Ajinca, who left his French team last week, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
MRI Set For C.J. McCollum
10:11pm: Blazers coach Terry Stotts said X-rays were negative and McCollum will fly back to Portland with the team for more tests, Quick tweets. McCollum also confirmed to Quick that it’s his knee that is hurting (Twitter link). He said the knee “does not feel normal” (Twitter link).
9:51pm: Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum will have an MRI on his left knee tomorrow after injuring it in tonight’s game at San Antonio, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
McCollum had to be helped off the court in the third quarter when he crashed to the ground on a drive to the basket and was stepped on by Spurs center Jakob Poeltl. He appeared to be putting some weight on the ankle as he exited, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Blazers announced that he was out for the remainder of the game and called it simply “a left leg injury,” tweets beat reporter Casey Holdahl.
It would be a huge setback for Portland to lose McCollum, who has helped to propel the Blazers into fourth place in the West. Part of a dynamic backcourt with Damian Lillard, McCollum is averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting better than 38% from 3-point range.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/16/19
Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Rockets assigned Gary Clark to the Rio Grande Vipers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. It’s the second G League trip this month for the rookie forward, who is averaging 2.9 PPG in 42 games with Houston.
- The Wizards recalled high-scoring guard Jordan McRae from Capital City Go-Go, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. McRae tops the G League scoring race at 30.4 PPG in 30 games.
Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon Out Indefinitely
The Bucks may have to go through the stretch run without Malcolm Brogdon, who is out indefinitely with a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Brogdon will likely be sidelined six to eight weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The team confirmed the injury on its website, noting that Brogdon had an MRI and a medical exam today that revealed the tear. The Bucks said his status “will be updated as appropriate.”
Brogdon played just seven minutes Friday night before being pulled from the game because of a sore heel. He has been battling plantar fasciitis recently and had to miss a game earlier this month.
The injury robs Milwaukee of a key starter with the playoffs less than a month away. The former Rookie of the Year is putting up career-best numbers in his third NBA season, averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night through 64 games. He’s leading the league in free throw percentage at 92.8% and is on pace for the 14th 50/40/90 season in NBA history.
Southeast Notes: Carter-Williams, Hornets, McRae
A familiarity with Magic coach Steve Clifford and his staff made signing with Orlando an easy decision for Michael Carter-Williams, relays Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel. Carter-Williams, who played for Clifford last season with the Hornets, inked a 10-day deal with the Magic yesterday to provide point guard depth after the loss of Isaiah Briscoe.
“Knowing the coaches and having a relationship with them makes it definitely easy for me to fit in, just to come in right away and already know some of the plays and defensive schemes and be ready to go,” Carter-Williams said.
He had been out of the NBA since being waived by the Bulls on January 7, shortly after being acquired in a trade with the Rockets. He is thrilled to get another shot at the NBA after averaging just 9.1 minutes in 16 games with Houston.
“Orlando was one of my places that I actually wanted to go,” Carter-Williams added. “I felt like it was a good spot for me. I felt like I could come in right away and help. And then having Coach Cliff, I know the system already, so when they called it was kind of a no-brainer.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Hornets fan may have to wait another year before management can drastically remake the team, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Bismack Biyombo ($17MM), Marvin Williams ($15MM) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13MM) all have player options they are expected to exercise this summer. Bonnell expects the team to keep all three for another year rather than trying to seek trades, which would involve giving up other assets.
- The Hornets will take another look at whether to use a $7,819,725 trade exception in early July, Bonnell adds in the same piece. The exception expires on July 6, and the team will likely know the fate of free agents Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb by then. If both decide to leave Charlotte, the trade exception could be an easy path for the team to acquire a veteran replacement.
- Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters before tonight’s game that Jordan McRae could be spending a lot of time with the team through the end of the season, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. McRae is on a two-way contract, but his 45-day NBA limit won’t matter once the G League season ends on March 23.
Brandon Ingram Expected To Recover in 3-4 Months
Brandon Ingram should be recovered well before the start of training camp after undergoing surgery on his right arm today, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The operation was necessary after a medical exam last week revealed deep venous thrombosis, which is caused by a blood clot, prompting the Lakers to shut down Ingram for the rest of the season. Surgeons removed the clot today, which should help facilitate blood flow.
“This couldn’t have been a better set of facts for a clot,” Ingram’s agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, told McMenamin.
Schwartz also explained that Ingram’s condition differs from other high-profile blood clot cases such as Chris Bosh and Mirza Teletovic. Ingram’s blood clots stemmed from the makeup of his body instead of his blood.
“It’s a night and day difference between a hematological issue, or a blood issue however you want to put it, and a structural issue,” Schwartz said. “This was not related to his blood producing something that would cause blood clots. This was purely structural.”
Ingram is projected to make a full recovery in three to four months, which would be in late June or July. The normal recovery from this type of operation involves taking blood thinners for a month or two, but not longer. Sources told McMenamin that Ingram could likely resume basketball activities in about eight weeks and should be fully healthy another month or two later.
The operation comes at a crucial time in Ingram’s career. He is eligible to receive a rookie scale extension from the Lakers this summer and has been rumored as part of trade proposals to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. Ingram was putting up his best stats this season, averaging 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and was scoring 27.8 PPG since the All-Star break.
Justin Bibbs Signs 10-Day Deal With Clippers
9:50pm: The Clippers have officially signed Bibbs to a 10-day contract and assigned him to their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the club announced tonight (Twitter link).
8:56am: The Clippers will sign Justin Bibbs to a 10-day contract today, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
The rookie guard has averaged 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while playing with the Maine Red Claws of the G League. He went undrafted out of Virginia Tech last year and was in training camp with the Celtics before being waived prior to the start of the season.
The Clippers have been carrying a roster opening for more than a month, so they won’t have to make another move before adding Bibbs. His signing will give them a full 15-man roster, with 14 guaranteed contracts.
Kristaps Porzingis Returns To Practice For Mavs
3:35pm: Porzingis practiced with no restrictions today, according to Carlisle (Twitter link via Townsend). However, team owner Mark Cuban said there are still no plans to return to game action for Dallas this season (Twitter link).
9:55am: Kristaps Porzingis could participate in his first practice with the Mavericks today, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
It’s a surprising development after coach Rick Carlisle said last week that the prospects for Porzingis being ready to practice before the end of the season were “doubtful.” However, the 23-year-old has been able to move through the rehab process since being acquired from the Knicks at the end of January. He showed few lingering effects of last year’s ACL injury as he played a 1-on-1 game Friday against Kostas Antetokounmpo, then moved onto a 3-on-3 workout yesterday.
“KP is doing very well,” Carlisle said. “I watched him play a live 3-on-3 game this morning and do a lot of spectacular things and a lot of simple things with a great degree of specialization. The prospect of him being with us on the court is extremely exciting. But we’re not there yet. But he’s ramping it up and he’ll be practicing with us sometime soon.”
Although there are still no plans to use Porzingis in a game this season, there is plenty of optimism in Dallas over the latest developments. In a TNT interview, Porzingis said he has been “feeling great” and intends to practice today “with no restrictions at all.”
“I’m super-excited about the opportunity to be back on the court soon,” he said. “I’m getting the itch. I’ve been getting the itch for a looong time to get back on the court. And now that I’m actually with the team, a hundred percent, I just can’t wait.”
Seeing Porzingis healthy and productive again would be reassuring to the Mavericks as they head into a summer where he will be eligible for a five-year extension worth up to $158MM. It also sends a message to any free agents Dallas might be chasing with an estimated $30MM in cap room.
The Mavericks are 14th in the Western Conference with a 27-40 record, but are hoping to quickly build a contender based around Porzingis, rookie Luka Doncic, and a splashy free agent signing.
“I like everything I see in him,” Carlisle said of Porzingis. “I like the disposition, I like the mental approach, I like the attention to detail, I like the seriousness, I like the detailed approach to developing his craft and skill. And it’s certainly exciting.”
LaMarcus Aldridge Considers Eventual Return To Portland
A thawing in the once-frosty relationship between Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge could lead to Aldridge eventually returning to the Trail Blazers, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
Aldridge, who spent his first nine seasons in Portland, remains second on the team’s career scoring list, with Lillard likely to pass him soon. They had a strained relationship during their three years as teammates that was caused by a sense of awkwardness rather than any specific incident. With Aldridge as an established veteran and Lillard as a high lottery pick who was billed as the team’s future star, they never figured out how to relate to one another. The resulting tension played a role in Aldridge’s decision to leave in free agency in 2015.
Jamal Crawford eventually took on the role as peacemaker, encouraging Lillard and Aldridge to reach out to one another. Their relationship has improved to the point that Aldridge is considering a reunion.
“You never know,” he said. “But of course, if we had a better relationship, it changes the whole outlook of how it went. It’s sad that not talking like we do now could have changed history. But everything happens for a reason. He has flourished in that role, and I keep telling him I’m going to come back and finish there. That’s something him and I have talked about — playing together again.”
Aldridge returning to Portland is unlikely to happen soon. He is signed through the 2020/21 season, making $50MM over the next two years. He has put together back-to-back All-Star appearances and is the second-leading scorer on a Spurs team that has risen to sixth in the West, so there’s no reason for San Antonio to put him on the trading block.
Aldridge will be nearly 36 when he hits free agency in the summer of 2021, so he may decide that’s when he wants to to end his career in Portland. He admits he handled the situation with Lillard poorly and wouldn’t mind returning to the Blazers to make amends.
“I didn’t want to make him think I was stifling his growth, or have a mindset that I was hating on him, so I didn’t say anything to him,” Aldridge said. “That was the wrong approach, because he told me he would have liked guidance and a big brother.”
Lakers Notes: Ball, Ingram, LeBron, Trade Talks
Lonzo Ball was hoping it wouldn’t be necessary, but he understands the Lakers‘ decision to shut him down for the rest of the season, writes Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times.
Ball hasn’t played since January 19 when he injured his ankle driving to the basket. He feared it was broken at first, but it turned out to be a Grade 3 sprain, which involves a torn ligament. He was given a four- to six-week prognosis to return, but a bone bruise in the ankle is keeping him out longer.
“It’s just the situation I’m in right now,” Ball said of the Lakers’ decision to end his season early. “So I have no problem with it.”
Ball, who saw his rookie season cut short because of a knee injury, is still traveling with the team and is looking forward to an opportunity to train this summer, which he couldn’t do last offseason. He said he had finally started playing the way he hopes to about five games before hurting his ankle.
There’s more news from Los Angeles:
- The blood clot issue that forced the Lakers to shut down Brandon Ingram is affecting his trade value, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. L.A. offered Ingram to the Pelicans last month as the centerpiece of an Anthony Davis deal, but Windhorst doubts that New Orleans would be as interested in Ingram now, even if doctors were to find that he has a low chance for the blood clots to recur. Ingram’s status is also complicated because he’s eligible for a contract extension this summer, and Windhorst doesn’t believe any team could get insurance to cover future blood clot issues.
- LeBron James is still “fully committed” to the Lakers despite a rocky first season in L.A. and the uncertainty of whether the team can land another star or two, Windhorst adds in the same story. James told Michael Lee of the Athletic that he believes the Lakers will return to the playoffs during his time there and he has given no thought to shutting down this season. “I live being a professional,” James said. “I live playing every game like it’s my last, no matter what’s going on. You finish up strong. That’s just who I am.”
- Sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe that the Davis trade talks “sapped morale” for some players. He adds that team president Magic Johnson’s lecture after the deadline about treating players “like babies” had the same effect.