NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/2/19
Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Wizards recalled Troy Brown Jr. and John Jenkins from their Capital City affiliate, the team announced on Twitter. Brown, Washington’s first-round pick in 2018, has appeared in 28 games for the Wizards, while Jenkins, who signed a 10-day contract on Thursday, hasn’t been in the NBA for more than two years.
- The Cavaliers recalled Kobi Simmons from the Canton Charge, the team posted on its website. Simmons, who is on his second 10-day contract with the Cavs, played in Canton’s game this afternoon against Windy City. His is averaging 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32 G League games.
- The Spurs recalled Chimezie Metu from Austin in time for tonight’s game, the team announced in a press release. The rookie forward has played 21 games for San Antonio and 18 in the G League.
Five Key Stories: 1/26/19 – 2/2/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks in a move that unloaded two long-term contracts and opened up cap room for free agency this summer. New York sent Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to Dallas in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and a pair of future first-round picks. The deal gives the Knicks a second chance at Smith, whom they passed over in 2017 to draft Frank Ntilikina.
Anthony Davis shook up the NBA early this week when he submitted a trade request to the Pelicans, telling them he won’t sign a long-term extension. The reaction was immense, with many teams expressing an interest in Davis, but he and his agent have reportedly made it clear that the Lakers are his first choice. If no deal can be reached by Thursday’s deadline, things should heat up even more this summer when the Celtics can get involved.
Boston got a jolt of its own on Friday when Kyrie Irving indicated that he might change his mind about a verbal commitment to re-sign with the Celtics. “Ask me July 1,” he said in response to a question about his future, adding that his career will come first in any decision. Irving is a friend of Davis and is believed to be necessary for Davis to consider a long-term future in Boston.
Carmelo Anthony continues his search for his next team, but he won’t be doing it as part of the Bulls’ roster. Chicago waived him on Friday in order to complete a trade with the Thunder for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
The All-Star reserves were announced this week ahead of Thursday’s draft that will determine who is on which team. Selected were Bradley Beal, Blake Griffin, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo in the East and Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Karl-Anthony Towns in the West. D’Angelo Russell was chosen to replace Oladipo, who is out for the rest of the season.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the past week:
- Davis was fined $50K by the league because his desire to be traded was made public by his agent, Rich Paul. The fine is the largest the NBA can issue without a player being permitted to file a grievance.
- Rockets backup center Marquese Chriss also made a trade request this week, but it didn’t get much notice outside of Houston. Acquired from the Suns in the offseason, Chriss hasn’t seen much playing time, even with an injury to starting center Clint Capela.
- Two longtime veterans were given a chance to play in what could be the final All-Star Game for both. Dwyane Wade, who will retire at the end of the season, and Dirk Nowitzki, who may be in his final year, were added to the game as “special team roster additions.”
- The Porzingis trade was bad news for Ray Spalding, who was waived to enable the deal to be completed. Dallas sent out four players and only took back three, so it needed to open a roster spot.
- The Sixers will be without a key piece for the next two to three weeks as Wilson Chandler was sidelined with a right quadriceps strain.
- Grizzlies forward Omri Casspi will have surgery on his right knee to fix a meniscus tear.
- The Jazz reportedly have “very real” interest in trading for Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. Memphis may also move center Marc Gasol, but teams are waiting for the asking price to go down.
- The Sixers are looking at Atlanta’s Dwayne Dedmon in their search for a backup center.
- The Mavericks are targeting Magic center Nikola Vucevic as a possible free agent addition this summer.
- Isaiah Canaan is back in the NBA after suffering a severely dislocated ankle last season. He signed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/26/19 – 2/2/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We rated every team’s chances of landing Pelicans star Anthony Davis.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch continued with a look at the Central Division.
- We conducted our weekly Chat ahead of the trade deadline.
- Fantasy basketball expert Chris Crouse examined the impact of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
- Luke Adams broke down the financial and salary cap implications of the Porzingis blockbuster.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround post, we asked:
- Did the Knicks or Mavericks get the best of the Porzingis deal?
Lakers Called Pistons About Reggie Bullock
The Lakers are among several teams that have contacted the Pistons about swingman Reggie Bullock, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Detroit is listening to offers for Bullock, but hasn’t been tempted by anything it has heard so far, according to Ganguli.
The 27-year-old has a $2.5MM expiring contract, so he wouldn’t impact the Lakers’ cap situation for free agency this summer. Ganguli doesn’t specify what L.A. was offering in return.
Bullock is averaging a career-best 11.8 points per night through 41 games and would give the Lakers some much-needed outside shooting help. He is hitting at a 37.1% clip from 3-point range this season, which is slightly below his career average of 39.2%.
Pelicans Plan To Hold Onto Jrue Holiday
The Pelicans are turning down all offers for Jrue Holiday, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. There has been speculation that New Orleans might launch a full rebuilding project in the wake of Anthony Davis‘ trade request, but so far the front office hasn’t budged on its plan to keep Holiday.
The 10th-year guard is enjoying his best season since joining the Pelicans six years ago. He is posting career highs with 21.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and his 8.0 assists per night match his career best mark set with Philadelphia in 2012/13, which was his only All-Star season.
Holiday could serve as the cornerstone in New Orleans once Davis is gone. He is signed through the 2020/21 season, making $25,976,111 in each of the next two years, and has a $26.865MM player option for 2021/22. He is the only Pelicans player with a contract that runs past next season.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests there would be “a line of teams outside the Pelicans’ training facility” if Holiday ever became available in trade talks (Twitter link). Marks states Holiday’s combination of production and value put him on a level with Wizards guard Bradley Beal as a trade asset.
Latest On Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis has no interest in remaining sidelined while the Pelicans work out his future, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. In his first public statements since making his trade request, Davis said he will get his injured left index finger re-evaluated after Saturday’s game in San Antonio and intends to return to action once he is medically cleared.
Davis hasn’t played since January 18 because of a volar plate avulsion fracture. There has been speculation that the Pelicans will keep him sidelined until at least the trade deadline and possibly even the rest of the season to prevent further injury in anticipation of a deal. New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that Davis won’t be able to play this week (Twittter link), adding that there’s nothing else to stay about his future status (Twitter link from Scott Kushner of The Advocate).
Speaking with reporters today, Davis insisted he never gave the Pelicans “a timetable or a destination” regarding his desire to be traded (Twitter link). He explained that he felt like he has accomplished all he could in New Orleans and wants to try a new challenge, relays Stefano Fusaro on ESPN Now.
“I just feel like it is my time,” Davis said. “Gave the city, organization, fans, everything I felt like I could do. I don’t know how long I’m going to play this game. People’s careers are short. I felt like it is my time to move on.”
There’s more Davis-related news today:
- The Lakers remain Davis’ first choice in any trade, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Knicks are also high on his list and made an offer to the Pelicans that included Kristaps Porzingis before trading him to Dallas yesterday. Porzingis had no plans to sign a long-term deal with New Orleans if he had gone there, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link).
- The Celtics may try to collect trade chips to improve an eventual offer to New Orleans, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Boston is investigating the cost of acquiring a few young players who might interest the Pelicans. Management in New Orleans wants to avoid trading Davis to L.A., Windhorst adds, and might be waiting for summer when the Celtics can get involved in the bidding.
- Davis’ representatives have put out a message that he won’t re-sign with the Celtics in 2020 unless Kyrie Irving remains with the team, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News. Irving seems to be having second thoughts about the verbal commitment he made to stay in Boston and may explore his free agency options this summer. However, front-office sources tell Deveney that the statements from Davis’ camp might be a “smokescreen” to scare off the Celtics and give Davis an easier path to L.A. If Irving does leave, the Celtics would likely drop out of the bidding for Davis without a commitment that they can keep him past next season. That may leave the Pelicans without a strong alternative to sending Davis to the Lakers, which Deveney also states that the front office is trying to avoid.
Sixers, Jazz Express Interest In Nikola Mirotic
Behind the Anthony Davis drama, the Pelicans are ready to start taking their current roster apart in exchange for future assets, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News. He adds that their most enticing trade piece is stretch forward Nikola Mirotic, who is drawing interest from both the Sixers and Jazz.
New Orleans is seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Mirotic, who has been sidelined for the past week with what Deveney calls “a so-called calf strain.” A league source tells him that the Sixers, who have needed forward help since sending Dario Saric and Robert Covington to Minnesota in the Jimmy Butler trade, have contacted the Pelicans about Mirotic. Philadelphia owns all of its future first-rounders, along with Miami’s in 2021, and a wealth of second-rounders, including the Bulls’ this year, the Knicks’ and Nets next season and four in 2021.
The Jazz, who were considered frontrunners to wind up with Mirotic when the Bulls were looking to move him last season, are also in the mix, Deveney adds. It’s uncertain whether Utah is willing to part with starting forward Derrick Favors or would offer young players such as Raul Neto and Tony Bradley in addition to a first-round pick.
Deveney notes that other teams could still enter the race for Mirotic, such as the Trail Blazers, who are seeking to add roster depth, and the Rockets, who have been eyeing him for a long time.
Mirotic, 27, is averaging 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds through 32 games and is shooting 36.8% from 3-point range. He is making $12.5MM on an expiring contract.
Nowitzki, Wade Added To All-Star Game
A pair of NBA veterans will make one last All-Star appearance before retirement, as the league announced today that Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade will be “special team roster additions” for the February 17 game.
“Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade embody the best of the NBA: remarkable skill, drive and professionalism as well as a deep devotion to strengthening their communities and growing the game around the world,” said NBA commisioner Adam Silver. “As a global celebration of basketball, our All-Star Game is an ideal setting to salute these first-class NBA champions and Finals MVPs.”
Nowitzki and Wade won’t be part of the regular draft when LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo choose up sides on February 7. They will be selected in a third round that allows each team to add a 13th player. The remaining eight starters as chosen by the fans will be taken in the first round, with the reserves going in the second round.
This will be the 14th All-Star appearance for Nowitzki, who is in his 21st NBA season, all with the Mavericks. He is the seventh-leading scorer in league history with 31,275 points, has made 12 All-NBA teams and has won both an MVP and Finals MVP award. He hasn’t announced his retirement plans, but there is speculation that this will be his final season.
Wade, who is conducting his “Last Dance” tour around the league, will be headed to the game for the 13th time. He was named All-Star MVP in 2010 and put together a triple-double in 2012. He has won three NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal and was named MVP of the 2006 Finals.
Wade was an eight-time selection to the All-NBA team and made three appearances on the All-Defensive Team. He is the Heat’s career leader in points, assists, steals, field goals made, free throws made and games played.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sixers Interested In Dewayne Dedmon
The Sixers have shown interest in acquiring Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, but they may have to part with Markelle Fultz to get a deal done.
Philadelphia has a need for more athleticism and defense off its bench, which Dedmon would provide. The 29-year-old is averaging 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in his second season with Atlanta.
The Sixers have been reluctant to part with Fultz, even though he has played just 33 games since being selected first overall in the 2017 draft. He remains sidelined indefinitely with thoracic outlet syndrome and continues to do rehab work on his shoulder.
At $8.3MM, Fultz is a rare mid-level contract on a team that has nine players making less than $5MM, Bontemps notes. Dedmon has a $7.2MM expiring contract, but Philadelphia may not have anything else that the Hawks want for salary matching purposes if Fultz isn’t included.
The Sixers thinned out their bench by sending Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Minnesota in the trade for Jimmy Butler. Coach Brett Brown tried Furkan Korkmaz as a backup forward, but teams were exploiting his defensive weaknesses too frequently to leave him in the lineup, according to Bontemps. Brown has attempted to turn backup center Mike Muscala into a power forward, but it’s tough for him to guard smaller and more mobile players at that position.
Lakers Notes: Zubac, Trade Candidates, Walton, LeBron
Third-year center Ivica Zubac has gone from a little-used player at the end of the Lakers‘ bench to a possible component of an Anthony Davis trade, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Given an opportunity to play, the 21-year-old has averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds over the past 10 games and has become a frequent part of trade rumors.
“He’s been great. That’s more of the norm in this league, you kind of develop your habits, you play, you get frustrated. … Consistency is a challenge for a young player,” coach Luke Walton said. “You fall out of the rotation. You get hungry and you keep working and you come back in. With him, he’s always had a great attitude and he’s worked hard.”
It’s the Lakers’ collection of young talent — some combination of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart — that would get a deal done, Woike notes, but Zubac could be valuable as a filler. Still, L.A. wouldn’t mind keeping him to provide bulk against the other Western Conference big men.
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- Walton met individually with the players rumored to be involved in the Davis deal, just as he did last season when talk emerged that the team was going to clear cap room for a run at LeBron James, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. A source says the speculation is “weighing heavily” on some of the players who may be headed to New Orleans, although another source said Pelicans GM Dell Demps is “not picking up his phone” to discuss a trade.
- Walton tells Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register that James is “just happy to be back on the basketball court again” as he nears a return from a groin strain that has sidelined him for more than a month. James has been participating more in practice lately, rather than spending time in the training room, and has been staying late for extra shooting. “I don’t think he’s going full out yet,” Walton said. “Haven’t really seen him drive the lane and tomahawk dunk on anyone but he’s moving, he’s moving well and he’s getting up and down the court and he’s shooting well. He doesn’t look like he’s hurting at all when he moves.”
- Tom Ziller of SB Nation offers some unusual advice to the Lakers to improve their chances of landing Davis — tanking for the rest of the season. While he admits it’s unlikely that L.A. would consider that strategy, Ziller notes that the team is 6-11 since James’ injury and that a mid-lottery pick would be another valuable asset to offer the Pelicans.