Northwest Notes: Thomas, Plumlee, Rose, Wolves
Isaiah Thomas hasn’t played since signing with the Nuggets over the summer, but he is having a huge impact on the team, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Thomas has become a mentor to younger players and a vocal leader on an otherwise quiet team.
“To have his voice in our locker room, to help some of these younger guys out, it takes a lot of load off myself,” said Paul Millsap, the only other player on Denver’s roster older than 30.
Thomas expects to return soon from a lingering hip injury and hopes to re-establish himself after a nightmarish 2017/18 season that began with a trade out of Boston, where had become a fan favorite and an MVP candidate. He missed his first two months in Cleveland, then took the blame for the team’s defensive and chemistry problems when he did start playing. The Cavaliers shipped him to the Lakers, who elected not to re-sign him when the season ended.
“For my wife and my family, it’s definitely been difficult,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve been three places in less than one year, so it’s like, I’m tired of moving.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Mason Plumlee‘s teammate’s consider him the NBA’s “most underrated player,” Singer relays in a separate story. Although his stats aren’t impressive, Plumlee leads the Nuggets in field goal percentage, takes the toughest assignments on defense and is an important part of a bench unit that is tied for the second-highest plus-minus rating in the league. Coach Michael Malone believes Plumlee should be considered as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, even though the award usually goes to big scorers.
- Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose also wants to be considered for the Sixth Man award, according to Chris Pine of The Star Tribune. The former MVP has settled into a reserve role since coming to Minnesota and is averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting a career high .494 from 3-point territory. “I would like winning Sixth Man of the Year,” Rose said. “I don’t think that’s anything bad to say or a bad goal with me coming off the bench. I want to be the best bench player.”
- Adding Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the Jimmy Butler trade has turned the Timberwolves into a much better rebounding team, Pine notes in the same story. Since the deal, Minnesota has upped its defensive rebounding percentage from 67% to 73%.
Cavaliers Waive Preston, Harrison, Sign Blossomgame, Jones
The Cavaliers have replaced both of their players on two-way contracts, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland waived Billy Preston and Andrew Harrison and signed Jaron Blossomgame and Jalen Jones.
Blossomgame, a second-round pick by the Spurs in 2017, was recently acquired in a trade by Cleveland’s G League affiliate in Canton. The 25-year-old averaged 17.2 PPG in five games with the Charge while shooting 49% from the floor and 38% on 3-pointers.
Jones, also 25, played 16 games last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks. He started the year as a two-way player in New Orleans, then was claimed off waivers by Dallas in January. Fedor speculates that he may remain with the Cavs for a few games, rather than being sent to the G League right away, because David Nwaba is sidelined with a sore knee.
Preston signed a two-way deal with Cleveland in July, but hasn’t advanced above the G League. Fedor states that the Cavaliers talked about calling him up as insurance with the recent rash of injuries, but management decided he wasn’t ready to contribute at the NBA level.
The Cavs signed Harrison on November 9 to provide an extra ball-handler with George Hill hurt. Hill returned to the lineup last night and Alec Burks, acquired in a trade with the Jazz this week, will help run the offense, which eliminates the need to keep Harrison. He had played in 10 of the team’s past 11 games and was averaging 4.3 PPG.
Fred Hoiberg’s Job In Jeopardy?
Now that the Bulls are getting healthy, management will take a critical look at coach Fred Hoiberg’s performance, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago is off to a 5-19 start, 14th in the Eastern Conference, but much of that record has been compiled with a depleted roster. Lauri Markkanen made his season debut last night after recovering from a sprained right elbow. Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis, both sidelined with knee injuries, are making progress and are expected back soon.
That will kick off a crucial portion of the schedule for Hoiberg, who isn’t guaranteed to keep his job for the rest of the season, Cowley states. The front office will consider wins and losses in its evaluation, but most important will be the development of the team’s young core of players.
This is the fourth year in Chicago for Hoiberg, who has compiled a 115-155 record so far with just one playoff appearance. His five-year, $25MM contract is guaranteed, so he will be paid in full even if he gets dismissed early. However, Cowley notes that the organization owed Tom Thibodeau $9MM when he was fired, so money won’t be a concern.
The final decision will be up to owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who will gather input from GM Gar Forman, VP of basketball operations John Paxson and COO Michael Reinsdorf. Unless the team improves quickly with a healthy roster, Cowley isn’t optimistic about Hoiberg’s chances.
Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Knox, Robinson, Vonleh
Frank Ntilikina is the latest victim of coach David Fizdale’s changing rotation, never leaving the bench in Saturday night’s win over the Bucks, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks were down a guard after Trey Burke sprained his right knee in the first minute of the game, but Fizdale never turned to Ntilikina, making it the first DNP-CD of his brief NBA career.
“It’s not frustration,” Ntilikina said after the game. “I think it’s motivation because as a competitor, you want to be out there on the court to help your team. My job and my mindset is to keep working harder to be able to get back on the court.”
Ntilikina has started 14 games this season, but has seen his playing time reduced while suffering through a shooting slump. Fizdale has remained supportive and issued a reminder that other players have found themselves in the same situation.
“As you could see with these guys, none of them are ever in the dungeon,” Fizdale said. “He was the example of my postgame speech because if you watch our bench tonight, he was the most energetic, the first one up, the first one rooting guys on, the one making sure people knew what they were supposed to do coming out of timeouts. And that’s not easy when you’re getting a DNP. But as you know and as they know, I will come back to him in no time. [Damyean Dotson] is a perfect testament of that.”
There’s more this morning from New York:
- Kevin Knox responded to league-wide questions about his ability with a career-best performance Saturday, notes Kevin Kernan of The New York Post. Knox scored 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, as New York knocked off one of the league’s best teams. “Fiz is always going to have confidence in me,” the rookie forward said. “He just wants me to keep playing hard. He talked to me about that the other day. It shows how much confidence in me to keep me out there the whole game.”
- Fizdale is willing to endure the growing pains for Knox and Mitchell Robinson and won’t consider a trip to the G League for either one, Popper relays in a separate story. “I’ve got a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old trying to figure out the NBA, the league that’s full of the absolute best players in the world, the best coaches in the world, doing it in the absolute toughest market in America,” Fizdale said. “Give them a break. These guys are learning on the fly.”
- In an interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post, Noah Vonleh explains why he chose the Knicks in free agency.
Woj: Nets Have Price In Mind For Spencer Dinwiddie
The Nets would “very much like to keep” guard Spencer Dinwiddie, but only at the right price, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski said today in an interview with Fordham’s student radio station (hat tip to NetsDaily).
Wojnarowski wouldn’t speculate on how much Brooklyn’s front office is willing to give Dinwiddie, but it’s obviously less than the four-year, $47.5MM extension he’s eligible to receive starting next Saturday. The Nets have until the end of June to finalize an extension with Dinwiddie, who is currently making the league minimum. He will become a free agent July 1 if no deal is in place by then.
“I think the Nets would very much like to keep him and keep him long term but again, it’s negotiation,” Wojnarowski said. “It will be at a number — I don’t know what the number is for Brooklyn — but I’m sure they have in their minds a sense of what they’re willing to do and then how does that measure up to what the other options are, what it does to their cap space, what they want to do with D’Angelo Russell.”
Dinwiddie is having a career year in a reserve role, averaging 15.9 PPG and shooting 37% from 3-point range. Wojnarowski believes there will be a strong market for Dinwiddie if he reaches free agency and predicts the Nets will try to re-sign him if they can’t come to terms on an extension.
Wojnarowski touched on a few other topics in the interview, saying:
- The Nets are unlikely to trade for an “established player” this season. Management seems content to keep the current core in place and try to make additions through free agency.
- The Knicks seem like a long shot to land Kevin Durant because they don’t have a strong foundation already in place. He noted that elite free agents have historically gone to teams that are already equipped to contend for a title.
- The Wizards would demand a high price if they elect to trade Bradley Beal. However, they may have to take on a long-term contract to unload the $81MM they still owe to Otto Porter.
- Nothing is expected to happen with Sixers guard Markelle Fultz until “more clarity” is obtained on his physical condition.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/1/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Hornets sent forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte’ Graham to the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced on its website. This is the first G League assignment of the season for Bacon, who has appeared in 13 games for Charlotte and is averaging 6.4 points per night. It’s the third time for Graham, who has gotten into eight NBA games.
- The Spurs assigned Chimezie Metu to their Austin affiliate, according to the team website. He has appeared in 12 games with San Antonio.
- The Pistons have recalled Luke Kennard from Auburn Hills, the team announced in an email. Kennard is recovering from an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder that has sidelined him for the past 15 games.
- The Pelicans sent rookie Kenrich Williams to the G League, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. New Orleans doesn’t have a direct affiliate, so Williams has been assigned to the Westchester Knicks.
- The Knicks called up center Luke Kornet from Westchester and placed him on the active list for tonight’s game, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Rockets recalled guard Brandon Knight from their Rio Grande affiliate, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston.
Texas Notes: House, Knight, Spurs, Jordan
The Rockets like what they have seen from Danuel House since signing him out of the G League on Monday, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Short on players because of injuries, Houston turned to House and gave him crunch-time minutes in his first game. He is averaging 25.3 minutes in three games and has responded with 10.0 points per night.
“I like Danuel a lot,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s very athletic. He’s a bigger three/four that we can use. He runs the floor, not afraid of the moment. He belongs in the NBA.”
House has previous NBA experience, getting into 23 games with Phoenix last season and one with Washington as a rookie in 2016/17. He played with the Rockets’ summer league team this year, but joined the Warriors for training camp. He returned to Houston’s G League affiliate after being waived.
D’Antoni didn’t commit to keeping House in the rotation, but said, “We’ll see how the roster shakes out down the road. For right now, we’ll try to use him.”
There’s more NBA news out of Texas:
- Rockets guard Brandon Knight showed signs of progress in scoring 16 points and handing out five assists Friday while making his season debut in the G League, Feigen relays in a separate story. Knight, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Suns, is still rehabbing from an ACL tear in his left knee and hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season. “He’s just trying to work his way back,” D’Antoni said. “He’s a ways off. That was a good first step obviously. He got on the court. Our trainers were happy with the way he looked and the way he feels. But to get what we need, it’s still a ways.”
- The Spurs are emphasizing team unity after suffering a pair of embarrassing losses this week, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. After an offseason that featured the loss of longtime team leaders Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the players are concerned about upholding the traditions in San Antonio. “It’s the big picture,” said Patty Mills, who is now the longest-tenured Spur on the roster. “It’s who we represent when we put these jerseys on.”
- The Mavericks went on a hot streak after concerns about DeAndre Jordan being “selfish” came to light, and Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence. He suggests the team benefited from the public scrutiny of Jordan, which helped to resolve the situation.
Cavaliers Notes: Korver, Burks, Hill, Sexton
The Cavaliers‘ decision to trade Kyle Korver to the Jazz on Wednesday was made because the team wanted to move him while he was still healthy and productive, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Korver has a history of foot issues, most recently causing him to miss two games last month. Korver has been on the market for a while and the Cavs didn’t want to take the chance of another injury derailing a deal.
Cleveland had been hoping to get a first-round pick in exchange for the 37-year-old sharpshooter, Pluto adds, and although several teams were interested in acquiring Korver, no one was willing to part with a first-rounder. Several Cavaliers teammates were upset to lose Korver, who had a 22-point game on Monday.
There’s more news today out of Cleveland:
- Alec Burks, whom the Cavs acquired in the Korver deal, is thrilled about the chance for more playing time, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Burks already has a connection to Rodney Hood and George Hill, his former teammates in Utah, and to coach Larry Drew, who played against Burks’ father. “Opportunity is everything in this league,” Burks said. “I feel like I have a great one here. Just trying to take advantage of it and help my new team win.” However, Fedor points out that Burks’ stay in Cleveland might be brief. He has an $11.5MM expiring contract that could make him attractive to a contender before the February 7 trade deadline.
- Hill is returning to action tonight after missing more than three weeks with a sprained shoulder, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Drew confirmed that Hill is ready to go, adding that rookie Collin Sexton will remain in the starting lineup as the shooting guard.
- The Cavaliers made a couple of housekeeping moves this week, according to the Real GM transactions page, renouncing their free-agent exception rights to Shawn Marion and James Jones. Marion retired in 2015, while Jones called it quits in 2017 and serves as interim GM of the Suns.
Deal With Allonzo Trier May Not Be Easy For Knicks
Allonzo Trier has been a standout among two-way players this season, but signing him to a more conventional deal might not be easy as it sounds for the Knicks, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
There’s no question that New York wants to keep Trier, who is averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting 45% from 3-point range. But that doesn’t mean negotiations won’t get tricky. The Knicks could convert Trier’s deal to a standard NBA contract without his consent, but that would make him a restricted free agent at the end of the season. If they negotiate a contract, they are limited to a league minimum offer for just two years because they’re over the salary cap. The Knicks still have their bi-annual exception available, worth $3.4MM per season, or they could dip into their mid-level exception.
However, any of those options might be less than what Trier could command on the open market. Because New York doesn’t own his Bird Rights, the organization could only offer Trier $200K over the league minimum without eating up valuable cap space.
Both sides have extreme options they could pursue if they don’t work out a deal. The Knicks could ship Trier back to the G League once he reaches his 45-day limit, which should happen within the next two weeks depending how off days are counted. However, that would rob them of an important scoring threat and a fan favorite for the rest of the season. Trier could also refuse to sign any deal and take his chances in free agency.
After going undrafted in June, Trier may not be in the mood to give the Knicks a discount if he still has hard feelings over what he perceives as a broken draft promise. He said the team offered a strong indication that it would pick him at No. 36, but went with center Mitchell Robinson instead.
“Even though I may have been their best available player and favorite player on the board they chose to go with something that would benefit them now or fill a need right now,” Trier said. “That ended up working for them too. They ended up getting me as well. Big win.”
Trier accepted a two-way offer from the Knicks on draft night and worked his way into a rotational slot. How long he remains with the team will depend on how much money the Knicks are willing to commit when they are trying to free up as much cap space as possible for free agency next summer.
NBA Announces Deal With Sportsbooks
The NBA has announced an agreement to provide official data to licensed sportsbooks to help them set in-game betting odds, writes David Purdum of ESPN.
The partnership, which is the first of its kind with a U.S. oddsmaker, will give Genius Sports and Sportradar nonexclusive rights to create betting data pertaining to the NBA and WNBA. Both companies have worked closely with the NBA in the past, Purdum adds.
“We feel strongly that official NBA betting data provides the best experience for our fans,” said NBA vice president and head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross. “We want all legal operators to be using official data, and this framework ensures that there is a competitive marketplace for it.”
Live in-game betting is already common overseas and is gaining popularity in the United States, according to Purdum, who notes that United Kingdom bookmakers say they receive more bets during games than beforehand. The NBA believes the speed and reliability of its official data will help provide more accurate betting odds.
“We see the market evolving more and more toward live betting, and having the ability of providing reliable, accurate and timely information to the [bettors] is absolutely crucial,” said Sportradar U.S. president Matteo Monteverdi.
Previously, the NBA issued its official data only to international bookmakers in areas where sports betting is allowed by law. The American market was opened by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May that struck down a federal law limiting state-sponsored sports betting primarily to Nevada. Seven states have opened legal sportsbooks since that case was decided.