Southeast Notes: McGruder, Wade, Isaac, Hawks
Heat guard Rodney McGruder is getting closer to his season debut after participating in a second full-contract practice Wednesday, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. McGruder has been sidelined since having surgery in mid-October to fix a left tibia stress fracture. He is hoping to be ready when the Heat resume play Friday in New Orleans, but coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t commited to that.
“I’ve got to work a little bit,” McGruder said. “Being off a couple of months, you just don’t hop right back into basketball shape, so I have some more conditioning that I need to work on. I’ve been doing a little more with practicing and just conditioning, preparing myself for when the time comes on my return that I’m ready to play.”
There’s more tonight from the Southeast Division:
- Dwyane Wade plans to come off the bench for the Heat for the rest of the season, Jackson adds in the same story. Because of the All-Star break, he has only been in Miami for four days since being acquired in a trade two weeks ago and needs time to get used to playing alongside new teammates Wayne Ellington, Bam Adebayo and James Johnson. “It’s definitely going to continue to be a work in progress, but the biggest thing is getting to know them personally,” Wade said. “On the court, it comes. You practice together, you play together, that’s going to come. Getting to know each other on the personal side helps even more. That builds trust and on the court you need that trust.”
- Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac will test his injured ankle with the Magic’s G League affiliate, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. He will practice with the Lakeland team on Thursday and play on Friday, according to Orlando coach Frank Vogel. “I definitely understand why they want me to spend some time there [with Lakeland],” said Isaac, who hasn’t playing since spraining his ankle November 11. “I’m just focused on getting back up here [with Orlando] as fast as possible and getting back around these guys.”
- Coach Mike Budenholzer said the Hawks won’t be making the type of moves that are typical of tanking teams, relays Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta is tied with Phoenix for the top spot in our latest Reverse Standings at 18-41. “I think we’ve been a mix of young and veteran guys all year,” Budenholzer said. “I think the way we progressed through the season — of course when you start the season you think it could be a little different — [but] right now but I think the way we’ve played, and the way we continue to play, won’t be that much different.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/21/18
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
9:32pm:
- The Warriors have recalled guard Quinn Cook and center Damian Jones from their affiliate in Santa Cruz, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Bay Area.
- The Cavaliers have assigned center Ante Zizic to their Canton affiliate, the team announced on its website.
- The Jazz assigned center Tony Bradley to their affiliate in Salt Lake City, according to the team website.
4:05pm:
- The Rockets have assigned Zhou Qi and Chinanu Onuaku to their Rio Grande Valley affiliate, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
- The Celtics have sent Guerschon Yabusele to their affiliate in Maine, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Raptors have assigned Alfonzo McKinnie and Malachi Richardson to the G League, according to a tweet from Raptors905.
Latest On Mark Cuban, Mavericks Investigation
The Mavericks may be in danger of having a first-round pick taken away in the wake of their workplace misconduct allegations, writes Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News. With a series of high-profile sex scandals dominating the news in recent months, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will want to make a strong statement against the behavior that was reportedly taking place in the Mavericks’ team office, Mosley reasons.
Mosley suggests owner Mark Cuban may have to remove himself from the team for a while in an act of contrition as a way to prevent the draft pick from being lost. He adds that “massive changes” will likely be needed in the organization to make sure the behavior that resulted in the allegations is never repeated.
There’s more news today out of Dallas:
- The Mavericks have hired two independent investigators from the Krutoy Law Firm in New York to examine the organization, the team announced in an email. Evan Krutoy spent more than 20 years as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and served as Acting Deputy Bureau Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit. Anne Milgrim is a former Attorney General of New Jersey and a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at New York University School of Law. They will be conducting confidential interviews with all Mavericks staff members, along with former employees who want to add their input to the investigation, the email states.
- Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN it was a “horrible mistake in hindsight” not to fire former Mavs.com reporter Earl K. Sneed after two domestic violence incidents. Cuban decided to terminate Sneed in advance of the Sports Illustrated report after learning the “gruesome details” involving a 2011 domestic dispute. The magazine shared a Dallas police report saying that Sneed’s girlfriend at the time suffered a fractured right wrist in the altercation and had bruises on her arms and chest. “I want to be clear: I’m not putting the blame on anybody else,” Cuban said. “It came down to my final decision that I made.”
- Cuban’s reputation of being thoroughly involved with the team makes it difficult to believe he was unaware of what was going on in the main office, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. That’s especially true in the case of former executive Terdema Ussery, Sherrington adds, whose alleged conduct was a key part of the Sports Illustrated story. The columnist notes that the Mavericks conducted their own investigation of Ussery in 1998, two years before Cuban bought the team, which resulted in new guidelines on interoffice conduct.
Kawhi Leonard Choosing To Remain Inactive?
Kawhi Leonard has received medical clearance to return from a quad injury, but has made a decision to remain inactive, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Leonard met with a specialist in New York prior to the All-Star Game to get a second opinion on the right quad tendinopathy problem that has sidelined him for all but nine games this season. Sources told Wojnarowski that the decision on when Leonard will return is entirely up to him, and his comfort level with the injury will determine whether he plays again this season (Twitter link).
Earlier, we relayed the news that San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters tonight that he doesn’t expect Leonard back before the season ends. This report from Woj sheds some light on why he made those comments.
During his 10 days in New York, Leonard held workouts at the gym inside NBPA headquarters with representatives from the Spurs on hand to watch him in action.
Sources have told Wojnarowski that Leonard’s prolonged absence has caused stress within the organization, and the deteriorating relationship between the team and its star player could affect his decision when free agency arrives in 2019.
NBA Planning Preseason Game In Seattle
The NBA will return to Seattle next preseason with a familiar face for Pacific Northwest fans, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee.
Kevin Durant, who spent his rookie season with the SuperSonics before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, will lead the Warriors against the Kings on October 6 at Key Arena, Voisin writes. It will be the first NBA game at the facility since the Sonics left after the 2007/08 season.
The Kings also have a connection with Seattle, as it appeared the team might move there when it was put up for sale five years ago. A deal to sell the team to a Seattle-based ownership group was reached in January of 2013, but it fell through when Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was able to assemble a group to keep the Kings from leaving.
Two months ago, Seattle’s City Council approved a proposed $650MM renovation of Key Arena in hopes of attracting an NBA or NHL franchise by the end of the decade. The refurbished arena will hold 18,350 spectators for NBA games and 17,150 for NHL games.
Popovich: Kawhi Leonard May Be Out For The Season
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters he will be surprised if Kawhi Leonard returns to action before the end of the season, tweets Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
“We only have X number of games left in the season and he’s still not ready to go,” Popovich says in a video tweeted by Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. “If by some chance he is, it’s going to be pretty late into the season and it’s going to be a tough decision, you know, how late you bring somebody back. That’s why I’m just trying to be honest and logical. I’ll be surprised if he gets back this year.”
Leonard missed the first two months of the season with a lingering quad injury, then was shut down by the team after appearing in just nine games. He was originally expected to miss just the preseason when the injury was discovered at an intersquad scrimmage in late September, but his debut date kept getting pushed back.
Tensions over the injury and the prolonged recovery process have reportedly led to some behind-the-scenes discord between Leonard and the organization. ESPN reported last month that a rift has developed between Leonard’s camp and San Antonio’s front office.
Leonard is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 25.5 points per game and finishing third in last year’s MVP voting. The Spurs had been hoping he could return for a late-season playoff push, but now that appears unlikely. San Antonio entered the All-Star break in third place in the Western Conference, but two games ahead of the ninth-place Clippers in the loss column.
“We’ve got to move on,” Popovich added. “The team has to realize this is who we have, this is who we are, this is who’s going to play, and wishing and hoping doesn’t do anybody any good.”
Knicks Notes: Mudiay, Ntilikina, Williams, Draft
It looks like the Knicks will have a new starting point guard when the season resumes Thursday, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Emmanuel Mudiay, acquired from the Nuggets in a three-team deal at the deadline, appears ready to take the place of veteran Jarrett Jack, who has started 56 games this season.
“Definitely means something to me. I’m not going to take it for granted,” said Mudiay, who has been practicing with the Knicks’ starters. “I came in as a lottery pick so I was kind of handed the spot and stuff like that. So the fact that I’m in that position again, it’s a blessing. Thank God for it. I just have to take full advantage.”
New York’s front office has ordered coach Jeff Hornacek to give more minutes to young players for the rest of the season, Bondy adds. The coach has already made the decision to remove Jack from the starting lineup and has talked to the 34-year-old about cutting his playing time. Jack will be a free agent this summer.
There’s more news out of New York:
- The Knicks were grooming rookie Frank Ntilikina to be the starting point guard going into January, but a decline in his performance and the acquisitions of Mudiay and Trey Burke changed those plans, Bondy adds in the same story. Ntilikina will still see increased playing time, but it may come at the two-guard spot. “I think he hit a little bit of a wall. The energy, and his knee [was hurting],” Hornacek said. “Hey, these kids come from another country. Now, all of a sudden, they’re having to travel every other day, play in games, and do all this stuff and he just looked exhausted at some times.”
- Troy Williams, who signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks this morning, is looking forward to the opportunity, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. “Great opportunity, great fit,” Williams said. “Their interest level here was a little bit higher than everybody else’s.” Williams, who was waived by the Rockets last week, will concentrate on what he needs to do to extend his stay in New York beyond 10 days, adding, “Right now my main role is just being an extra athletic guy, run the court and defend.”
- Begley examines the most important questions surrounding the Knicks for the rest of this season and beyond in an ESPN story. Topics include the future of Hornacek, who has one year left on his contract, how Kristaps Porzingis‘ injury will affect the team in free agency and the Knicks’ plans for the draft, where they reportedly like Michigan State’s Miles Bridges and Villanova’s Mikal Bridges if they stay in the middle part of the lottery.
Mark Cuban Fined $600K For Tanking Comments
The NBA has fined Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600K for suggesting that his team could benefit by losing games for the rest of the season, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Cuban’s comments came during a recent appearance on Julius Erving’s House Call with Dr. J podcast. The outspoken owner admitted to telling his players that accumulating losses would have long-term benefits for the organization.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night and here we are, you know, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option,’” Cuban said. “[Commissioner] Adam [Silver] would hate hearing that, but I at least sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans were going to be this summer, that we’re not going to tank again, this was, like, a year-and-a-half tanking and that was too brutal for me. But being transparent, I think that’s the key to being kind of a players owner and having stability.”
The Mavericks are third in our current Reverse Standings with an 18-40 record, but are locked in a tight race for the highest lottery picks. They are just a half-game behind the Suns and Hawks for the league’s worst record, with nine teams having at least 36 losses already.
The NBA has long been sensitive about public comments on tanking and has made changes to the draft that will take effect next season. The new format will reduce the benefit of losing, giving the league’s worst team a 14% chance at the top pick, while the sixth-worst team has a 9% shot. Right now, the team with the worst record has a 25% chance to land the first choice.
The fine continues a horrible day for Cuban, who has been explaining how the Mavericks became the target of an extensive workplace misconduct scandal.
Ex-Rocket Bobby Brown Headed To Greece
Bobby Brown, who was waived by the Rockets last week, has reached an agreement to play for the Greek team Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops (hat tip to Sportando).
Brown, who appeared in 20 games this season, had hoped to re-sign with Houston for the rest of the year, but became expendable when the Rockets reached agreements with Joe Johnson and Brandan Wright following buyouts. Originally waived on January 5, Brown signed a rest-of-the-season deal with Houston on February 9, but was released three days later.
Brown, 33, is no stranger to the Euroleague, having played in Germany, Poland, Italy and Turkey. He also spent time in China before signing with the Rockets in 2016. He spent parts of two seasons in Houston, averaging 2.5 points in 45 games.
Potential First-Rounder De’Anthony Melton Leaving USC
De’Anthony Melton, a possible first-round pick in this year’s draft, has announced on Twitter that he is withdrawing from USC.
The sophomore guard hasn’t played this season after being linked to the college basketball bribery scandal that resulted in the indictment of former Trojans associate head coach Tony Bland. The university held Melton out of action for the season’s first 18 games while it investigated, then announced in January that he would be suspended for the entire season after determining that a friend of Melton’s accepted a plane ticket and maybe room and board for an event in Las Vegas, according to Kyle Bonagura of ESPN.
“Being a member of the Men’s Basketball Program has given me an opportunity to develop my skill set at a world-class institution, with access to top-level resources,” Melton wrote in explaining his decision. “However, I have reached a crossroads wherein I have decided to focus on honing my strengths and improving upon my weaknesses for competition at the next level.”
Melton averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 assists in 36 games with USC as a freshman. He was projected to go 27th in the latest mock draft posted by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who writes that Melton “looked to be on the verge of a breakout season” before the FBI probe, citing his “defensive versatility, toughness and intangibles.”
Draft analyst Mike Schmitz of ESPN says Melton is “competitive with excellent bball instincts” (Twitter link). He’s 6’3″ with a 6’8″ wingspan and defends, rebounds and plays well off the ball. Schmitz adds that he needs to improve his “ball skills and jumper.”