NBA D-League Recalls/Assignments: 1/29/17
Here are the D-League transactions from the day:
8:33pm:
- The Trail Blazers have assigned guard Tim Quarterman to the D-League, the team has announced on its website. He’ll suit up with with Windy City Bulls.
6:58pm:
- The Raptors have recalled Jared Sullinger, Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright, tweets the team’s media relations department. In his lone game of action, a rehab stint, Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
- The Bulls have recalled rookie Denzel Valentine from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced via press release. The guard dropped 24 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists in his only performance.
Southwest Notes: Wright, Randolph, Ferrell
The Grizzlies are expecting injured power forward Brandan Wright back on Monday, tweets ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Wright has been sidelined recovering from an ankle issue that ultimately required surgery. He hasn’t played at all in 2016/17.
The 29-year-old hasn’t done much since signing a three-year contract with Memphis during the summer of 2015, playing in only 12 games for the Grizzlies during the 2015/16 campaign on account of a knee injury.
After emerging as an intriguing reserve with the Mavericks between 2011 and 2014, Wright bounced around with the Suns and Celtics in 2014/15. With the Grizzlies, however, Wright could establish himself as a reliable source of frontcourt help heading into the final stretch.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Though the plan was to reduce his workload, the Grizzlies have turned to veteran big man Zach Randolph more and more often of late. Randolph is averaging 27.9 minutes per game in January, writes MacMahon in an article for ESPN, compared to his season average of 24.2. The forward has filled a sixth-man role for the club but has been as efficient with his minutes as ever.
- Before he signed on to lead the Rockets to new heights in 2016/17, Mike D’Antoni worked alongside Brett Brown with the Sixers. Brian Seltzer of the Sixers’ official site spoke with the Rockets bench boss about his time in Philadelphia.
- Less than 24 hours after signing his 10-day contract with the Mavs, point guard Yogi Ferrell has moved into the team’s starting lineup, tweets team play-by-play man Mark Followill.
Atlantic Notes: McConnell, Rose, Nogueira
The Sixers have rejected a trade offer from the Cavaliers that would have sent starting point guard T.J. McConnell to the defending champions, says Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The proposed Philly-bound package was said to have included Jordan McRae.
McConnell has become a significant part of the Sixers’ rotation of late, averaging 7.5 points and 8.9 assists per game in January. The Cavs are in the market for a backup point guard, at least according to LeBron James, so it’s not surprising to hear that they’ve inquired about the 24-year-old sophomore.
Under contract for just $800K, McConnell has quickly become one of the best bargains in the NBA. His role in the Sixers’ recent success — the team has won 10 of their past 14 — is one of the major reasons why he’s become a possible trade target ahead of the February 23 trade deadline.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- After a healthy first few months of the season, Derrick Rose has come up limping. The point guard sprained his ankle Friday night and has been wearing a protective walking boot. According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is doubtful he’ll see the guard return before Tuesday.
- Though they lost Bismack Biyombo to free agency over the summer, the Raptors have a suitable replacement in Lucas Nogueira, says Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Nogueira rivals Biyombo in terms of rim protection, Ganter says, but their playing styles deviate from there. Nogueira’s offensive awareness and soft hands are traits Biyombo never displayed in Toronto.
- The fact that the Celtics need to improve their rebounding is not lost on general manager Danny Ainge, says A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSN New England. “I knew going into the year that rebounding would be an issue for us,” Ainge said. The reporter adds that Ainge wasn’t ready to start discussing possible trade scenarios, however.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/28/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Saturday:
10:10 pm:
- The Bulls have assigned Denzel Valentine to their D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, according to a team press release. Valentine has seen action in 27 contests for the NBA club. He’s averaging 3.3 points in 11.9 minutes per game this season.
- The Grizzlies have recalled Wade Baldwin from the Iowa Energy, according to the team’s website. Baldwin has appeared in 13 games for the Energy this season and he’s scoring 13.3 points per game.
11:56 am:
- The Mavs have recalled Nicolas Brussino from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced via press release. In two separate stints with the Dallas affiliate Texas Legends, Brussino has averaged 16.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
- The Jazz have recalled rookie/birthday boy Joel Bolomboy from their D-League affiliate in Salt Lake City. Bolomboy has averaged 15.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game in 14 D-League contests.
Northwest Notes: Anthony, Kanter, Towns
The Thunder are intrigued by the idea of adding Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, though he also adds that they know such a pairing is a long-shot.
Anthony has been the subject of trade speculation for the last few months. In order for the forward to change teams, however, he would have to first waive his no-trade clause, something that he’s said to have only considered for the Clippers or Cavaliers and not specifically the Thunder.
That said, the possibility of suiting up alongside Russell Westbrook must at least somewhat appeal to the 32-year-old. Westbrook has led the Thunder to a 28-19 record.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- After fracturing his forearm while punching a chair, Enes Kanter has undergone successful surgery, writes Royce Young of ESPN. The Thunder big man is still expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks, but will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
- Second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns started the year shooting nearly four three-pointers per game. That trend, Michael Rand of the StarTribune notes, has subsided of late. Rand observes that the Timberwolves big man saw his percentage from beyond the arc drop as the season went on and suggests that Towns is now striking a more successful balance between shooting from the outside and going to work down low. Seven of Towns’ highest games scores have come in his last eight game, a span in which he’s shot just 2.0 triples per game.
- The unique ability of Nikola Jokic has given the Nuggets flexibility when it comes to generating lineups, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. His passing ability gives the team plenty of options when executing their offense. “Nikola is a guy we play all over the floor,” says head coach Michael Malone. “He’ll be in the low post. At times he’ll be in the high post and at the elbows. We’ll play through him anywhere.”
Week In Review: 1/21/17 – 1/28/17
Tensions have started to boil around the league as club’s set out on the long haul that is the second-half of the NBA season. This week, among locker room drama in the Eastern Conference, several players were brought in on 10-day contracts. Here’s a Week In Review:
News
- The D-League will expand to Mississippi in 2017/18, that team being affiliated with and managed by the Grizzlies. Subsequently, the Timberwolves, who have been without any one-to-one affiliation, will affiliate with Memphis’ former affiliate in Iowa.
- The Jazz will remain in Utah for generations thanks to the current ownership’s decision to put the team in a legacy trust.
- A frustrated LeBron James publicly insisted that the Cavaliers acquire a point guard. (Although the team may be waiting for a reason). The forward has also butted heads with management over the team’s payroll.
- A mediocre 2016/17 season could influence Dwyane Wade to look somewhere other than with the Bulls in free agency this summer.
- Post-game comments from Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler have caused a stir in the Bulls locker room. The pair questioned the integrity of their teammates. Not long after, point guard Rajon Rondo fired back at the two via a now infamous Instagram post.
- After a two-year absence, Larry Sanders is ready to return to basketball. He worked out with the Celtics this week.
- With assault charges stemming from an altercation at a nightclub against him, Kings forward Matt Barnes has decided to turn himself in.
Injuries
- There was cause for concern when Joel Embiid went down with a bruised knee this week, but the Sixers took the cautious approach with their rookie big man. Embiid took three games off but was back in action on Friday night.
- Second-year Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell tweaked his right leg and will spend 1-2 weeks on the sidelines. Russell is said to have strained his calf and sprained his right MCL.
- A setback in Jeremy Lin‘s recovery from a hamstring injury could shelf the newly acquired Nets guard for 3-5 more week.
- Sidelined since mid-December, Clippers forward Blake Griffin returned to the court this week.
- Guard Jodie Meeks will undergo thumb surgery and is out of action for the Magic indefinitely.
- While punching a chair in frustration, Thunder big man Enes Kanter fractured his forearm. He’ll be sidelined 6-8 weeks.
- After successful Achilles surgery, Kings forward Rudy Gay is expected to be healthy in time for training camp next season.
Rumors
- Both the Bulls and Knicks are among teams said to be interested in Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio. One team that isn’t? The Pistons. Head coach Stan Van Gundy vehemently denied reports that Rubio would be dealt for Reggie Jackson.
- The Cavaliers have supposedly rejected a deal that would involve them shipping Kevin Love to the Knicks in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks are also said to have been in touch with the Clippers and Celtics.
- If the Clippers and Knicks were to work out a deal for Carmelo Anthony, as at least one executive expects, Austin Rivers could be involved. The two teams may need to find a third trading partner to make something work, however.
- The Celtics and Magic have apparently discussed a trade that would send Nikola Vucevic north.
- Two point guards said to be in play for the Cavaliers are Shelvin Mack and Jameer Nelson.
Transactions
- The Spurs signed center Joel Anthony to a 10-day contract.
- The Nuggets claimed Mo Williams off of waivers. (Why?)
- The Mavs signed Pierre Jackson to a second 10-day contract.
- The Nuggets signed Johnny O’Bryant III to a 10-day contract.
- The Heat signed Okaro White to his second 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed Ronnie Price to a 10-day contract.
- The Hawks signed Lamar Patterson to a 10-day contract.
- The Mavs waived an injured Pierre Jackson and then signed point guard Yogi Ferrell to a 10-day contract.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/21/17 – 1/28/17
In addition to our news coverage, the Hoops Rumors team has been active publishing original content as well. Here are some of the best posts from this week.
- Not sure why Mo Williams kept getting claimed and waived this month? Luke Adams put together a feature explaining the salary cap floor implications of the transactions.
- Austin Kent wrote about the 2001 trade that sent Dikembe Mutombo to the Sixers in the latest installment of our Hoops Rumors Retro series. Have an idea for a future edition of the weekly series? Let him know on Twitter at @HoopsRumors or @AustinKent.
- It’s easy to overlook consistent veterans in fantasy basketball, but Chris Crouse urges owners not to underestimate the value of Kyle Lowry. Lowry continues to do work for the Raptors and has emerged as a Top 12 asset. Read more about it in his Fantasy Hoops breakdown and send him your questions on Twitter at @HoopsRumors or @CW_Crouse.
- Don’t forget to check out our 2016/17 Reverse Standings to see how next year’s draft order is shaping up. The daily updated list tracks each team’s position in the standings and the associated lottery odds.
- The All-Star rosters have been released, the first teams selected by the new voting process which factors into the equation media votes and player votes. Do you think that the league should keep this format heading forward? Vote in our poll.
- We love hearing what readers have to say about pertinent topics in the NBA world. Here is a list of our Community Shootaround Topics this week.
- There are plenty of contenders for the eight-seed in the Western Conference. What team do you think will make the final cut?
- Less than a month remains before the trade deadline. What players do you think will be targeted as buy-low candidates?
- The Magic are in win-now mode, but they’re not winning. What moves would you make to get their roster into the playoffs?
- The Rising Stars teams have been announced. Are there any players left off the rosters that should have been included?
- Superstar LeBron James has been highly critical of the Cavaliers‘ front office this year. Is the King out of line?
- The Wizards have stormed back to relevance after a slow start this season. Just how good can this Washington team be?
- Here are last week’s Hoops Rumors Originals so you don’t have to go searching for them.
Shelvin Mack Latest PG Linked To Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are in the market for a point guard and Marc Stein of ESPN has explored two potential fits. Given Cleveland’s abundance of trade exceptions, the team could make a deal for a veteran point guard and absorb the player’s contract that way. With their Anderson Varejao trade exception, which expires on February 20, the club could deal for Jazz point guard Shelvin Mack.
In 42 games for the Jazz, Mack has averaged 7.9 points and 2.9 assists. He’s owed $2.4MM on a deal that will expire this offseason.
Another option at the point, one that has been discussed previously this week, is Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson. The 34-year-old is owed $4.5MM this season, which would necessitate the use of the $4.8MM trade exception the team procured in last month’s Kyle Korver trade.
Nelson has averaged 8.8 points and 4.6 assists per game in 45 tilts with Denver so far in 2016/17.
And-Ones: Sanders, Brown, All-Star Game
Former Bucks big man Larry Sanders caused a stir Thursday night when he tweeted that he was ready to return to the NBA. In 2015, the center walked away from the game at 26 years of age, ultimately citing personal struggles with mental health in a video essay for the Players Tribune.
Sanders last saw consistent action in 2012/13, before playing 23 games in an injury-compromised 2013/14 season and 27 games in a 2014/15 season beset by drug-related suspensions absences for personal reasons.
Sanders has reportedly worked out for the Celtics and, while reports that he’s had a meeting with the Wizards are said to be false, he has been training at the team’s facility.
Sanders averaged 9.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Bucks during that 2012/13 campaign.
- Former NBA head coach Larry Brown is open to coaching in EuroLeague, writes E. Carchia of Sportando via Italian newspaper La Gazetta. Brown had reportedly been in touch with Maccabi Tel Aviv but was scared off when they quickly cycled through three head coaches already this season.
- The Windy City Bulls of the NBA D-League have acquired forward Duje Dukan in a trade for a 2017 fifth-round pick, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Dukan’s last taste of NBA action was with Kings at the start of the 2015/16 season. Earlier this year he had been under contract in Croatia, but the parties mutually split.
- Journeyman point guard Bryce Cotton has reportedly received a 10-day contract offer from an NBA team, writes O. Cauchi of Sportando. The 24-year-old, however, has elected to stay with the Perth Wildcats for the time being. The report originated from Australian journalist Boti Nagy.
- The NBA All-Star Game reserves have been announced. Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated looks at the biggest snubs that didn’t make the roster, including rookie Joel Embiid and injured Chris Paul.
Central Notes: Rondo, Pistons, Cavaliers
There has been plenty of drama in Chicago this season, much of which has involved Rajon Rondo, but the Bulls have no plan to buy out the point guard tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Rondo was most recently in the news for firing back at Bulls teammates Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler in an Instagram post. The post was a response to comments made by Wade and Butler that questioned the integrity of their teammates.
Despite the saga that has unfolded this season, the Bulls have an asset in Rondo that shouldn’t be cast aside. Johnson writes that, not only has Rondo played well and acted professionally, but his contract remains a valuable trade chip as well.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons have struggled since December, but head coach Stan Van Gundy may have pinpointed what’s gone wrong. “I think we’ve got to get better pressure on the ball, be more active with our hands and our communication,” Van Gundy told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “We’ve been fighting that all year.” The Pistons have plummeted from 2nd in defensive rating, all the way down to 13th.
- The Cavaliers haven’t been involved in much trade discussion, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, which may imply that they’re waiting until March 1 to make a transaction. That date, of course, falls after the February 23 trade deadline, just as players who get waived after the fact become eligible to sign with a new team. Deveney mentions Rajon Rondo as a possible fit in this type of scenario.
- Distractions continue to mount in Cleveland and head coach Tyronn Lue isn’t pleased with the impact they’ve had on the Cavaliers, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “We gotta focus on basketball, getting back to winning,” says Lue. Lately LeBron James has been in the news putting pressure on the team’s front office to acquire a point guard. The tension has risen so much in Cleveland that even the New York media has taken a break from Knicks to watch it play out.