Southeast Notes: White, Mahinmi, Curry
The recent play of 10-day contract signee Okaro White has the Heat reconsidering their roster. Originally added as a 16th man via a league hardship provision, White has had so much of an impact on the team that the franchise is reluctant to see him go now that Josh Richardson has returned to health.
That means it could be somebody like Derrick Williams who the Heat release instead, says Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
“I can assure you that White has made himself a keeper,” he writes in a Heat mailbag.
In five games with the Heat, White has proven an ability to contribute across the board. More importantly, with White in the rotation, the team hasn’t lost a game. Though they remain 14th in the Eastern Conference with their 17-30 record, the six-game win streak has given the team momentum.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Since starting the year 3-9, the Wizards have emerged as a contender in the East. At the center of it all has been John Wall, finally getting the opportunity to play at full health, writes Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. “This charge, the last seven or eight weeks,” head coach Scott Brooks said Thursday, “is because of [Wall’s] ability to lead us and get to the paint and give us a lot of open shots.”
- Citing Friday’s loss to their former teammate Courtney Lee and the Knicks, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that the Hornets need to make a trade. “It doesn’t have to be splashy,” he says, just something that will “infuse some energy and scoring into the rotation.”
- The Wizards have no intention of adding a big man if Ian Mahinmi will be deemed healthy enough to play during the final stretch of the season, writes J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. With regard to Mahinmi’s health, however, they’ll have to wait and see. During the summer, Mahinmi was signed to a four-year, $60MM deal. He’s played just one game of action with the team in 2016/17.
- Like any star that returns to their hometown, Stephen Curry was asked about the possibility of him signing with the Hornets via free agency, writes Anthony Slater of The Mercury News. “I’ve gotten that since I’ve been in the league,” the Warriors guard said. “This is my home. So there’s obviously going to be an attachment to the city and that kind of chatter is something I’ve been asked about and dealt with since the first time I came back my rookie year. It’s fun. You know you have that support here. It just kind of is what it is.”
Suns Sign Ronnie Price To 10-Day Contract
January 27th, 12:47 pm: Phoenix has officially signed Price to a 10-day deal, according to the team’s website.
January 26th, 5:43 am: The Suns have a plan in place to sign Ronnie Price to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The 32-year-old veteran played 62 games in Phoenix last season but hasn’t seen NBA action yet in 2016/17.
Price was last seen with the Thunder in training camp before he was cut prior to the start of the regular season. On October 29, we relayed that the guard had been offered an assistant coaching position with the Suns, but ultimately passed on the offer.
Last season Price averaged 5.3 points, and 2.5 assists in 19.5 minutes per game and even started 18 times.
The Suns have had an open roster spot on their 15-man squad since waiving John Jenkins earlier this month, so they won’t need to make a corresponding cut to create an opening for Price.
Bulls’ Mediocrity Could Impact Wade’s PO Decision
The mediocrity of this year’s Bulls team could influence Dwyane Wade‘s decision to opt out of the final year of his contract, says Nick Friedell of ESPN. In 40 games with Chicago, Wade has posted averages of 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists but the 22-23 Bulls haven’t done much to prove that they’re ready to compete for much more than a possible eight-seed playoff berth.
“I can’t play this game forever. I just turned 35 and I have a number in my head how long I want to play,” Wade said. “At the end of the day you want to be in a situation where it’s a competitor situation, whatever the case may be.”
Despite that, Wade was quick to clarify that he wasn’t a “ring chaser,” citing the three titles he won with the Heat as the major difference between his mentality and those of players who’ve never competed for a championship.
There have been positives to come out of the first few months of the 2016/17 campaign, however, as uncompetitive as the team has been at times.
“Obviously I’m not happy with being 22-23. Who would be? But there are things around here that I am happy with,” he said. “Obviously I’m happy with Jimmy Butler‘s growth and our relationship. I’m happy with the organization, how they’ve approached things, but I’m not happy with our record.”
This summer Wade will have the option to turn down a $23.8MM option for the 2017/18 campaign, but he insists he hasn’t concerned himself with it. Though the salary cap is slated to rise, bringing with it an influx of available money, the 35-year-old may not yield offers as weighty as the one he signed with Chicago.
Worth noting is that, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, no teams were willing to give the veteran a guaranteed third year in 2016.
NBA D-League Recalls/Assignments: 1/24/17
Here are the D-League transactions from the day:
- The Raptors have recalled point guard Delon Wright and forward Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate, says the team’s media relations department over Twitter. In 15 games Caboclo has averaged 9.1 points for the Raptors 905 while Wright has missed the entire season thus far on account of a shoulder injury.
- The Kings have assigned rookie big man Georgios Papagiannis to their D-League affiliate tweets James Ham of Comcast SportsNet. In 13 games with the Reno Bighorns, Papagiannis has averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.
- The Nets have assigned forward Chris McCullough to their D-League affiliate, the team has announced in a press release. In 24 games with the Long Island Nets, McCullough has averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Atlantic Notes: Rose, Zeller, General Electric
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding possible Carmelo Anthony trade scenarios, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News argues that the Knicks would be better served dealing Derrick Rose instead.
Amid all the drama that has unfolded in New York, Rose has quietly put forth his best season since 2011/12. In 41 games for the Knicks, Rose has averaged 18.1 points and 4.5 assists per game. Still, despite the subtle improvements, Isola doesn’t think that the club could legitimately consider signing the 28-year-old guard long-term.
Isola suggests that the Knicks move Rose and his valuable expiring contract instead. He adds that the Knicks, then, should decrease the minutes assigned to Anthony so that they could dangle a high first-round pick and abundant available cap space when pursuing possible free agents next summer.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Out of action since December, Tyler Zeller will return to action for the Celtics tonight, a report published on the team’s official site says. The big man had been battling an illness that affected his inner-ear and consequently, his balance. Zeller averages 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
- The Celtics will announce a jersey sponsorship agreement with General Electric, tweets Darren Rovell of ESPN. Previously the Sixers agreed to a deal with StubHub and the Kings to a deal with Blue Diamond Almonds.
- A regularly scheduled foot scan has revealed that Ben Simmons is healing according to plan, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In training camp, the Sixers rookie suffered a Jones fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot.
And-Ones: Bynum, Thabeet, NBA Draft
With NBA teams like the Cavaliers and Bulls looking for point guard help, one name that ESPN’s Chris Haynes has heard thrown around is Will Bynum. At 34 years of age, Bynum has plugged away in the D-League since he was waived by the Hawks during training camp. Though he was used sparingly by the Wizards in 2014/15, he had established himself as a key rotation player for the Pistons over the half decade leading up to it.
Now eligible to hop on with a team for either a 10-day deal or for the rest of the season, Bynum will look to show that he can contribute right away. During the recent D-League Showcase, the veteran guard set out to demonstrate that he’s still in shape and capable of playing the right way. The message was sent loud and clear in the form of a 43-point showing when his Windy City Bulls tipped off against the Delaware 87ers last Wednesday.
There’s more general news from around the league:
- Former NBA player Hasheem Thabeet has signed on to play with the Philippines-Mighty Sports of the Dubai International Basketball Championship, says international basketball reporter Charles Tiu. Thabeet, out of NBA action since 2013/14, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
- The depth of this year’s draft class could have teams reconsidering the moves they make ahead of the February 23 trade deadline, write Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider), especially with regard to the point guard position. This year’s class, anchored by Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, is particularly rife with playmakers.
- Several NBA prospects have seen their value fluctuate of late and three of them have been profiled by Jonathan Givony of The Vertical. Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen is starting to establish a case for a Top 10 selection, Givony says.
- The season of 10-day contracts if upon us, the most recent player to sign a deal being Johnny O’Bryant earlier today. Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated spoke with Sean Kilpatrick and Tim Frazier to discuss the call-up process.
Spurs Sign Joel Anthony To 10-Day Contract
JANUARY 23: The Spurs have made it official, formally announcing the signing of Anthony in a press release.
JANUARY 21: The Spurs intend to sign veteran center Joel Anthony to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. He’ll fill some of the frontcourt minutes opened up by the injury to Pau Gasol.
Anthony, who last saw action for the Pistons in 2015/16, played with the Spurs in training camp. He was among the final cuts for the 15th roster spot in October, a spot that was since re-opened when Nicolas Laprovittola was waived last month.
While he hasn’t been used heavily over the course of the past five years, Anthony spent time as the starting five alongside LeBron James and the Heat during their title runs.
Expect Anthony to spend time slotting in behind Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee in the Spurs’ rotation.
Magic Notes: Fournier, Hardaway, Gordon
Fifth-year guard Evan Fournier has spent the past week and a half recovering from a foot injury that he believes he may have made worse by attempting to rush back too early, writes John Denton of the Magic’s official website.
“It’s a fine line and [Fournier’s desire to return] probably does work against him,” Magic head coach Frank Vogel said. “We want this to be put behind him. We don’t want him to play a couple and then have to sit another two weeks, play a couple and have to sit. Hopefully when we get him back this time it’s behind him.”
In 36 games for the Magic, Fournier has led the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Over the summer, Fournier signed a five-year, $85MM deal.
There’s more out of Orlando:
- After signing a 10-day contract with the Magic, Anthony Brown expects to bring energy and floor spacing to the frontcourt heavy roster. Brown spoke with Basketball Insiders on Sunday.
- Former Magic star Penny Hardaway wishes he never left Orlando, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Hardaway was honored by the team on Friday night and inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. “Every time I watch the footage, man, I just get tears in my eyes because there’s always that what if if we would have all stayed together,” Hardaway said. Earlier this month the trade that sent Penny Hardaway to the Suns was featured in Hoops Rumors Retro piece.
- The Magic added frontcourt help over the summer that significantly impacted Aaron Gordon, writes Dylan Hughes of 16 Wins A Ring, but the third-year forward has thrived this year at small forward. Hughes cites Gordon’s improved three-point shot as one of the biggest reasons he’s been able to play well out of position, but says that the dunk contest runner-up would benefit from being able to play his own position as Jabari Parker has with the Bucks.
Pacific Notes: Chandler, Richardson, Lakers
Though Earl Watson is well aware that the final decision isn’t up to him, the Suns head coach wants big man Tyson Chandler to stay in Phoenix. According to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, Watson cites Chandler’s willingness to teach his younger teammates as the biggest reason why he remains so valuable.
“I have very little input, but if it was up to me, I love Tyson Chandler,” Watson said. “I think our front office loves Tyson Chandler. Tyson wants to be a part of this process. He doesn’t mind the work and building.”
As the 2017 trade deadline approaches, teams will inevitably inquire about the 34-year-old low post presence. Especially because in his 16th season, Chandler is averaging 8.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. The veteran is under contract through the 2018/19, but could fortify the frontcourt of a playoff team.
“I’m a loyalty guy. I’m really taking pride in helping the process of these young players,” Chandler says. “If things change and somebody comes to me with a conversation, then I’ll have to address it, but I don’t even let my mind go there.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Used sparingly through the first few months of his rookie season, Malachi Richardson didn’t expect to get the taste of first-quarter action he did on Saturday. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee suggests that it might be Dave Joerger‘s December decision to give the Kings shooting guard extra opportunities finally coming to fruition. Already well-equipped to handle himself on offense, the Syracuse product will need to improve upon his defense, suggests teammate Garrett Temple.
- The Lakers would be better off emphasizing player development than chasing a playoff spot, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Changes to the league’s collective bargaining agreement put extra pressure on drafting players now that it will be harder to pry players away from other teams via free agency. A potential No. 3 pick in 2017 could be the next key component of Los Angeles’ process.
- The Clippers could soon face the reality that their championship window is closing, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Years of attrition has taken its toll on the club and they may not get many more opportunities to contend for a ring with the current squad.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/22/17
Here are the D-League transactions from the day:
- The Grizzlies have assigned forward Jarell Martin to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team has announced on their website. In 40 game, including three starts, with Memphis so far this season, Martin has averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.