And-Ones: Duncan, Ginobili, Simmons
The Pelicans are 26-46 on the season, which is good for sixth place in our Reverse Standings, but the team isn’t planning on tanking over the next 10 games in order to secure a better draft pick, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. “We try to play at the highest level that we can,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”Wherever that gets us in the draft, that gets us in the draft. I’ve never been a guy that thought, ‘Hey let’s get some extra pingpong balls or whatever.’ I don’t know how you sell that to your players.”
Here’s more around the league:
- Tim Duncan says he and Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili will make their retirement decisions individually rather than as a group, Melissa Rohlin of the San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter link).
- The Magic are 30-43 on season and unless they go on a historic run, they will be in the lottery for the fourth straight season. Still, coach Scott Skiles hasn’t given up on the season and he’s looking to improve in a few areas down the stretch, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “We haven’t guarded well enough and then we haven’t handled a run well enough by the other team,” Skiles said.
- Many believe Ben Simmons will be a star in the league down the road, but A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet (video link) believes Simmons will make an immediate impact. Blakely also predicts that the 19-year-old will be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft.
Eastern Notes: Dunn, Sixers, Bucks
The Sixers are interested in drafting Providence’s Kris Dunn should the team have a pick in the range where the point guard is projected to go, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Dunn is the fifth-best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him as the seventh-best prospect. The Sixers are currently atop our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would be a guaranteed one of the top four selections. Philadelphia owns a top-three protected first-rounder from the Lakers, a top-10 protected first-rounder from the Heat, and a top-15 protected first-rounder from the Thunder.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Ish Smith would like to stay with the Sixers, but he’ll have options on the free agent market, Pompey writes in the same piece. “I love this city,” Smith said of Philadelphia. “Fans have been great. Man I would love to, but you never know.”
- The Bucks will not bring back Jared Cunningham, Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel writes. Cunningham, whose 10-day deal with the team expired on Friday night, was signed via the NBA’s hardship provision and the team needs to leave a roster spot open for the impending return of Greivis Vasquez.
- The Bucks recalled Rashad Vaughn from the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. He appeared in four games during his stint in the D-League, scoring 8.0 points per game.
Central Notes: Vasquez, Beyer, Felicio,
Greivis Vasquez, who underwent ankle surgery in December, has yet to receive medical clearance to return to game action, but the point guard was able to join his teammates Friday in the shootaround prior to the game that night against the Hawks, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel relays. The Bucks acquired Vasquez during the 2015 draft in exchange for a protected first round pick. He only saw 16 games of action prior the injury and he will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy believes assistant coach Bob Beyer would make a great head coach should Beyer receive an opportunity, David Mayo of MLive writes. “He’s outstanding,” Van Gundy said. “I mean, in every aspect. He’s a great X-and-O guy; he’s a great teacher; really organized; knows the league; and he’s got great rapport with the players.”
- Cristiano Felicio‘s contract with the Bulls next season is non-guaranteed for roughly $875K, but Sam Smith of NBA.com believes the Brazilian big man will remain on the roster next season. Smith cites the uncertainty around Pau Gasol‘s and Joakim Noah‘s impending free agency as reason for the optimism.
Grizzlies Sign Jordan Farmar To 10-Day Deal
MONDAY, 12:42pm: The 10-day signing is official, the team announced.
SUNDAY, 12:02pm: The Grizzlies will sign Jordan Farmar, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reports (Twitter link). No contract details have been provided yet, but it will likely be a 10-day deal, as Tillery reported earlier this week.
The Grizzlies currently have 17 players on their roster. The league granted them three additional roster spots via the hardship provision, so they ostensibly have an opening after not bringing back Briante Weber at the conclusion of his 10-day deal Friday night. The 10-day pacts for Ray McCallum and Alex Stepheson will expire Monday. McCallum and Stepheson are on their first 10-day deals, respectively, so the team has the option of bringing one or both of them back on a second 10-day contract or exploring other possibilities with the two roster spots.
Memphis currently has seven players who are dealing with some sort of ailment. Farmar will be the 26th player who will play for the team this season. He last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, when he was a backup to Chris Paul on the Clippers. He had expressed a willingness to join an NBA team via a 10-day contract earlier this year.
Western Notes: Chandler, Mavs, Noah
Tyson Chandler doesn’t want any part of a rebuilding team, James Herbert of CBSSports writes. “For me, especially where I am in my career, I want to win,” Chandler said (video link via The Arizona Republic). “I want to win now. I’m not in any kind of rebuilding stage. So if that’s the case, it ain’t where I’m supposed to be.” The Suns signed the 33-year-old to a four-year, $52MM deal last offseason and the team expected to be in the hunt for the playoffs. Phoenix currently owns a record of 19-50, as our Reverse Standings show.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- If Chandler Parsons stays with the Mavericks past this season, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News believes the team should demand an improvement from him on the defensive end. Sefko acknowledges that Parsons is capable of being a top scorer, but the scribe mentions the 27-year-old’s positioning on the defensive end as an area of concern.
- Joakim Noah could be an option for the Mavericks in free agency, but the team should only add him at the right price, Sefko opines in the same piece. Sefko worries about all the minutes Noah played under former coach Tom Thibodeau and would like to see the team attempt to bring aboard Al Horford instead.
- The Spurs have assigned Boban Marjanovic and Jonathon Simmons to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website.
Eastern Notes: Embiid, Frye, D-League
The Sixers allowed Joel Embiid to delay his surgery last offseason so the big man could enjoy his summer, Tom Moore of Calkins Media reports. “It’s the tail wagging the dog,” a league source told Moore. At the time it was reported that the surgery was delayed so more opinions could be sought.
Embiid underwent surgery last August after an initial operation in June 2014, and he isn’t expected to play for the Sixers’ 2016 summer league team. Moore mentions that had Embiid undergone the second surgery in June 2015 as expected, he would likely be ready to play in the summer league this year. Still, there are some within the NBA who are optimistic about the center’s long-term career. “He’s doing fine — well, in fact. He’s reached another gear,” a second league source tells Moore.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Channing Frye has made 26 of 52 shots from behind the arc since coming to the Cavs, and he appears to be fitting in with the team both on and off the court, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Frye feels comfortable with Cleveland and has no ill will toward Orlando for trading him just a year and a half into a four-year, $32MM deal. “When [the Magic drafted] a guy like Aaron Gordon, they wanted to develop that. I understood it. It was part of the business,” Frye said.
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
- The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to the team’s website.
Knicks Notes: Afflalo, Rondo, Point Guards
Arron Afflalo is looking for at least one more big contract in the league, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Afflalo has a player option worth $8MM for next season and after playing well for the Knicks this season, he will likely command a higher annual salary on the open market should he opt out, Bondy speculates. The 30-year-old said he hasn’t thought much about his looming decision, but added that his priorities are “team opportunity and finances.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Rajon Rondo has been critical of Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense, but it appears the point guard is willing to accept the Knicks‘ offense, Ryan Lazo of the New York Post writes. “I had a [negative] comment earlier about [the offense], but if I put my mind at it, I think I can be good at anything,” Rondo told Lazo.
- It’s no secret that Carmelo Anthony would like to play with Rondo, Lazo adds in the same piece. “We have a lot of respect for each other,” Rondo said of Anthony. “He competes every night and plays extremely hard and I think I do the same.” Rondo will be a free agent at the end of the season and Knicks coach Kurt Rambis recently said he believes the point guard would be a good fit for the team.
- The Knicks‘ struggles this season have highlighted the need for a top point guard, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders opines.
Northwest Notes: Beasley, Olshey, Kanter
Michael Beasley believes the Wolves could have been good if the team kept the young players together past the 2011/12 season, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “For the first three quarters we were one of the best teams in the league and dead last in the fourth,” Beasley said. “It was just us being young, just not being able to finish games. I think if we would have kept that team together, we could have been something special.” Beasley left Minnesota in free agency during the summer of 2012 to sign a three-year, $18MM deal with Phoenix.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- When LaMarcus Aldridge left Portland in free agency, Blazers GM Neil Olshey believed surrounding Damian Lillard with players in his age bracket was the way to rebuild this team. After 70 games, Portland is in good shape to make the playoffs and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examines the moves Olshey made to get the team in a great spot.
- Enes Kanter hasn’t seen the court lately in crunch time for the Thunder and coach Billy Donovan cites the big man’s defense as reason for keeping him off the floor, Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman writes. “I just think [Kanter] needs to continually evolve,” Donovan said. “Because one thing, I looked at the numbers of Enes with the starters and Steven [Adams] with the starters and what those defensive numbers are and they’re drastically different. They just are.” Kanter signed a five-year, $70MM deal with the Thunder last offseason.
And-Ones: Roberts, Lin, Ejim
Executive Director of the NBPA Michele Roberts is working to shift the perception that players make too much money, something that will likely be expressed once negotiations begin with team owners over their respective stakes in the league’s basketball related income, as she tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports on his podcast (h/t RealGM Wiretap). Roberts believes the amount of money owners make is not being discussed enough.
“We read just recently that the value of these teams, thank you Donald Sterling, we know what a team can make on the open market,” Roberts said. ” If the reality is that as the game is growing financial, owners are holding onto those teams for a reason. There is a great deal of value. And there’s a long line of folks that would love to buy a basketball team.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jeremy Lin has thrived with the Hornets in his role off the bench, but if he declines his player option for next season, which is worth $2.1MM, it may be difficult for Charlotte to bring him back, Bobby Marks of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports writes. Lin is one of many players with looming contract decisions, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors details.
- The Erie BayHawks of the D-League have waived Magic camp invitee Melvin Ejim, Chris Reichert of Upside Motor tweets. Ejim will sign with Reyer Venezia in Italy, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- The Clippers have recalled C.J. Wilcox from the Canton Charge, according to the Clippers website.
Knicks Notes: Rambis, Anthony on Jackson
The 28-40 Knicks are hoping to become the first opposing team to win a regular season game at Oracle Arena in over a year when they face off against on the Warriors tonight. As the teams get ready to take the court in Oakland, let’s take a look at a few notes from the city that never sleeps:
- Coach Kurt Rambis says Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson hasn’t discussed coaching on a part-time basis since “years ago” when the Zen Master patrolled the sidelines for the Lakers, Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets.
- Carmelo Anthony doesn’t believe Jackson will coach in the league again and believes the idea of someone coaching only homes games to be “silly,” Berman passes along (Twitter link).
- Anthony should have influence on the team’s next coaching hire and has every right to demand a say in the process, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News opines. Jackson’s coaching tree hasn’t yielded favorable results and Anthony isn’t out of line for raising the idea of exploring other options, Isola argues.