NBA Won’t Ask Enes Kanter To Tone Down Criticism Of Turkish Government
The NBA supports the decision Enes Kanter made to stay behind while the Knicks traveled to London, and commissioner Adam Silver said the league is taking reports of Turkey issuing an extradition notice for the 26-year-old center “very seriously.”
“My stance is I think it’s very unfortunate Enes Kanter is not here with the New York Knicks,” Silver said of Kanter not making the trip to London (via Marc Berman of the New York Post). “I absolutely understand his reasoning why he elected not to come. Certainly, there wasn’t a suggestion to the league not to come on this trip. We live in a world, these are really significant issues that he’s dealing with. I recognize for the NBA that by virtue of a fact we’re a global business, we have to pay attention to these issues.”
Sources tell Berman that the NBA won’t act until official extradition is made and the league will work with the State Department should that occur. 
Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for Kanter, accusing him of associating with a terrorist group and providing funds to Fethullah Gulan, a Muslim cleric who previously resided in Turkey. Gulan currently lives in Pennsylvania and the U.S. Government does not consider him a terrorist.
Kanter, who refutes any wrongdoing, has repeatedly has spoken out against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him a “maniac” and “the Hitler of our century.” The NBA will not approach Kanter about toning down his criticism of the Turkish Government.
“There’s nothing more important as commissioner of the league than the safety of our players,” Silver said. “We take very seriously the threats he’s received — even if it’s people on social media. I support Enes as a player in this league. I support the platform players have to speak out on issues that are important to them.”
Kanter isn’t going to be extradited based on the claims of Erdogan — or at least that’s the opinion of Sports Illustrated’s legal expert Michael McCann.
Extradition is a multi-step process that can take years to complete and the probability of it occurring in Kanter’s situation is “very low,” McCann writes. It’s unclear whether Turkey possesses any evidence of Kanter committing any wrongdoing, something that would be needed for the U.S. to comply with Turkey’s request, McCann adds.
It has also been reported that Turkey will file a “red notice” with the International Police Organization also known as Interpol. The organization doesn’t have the authority to arrest anyone and is usually used to more effectively share information between countries regarding the whereabouts of a potential fugitive or unlawful figure.
As McCann notes, Turkey requesting Kanter be placed on “red notice” is curious. Kanter’s whereabouts are mostly known publicly because of his team’s schedule. He’s active on social media and he’s a 6’11” human walking around the U.S., one who is unlikely to leave North America because of immigration status.
One thing is clear: Kanter won’t be sent to Turkey based on his criticism of Erdogan, as freedom of speech is protected in the U.S. Kanter previously said he did not travel with the Knicks for the London trip for fear he would be assassinated by Turkish spies as a result of his criticism.
“Anyone who speaks out against him is a target,” Kanter wrote of Erdogan in an op-ed in The Washington Post. “I am definitely a target. And Erdogan wants me back in Turkey where he can silence me.”
Berman spoke with a Turkish basketball reporter who was at the Knicks-Wizards London game and talked to the New York Post scribe on the condition of anonymity. The reporter said that “no one likes Enes in Turkey right now,” adding that Kanter could be “attacked in the USA” as easily as he could be in London.
Kanter won’t have major issues traveling to any of the NBA’s 30 home arena. He has made arrangements with the U.S. government to travel with the Knicks to Canada when they play the Raptors in Toronto.
The 26-year-old center is currently on the trade block for New York, as the team is in the midst of a youth movement. There have been no reports of rival teams shying away from acquiring him because of his political friction with the Turkish Government.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Mavericks Notes: Smith Jr., Trades, Doncic
The struggle between Dennis Smith Jr. and Rick Carlisle continues, though the Mavericks still hold hope that they can reconcile the situation. Smith is reportedly unhappy with his in-season role change and the push for appears to be coming from DSJ’s camp.
The Mavs want the former No. 9 overall pick, who hasn’t played in over a week because of back issues and an “illness,” to return to the court on their terms but it’s not as if the team is making DSJ sit in the corner on every play. Carlisle has attempted to call specific plays with the intent of getting Smith in rhythm and the combo guard would break off the play and improvise, a scout tells Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Both sides are clearly frustrated. Luka Doncic has certainly outshined Smith and there isn’t room for both of them to be the primary play-maker. As we wait to see if a resolution occurs, let’s take a look at more notes from Dallas:
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examines what the market would look like for Smith. Pelton believes a high lottery pick would be too much to give up for a point guard with years of progress to go before becoming a top player.
- Doncic has been a more effective scorer this season when spending more time off the ball and next to Smith, Pelton explains in the same piece. Doncic has a higher true shooting percentage in those situations and with Carlisle’s propensity to play multiple point guards at the same time, concerns about the two fitting together may be overblown. Pelton argues that if the Mavericks trade Smith and use the Doncic-Smith fit as a scapegoat, it could in fact simply be a cover for a decision that the Mavericks would have made regardless of how the two meshed.
- In the same piece, Pelton takes a look at all the former top-10 picks since 2012 that have switched teams before the end of their second season. Outside of Buddy Hield in Sacramento, it’s easy to argue that no team was thrilled with the production it received when trading for a former top-10 pick. Thomas Robinson, Anthony Bennett, Nik Stauskas, Noah Vonleh, and Kris Dunn conclude the list.
Fantasy Hoops: Mitchell’s Jazzy Role, Rockets’ Center Dilemma
Injuries are piling up around the league and they are shifting values in the fantasy basketball. Let’s take a look at a pair of developing situations.
The Jazz are out of point guards with Ricky Rubio (hamstring), Dante Exum (ankle), and Raul Neto (groin) all sidelined. The team adapted to the injuries by playing Donovan Mitchell at the one and the early returns are promising.
Over the last four games (contests which Rubio has missed), Mitchell is averaging 32.0 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league over that stretch ( behind James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Bradley Beal). He’s making 51.1% of his attempts and averaging 6.0 assists per game, up from the 3.4 he averaged leading up to the unexpected role change. 
Utah has won all four games since Rubio went down and while it’s worth noting that the wins came against the Magic, the LeBron-less Lakers, the Bulls, and the Pistons, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Mitchell appears more than comfortable in the point guard role, playing like a young Harden. It will be interesting to see if the arrangement makes the Jazz think about making future plans with him at the one, as I recently mentioned on Twitter.
Season-long fantasy owners probably missed the boat on trading for Mitchell. December was his worst month as a professional. He shot just 38.1% from the field while clocking more turnovers than assists. After this recent stretch, he’s flirting with top-50 fantasy value and that’s factoring in the chances of him staying hot once the team gets a bit healthier, so it’s hard to envision him rising too much further in the overall rankings.
Daily fantasy is a different story. Building a lineup around Mitchell while he’s running the show for the Jazz is a sound strategy. The team plays the Clippers on Wednesday and the Cavs on Friday in a pair of games that should be favorable to the second-year guard. Los Angeles has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to the point guard position this year, according to Basketball Monster. Atlanta and Washington are the only teams to surrender more than Cleveland.
Clint Capela will miss four-to-six weeks with an injured thumb and if the first game without the big man was any indication, the Rockets don’t have a clear replacement plan in place.
Five different players manned the center spot on Monday against the Grizzlies. Nene started and remained on the floor for slightly more than three minutes before coach Mike D’Antoni spelled him with Marquese Chriss. Chriss did not play well and Isaiah Hartenstein then took over. That was before P.J. Tucker closed out the first quarter as the center. Gary Clark then opened the second quarter as the five.
“I was hoping to go big by committee, hoping that works out, or I wouldn’t have done it in the first place,” D’Antoni said (via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). “It didn’t work out, so guess what: We’re going small. If next game we go small and it doesn’t work out, we go back to going big by committee. Just trying to get a feel for the game and see what works out.”
The Rockets won’t specifically target a center in trades prior to the February 7 trade deadline, Feigen hears. Still, they also won’t restrict potential acquisitions to wing players as they had previously intended to do.
If I had to pick one player to gain fantasy basketball value as a result of Capela missing time, it would be Tucker, as I suspect the team works on its small-ball lineup with the 33-year-old at the five. Regardless, this is a situation to avoid unless the team brings in another player who would demand a full-time role. As for Capela, don’t drop him. He should be back in time for the fantasy playoffs.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/15/19
Here are Tuesday’s NBA G League assignment and recalls from across the league:
- The Grizzlies have assigned Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle, the team’s G League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The No. 35 overall pick in the 2017 draft has seen action in 15 NBA games this season, scoring 40 points over 90 minutes.
Rival Teams Interested In Cavs’ Tristan Thompson?
The Cavaliers are in year one of a rebuild and Tristan Thompson is among the veterans who could be dealt. The team has taken a few calls on the big man, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops, though the scribe cautions that the franchise is in no hurry to deal him away.
Thompson has become a leader for the Cavs, aiding Cleveland’s younger players and showcasing high energy even as the team’s losses pile up. It’s clear that Thompson has a different mindset than he did last season where he appeared distracted. It’s possible rival teams are seeing the value of a productive player who is shooting 52.9% from the field and making a positive impact in the locker room.
Kevin Love is the only Cavalier this season earning a higher salary than Thompson’s, which comes in at approximately $17.5MM. The former No. 4 overall pick will make $18,5MM next season during the last year of his current deal.
Thompson has spent his entire eight-year career in Cleveland. He’s averaging a career-high 11.2 rebounds per game this season and his 19.2 player efficiency rating is by far the best of his career.
Rockets Expected To Sign Wing Via 10-Day Deal
8:46pm: House’s agent, Raymond Brothers, claims the Rockets initially offered a non-guaranteed, three-year deal before offering him a guaranteed one, MacMahon tweets. “We rejected both offers and asked the Rockets to convert him for the remainder of the season,” Brothers said.
House’s representatives want him to be a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
7:51pm: The Rockets are expected to sign a wing to a 10-day deal on Wednesday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter links).
It appears unlikely that the team reaches an agreement with Danuel House on a standard NBA contract today, meaning the team has a need for another perimeter player. House remains on a two-way deal with the organization, though has already spent 45 days (the maximum allowed) with the NBA club.
House has been offered a deal by the Rockets but has declined it. Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports tweets that 25-year-old was offered his choice of the rest of the season on a minimum-salary deal or a two-year deal at the minimum. The Rockets were unwilling to go further given their luxury tax issues. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com confirms (Twitter link) that House, who has been starting for Houston, has been offered a deal.
Feigen notes that the Rockets and House still could come to an agreement but it’s not an expected outcome. He’ll be in the G League when the Vipers, Houston’s affiliate, plays on Wednesday.
James Nunnally may be a potential fit for the Rockets, Feigen tweets, adding that the team has contacted Nunnally but no offer has been made at this time. Jodie Meeks and Brandon Rush are among the veteran wing options available on the free agent market.
Pistons Add Kalin Lucas On Two-Way Deal, Waive Zach Lofton
The Pistons have signed Kalin Lucas to a two-way contract, waiving Zach Lofton in the process, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays (Twitter feed). The now team has a bounty of guards after adding Isaiah Whitehead on a separate two-way deal earlier today.
Behind Reggie Jackson, the team has veterans Ish Smith, Langston Galloway, and Jose Calderon on the payroll. The Pistons also have rookie Khyri Thomas, who has seen court time in each of the last three games after playing sparsely in just seven of the franchise’s previous 39 contests.
After the Lucas signing, seven of the team’s 17 players man the point guard position. It’s possible that the club is preparing to make a trade and while that’s merely my speculation, the calculated roster imbalance suggests the Pistons are strategically planning something. It could be more lineups with two point guards or it could be a more drastic measure like shipping Jackson to a new team.
Detroit entered the day 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-24, just a game-and-a-half behind the eighth-place Hornets. Adding Lucas, who has appeared in just one NBA game since leaving Michigan State, won’t likely impact the team’s win total. However, with Lucas and Whitehead in the fold, the team has great depth at the position and it can now more easily swap a floor general for some needed wing support.
Bobby Portis Talks Future, Betting On Himself
Bobby Portis turned down the long-term security of a contract extension with the Bulls with the hopes of landing a more lucrative deal on the open market during the summer of 2019. While it may appear as if Portis made a bad bet, the former No. 22 overall pick believes he’s still in position to cash in.
“Obviously I’ve had some injuries up to this point, but I still feel like everything is lined up,’’ Portis said of his plan to become a restricted free agent this summer (via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Tribune). “It’s about me just staying healthy now and me doing my thing. The wins and losses obviously, come and go from game-to-game. You really can’t control that part all the time. We control our effort.”
The upcoming market should be much better than it was in 2018 due to the number of teams with available cap space. Many of the sour contracts from the 2016 offseason will come off the books, leaving teams the ability to make major additions. However, the competition for deals will be fierce with roughly 50% of NBA players eligible to hit the open market. Portis will likely be behind other power forwards, such as Tobias Harris, Julius Randle, Harrison Barnes, and former sparring partner Nikola Mirotic, when teams set their wish lists for a forward.
Portis has had opportunities to improve his stock, particularly during the stretch of games Lauri Markkanen missed to begin the season, but he hasn’t been able to capitalize them due to health problems. He suffered a knee injury near the start of the season and has since been sidelined during two separate stretches with ankle and elbow woes.
“I just need to stay healthy, be on the court, play as hard as I can when I can,” Portis said. “With the minutes that Coach Jim [Boylen] gives me, go out there and play with force. At the end of the day everybody wants to make as much money as they can in this game, but with me I’m just focused on my team, turning this around, and going out there and having fun. Enjoy the ride the rest of the year.’’
Entering Tuesday, Portis’ ride with the Bulls this season has only spanned 13 games. He’s been outspoken about his desire to remain with the Bulls past this season and he believes the feeling is mutual.
“Obviously I know that I really want to stay a Bull,’’ Portis said. “I can’t see myself in any other jersey. It would be weird to start the next season off in another uniform. I’ve been here for four seasons now, time flies fast, but I think I will be a Bull. It’s not only in my control, but honestly I’ve loved this opportunity to be a Bull and don’t see that changing.”
Portis will be a restricted free agent, meaning Chicago can match any offer sheet he receives. The franchise’s recent strategy has been to let RFAs hit the market and then decide whether to match, as the organization did with Zach LaVine‘s deal last offseason. Drafted in 2015, Portis is the Bulls’ longest-tenured player and he doesn’t “want that to change.’’
“To be around this long … obviously Bulls across my chest means a lot to me. I really take pride in that every time I step on the court. It’s a big-time honor to be the longest-tenured Bull, but at the same time I feel like I’ve got a long way to go,” Portis added.
Cousins Expected To Make Warriors’ Debut On January 18
JANUARY 9, 12:13am: Speaking tonight to reporters, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that the team expects Cousins to make his debut soon, but suggested the January 18 date isn’t set in stone (Twitter link via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area). It could also happen on January 16 (vs. Pelicans) or January 21 (vs. Lakers), per Kerr.
JANUARY 8, 9:39pm: DeMarcus Cousins is expected to make his highly-anticipated debut with the Warriors on January 18, sources tell Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Golden State will play the Clippers in Los Angeles that Friday night and then take on the Lakers two days later at the Staples Center.
Cousins is recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered last season with the Pelicans. He signed a one-year deal with the Warriors with the expectation of hitting the free agent market again in 2019. The team can only offer him a modest raise on his $5.3MM deal, though at least one insider has predicted that Cousins may consider playing on a similar one-year deal during the 2019/20 campaign.
Playing with the Warriors will be different than any team Cousins has ever played on. The pace and real title expectations are unlike anything Cousins has seen since he came into the league.
“They play faster than most other teams. It’s not even about the rust. That’s going to be part of the process. I’m aware of that. It’s about having my body in the best shape possible for an NBA game,” Cousins said last month.
NBA To Review Patrick McCaw’s Deal With Cavaliers
The NBA plans on formally reviewing the Cavaliers‘ signing and waiving of Patrick McCaw for possible salary cap circumvention, Mark Stein of The New York Times reports.
McCaw was a restricted free agent sitting under Warriors team control through most of the season as he sat out and waited for an offer from a rival club. The Cavaliers presented him with a two-year, $6MM offer sheet, which was non-guaranteed, and Golden State chose not to match it, leaving McCaw to join Cleveland.
The swingman was with the team less than a week before he was released, and some around the league suspect the move was designed to help McCaw get out from under the Warriors’ control rather than the Cavaliers actually wanting him on the team. Stein adds that the Warriors requested the investigation.
Stein notes that NBA teams are not allowed to make “unauthorized agreements” based on “expressed or implied” deals or include “promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind” with respect to player contracts. Penalties can include fines in the $3-6MM range and could cost a team draft picks.
However, unless the Cavs or agent Bill Duffy tell the NBA that the two sides intentionally entered their agreement in an effort to eventually get McCaw to free agency, it seems unlikely that the league will come down hard on Cleveland. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic observes, the Cavs have a good alibi for taking a flier on McCaw, in the form of a “roster in shambles.”
The Cavs have expressed interest in re-signing McCaw to a cheaper deal if he clears waivers. He made roughly $323K during his brief stint in Cleveland.