Suns Waive Isaiah Canaan
4:23pm: The Suns have officially waived Canaan, per a release from the team.
2:40pm: The Suns will waive point guard Isaiah Canaan, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Canaan, 27, started 15 games for Phoenix this season, though as Charania notes, Devin Booker has been getting more run at the point guard spot lately. Canaan is averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 assists per game this season.
The Suns’ G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, owns Canaan’s rights should he choose to join go that route, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days tweets. Canaan has played in 23 G League games to date.
Because Canaan was on a non-guaranteed contract, the Suns won’t be on the hook for his entire salary. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, his cap charge would be about $407K.
Fantasy Hoops: Clippers, Griffin, Wade
The Clippers are one of the best teams so far this year, finding themselves atop the Western Conference standings as we reach the quarter-mark of the season. With top-10 rankings in both offensive rating (6th in the league) and pace of play (9th), Los Angeles has been one of the more fantasy-friendly teams as well.
Tobias Harris has solidified top-30 value in both points and roto leagues. Montrezl Harrell is having a breakout season, finding himself alongside Danilo Gallinari with top-70 value in both formats (Harrell over Gallinari in points and vice versa in roto). Lou Williams follows behind both players in season-long value.
Williams’ numbers are down this season and now might be the time to buy low on the two-time Sixth Man of The Year award winner. The streaky shooter is in the midst of a slump, but better times may be on the horizon.
In daily fantasy, I’m targeting Williams against the Kings on Thursday night. No team has allowed more points to the shooting guard position than Sacramento over the last seven games and no team has given up more 3-pointers than the Northern California franchise. The Kings are behind only the Hawks in pace of play this season, meaning more opportunity for the Clippers on Thursday.
Here’s more fantasy advice and notes from around the league:
- Blake Griffin is approaching top-20 value for the season. The former “Clipper for life” scored 30 points against the Knicks on Tuesday. He has six games with at least as many points so far this season.
- Dwyane Wade is owned in just 12.2% of ESPN leagues and he’s not a bad spot starter. Since Wade returned to the court last week, he ranks second on the Heat in usage (26.0%) behind only Hassan Whiteside.
- Fred VanVleet is trending upward. He’s averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 assists over his last six games for the Raptors after scoring 18 against the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
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.
Kemba Walker “Couldn’t Care Less About Big Markets”
Some within the Hornets‘ organization feel that Kemba Walker may be as meaningful to the franchise as Stephen Curry is to the Warriors in terms of relative importance and cultural influence, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes in his latest piece. The 28-year-old point guard enjoys his role in elevating the franchise.
“These guys believed in me,” Walker said. “I couldn’t care less about big markets. That’s not who I am. I want to make this place big. I want to be in the playoffs every year. I want to make Charlotte pop.”
Walker is in the final year of one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts, one that pays him $12MM per season. However, the deal didn’t always seem like such as bargain, as Lowe details.
Walker was navigating his way through his rookie deal and his shooting numbers—which were a red flag of his during pre-draft workout—weren’t improving. When he was up for a rookie-scale extension, Charlotte’s offer topped out at $10MM annually, per Lowe, and Walker wanted his agent Jeff Schwartz to accept it, threatening to call the team and make the deal himself if he didn’t.
The Hornets eventually budged, going to the $12MM annual value, and over the ensuing years, Walker has made critical adjustments to his game to set him up for a much bigger payday once that deal expires.
If Walker makes an All-NBA team this year, the Hornets will be able offer him a designated veteran contract, starting at 35% of next year’s salary cap (roughly $220MM over five years). If he doesn’t, Charlotte can still offer a five-year deal worth approximately $189MM. Lowe speculates that the Hornets could find common ground on a five-year deal in the $163MM range since no rival team could offer him more than a four-year pact.
Terry Rozier Discusses His Future, Desire To Start
Terry Rozier showcased his ability to be a starting point guard in the NBA during last season’s playoffs, yet he’s stuck behind Kyrie Irving in Boston. Rozier’s future with the club remains unclear, as he will be a restricted free agent after the season. During an appearance on Rick Pitino’s podcast, he spoke about his desire to run with the first team.
“I’m going into my fifth year after this, so I would love to start,” Rozier told Pitino (via Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports). “Nothing is wrong with being the sixth man coming off the bench, but I don’t really look at myself as that. But that’s not my main focus. Of course I want to win. I’ve been a winner all my life, coming through your program and then being with the Boston Celtics.
“I like winning. I don’t know how I can adjust if I try to take a starting job somewhere but I’m playing for an awful team and we’re not winning no more. It’s just something that I don’t think that I can adjust to — being around people that’s OK with just losing.”
Rozier said he wants to keep his options open. “I feel like I’ve seen a lot in these four years how much a business this is. I think I should get everything I deserve,” he explained.
GM Danny Ainge is a huge fan of Rozier, though it will difficult for the Celtics to pay top dollar for a player who won’t be able to crack the starting five. That scenario assumes Irving stays put, as the former No. 1 pick stated he would. Should Irving change course and depart as a free agent this summer, Scary Terry may be able to find “everything” he’s looking for without leaving town.
Jimmy Butler “Loving” His Time With The Sixers
Jimmy Butler will be a free agent after the season and while Butler warned that it’s too early to talk about his future, he recently told the media that he can picture himself staying in Philadelphia long-term.
“I could see this being home,” Butler recently said (video link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Prior to the deal that sent Butler to the Sixers, it was rumored that the Knicks were one of his preferred destinations. New York will have the cap space to sign the four-time All-Star outright this summer, though it sounds like any interest in the Big Apple has curtailed.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t even talk about the trade no more, because I’m here, and I’m loving it here. All of that is in the past. So I leave it just there,” he said (via Pompey in a full-length piece).
Butler did add that New York is a “good, young team” that plays hard. “They got some guys that can put the ball in the basket,” he continued. The Sixers will play the Knicks four times this season with the first coming on Wednesday night.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/27/18
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Suns assigned De’Anthony Melton to the Northern Arizona Suns, according to the team’s website. This will be Melton’s third stint in the G League this year.
- The Clippers have recalled Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell from their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per the team’s Twitter feed.
- The Magic have recalled Melvin Frazier Jr. from the Lakeland Magic, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The rookie has appeared in two games for the NBA club, seeing a total of 11 minutes.
Rockets Looking For Wing Help
The Rockets‘ primary focus is acquiring wing talent, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Iko’s source described Houston’s intensity in searching for a trade as “not in emergency mode, but not sitting back either.”
The Rockets have spoken to the Wizards about potential, trades but no player has been involved in “deep discussions” yet. Iko speculates that Markieff Morris, Jeff Green, and Kelly Oubre would fit what Houston is looking for.
Houston is also keeping an eye on the Cavaliers‘ situation. Cleveland guard J.R. Smith is currently on the trade block and the Cavs could look to move other veterans before the trade deadline.
LeBron James “Didn’t Give Much Thought” To Nuggets’ Pursuit
The Nuggets wanted a meeting with LeBron James during the offseason when the four-time MVP was a free agent, but they were unsuccessful in their pursuit. Team president Josh Kroenke did get the chance to discuss the potential pairing with James over the phone during the offseason.
“[Kroenke] discussed [coming to the Nuggets] a couple times to me,” James said during shootaround before the Lakers/Nuggets tilt. “Also he sent those throwback jerseys, I think they’re wearing them tonight. The white ones? With the mountains, I believe, that’s on it. Said, ‘You’d look good in one of these.’”
James and Kroenke have been friends for years, though it wasn’t enough to make James consider moving to Denver.
“We’ve been on vacation, things of that nature — we have a great friendship,” James said. “But I didn’t give it much thought.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/21/18
Here are Wednesday’s assignment and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic have recalled Melvin Frazier Jr. from their G League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter Feed. The shooting guard appeared in one game during his G League stint, scoring 11 points while adding four rebounds.
- The Spurs have recalled Chimezie Metu from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. Metu had 22 points and 10 rebounds during his lone G League appearance.
Warriors Believed Team Chemistry Was At Stake After Draymond Green Altercation
The Warriors winning their third straight title seems much less likely now than it did prior to the season. Golden State’s appears mortal on the court and off the court, there’s plenty to be concerned about even if Kevin Durant claims the tiff with Draymond Green won’t impact his long-term decision making.
The team suspended Green for the altercation and according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, both coach Steve Kerr and GM Bob Myers believed that the chemistry of the entire team was at stake. They wanted to make sure the situation didn’t develop into a series of “personal grievances and lingering resentments,” Kawakami writes. The suspension was handed down to prevent Green from dictating the mood and terms for the remainder of the season into the offseason.
Team management was upset that the move was viewed as the organization picking Durant over Green. While it’s easy to look at it that way, the decision to suspend Green had more to do with making sure the chemistry of the team would remain repairable.
If Durant leaves, the Warriors want it to be because it was his own choice and not because another player was barking at him.