Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/12/19 – 1/19/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams went in-depth in his examination of the stalemate that went on between the Rockets and Danuel House.
- In our lone poll of the week, we asked:
- Will the Nets, currently on a three-game win streak, make the playoffs?
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Should the league take steps to eliminate or reduce 3-point shooting or do you like the game the way it currently is?
- How will the return of big man DeMarcus Cousins for the Warriors affect both him and the team?
- Luke Adams took a look at the importance of January 15, which marked the deadline for two-way contracts to be signed, the deadline to apply for a DPE, and the date where a plethora of players finally became trade eligible.
- In his Fantasy Hoops post, Chris Crouse takes a look at how injuries are affecting the fantasy value of players on the Jazz and Rockets, concentrating mostly on the positive affect it will have on Donovan Mitchell and P.J. Tucker.
- We took a look at the 18 traded player exceptions that are set to expire within the next month.
- In our NBA Trade Candidate Watch, we focused on the Southwest Division for a third go-round.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch series highlighted the Pacific Division.
Quincy Acy Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Suns
JANUARY 17: The Suns have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve re-signed Acy to a second 10-day contract.
JANUARY 16: Veteran forward Quincy Acy is signing a second 10-day contract with the Suns, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Acy agreed to the first 10-day deal of the 2018/19 season back on January 5, but didn’t make it official until January 7, so his first contract is set to expire tonight. His new deal, if signed tomorrow, will run through January 26, covering the Suns’ next six games.
Once the second deal expires, the team will have to decide whether to re-sign Acy to a rest-of-season deal or let him walk, as NBA rules don’t allow a team to sign a player to more than two 10-day contracts in a single season.
Acy, a 2012 second-round pick, has appeared in four games with the Suns in his first 10-day go-round. He has averaged less than one point and one rebound in 8.8 minutes per game, but the club apparently saw something it liked.
Like Acy’s first 10-day contract, this deal will have a cap hit of $85,468, increasing his total cost for the Suns to $170,936.
Grizzlies Want 2019 First-Round Pick To Convey To Celtics
Coming into tonight’s action, the Grizzlies were in second-to-last place in the Western Conference standings, but only four games back of the eighth seed and a playoff berth. And while the playoffs are certainly always a goal for a team not in rebuilding mode, Memphis has another important reason for not embracing the tank.
Per Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian, a secondary but equally important goal for the Grizzlies this season is to ensure that their 2019 first-round pick is conveyed to the Celtics. As we relayed yesterday, the 2019 draft class is viewed as fairly average, and if the Grizzlies keep this year’s pick (protected 1-8), they’ll just owe Boston a future first-rounder with fewer protections (1-6 in 2020 and unprotected in 2021).
If the Grizzlies do keep their pick this summer, they could certainly get lucky, move up in the lottery, and draft one of the consensus top picks such as Duke teammates Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, or Cam Reddish. But the odds of this are low. For instance, the eighth-worst team (i.e. the best the Grizzlies could finish and not have their pick convey) only has a 21.1% chance of getting a top-3 pick.
And even if the Grizzlies were to embrace the tank, the worst three teams (which the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to become given the Cavs, Bulls, Suns, and Knicks’ issues) each still only have a 40.1% chance at a top-3 pick. So either way (finishing worst to eighth-worst), it’s more likely than not that Memphis wouldn’t get a difference maker in this year’s draft, explaining why the front office would rather the pick convey this summer and ensure the team has its 2020 first-round pick.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/16/19
Here are Wednesday’s NBA G League assignment and recalls from across the league:
- The Grizzlies have recalled big man Ivan Rabb from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, per an official tweet from the team. In 51 career games in Memphis, Rabb has averaged 4.7 points in 11.9 minutes per game.
- The Hawks assigned guard Tyler Dorsey to the Erie BayHawks, the team’s G League affiliate, per a tweet from the official BayHawks account. In his first G League appearance of the season earlier today, Dorsey went off for 36 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in a win over the Wisconsin Herd.
- The Clippers have recalled rookie guard Jerome Robinson from their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers, per an official tweet from the team. In his eight games so far this season in Los Angeles, Robinson has averaged 2.9 points in 5.0 minutes per game.
- The Bucks assigned both Donte DiVincenzo and Christian Wood to the Wisconsin Herd in time for today’s game against the BayHawks, per a release from the team. Wood is averaging a team-high 27.7 points per game with the Herd while DiVincenzo has averaged 17.3 points per game in his three games.
G League’s Top Pick Willie Reed Out For Season
Veteran big man Willie Reed, the top selection in this year’s G League draft by the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, has suffered a season-ending shoulder injury (link) that will foreclose any chance of the 28-year-old returning to the NBA this season.
Reed, who has played for four teams during his three-year NBA career, holds career averages of 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 152 career contests.
It was noted last month that the Warriors evaluated signing Reed after losing backup big man Damian Jones to injury, so it’s possible that another team would have been interested in his services moving forward as well, especially considering the possibility of now being able to offer a 10-day deal.
In 21 games with the Stars this season, Reed posted impressive averages of 20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Kings In Position To Be Active At Trade Deadline
Sacramento remains the only team in the NBA to have any cap space on its 2018/19 payroll, and as the February 7 trade deadline fast approaches, this means that the Kings are positioned to be a major player in the trade market, if they so choose, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California.
That being said, the Kings aren’t interested in taking on any long-term deals with their cap space unless a player on a long-term deal can help the team win now and in the future. Additionally, the team is reportedly not interested in taking on any expiring contracts to help another club save money unless assets are attached to said contract.
So, what do the Kings want? Per Ham, the Kings are motivated to add more length and size at the small forward position, while also interested in adding a veteran point guard to bring off the bench in a back-up/potential mentorship role for budding star De’Aaron Fox.
[RELATED: Kings Among Teams Interested in Jeremy Lin]
In addition to their $11MM in cap space, the Kings have the expiring contracts of Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, and Ben McLemore to worth with. Swingman Iman Shumpert is also in the final year of his contract, but has provided a veteran spark to a young team still competing for a playoff spot. Then again, Shumpert is only 6’5″ and plays small forward. As mentioned above, the team is interested in adding length to that position, so Shumpert could also be expendable if an attractive enough deal comes along.
As for the Kings’ current assets, Sacramento has no interest in moving any of its young talent (e.g. Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley, or Buddy Hield) unless it means the team is making a massive long-term investment in a star-level player. And even then, the aforementioned core group of youngsters is close to untouchable.
In Ham’s view, general manager Vlade Divac should look to be active, as Sacramento has worked hard to be a player in the trade market and is the only team with cap space to use. However, the Kings should also be wary of using that cap space to take on future money that could eat into future cap room. Ultimately, Ham would be surprised to see no moves made before the deadline.
Wendell Carter Jr. Dodges Significant Thumb Injury
In a relatively innocuous tweet earlier this afternoon, the Bulls announced that rookie big man Wendell Carter Jr. hurt his left thumb in last night’s loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles. However, several reports surfacing since then indicated that the injury to Carter’s thumb may have been far worse than the team’s tweet originally let on.
Minutes after the Bulls’ initial tweet on the subject, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that there was internal concern that Carter’s thumb injury was “significant” and the the team was waiting on further test results. He followed that report up with a tweet that the Bulls hadn’t ruled out a broken thumb, which would have required surgery.
Meanwhile, the Chicago-Sun Times reported that Carter was believed to have suffered an injury known as gamekeeper’s thumb, which generally requires a recovery time of 4-6 weeks, depending on the severity of the damage to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
However, Johnson is now reporting that the aforementioned further test results have come back and that Carter’s UCL is intact, meaning the thumb is simply sprained and will not require surgery. As the previous reports indicated, the Bulls initially feared Carter could miss weeks, so the fact that they can now call their prized rookie day-to-day is a huge relief for the team during an otherwise injury-plagued season.
Five Key Stories: 1/5/19 – 1/12/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Timberwolves fired 
Tom Thibodeau as head coach and president of basketball operations, naming Ryan Saunders and Scott Layden as the team’s interim head coach and head of basketball operations, respectively. In two and a half seasons with the Wolves, Thibodeau had a 96-107 regular season record, leading the club to the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons last year. Ultimately, however, his decision to acquire Jimmy Butler and Butler’s eventual departure to Philadelphia after Thibodeau’s reluctance to trade him and standoff with ownership led to his ouster. His firing continues a trend of team’s moving away from having the same individual serve as head coach and president of basketball operations.
The Rockets traded guard Michael Carter-Williams and cash to the Bulls for a heavily protected second-round pick that is unlikely to ever convey. Carter-Williams, whose contract was not fully guaranteed, was waived by the Bulls before the January 7 deadline. The Bulls also waived MarShon Brooks before the deal was completed, as Chicago had a full 15-man roster. With both Brooks and Carter-Williams now out of the picture, the Bulls have an open roster spot. With the trade, the Rockets cut their luxury tax bill by over $2.5MM, while the Bulls obtained enough cash to cover the salaries payable to both Carter-Williams and Brooks.
The Cavaliers waived swingman Patrick McCaw less than a week after officially signing him to a two-year, $6MM contract. The contract was fully non-guaranteed, meaning the team had to part ways with the 25-year-old by January 7 in order to keep his entire $3MM salary off the books for the 2018/19 season. The move now allows McCaw to enter unrestricted free agency, but because of the roundabout way in which this happened, there is now speculation that the Cavs’ maneuver to get McCaw out of the Warriors’ control may have usurped the CBA. Accordingly, the NBA has launched a review and will speak with McCaw’s representatives.
The Grizzlies and Chandler Parsons have agreed for the veteran forward to leave the team indefinitely as the two sides work to structure a resolution on his future. Parsons has been frustrated with being a healthy scratch since returning from injury, and the Grizzlies apparently don’t see him being a part of the team’s future. Parsons was also upset about a potential G League assignment with no promise of a return to the active NBA roster. The two sides are working on finding a trade partner, but the Grizzlies, who are willing to take on a longer contract in return for Parsons, have not been willing to include a first-round draft pick in a trade.
Here are 11 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- The Knicks are making veterans available for trade as a part of the team’s youth movement and rebuilding plan.
- The Cavaliers signed point guard Cameron Payne to a 10-day contract less than a week after he was released by the Bulls as a consequence of their trade with the Grizzlies.
- The Wizards waived guard Ron Baker before his 2018/19 salary became guaranteed.
- The Raptors also waived guard Lorenzo Brown before his salary for this season could become guaranteed.
- The Suns signed veteran forward Quincy Acy to the first 10-day contract of the 2018/19 season.
- Big man DeMarcus Cousins is expected to make his debut with the Warriors on January 18.
- The Kings and Knicks have discussed a potential trade involving big men Enes Kanter and Zach Randolph.
- The Wizards are exploring a contract extension for guard Tomas Satoransky.
- In the midst of all the above-referenced drama surrounding McCaw, he signed a rest of the season contract with the Raptors.
- Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks underwent a procedure on a right toe injury and will miss the rest of the season.
- Mavericks guard J.J. Barea suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon.
Lakers Notes: Playoffs, Walton, Ball, Ingram
In an NBA Insiders piece for ESPN, writers Kevin Arnovitz, Chris Herring, Brian Windhorst, Andre Snellings, and Kevin Pelton discuss the Lakers’ playoff chances with superstar LeBron James missing extended time with the groin injury he suffered on Christmas Day against the Warriors.
As one may expect, the consensus among the writers is that the Lakers will still probably make the playoffs, assuming James doesn’t suffer a setback during rehab and miss additional time beyond what was reasonably foreseen.
With approximately 40 games remaining, the general opinion from the ESPN scribes is that James will probably have to play somewhere around 30 to 35 of those games for the Lakers to feel safe about their playoff chances, meaning LeBron needs to be back relatively soon.
In addition to the playoff race, other topics discussed include the identity of the Lakers’ second-best player, whether the team should and/or will make a big trade before the deadline, and where the Lakers’ ceiling stacks up relative to other teams in the Western Conference. The entire article is worth a read.
There’s more from the purple and gold this afternoon:
- If the Lakers do miss the playoffs, it will be a “nightmare scenario” for the NBA and its “broken playoff format,” writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. The Lakers could potentially miss the postseason with 45 wins while the sixth, seventh, and eighth seeds in the Eastern Conference could all have losing records. Having one of its most popular franchises shut out of the playoffs while three teams in the East make the playoffs with inferior records could be the catalyst for change the NBA playoff system needs.
- Sam Amick of The Athletic sat down for an extensive one-one-one conversation with Luke Walton to discuss him working in his dream job as the head coach for the Lakers, the team’s much-needed win in Dallas earlier this week after his challenge to his young players to play with more passion, and the overall challenge of both coaching and playing without James.
- The Lakers continue to wait for both Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to blossom into what a team ultimately expects of players taken No. 2 overall in the draft. But as Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register writes, time is running out. On July 1, the Lakers could potentially trade for the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis, one of the best players in the NBA. And if they do so, both Ball and Ingram may be going to the Big Easy unless they show their worth the rest of the season.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/5/19 – 1/12/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- With January 7 representing a key date for NBA players on non-guaranteed contracts, we broke down which of those players earned a full guarantee on their 2018/19 salaries.
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding the difficulty the Knicks would have trading away Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee, the future of Lauri Markkanen with the Bulls, and the best fit for Clippers forward Tobias Harris in free agency.
- In his Fantasy Hoops post, Chris Crouse takes a look at the fantasy value of the entire Nuggets rotation, from Nikola Jokic to Monte Morris, Malik Beasley, and Torrey Craig.
- We introduced our 2019 NBA 10-Day Contract Tracker, beginning with deals for Quincy Acy and Cameron Payne for the Suns and Cavaliers, respectively.
- In our NBA Trade Candidate Watch, we focused on the Atlantic Division for a third go-round.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- How would you fill out your hypothetical awards ballot for the first half of the 2018/19 NBA season?
- What should the struggling Pistons do to get out of their slump – trade Andre Drummond, trade other players and draft picks, keep their roster intact, or something else?
- Midway through the season, Luke Adams took a look at the unique roster situations for five teams – the Wizards, Suns, Trail Blazers, Knicks, and Pelicans.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch series highlighted the Southwest Division.