Pistons To Retain Christian Wood
The Pistons do not intend to waive forward Christian Wood, opting instead to reward the 24-year-old with a regular season roster spot for his strong preseason play, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
With the decision to keep Wood in the fold, Detroit now has some roster maneuvering to do, as they still have 16 players on their regular season roster with tomorrow’s deadline looming after making a series of cuts this morning.
As we relayed about a week ago, the Pistons have been seeking a trade that would allow them to keep both Wood and veteran guard Joe Johnson. In response to Haynes’ report, Rod Beard of The Detroit News opined that a trade still seems to be in the works.
Wood, who has been waived by both the Bucks and Pelicans in 2019, has now seen a successful preseason turn into a regular season roster spot. The UNLV product holds career averages of 9.9 MPG, 5.3 PPG, and 2.9 RPG in 51 NBA contests.
Northwest Notes: Roberson, Gasol, Vanderbilt, Covington
Thunder swingman Andre Roberson hasn’t played in an NBA game in nearly two years, and while he had been cleared to practice without restrictions earlier this offseason, OKC is continuing to be cautious with the defensive stalwart, pens Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
Roberson still hasn’t played in the preseason, and when asked about it, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said on Monday, “We’re not going to rush him.” Moreover, for the last week, Donovan said Roberson has been participating with the team, but not all of the contact drills, after having some soreness in camp.
“If he felt like he needed more game experience, I think that’s an option for him, but I think as long as we’re in training camp and (the Thunder are) playing five-on-five, he’s getting that there,” Donovan said. “The one thing we don’t want to do is put him in a situation where we’re making him practice every single day and he can never catch up from a recovery standpoint.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Trail Blazers veteran big man Pau Gasol will not play in either of the team’s final two preseason games, and his status for the regular season remains up in the air, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Head coach Terry Stotts said of Gasol (Twitter link), “He works with (the health and performance staff) every day, he’s very diligent about doing what he needs to do. But as far as an update, there is really no update.”
- Nick Kosmider of The Athletic writes that Nuggets forward Jarred Vanderbilt is concentrating on a specific skill set – rebounding – to make his mark in the NBA. “There’s always a spot for rebounding… every team needs that, whether it’s offensive or defensive. I feel like that’s guaranteed for me. I can get rebounds every night.”
- Coming off a knee injury and resulting surgery that limited him to 35 games last year, Timberwolves forward Robert Covington says he is fully healthy and will look to work on improving his rhythm and conditioning, per Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Wizards Notes: Starting SF, Bryant, Wall
Who will be the starter at small forward for the Wizards when the regular season opens up one week from today? According to the candidates laid out by Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, the race is down to three – Isaac Bonga, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan McRae – after Justin Anderson was waived earlier today.
With Bradley Beal and Ish Smith set in the backcourt and rookie first-rounder Rui Hachimura and big man Thomas Bryant likely to start up front, it’s down to Bonga, Schofield, or McRae to join that foursome in the starting lineup with both Troy Brown Jr. and C.J. Miles out injured.
“It’s still open,” head coach Scott Brooks said. “We got a lot of guys that are fighting for opportunities and, like I said, it’s not just talk — it’s wide open. Especially with all of the injuries, it’s really wide open.”
As Buckner notes, the Wizards should really opt to go with Bonga or Schofield if they are serious about a youth movement. But McRae is a scrappy veteran used to fighting for a roster spot, so it will be interesting to monitor the small forward position moving forward in Washington.
There’s more from the Wizards:
- As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington notes, the Wizards’ best chance to improve on defense lies with the aforementioned Bryant. The 22-year-old youngster hasn’t been much of a rim protector previously, but he possesses some natural abilities that suggest he has the potential to become one. Said Bryant, “I have to be one of those guys to make a big difference. A big man can be the anchor for the defense. I have to take that responsibility to heart every day, whether it’s in practice or the game.”
- In another piece for NBC Sports Washington, Hughes relays that injured point guard John Wall suffered another infection after his Achilles surgery that delayed him getting out of his walking boot. “For me to be where I’m at right now, with all the setbacks and infections and then finding out my Achilles was ruptured and then going through another infection, it was like ‘man, when can I ever get past that point of just getting out of the boot and walking?'”
- And in yet another article, Hughes writes how Wall is embracing his role as an assistant coach while out injured. Wall says this season will give him an idea of whether he wants to get into coaching someday. “I think this year will tell me whether I can be a coach or not… I think you have to have a lot of patience and you’ve gotta know how to interact with every player. Every player’s attitudes and character and mood swings are totally different. I learned from when a coach tried to coach me when I was young and I wasn’t the guy to coach.”
Knicks Release Amir Hinton
The Knicks have waived guard Amir Hinton, according to a release from the club. Hinton was signed to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, so the Knicks won’t be on the hook for any dead money.
Hinton, 22, declared for the 2019 NBA Draft after his junior season at Division II school Shaw University, where he led all Division II players with 29.4 points per game and earned CIAA Player of the Year honors.
Shortly after going undrafted, Hinton agreed to a training camp deal with the Knicks, which became official last month. Now that he’s been cut, it’s likely he’ll become an affiliate player for New York’s G League team, the Westchester Knicks.
The Knicks now have 19 players under contract, including one two-way player. Of the 18 guys on standard contracts, 15 have guaranteed deals, meaning it looks like it’ll be an uphill climb for V.J. King, Kenny Wooten, or Lamar Peters to earn a roster spot.
Northwest Notes: Bazley, Graham, Gupta, Nuggets
As Thunder forward Darius Bazley continues to acclimate to the NBA, he may be little nervous, as is normal for a rookie. But as Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman writes, Bazley looks more than ready to make an impact this season.
Through two preseason games, Bazley is averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Thunder. Bazley, 19, chose to forgo college and work out with personal trainers until he could enter the NBA draft, but his high school coach says Bazley is ready for the NBA.
“I knew he was going to have success in the league,” said Steve Wright, who coached Bazley at Princeton High School in Cincinnati before he became a member of the Thunder. “He’s super talented — I always knew that… I always talked to him about, when he gets to the next level, he’s going to have a lot of space. In the NBA you’ve got illegal defense, so you can’t just guard the paint. With his size, with his ability to put the ball on the floor, being able to pass, being able to shoot, the NBA fits him well.“
That said, Bazley will still certainly have ups and downs as a rookie, as head coach Billy Donovan warns. Thunder fans saw the same last year with Hamidou Diallo, who eventually fell out of the rotation toward the end of the season.
“My biggest thing for him is, as he learns and grows and gets better and has some success, he needs to stay really, really humble,” says the Thunder head man. “And he’s got to stay eager to work and eager to learn. He’s got all the challenges, the difficulties, the adversities that come with being a young player. He’s going to have to have the resiliency to work through those things. If he keeps that kind of attitude, he’s going to really improve.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division this afternoon:
- Chris Hine of the Star Tribune reports that swingman Treveon Graham, who the Timberwolves picked up in the sign-and-trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors, is a player to keep an eye on this season in Minnesota.
- In other Timberwolves’ news, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes a look inside the road to Minnesota for new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Sachin Gupta.
- Eric Spyropoulos of Nuggets.com previews the 2019/20 Nuggets season with a look at how newcomer Jerami Grant can help Denver.
Rockets Believe Gerald Green Suffered Broken Foot
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Rockets believe swingman Gerald Green has suffered a broken left foot that could sideline him for months. Green is expected to seek out additional opinions before determining his course of treatment but the veteran will be out indefinitely for now.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN adds that while Green is expected to miss extended time, he is hoping to avoid surgery so that he can return sooner rather than later, while Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes that the team initially thought the injury was only a strain and further tests have been scheduled for tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis.
Green, 33, re-signed with Houston in July after agreeing to a deal in June. This will be his third consecutive season with the Rockets. In 2018/19, Green averaged 9.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 73 games while shooting .400/.354/.838.
Celtics Converting Tacko Fall To Two-Way Contract
The Celtics are converting the contract of big man Tacko Fall to a two-way contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN. As most two-way players do, the 7’6″ rookie will spend most of his season developing with his team’s G-League affiliate – the Maine Red Claws – but can spend up to 45 days with the Celtics in the NBA.
As Tim Bontemps of ESPN observes, the Celtics were able to open up a two-way spot for Fall alongside fellow rookie Tremont Waters by converting rookie swingman Max Strus to a standard contract earlier today. Bobby Marks of ESPN noted in response to that development that Boston had until next Monday to convert Fall to a two-way contract.
Fall, 23, has become one of the most popular players in the NBA since becoming a member of the Celtics this summer. He made a strong impression in limited Summer League minutes, making 17-of-22 shots from the field and averaging 7.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.4 BPG in just 12.6 minutes per contest (five games).
Northwest Notes: Porter, Okogie, Green, Thunder
In a piece chronicling the first NBA game for Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., Nick Kosmider of The Athletic explains how Porter’s debut ended up being a long time coming after the 21-year-old had to rehab through two back surgeries and miss his entire first season as a professional.
In the team hotel the night before Porter’s debut, Tim Connelly, Denver’s president of basketball operations, encouraged Porter to let each frame of his debut experience sink in, notwithstanding the fact that it was just a preseason game.
“I told him, ‘You should really pat yourself on the back,'” Connelly said. “It’s not easy to do what he’s done. He’s been a guy that, forever, the assumption was that he was going to play in the NBA because he was so talented, but the road has been a little more convoluted and challenging, so I said, ‘Appreciate the moment. You’re officially in the NBA. It wasn’t how you thought it would be three or four years ago, but it’s still special.'”
Teammate Jarred Vanderbilt, who is close with Porter and helped him throughout the rehab process and beforehand, had some good advice for his friend.
“I know how tough it was for him to sit out, like it was for me, but he sat out the whole year,” Vanderbilt said. “It was a lot tougher for him, so it’s just great to see him playing again. I told him, ‘Don’t put any pressure on yourself. Just be happy to be out there.’ That’s how I was. I was just happy to be out there. I know how it feels to be not able to play. To come back and feel all antsy like you have to make the right play and everything, I felt like I was doing that and thinking too much, so I just told him to let the game come. Everything will fall into place.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie, who is entering his second season in the NBA, was able to improve his game this summer by playing in the FIBA World Cup as a member of Team Nigeria, writes Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. Specifically, Okogie believes he has gotten better mentally. “My experience was great playing overseas. One reason being, it forced me to think the game.”
- As Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune notes, we may see some new tricks from Jazz newcomer, veteran forward Jeff Green, as his ever-expanding skill set could prove crucial for the team this coming season.
- The Thunder rolled out a starting lineup that included Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder in their latest preseason game, perhaps signaling the team’s plan to use multiple point guard rotations throughout this season. Tim MacMahon of ESPN has the story.
Pacers Notes: Brogdon, Warren, Pritchard, Roster Moves
The 2019/20 season will only be his fourth NBA campaign and his first with the Pacers, but 26-year-old guard Malcolm Brogdon is Indiana’s bona fide team leader in his inaugural season in Indianapolis, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com.
At least one assistant coach has already gone as far as comparing Brogdon to perhaps the greatest player in Pacers’ history, five-time NBA All-Star Reggie Miller. “I haven’t seen anybody like that in practice since Reggie,” said assistant coach Dan Burke, who has been with the Pacers for nearly 20 seasons.
Likewise, head coach Nate McMillan sees an extension of himself on the court with Brogdon, something every coach longs for in a point guard.
“He’s doing a good job of coming in and competing and getting the guys to compete,” McMillan said “He understands the position he’s in and what’s required of that. He’s communicating with all of our guys. He communicates with the guys he’s playing with and the guys he’s playing against (in practice)… it just comes natural for him.”
There’s more tonight out of Indianapolis:
- A versatile player, offseason free agent acquisition T.J. Warren has the ability to line up as a power forward in a small-ball lineup, but the Pacers’ focus for him is to excel at small forward, reports J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.
- Scott Agness of The Athletic writes that the Pacers have elevated their emphasis on the international game and its players since president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard, who played professionally in Spain, Italy, and Germany, was promoted to run the front office back in 2017. “I like the way Europe does it,” Pritchard said. “They put the emphasis early on learning the game versus playing and winning immediately.”
- As we relayed earlier today and yesterday, the Pacers have made several roster moves in the past 48 hours. In addition to exercising rookie scale options on both Aaron Holiday and T.J. Leaf, the club replaced forward Jakeenan Gant with guard Walt Lemon Jr. on its 20-man roster.
Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Brown, Dinwiddie, Prince
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes that while Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has now spent seven full seasons in Toronto and helped the team bring home its first championship last season, the 33-year-old’s future after this season is up in the air.
Lowry will turn 34 in March, which means that Father Time will be creeping in to add some slippage sooner rather than later. Wolstat suggests that Chauncey Billups is a decent comparable to Lowry and that Billups, also a five-time All-Star, made his last All-Star appearance at age 33.
The Raptors need to add some young talent around Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, eight years Lowry’s junior, also will be looking for a new, more lucrative deal with the Raptors this summer.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports that Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is looking to hire an agent for the first time in his NBA career to represent him in negotiations with Boston on what Brown hopes will be a long-term deal that’ll keep him with the Celtics.
- Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie sent out an interesting tweet in response to the NBA’s latest take on his plan to convert his contract into a digital investment vehicle. Per Marc Stein of The New York Times, an NBA spokesperson says Dinwiddie’s arrangement “remains prohibited by the CBA,” to which Dinwiddie replied, “This won’t end well lol.”
- Nets forward Taurean Prince is making a case for a rookie-scale extension, especially with his preseason performance against SESI France Basquete, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Prince, who has been praised all summer by teammates, led the team with 22 points. “It’s just proof that the work I’ve put in and that the coaches have put in and the things we’ve been doing as a team have been working. I’m glad we’ve been able to transfer it over to the game.”