Nets Waive Yakuba Ouattara, Will Sign Milton Doyle
The Nets have waived guard Yakuba Ouattara, per an official report from the team. Ouattara signed a two-way contract with Brooklyn back in July, but appeared in only one game for the Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, recording 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
Adding some context to the Nets’ move is ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Brooklyn is signing guard Milton Doyle to its now vacant second two-way roster spot alongside Jacob Wiley.
Doyle, a 24-year-old 6’4″ undrafted combo guard from Loyola University Chicago, is averaging 21.3 points per game for the Long Island Nets to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Central Notes: LeBron, Oladipo, Osman
LeBron James is well on his way to another First Team All-NBA selection and perhaps a fifth MVP Award. And while the Cavaliers star will be the first to tell you that that he plays for team accomplishments, even he was able to admit how sweet it would be to add more personal hardware to his trophy case, reports Nick Friedell of ESPN. James also elaborated on what his continued excellence over time could mean for future NBA generations.
“Team success is always the No. 1, but along the way if you’re able accomplish some individual awards, individual achievements, it would mean a lot,” James said. “I feel good. This is my 15th year, but this is one of the best years I’ve had as far as how I feel, and I want to continue that. I want to kind of try to break the mold for the next generation.”
“Hopefully I can break the mold, so when the next guy comes, he can still get $200 or $300 million and be 33 years old. I’m serious. You guys are laughing, I’m serious. This is the mold I’m trying to break. It’s not just about me, it’s for the next crew, as well … I’ll be 33 in 15 days. This is my 15th season, and this is the best I’ve felt in my career.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Despite the recent narrative that being traded to Indiana from Oklahoma City (and particularly away from Russell Westbrook) has generated a career season for Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, the opposite is actually true, reports Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Oladipo himself specifically references how Westbrook’s level of play made him realize how much work it takes to become a star. “Going there and seeing (Westbrook) do that, just seeing his year overall last year definitely helped me realize that I gotta put in a lot of work to get on that level,” Oladipo said. “So, he definitely helped influence my growth both on and off the court. He was an amazing resource, especially last year, to learn from him. And I apply it to everyday life today.”
- In a piece for the The Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto opines that this season’s Cavaliers team has so far had a much more encouraging regular season than last year’s team. Among other topics, Pluto analyzes the surprising fit of Jose Calderon and general manager Koby Altman’s decision to give him a fully-guaranteed contract, head coach Tyronn Lue’s relationship with newcomer Jeff Green, and how potential All-Star Kevin Love seems to be thriving in an environment without Kyrie Irving.
- After being traded to Cleveland from Minnesota on draft night in 2015, Cavaliers swingman Cedi Osman had spent the last two seasons playing overseas in Turkey, waiting for his NBA break to come. And now that he’s in the NBA, Osman is looking to make the most of his opportunity, writes Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. In last night’s win against Utah, Osman scored a career high 10 points in 23 minutes (also a career high), with Lue opting to keep Osman in during crunch time in the fourth quarter.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/17/17
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Bulls have recalled Cristiano Felicio and Kay Felder from their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, one day after assignment, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Felicio scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in last night’s loss to the Raptors 905.
- Warriors second-year center Damian Jones has been recalled from the Santa Cruz Warriors, reports Melissa Rohlin of The Mercury News. Jones, who has not yet played in the NBA this season, and has been on assignment with Santa Cruz since mid-November, is probably needed in the wake of injuries to Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia.
- The Spurs assigned rookie guard Derrick White to the G League’s Austin Spurs today, per an official report. White, who had just been recalled yesterday, has appeared in three total games with Austin, averaging 15.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
Nets Notes: Okafor, Stauskas, Crabbe, Harris
Even after suffering a season worst 33 point loss to Toronto on Friday night, Nets center Jahlil Okafor and guard Nik Stauskas both appeared to be in high spirits after finally being able to get back on the court ten days removed from a trade that brought them to Brooklyn from Philadelphia in exchange for Trevor Booker, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
After playing only 25 minutes for Philadelphia all season, Okafor logged 23 minutes in his Nets debut, scoring ten points and grabbing four rebounds. Stauskas, meanwhile, scored a team high 22 points of 5-of-7 shooting from long range. “It just felt great to be back on the basketball court,” Stauskas said. “I hadn’t played that much in Philly, so it felt good to run up and down again.” Being from the Toronto area, Stauskas added, “maybe [being home helped] a little bit. But for me, it was more excitement to be back out there.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets have their own “process” for Okafor’s acclimation to the Nets’ style of play, Lewis reveals in a separate story. “With Jahlil, it’s going to be a process,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s shown a lot of potential and strength in the post. That’d be cool if we could throw it in there a little more, [have] a little more balance.” Notwithstanding Okafor’s post play acumen, he knows that the game has changed and he’s ready for the challenge. “I have to get comfortable shooting threes in the game. That’s the way coach wants the team to play. If you’re open for three in the corner, he wants guys to shoot it. I’m going to be in the gym constantly so I can knock that down.”
- In yet another story for the New York Post, Lewis relays how the Nets believe that sharpshooter Allen Crabbe, who has been battling left knee soreness, will shoot his way out of a recent slump sooner rather than later. Crabbe, who has shot 4 for his last 21 from long distance, is expected back for tonight’s game against Indiana after missing Friday’s loss to Toronto. Said Atkinson, “right now he’s struggling a little. It’s just like a batter that has a two-game little slump. He’ll come back and he’ll make shots. I’m not worried about that.”
- In an interesting piece for NBA.com, Tom Dowd chronicles how Joe Harris found his way onto the Nets’ roster. After being waived by Orlando in January, 2016, and unable to hook on with another team for the remainder of the season, Harris spent the summer of 2016 looking for another opportunity in the NBA. Upon meeting with Harris following a team workout, Atkinson was hooked. “What I loved, he took ownership,” said Atkinson. “That convinced me that this is a guy we want. Just his character to say that. (And) since he’s been with us, it’s amazing his commitment to what we’re doing.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/9/17
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Magic recalled Adreian Payne from the Lakeland Magic in time for tonight’s game against Atlanta, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Orlando was without Aaron Gordon as the result of a concussion suffered Friday against Denver.
- Rookie Justin Jackson and second-year players Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson have been recalled from the Kings‘ G League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, per an official tweet from the club. The Kings’ next game is Sunday against Toronto.
- The Hornets have recalled guard Julyan Stone from the G League’s Greensboro Swarm one day after assignment, according to an official press release from the team. In his one game with the Swarm, Stone recorded five points, 14 assists and three rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
Community Shootaround: All-NBA First Team
With the regular season nearly a third of the way through as of this past week’s games (Boston, Golden State, Orlando, and Phoenix have all played 27 games), we thought now would be a good time to contemplate which five players are most deserving of being a First Team All-NBA selection for the 2017/18 season.
While there is obviously still a lot of basketball left, there have surely been enough games played so far to begin making a reasonable estimation of certain players’ chances. Players like James Harden and LeBron James have certainly done nothing so far to relinquish their hold on a first team spot come May, and the Warriors‘ dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will garner legitimate consideration as well, but other stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving will push their way into the discussion also if they continue to impress the way that they have to begin the season.
Perhaps the most interesting position to watch is at center, with at least four early candidates making a push for their inaugural All-NBA First Team selection, none of whom made an All-NBA team a season ago.
- Joel Embiid is averaging 23.5 PPG and 11.1 RPG, one of only two players with averages of 23 and 11 so far this season. Embiid is also averaging 1.95 BPG, good enough for fourth best in the league, while leading the Sixers to a 13-11 start, putting them in the playoffs as the eighth seed if the season ended today.
- DeMarcus Cousins is the other aforementioned player, averaging 26.3 PPG and 12.6 RPG to go along with an impressive 5.1 APG. Those per game numbers rank first, third, and first among all centers, respectively. The Pelicans are also squarely in the playoff race, currently sitting at the eighth position just like Philadelphia.
- Andre Drummond leads the NBA in rebounding, averaging 15.3 per game. Given his limited scoring output, however, his candidacy would likely need to be buoyed by his team’s success. The Pistons were once in second place in the Eastern Conference, but have since slipped into a tie for sixth with Washington.
- Karl-Anthony Towns is one of only three players (along with Embiid and Cousins) to average over 19 PPG and 11 RPG, currently sitting at a respectable clip of 19.8 and 11.6. Of the four centers named herein, the Timberwolves currently have the best record at 15-11, good enough for fourth in the Western Conference.
What do you think? Assuming the regular season ended today, which five players are most deserving of being named First Team All-NBA? Remember that unlike the All-Star game, All-NBA teams are comprised of two guards, two forwards, and a center. Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Hoops Rumors Originals: 12/2/17 – 12/9/17
Every week, we at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Below are our original segments and features from the last 7 days:
- We answered your questions in a Weekly Mailbag segment, including the possibility of the Pelicans‘ trading DeMarcus Cousins and whether David Fizdale was wrongly ousted in Memphis.
- In our lone Community Shootaround post, we asked which franchise is the best fit for DeAndre Jordan should a trade materialize and, if it does, what should the Clippers seek from that franchise in return?
- We reminded our readers of a new feature – our 2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings, which updates the potential 2018 NBA draft order on a daily basis.
- Our Hoops Rumors Glossary entries continued, again focusing on several different CBA-related topics.
- We took a look at five notable players who will become trade-eligible this month, including a former MVP and two lottery selections from 2013.
- We analyzed the stock of the Celtics‘ 2018 free agents.
- As part of our Fantasy Hoops content, fellow contributors Chris Crouse and Austin Kent discussed the Jahlil Okafor trade in depth and Steven Adams‘ emergence for the Thunder, among other topics.
Five Key Stories: 12/2/17 – 12/9/17
Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.
The Sixers and Nets completed a trade that sent Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and the Knicks’ 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Trevor Booker. In order to make room on their roster for Okafor and Stauskas, the Nets waived guard Sean Kilpatrick and his $1.52MM in guaranteed salary. The Sixers, who were determined to fine a suitable trade partner for Okafor in lieu of a buyout, will now look for Booker to provide extra depth and leadership for a young team that is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The two-way contract of Suns’ rookie point guard Mike James was converted into a standard NBA contract on Thursday, marking the first time in league history such a transaction has taken place. In order to make room on their roster for James, the Suns’ waived seldom used second-year swingman Derrick Jones. James new contract will pay him approximately $580.6K for the remainder of the season.
After spending nearly two weeks away from the Cavaliers in order to mentally cope with injury frustrations and contemplate his future, Derrick Rose is officially back with the team. Rose will continue to seek treatment on his injured left ankle in hopes of returning to the court sometime in the near future.
Warriors‘ two-time MVP Stephen Curry is out indefinitely after suffering a sprained ankle in Monday’s game against New Orleans. While an MRI revealed no structural damage to Curry’s right ankle, the Warriors are being cautious given his history of ankles issues, with reports that Curry will be re-evaluated in “a couple of weeks.”
The Clippers were granted a disabled player exception worth $2.75MM as a result of Patrick Beverley being lost for the season after knee surgery. Use of the entire exception would put the Clippers well over the luxury tax line, so it remains to be seen if the exception will be utilized. The deadline to use the exception is March 10th.
Here are 11 more headlines from around the NBA last week.
- After suffering what appeared to be a scary injury a week ago Friday, an MRI revealed no serious damage to the groin of Anthony Davis.
- Clippers’ big man DeAndre Jordan has hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management as his first agent since the summer of 2015.
- Spurs forward Kyle Anderson was diagnosed with a sprained left MCL and will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks. Fortunately for the Spurs, All-Star Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to the court for Tuesday’s game in Dallas.
- Originally expected to return to the Bulls this month, Zach LaVine is now targeted to return from his ACL injury in January.
- The Knicks will be without the services of Tim Hardaway Jr. for the next couple of weeks after the team announced that Hardaway began a treatment and rehabilitation plan for a stress injury in his lower left leg.
- Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has taken a leave of absence from the team in order to address health concerns, while Cody Zeller has been ruled out indefinitely after tearing the meniscus in his left knee in the team’s loss to Golden State on Wednesday.
- After being connected to the recent FBI investigation into college basketball, ASM Sports Andy Miller relinquished his certification as an NBPA agent.
- The younger brothers of Lakers’ rookie Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo, 19, and LaMelo, 16, have relinquished their NCAA eligibility in an effort to find professional work overseas.
- Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to be out of the lineup for two to three weeks after suffering a left adductor strain in the team’s loss to Toronto on Tuesday.
- Mavericks center Nerlens Noel underwent surgery on his left thumb on Friday to repair a torn ligament. Noel will be out for “several weeks.”
- The NBA is expected to establish an NBA G League franchise in Mexico City as early as next season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/2/17
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
3:58pm:
- The Grizzlies have recalled rookie big man Ivan Rabb from the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, according to an official press release. Rabb has only played one minute for the Grizzlies so far this season.
12:53pm:
- After being assigned to the Erie BayHawks back on November 26, the Hawks have recalled guard Tyler Dorsey back to the team for this afternoon’s game against the Nets, per an official press release from the team. In seven games with the BayHawks, Dorsey is averaging 17.4 PPG.
- According to a team press release, rookie center Ante Zizic has been recalled back to the Cavaliers a day after being assigned to the G League’s Canton Charge. Zizic scored 19 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Charge in last night’s game against the Long Island Nets.
- The Lakers have assigned center Ivica Zubac to the South Bay Lakers, its G League affiliate, the team announced today. In two games with South Bay this season, Zubac has averaged 21.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG. He is expected to play tonight against the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 11/25/17 – 12/2/17
Every week, the writers here at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Here are those segments and features from the last 7 days:
- We answered your questions in our Weekly Mailbag, including potential trades involving two recent lottery picks – the Sixers’ Jahlil Okafor and the Lakers’ Julius Randle.
- In our Community Shootaround series, we asked:
- Who do you believe is going to be the next head coach to lose his job?
- Is Anthony Davis‘ tendency to attract injury going to become a long-term problem for the Pelicans?
- We continued to revisit some of our Hoops Rumors Glossary entries, this week focusing on additional free agent signing exceptions.
- We took a look at some important dates to remember this month, including a few salary guarantee dates, the NBA’s annual Christmas Day line-up, and a change in wavier order.
- We analyzed the stock of the Clippers’ 2018 free agents.
- We took a look at our top five restricted free agents for the 2018 offseason, two of whom are former lottery selections still out with injuries.
- As part of our Fantasy Hoops content, we analyzed how James Harden‘s play is making him the early favorite for MVP, among other fantasy analysis and notes.
- We asked you to weigh in on a poll asking which team has the best backcourt duo in the NBA.