Grizzlies Forward Deyonta Davis Out 6-8 Weeks
Grizzlies rookie big man Deyonta Davis is out 6-8 weeks with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
The early second-round pick, who was selected 31st overall in June by the Celtics and then shipped to Memphis, has appeared in 21 games this season. He’s averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes.
Boston sent Davis and the 35th pick, Serbian swingman Rade Zagorac, to Memphis in exchange for the Clippers’ 2019 first-rounder that the Grizzlies owned.
The 6’10” Davis, who can play either power forward or center, played one season at Michigan State before entering the draft. He has made a favorable impression on his veteran teammates, as Tillery recently reported. “I like him very much. His upside is tremendous,” Marc Gasol told Tillery. “He cannot be satisfied with one play or one quarter or one season. He’s got to be more and more. He’s got to be hungry. That’s the mindset he’s got to have and I’m going to help him. He can help me win and I’m going to help him be better.”
Memphis liked Davis enough to sign him to a guaranteed three-year, $4MM deal in July, the largest ever for an American-born second-round pick.
The Grizzlies have plenty of depth at power forward but Brandan Wright, essentially another power forward, is the only other backup listed behind Gasol at center.
Sixers Guard Bayless Has Wrist Surgery, Out For Season
Sixers guard Jerryd Bayless underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, according to the release. “While it’s unfortunate Jerryd will miss the remainder of the season, we feel confident that today’s procedure will resolve his wrist injury and related discomfort,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement.
Bayless was expected to be the club’s starting point guard this season. He suffered a torn ligament in the wrist during camp but the team and player opted to pursue non-surgical treatments. Bayless had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes during his second game of the season but multiple falls to the floor resulted in significant impact to the wrist, according to the release. He wound up playing in a total of three games, averaging 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Bayless signed a three-year, $27MM contract in July as an unrestricted free agent. He played 52 games with the Bucks last season and averaged 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 28.9 minutes.
Sergio Rodriguez and T.J. McConnell have emerged as the team’s point guards in his absence.
The Sixers will not be able to add another player to their roster under the disabled players exception because they are under the salary cap, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Community Shootaround: Craig Sager
The NBA world has been deeply affected by the news of the passing of longtime TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager. His brave and prolonged battle with cancer made him an inspiration to many people, whether or not they were fans of the NBA.
Sager went through great lengths to continue his broadcast duties, even driving long distances or flying across the country after undergoing chemotherapy treatments. His speech at the ESPYs this summer, which was as powerful as the 1993 speech made by cancer-stricken former college basketball coach Jim Valvano, will never be forgotten.
Sager had a long and distinguished career as a television and radio reporter. He was the young reporter running onto the field in 1974 after Hank Aaron hit his historic long ball and became the all-time home run king. Sager covered a wide variety of sports during his long and distinguished career but he’ll be remembered the most for his work on NBA broadcasts.
He always took his job seriously, though his attire was often comical. He never seemed to wear the same outfit or sports coat twice, and every one seemed wilder and more outrageous than the previous one.
His in-game interviews with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich were remembered for Popovich’s brief, and often terse, responses. But no one was more supportive of Sager than Pops when Sager’s illness was revealed.
Players, coaches and fans showed their love and support the last few years when they saw Sager. Unfortunately, we’ll never again have the pleasure of seeing Sager doing an interview or giving us an update on an injury or in-game strategy.
This leads us to our question of the day: What will you remember most about Craig Sager?
Jump into the comments section below and share you memories of one of the NBA’s best all-time reporters.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/8/16
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors recalled rookie center Damian Jones from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a press release. During his most recent assignment, which began Nov. 30, Jones averaged 2.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 19.3 minutes.
- Ivica Zubac was assigned by the Lakers to their D-Fenders, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. That allowed him to get some game action against Reno. The 7’1” rookie center has appeared in four games with the Lakers.
Atlantic Rumors: Noel, Horford, Jackson, Nets
- Al Horford is thriving in his new role as a point forward in the Celtics’ offense, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes. Horford is averaging a career-high 5.3 assists and has notched eight or more assists three times after doing that just seven times previously in his career, Forsberg adds. “Coach is calling my number to make plays, and honestly, the guys are just cutting great to the basket, and I’m finding them,” Horford told Forsberg. “It’s a lot of easy looks.”
- Knicks president Phil Jackson has to stop feuding with Carmelo Anthony or the team’s season could fall apart, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Jackson cannot afford to have a strained relationship with his top player, considering he was the executive who decided to re-sign Anthony to a long-term deal, Vaccaro continues. The drama between them is silly and counterproductive, Vaccaro adds.
- Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick credits GM Sean Marks for his emergence from an unheralded D-League addition to a high-scoring starter, Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes. Marks told Kilpatrick to be aggressive offensively and he’s developed into Brooklyn’s second-leading scorer after signing a multi-year deal in March, Mannix adds. “As soon as I came to the team, he told me, flat out, just to play my game, just to continue to do the things I’d been doing the last couple of months in the D-League,’ Kilpatrick told Mannix. “I think when you have that type of confidence in a player, coming from your GM, it’s a big boost, at least it was to me.”
Western Notes: Speights, Paul, Gasol, Grizzlies
Reserve Clippers center and former Warriors backup Marreese Speights believes his current team needs to learn some lessons from its blowout loss to Golden State on Wednesday, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register reports. Speights ripped the Clippers for whining about calls and implored them to play more unselfishly, Oram continues. Speights explained that the Warriors coaching staff felt the Clippers would fold if “you hit them a couple times” and they lived up to that reputation, Oram adds. “First we need to start really just leaving the refs alone,” Speights told Oram and other media members. “Guys just got to sacrifice, do some other things than scoring, do some other things than your personal goals. Just try something new. They’ve been doing it here for four or five years and it hasn’t been working, so it’s time to try something new.”
- Clippers guard Chris Paul believes it’s feasible that he will team up with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at some point, he revealed in a radio interview that was relayed by SI.com. In an Open Run podcast, said “anything’s possible” and added that they work out together at times during the offseason. Paul can opt out of his contract after this season, while James and Anthony can opt out of the final year of their contracts after the 2017/18 season.
- Pau Gasol nearly signed with the Spurs in 2014 before choosing the Bulls, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express Nets. Gasol felt Chicago “underperformed” in his two seasons there before he opted out of the final year of his contract and chose the Spurs this summer. He was also heavy recruited by ex-Bulls coach and current Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations, Tom Thibodeau, McDonald continues. Gasol turned down bigger money — two years and $36MM — to sign with San Antonio for two years and $31.6MM, McDonald adds. “I think a player like that, he’s looking for an opportunity to be part of a championship team,” Thibodeau told McDonald.
- Rookies point guards Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin are doing a respectable job replacing injured Mike Conley for the Grizzlies, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Their decision-making can be frustrating to the coaching staff at times and Harrison’s outside shot has been inconsistent but overall, coach David Fitzdale is pleased with the way they’ve performed, Tillery adds. “I’ve got to live with what these younger guys are doing on the court whether it’s good or bad,” Fizdale told Tillery. “In the long run, it’s going to help us. At the end of the year, they won’t be as young anymore.”
Trade Candidate: Ricky Rubio
In the months leading up to February’s trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.
Ricky Rubio, PG
Minnesota Timberwolves
2016/17 salary: $13,550,000
Eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2019
Trade restrictions: None
There seems to be an uneasy truce these days between the Timberwolves and their starting point guard. The way that the Timberwolves’ offseason unfolded, it’s somewhat surprising that Ricky Rubio remains their floor leader. It probably won’t be that way much longer, though Rubio has done little to enhance his trade value through the first six weeks of the season.
Once Tom Thibodeau was hired as the head coach and president of basketball operations, Rubio’s exit seemed like a foregone conclusion. Rubio was shopped prior to the draft, as Thibodeau pursued a deal for the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler. One of the reasons that that potential deal fell through was the Chicago wanted Zach LaVine, instead of Rubio, as part of the package.
The Timberwolves wound up with their fallback plan, which was to select the top point guard in the draft to presumably take Rubio’s job. Kris Dunn dropped to the No. 5 spot, which Thibodeau didn’t mind since he was reportedly atop his draft board.
Supposedly, Thibodeau got some offers for Rubio during the summer, but nothing that compelled him to pull the trigger. Eventually, the Timberwolves opted to take a wait-and-see approach, giving Dunn time to acclimate himself to the NBA game while Rubio held the fort as the starter during the early portion of the season.
What’s happened since the season began may not be a worse-case scenario, but it’s pretty close. First, Rubio missed five games with an elbow injury. Upon returning, his play has been substandard while the Timberwolves, who were expected to be one of the most improved teams in the Western Conference, have floundered.
His shooting, never his strong suit anyway, has been woeful. He’s made 34.5% of his field-goal attempts and 22.9% of his 3-point tries. His assists are down to an average of 6.7 per game over 30.6 minutes, though his turnover numbers (1.9) remain respectable. His current 12.1 PER is well below the league average of 15.0.
By comparison, Rubio has averaged at least 8.6 assists per game the past three seasons while playing a comparable amount of minutes.
Perhaps the only reason why Rubio has kept his starting position is that Dunn struggled in the early going himself, though that appears to be changing. According to Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dunn’s shot looked as good as it has all season on Tuesday, when he made all but one of his field-goal attempts and scored 15 points against the Spurs. Moreover, as Souhan noted, Rubio is the picture of frustration these days whose veteran leadership is being outweighed by his lack of production.
The pairing of Dunn and talented combo guard LaVine as the starting backcourt will probably happen soon. Minnesota also has another recent first-round pick, Tyus Jones, in line to take an expanded reserve role. The only reason to delay the inevitable at this point would be hope Rubio gets into a better groove, which would make it easier to move him.
Rubio’s contract, given the rise in salaries to coincidence with jump in the salary cap, is reasonable. He’s making $13.55MM this season and has two guaranteed years remaining at $14.25MM and $14.95MM, respectively. If another team views Rubio as an upgrade to their current point guard situation, those figures are certainly not prohibitive.
So which teams out there might want a flashy if offensively-challenged point man who at 26 years old should be in his prime? The Kings were reportedly one of his pursuers this summer and their point situation hasn’t improved. Darren Collison is averaging 4.7 assists, compared to 2.2 turnovers, and journeyman Ty Lawson is also getting steady playing time. Sacramento is overloaded with young bigs on its roster and has also been trying to move small forward Rudy Gay, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he opts out.
Which other teams might be a match for Rubio? The Nets, who lead the league in having offer sheets to restricted free agents matched, have been looking to upgrade their roster. Current starter Jeremy Lin has been injured and seems like a short-term fix, anyway, with rookie Isaiah Whitehead behind him.
The suddenly woebegone Mavericks could seek a younger replacement to Deron Williams and the Pelicans might consider such a move, considering Jrue Holiday is oft-injured and heading into the free agent market this summer.
The Sixers, with Sergio Rodriguez currently running the show, could use a heady point guard to feed the ball to their stable of bigs. Another intriguing option might be the Spurs, taking into account Tony Parker‘s mileage and recent injury history. The Hawks chose to hand the controls of their attack to Dennis Schroder but with an offense currently ranked No. 27 in efficiency, they might rethink that plan.
Minnesota could also wait on a contender that suffers a point guard injury — the Grizzlies and Mike Conley already fit that category, though they’re paying Conley way too much to take on a salary like Rubio’s as a fill-in at the same position.
Rubio is undoubtedly a better player than he’s shown this season. In his last two full seasons — he was injured most of the 2014/15 campaign — he had a VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) of 2.3 each time. That translates to approximately six wins per season over a replacement player. Rubio is not only one of the league’s most prolific distributors, he’s typically near the top of the steals categories, generating a couple of easy baskets per game for his club.
What’s apparent is that Rubio is not the long-term starter for Minnesota. By drafting Dunn in the lottery, the Timberwolves basically told Rubio that he was just a placeholder for their preferred option at the point. If Rubio is still wearing their uniform by the end of the season, it will speak more toward his declining trade value than their reluctance to give him a fresh start.
What do you think? Should the Timberwolves trade or keep Rubio? Which team would be the best fit for Rubio? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and possible trade ideas.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/3/16
- The Knicks assigned forward Maurice Ndour to the Westchester Knicks and he will play against the Erie Bay Hawks tonight, the team’s PR staff tweets. The power forward has appeared in 10 NBA games this season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.1 minutes.
- The Celtics assigned forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. The second-year power forward has appeared in eight games with Boston this season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes.
- The Thunder recalled forward Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. In four games with the Blue this season, Huestis is averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.00 blocks in 31.8 minutes. He has yet to make his season debut with the Thunder.
- The Spurs assigned Davis Bertans and Dejounte Murray to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. Both players are available tonight for Austin’s game against the Salt Lake City Stars.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 11/27/16-12/3/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- Luke Adams takes a long look at the possibility that Sixers big man Nerlens Noel will be traded.
- Eddie Scarito compiled every team’s Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds for your convenience.
- We examined how the new coaches around the league are faring.
- Luke Adams detailed December dates and deadlines to watch.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Here’s a rundown of a number of the site’s notable features.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag. Here’s how you can submit your own questions for our mailbag feature.
- Here’s where we track all the trades that occur during the season.
- In our Community Shootarounds this week we discussed:
- What should the Grizzlies do now that point guard Mike Conley is out for an extended period with a back injury?
- We asked our readers to give us their take on which team has been the biggest disappointment this season.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Week In Review: 11/27/16-12/3/16
With approximately 25% of the regular season completed, here’s a look back at all the notable news and events from around the NBA this past seven days:
Waivers
- Point guard Norris Cole was released by his Chinese team.
Signings/Agreements
- The Nets signed the last restricted free agent on the market, Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas, to a four-year, $37MM offer sheet. Houston has until Monday to match the offer, which reportedly includes two non-guaranteed years.
- Free agent forward Chris Copeland opted to sign with a Turkish team.
- Veteran forward Jeff Ayres signed with the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders.
- Guards Archie Goodwin and Tony Wroten signed D-League contracts.
- Guards Kendall Marshall and Jordan Adams were claimed by D-League teams.
News/Rumors
- Cavaliers swingman James Jones plans to retire after the 2017/18 season.
- Heat forward Luke Babbitt could be sidelined a few weeks.
- The banged-up Grizzlies have their eyes on Toney Douglas.
- Lakers guard Nick Young will miss 2-4 weeks with a calf strain.
- Draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman, whose rights are owned by the Cavaliers, is eager to make the jump to the NBA next season.
- Wizards rookie Danuel House is expected to miss six weeks with a fractured wrist.
- Pistons guard Reggie Bullock will undergo surgery for a left knee meniscus tear and could miss 2-4 months.
- Former Sixers executive Sam Hinkie would consider returning to the league next year.
- Magic GM Rob Hennigan might be on the hot seat in the wake of his team’s slow start.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has no desire to go into tank mode the rest of the season.