2015/16 D-League Usage Report: Heat
The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams had one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. Those NBA organizations without their own affiliates were required to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises. D-League teams could volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerged, the players were assigned at random.
This significant change from the 2014/15 season came about after the Pacers purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and turned them into their one-to-one partner for the 2015/16 campaign. Other NBA teams have interest in following suit in the years ahead, and the NBA’s ultimate goal for the D-League is for all 30 NBA franchises to have their own D-League squads. You can view the complete list of D-League affiliates here.
We at Hoops Rumors are recapping the D-League-related activity for the 2015/16 campaign for each team and we’ll continue with the Miami Heat, whose D-League affiliate is the Sioux Falls Skyforce:
The Heat made 8 assignments for the 2015/16 season, sending two players to the D-League for a total of 55 days. Listed below are all the assignments and recalls made by Miami for the 2015/16 campaign:
- November 25th: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (1st) — Recalled November 29th
- December 3rd: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (2nd) — Recalled December 15th
- December 25th: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (3rd) — Recalled January 3rd
- December 30th: Assigned Josh Richardson (1st) — Recalled January 3rd
- January 5th: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (4th) — Recalled January 16th
- January 5th: Assigned Josh Richardson (2nd) — Recalled January 11th
- February 4th: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (5th) — Recalled February 7th
- February 10th: Assigned Jarnell Stokes (6th) — Recalled February 15th
Here’s how Miami’s players performed while on assignment to the D-League this season:
- Josh Richardson: In four appearances Richardson averaged 23.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 38.2 minutes per contest. His shooting numbers were .473/.393/.706.
- Jarnell Stokes: In 28 appearances Stokes averaged 20.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30.7 minutes per outing. His shooting line was.665/.444/.667.
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Teletovic, Workouts
While the Kings would like to have Rajon Rondo return next season, the team is prepared to move on from the point guard rather quickly if the bidding for his services escalates, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. The scribe doesn’t cite a specific dollar figure that would be the cut off point for Sacramento, but does note that it is lower than many might think. Rondo earned $9.5MM this season and is likely to command more than that in unrestricted free agency this summer given the amount of teams in need of help at the point guard position, though that is merely my speculation. The 30-year-old made 72 appearances in 2015/16, averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 11.7 assists in 35.2 minutes per outing.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers may not have a choice in the matter, given that the Sixers select ahead of them in this June’s draft, but team officials prefer LSU forward Ben Simmons over Duke’s Brandon Ingram, Chad Ford of ESPN. com tweets. Ingram is a better fit for the team, but many in the front office are enamored with Simmons’ star potential, Ford adds.
- The Suns held a workout on Wednesday for Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Codi Miller-McIntyre (Wake Forest), Adam Smith (Georgia Tech) and Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), the team announced.
- Working out for the Kings today will be Josh Hagins (Arkansas Little Rock), Gabe York (Arizona), Brannen Greene (Kansas), Max Hooper (Oakland), Mike Bryson (UC Santa Barbara) and Jordan Loveridge (Utah), the team relayed.
- Mirza Teletovic is expected to be in high demand this summer as an unrestricted free agent, but the power forward said that the hiring of Earl Watson as head coach significantly increases the chances that he will re-sign with the Suns, Matt Petersen of NBA.com relays.
- The Lakers may entertain dealing away the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but doing so may compromise the team’s current plan build around its young core, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. The scribe adds that Los Angeles will have ample opportunities to add veterans via free agency instead, given its ample cap flexibility this summer.
Central Notes: Butler, Lue, Draft
Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler reaffirmed his desire to remain with in Chicago and said that he will definitely be with the team next season, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I love the city of Chicago. I’ve played here my entire career,” Butler said. “Let’s not get that misunderstood. I love the guys that we have on the roster. We continue to bring in high-character guys. I’m learning with [Fred] Hoiberg. I’m not perfect, I’ll tell you that. But I’m ready. I think I have to be able to help this team win games, though, that’s for sure.”
When asked if he believes he will be with the team in 2016/17, Butler told Friedell, “Yeah, I think so. I definitely do. I do think that with the year that we did have last season — it’s unacceptable. So you have to then, truth be told, you got to look at everything. I didn’t do my job, so truth be told, can I help this team win? That’s the question that’s brought up. And I can’t be mad at that. You can use whatever excuse you want to use, but we didn’t make the playoffs. That’s all anybody sees and that’s rightfully so. So do I think I’m going to be here? Yeah, I think so. But that’s just me thinking.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Bucks held a workout on Wednesday that included A.J. English (Iona), Trahson Burrell (Memphis), Joel Bolomboy (Weber State), Matt Tiby (UW-Milwaukee), Jameel Warney (Stony Brook) and Shawn Long (Louisiana-Lafayette), the team announced.
- Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead cancelled his workout with the Pacers that was scheduled for Wednesday and the player is giving serious consideration to returning to school for his junior campaign, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays.
- The hiring of Tyronn Lue as coach and his willingness to confront LeBron James and regain control of the team turned around the Cavaliers‘ season and made Cleveland a true threat to win the NBA crown, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes.
Latest On Magic Coaching Search
1:37pm: Former Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff made a strong impression during an interview on Wednesday, but the team is moving toward making a contract offer to Vogel, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter).
8:51am: The Magic’s search for a new head coach continues, with the team interviewing Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool on Wednesday, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com reports. Vanterpool had spent two years working in the Thunder’s front office alongside current Orlando GM Rob Hennigan prior to joining Portland as an assistant in 2012. The 43-year-old was under consideration last year for the Nuggets vacant post, but lost out to Michael Malone, who just completed his first season in Denver. Vanterpool also interviewed for the Sixers head coaching job in 2013 and seemingly became the frontrunner for that position at one point. Before that, he was an assistant coach for CSKA Moscow under European coaching icon and current Spurs assistant Ettore Messina.
Despite Vanterpool’s ties to Hennigan and the glowing endorsements he has received from players on the Blazers, the job appears to be Frank Vogel‘s if he wants it, Marc Stein and Chris Broussard of ESPN.com relay. The Magic believe they have emerged as Vogel’s preferred destination and are positioned to quickly complete a deal with him if their coaching search continues to progress in its current direction, the duo write. Vogel is also considered to be the Grizzlies’ top choice, which means Orlando is feeling pressure to get a deal done quickly, the scribes note.
Vogel’s main competitor in Orlando, according to Stein and Broussard, is Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who interviewed for the post on Tuesday. The team is extremely fond of Griffin, but team management is intrigued by Vogel’s résumé and the fact that he is an established NBA head coach, a claim that Griffin cannot make, Stein and Broussard write. Griffin has been considered a prime head coaching candidate around the NBA for the last few years, reportedly interviewing with the Blazers in 2012, the Pistons and twice with the Sixers in 2013, and the Jazz twice as well as the Cavs in 2014.
Towns, Porzingis Headline All-Rookie Selections
The NBA has announced the official selections for the 2015/16 All-Rookie teams and Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns and Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis were both unanimous selections to the First Team, receiving 130 first-place votes apiece. Joining Towns and Porzingis on the First Team are Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Sixers center Jahlil Okafor. The Second Team is comprised of Heat swingman Justise Winslow, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Pacers forward Myles Turner and Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein.
Here’s the complete voting results along with number of votes received by each player in parenthesis:
First Team
- Karl-Anthony Towns (130 first-place)
- Kristaps Porzingis (130 first-place)
- Devin Booker (103 first-place/25 second-place)
- Nikola Jokic (73 first-place/40 second-place)
- Jahlil Okafor (71 first-place/44 second-place)
Second Team
- Justise Winslow (44 first-place/63 second-place)
- D’Angelo Russell (25 first-place/92 second-place)
- Emmanuel Mudiay (35 first-place/70 second-place)
- Myles Turner (28 first-place/83 second-place)
- Willie Cauley-Stein (2 first-place/46 second-place)
Other players receiving votes were (first-place votes in parenthesis): Frank Kaminsky (2), Josh Richardson (4), Stanley Johnson (1), Trey Lyles, Bobby Portis, T.J. McConnell, Mario Hezonja, Larry Nance Jr., Norman Powell, Justin Anderson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Boban Marjanovic, Jonathon Simmons, Jerian Grant, Marcelo Huertas, Raul Netom Cameron Payne and Joe Young.
Dwight Howard On: Opt Out, Morey, Harden
Rockets center Dwight Howard is widely expected to opt out of his contract for 2016/17 and become an unrestricted free agent. The big man spoke candidly with Jackie MacMullen of ESPN.com on a number of topics, including about his time spent in Orlando and Los Angeles. The entire interview is certainly worth a look, but here are some of the highlights regarding his current team:
On whether or not he intends to opt out of his deal:
“To be honest, I have had some conversations with close friends on what would happen if I do opt out. But I haven’t really come out and said, ‘I’m going to opt out and do this and that.’ I just can’t focus on that right now. We didn’t have the kind of season we wanted, and I didn’t have the kind of season I wanted and it was really upsetting to me. So my thinking is, ‘I’m going to get in the gym, get my body right and when the playoffs are over take a look at everything.’ As much as it may seem crazy or unbelievable that I’m not thinking about it, every time I do think about it, my mind starts racing back and forth. I don’t need that kind of pressure right now. My agent [Perry Rogers] is smart. He’s done this for years. Let him worry about the teams and the [contract] numbers.”
On his comments about being disinterested at times during this season:
“There were times I was disinterested because of situations that happened behind the scenes that really hurt me. It left me thinking, ‘This is not what I signed up for.’ I felt like my role was being reduced. I went to [Rockets general manager] Daryl [Morey] and said, ‘I want to be more involved.’ Daryl said, ‘No, we don’t want you to be.’ My response was, ‘Why not? Why am I here?’ It was shocking to me that it came from him instead of our coach. So I said to him, ‘No disrespect to what you do, but you’ve never played the game. I’ve been in this game a long time. I know what it takes to be effective.”’
On his teammates reportedly being upset with him:
“My friends kept telling me, ‘Even if you aren’t getting shots, there are so many other things you can control while you are on the floor.’ And they were right. I allowed not getting the ball to affect me. That’s on me. As a big, someone who has been the focal point of the team, who is still young, who still has some great years in front of me, you run the floor, you sprint as hard as you can, you duck in, and still, you don’t get the ball. It brings you down. It sucks the energy out of you. I had long conversations with people close to me who said, ‘Dwight, this is going to make you look bad. Don’t keep doing this.’ So I listened to them.”
On his relationship with shooting guard James Harden:
“Before I got to Houston, I didn’t know him as a person. What made me really interested in James Harden was the way he attacked the basket when he was at OKC. He was the glue of the team, attacking, making plays, dunking. I was thinking, ‘Man, this guy could be special.’ When I hit free agency, I watched YouTube tapes of James for hours. I looked at us as a mini Shaq and Kobe. I was thinking, ‘Man, this could be a new life for both of us.’ And we had some good stretches together. Made it to the Conference finals last season.'”
On a possible return to Houston given his unhappiness:
“You never know what will happen. I’m not ready to rule anything out. But, no matter what the situation [is], I have to be true to myself, both on and off the floor. I can’t alienate myself by letting my frustration get the best of me. A lot of the situations I’ve dealt with the past couple of seasons have made me realize some things about myself. These situations I’ve dealt with have made me stronger. You could say I’ve hit the ‘reset’ button.”
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 2)
The 2016 NBA Draft lottery was held on Tuesday night and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.
We’ll continue with the Lakers, who have a number of roster needs, especially in the frontcourt. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Los Angeles’ pick and check back Friday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Celtics will select with the No. 3 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 2 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Selections
- Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
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Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Heat Notes: Dragic, Bosh, Deng
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is pleased with the growth that Goran Dragic displayed in running the team’s offense during the second half of the season and in the playoffs, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. “You want to leverage his strengths as much as possible,” Spoelstra said of Dragic. “He really improved in a lot of areas. He had to run a team different from the teams he has been successful on. That helped him immensely during the playoffs. He learned how to execute in halfcourt basketball. When we were able to play a different pace and tempo after the All-Star break, he had an improved skill set to play multiple styles of basketball, which is absolutely a necessity in the playoffs. You can’t just play one style. I’ve enjoyed seeing Goran’s growth as a basketball player. Now he’s learning how to impact winning on both sides of the floor. He’s been a joy to coach.”
Here’s more from South Beach:
- Spoelstra wouldn’t address the reports that Chris Bosh may not be cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to action, but did note how difficult the power forward’s health woes have been on both the player and the organization, Jackson notes in the same piece. “There’s nothing new,” Spoelstra said regarding Bosh. “Right now, we’re going to get away and decompress. Obviously, it was very tough for the team. You really feel for CB because you know how much the game means to him. You really feel for him. It was a tough year emotionally for this team, starting with Coach [Keith] Smart, when he had to take his leave of absence for his cancer. I’ve never been through anything like that. At the same time, it was an extremely gratifying year. Everything we went through, we really developed some friendships and relationships through this almost eight months of a season. We were disappointed about the final result. We will always have bigger expectations here at the Heat.”
- Small forward Luol Deng, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, said he prefers to re-sign with the Heat and that like his previous free agency decisions, what he does this summer won’t revolve primarily around money, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays (Twitter links). The 31-year-old earned $10,151,612 for his efforts this past season.
- The Heat are likely to face stiff competition for unrestricted free agent big man Hassan Whiteside this summer, but the team intends to take advantage of the next six weeks when it will be the only franchise allowed to talk contract details with the player, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “Well, we’ll get to July when we get to July,” Spoelstra said. “But, in the meantime, it’s going to be spending a lot of time in our building, still doing rehab, treatment and then we’re fully open, as we always are, to player development all the way up until that date. But I anticipate spending some more time with Hassan in the immediate future, as he gets healthy.”
Mike D’Antoni Frontrunner For Rockets Post
1:30pm: Van Gundy is no longer a candidate for the position, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports (via Twitter). The former coach and current broadcaster was interested in the slot, but he and the team never formally spoke, the scribe adds.
12:48pm: Sixers associate head coach Mike D’Antoni has emerged as the frontrunner to become the Rockets next head coach, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays. Though the offensive-minded coach has moved to the front of the line for the vacant post, a number of steps need to be completed before any contract offer is made, Feigen adds.
Talks between D’Antoni and Houston have been ongoing, but there are two other coaches who can be considered finalists for the position, Feigen adds, though the scribe doesn’t relay the names of those finalists. D’Antoni has met with representatives from the organization twice, including a sit-down with team owner Leslie Alexander. The 65-year-old has an overall record of 455-426 in the regular season as a head coach and was named as the 2004/05 Coach of the Year.
The emergence of D’Antoni is an interesting development and could potentially cause friction between Alexander an GM Daryl Morey. The owner reportedly wants the team to run an up-tempo offense, which is D’Antoni’s forte, but Morey is said to be seeking a more defensive-minded coach who will instill greater accountability in the team’s roster. A compromise may be in order, with Houston likely to add a strong defensive assistant to the staff if D’Antoni is hired. Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik is among the coaches the Rockets would consider for that purpose, but they have not interviewed Bzdelik nor been granted permission from Memphis to meet with him, Feigen relays. Bzdelik will be among those considered for the Grizzlies vacant head coaching position, the scribe adds.
The Rockets have also met with former Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas and Rockets assistant Chris Finch. Former Pacers coach Frank Vogel and Spurs assistant Ettore Messina are also part of the process, a person with knowledge of talks told Feigen. Messina reportedly interviewed with the team on Saturday, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Former interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff and former Rockets guard Kenny Smith were also interviewed, but Bickerstaff withdrew from consideration and Smith was told he was no longer a candidate as the Rockets decided to focus on coaches with either head coaching experience or extensive experience as an assistant, Feigen notes.
Jeff Van Gundy, who is also a candidate, has received strong support from Morey for the position, but Alexander reportedly has yet to be fully sold on a reunion with the ESPN analyst, who has been away from coaching since he and Houston parted ways back in May of 2007.