Pacific Notes: Payton, Papagiannis, Green, Suns
Elfrid Payton‘s stint with the Magic ended on Thursday and by Saturday, he was putting up a solid performance in his Suns debut. The former lottery pick posted 19 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds in the Suns’ 123-113 loss to the Nuggets. Payton’s performance drew rave reviews from his teammates and coaches, NBA.com’s Cody Cunningham writes.
“I thought he was good,” Suns head coach Jay Triano said. “It was different, the pace of play was better, getting the ball up and down the court, getting into the lane when he needed to, and making passes. He made the guys on the floor with him better.”
Payton, 23, has been viewed a disappointment through his first four NBA seasons after being the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, given his age and upside, Payton drew interest from several teams prior to the deadline.
Check out other Pacific Division notes:
- The agent of now-former Kings center Georgios Papagiannis, Marios Olympios, was critical of the team’s decision to waive the 20-year-old, Aris Barkas of Euro Hoops writes. “He (Papagiannis) never got a chance by the Kings,” Olympios said on the Greek radio station Sport FM, Barkas writes. “He had a double-double every time he played in the G-League. He had to travel for two and a half hour everytime he was assigned to Reno and still he performed. There are many details that prove that he never got a real chance”.
- Warriors forward Draymond Green was fined $50,000 for directing inappropriate and offensive language toward a game official, the NBA announced on its website. The incident occurred during the Warriors’ loss to the Thunder this past Tuesday.
- The Suns received $1.5MM back in the buyout of new Celtics center Greg Monroe, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad.
- After a blockbuster trade with the Cavaliers on Thursday, the Lakers freed up a ton of cap space that could be used to lure two premiere free agents to Los Angeles this summer. Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register writes that the organization’s moves have put it in position to be relevant again.
Southeast Notes: Wade, Wall, Brooks, Anderson, Hawks
Dwyane Wade is back with the Heat and he has already played in his first game back. The fans welcomed the three-time NBA champion with open arms, as did the organization. It’s clear that Wade is no longer the perennial All-Star he was for his first 13 seasons, but he appreciates whatever role he is given, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.
“I’m not really concerned with it. I’m not worried with it,” Wade said. “So whatever coach asks from not only me, but all of us to do, that’s what we have to do if we want to win. We just all have to be selfless. So Dwyane Wade will be selfless to make sure whatever it takes for this team to win, that I can hopefully bring.”
Wade, 36, already said that he does not intend to leave the Heat again and wants to retire with the franchise. In the few days Wade has been back, he made it clear that his goal is to help the team in any role.
Check out other Southeast Division notes below:
- Wizards All-Star John Wall is still on crutches as he recovers from the minor knee surgery he underwent in late January. Wall is still a long way from being back on the court and still likely has another week left on crutches, Candace Bucker of The Washington Post writes.
- Wall made several media appearances recently where he defended himself and made some controversial remarks in regard to his Wizards teammates, prompting coach Scott Brooks to weigh in on his superstar player and his importance to the team, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. “For people to think that we’re not better with John, that’s for clickbait,” Brooks said. “It’s unfortunate that he had to defend himself. You wish he wouldn’t have to. Sometimes you have to.”
- NBA veteran Alan Anderson has been claimed by the Magic‘s G League affiliate Lakeland Magic, the team announced. The 35-year-old last appeared in the NBA with the Clippers last season.
- The Hawks cannot take on any more money after the team received nearly $688,000 from the Wizards in the Sheldon Mac deal, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
Central Notes: Irving, Nelson, Pacers
The Celtics and Cavaliers are preparing for their third meeting of the 2017/18 season and the outcome of this past summer’s Kyrie Irving trade is still a hot topic. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton breaks down how the trade that shipped one of the top point guards in the league out of Cleveland can be considered a lopsided bust.
Pelton notes that the consensus, in the beginning, was that the Cavaliers’ return was fairly decent; Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick. However, it did not come out until later that Thomas’ hip injury was worse than initially feared, which delayed his Cleveland debut until several months into the season. Also, Pelton used two recent cases of players coming back from a similar labrum tear only to see their production wane.
Thomas’ trade value went south through 15 games with the Cleveland, Crowder was a massive disappointment and the organization blew everything up in the hours up until the deadline. Meanwhile, Irving has been his usual stellar self for the Celtics, making the deal go from fair to lopsided in a hurry.
Check out other Central Division news below:
- Veteran point guard Jameer Nelson is not expected to play much for the Pistons but he is ready to help the team any way he can, Ansar Khan of MLive.com writes. Nelson had an eventful deadline as he dealt twice; first, the Pelicans shipped him to the Bulls in the Nikola Mirotic trade and then Chicago traded Nelson to Pistons. The trade also reunites Nelson with his former Magic head coach, Stan Van Gundy, NBA.com’s Keith Langlois writes. “Still the same Stan,” Nelson said.
- The Pacers stood pat at the deadline, with the team more focused on the future than short-term fixes, Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star writes. At 31-25, Indiana is currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and on track to make the playoffs. However, Brown notes that the Pacers do not feel like they were one trade away from being a championship contender and elected to not make a move.
Rockets To Waive Bobby Brown
Despite signing Bobby Brown to a contract for the rest of 2017/18 on Friday, the Rockets will waive him to make room for Joe Johnson, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Johnson, who is expected to complete a buyout with the Kings, has committed to signing with the Rockets. With fellow Brandan Wright also expected to sign, Houston — with 14 players signed to guaranteed deals even before signing Brown — needed to clear roster space to accommodate the two incoming veterans.
Brown, 33, has appeared in 20 games with the Rockets this season, averaging 2.5 PPG. After playing internationally for six seasons, Brown returned to the NBA in 2016/17 to appear in 25 games with Houston.
New York Notes: Mudiay, Kornet, Russell, Dinwiddie
Acquiring Emmanuel Mudiay at the deadline on Thursday was not a shot at Frank Ntilikina but part of a plan to acquire young talent, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. General manager Scott Perry said the addition of Mudiay, a former lottery pick, gives the Knicks another talented player, which can only help Ntilikina.
“The organization is not down on Frank,” Perry said. “I’ve spoken to Frank today. We’ll continue to speak. He’s excited about it. Everyone’s committed to getting better. If you want to become a good team, you got to be resigned to adding players to our mix that will help our cause. He’s going to be fine. It’s not in any way a negative reflection on him and who we think he’s going to be. He’s a 19-year-old kid with very good tools and a lot of upside. This will help his learning process.”
The plan for Mudiay is for him to see time at both guard spots. Jared Jeffries, an ex-Knick and former scouting director for the Nuggets, commended the acquisition of Mudiay, Berman writes in a separate story. Jeffries does not agree with the consensus that Mudiay is a bad shooter — instead, he feels the former seventh overall pick is a bad finisher. If he can improve his shots closer to the rim, Mudiay can be successful, per Jeffries.
Check out other news coming out of New York:
- Luke Kornet, who has spent the season in the G League, made his NBA debut against the Raptors on Friday, Berman writes. Taking the spot vacated by the departed Willy Hernangomez, Kornet became the second Knick ever to debut with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). The 22-year-old Vanderbilt project is currently on a two-way deal that allows him 45 days in the NBA before he must be added to the 15-man roster — and the Knicks have an open roster spot.
- A knee injury sidelined Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell for two months, putting some ice cold water on a hot start to his first season in Brooklyn. Since his return, Russell has come off the bench and hasn’t seen consistent playing time. Both Russell and head coach Kenny Atkinson want to see the former second overall pick play more minutes and get reacclimated, writes Newsday’s Greg Logan.
- While the Nets did make some moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, both DeMarre Carroll and Spencer Dinwiddie stayed put. Dinwiddie, who has burst on the scene as a productive asset this season, is so coveted by the Nets, the team turned down a first-round pick from the Cavaliers, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post details.
Los Angeles Notes: Thomas, Cap Space, Williams
Isaiah Thomas was traded from the Cavaliers to the Lakers on Thursday, ending a tumultuous 15-game run in Cleveland. Coming off a serious hip injury, Thomas’ MVP-caliber performance from Boston disappeared and his public and private comments during the Cavs’ slump contributed to turmoil in the locker room.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News examines Thomas’ value as he heads for unrestricted free agency in the summer. Thomas was legitimately a top-five player in the league with the Celtics who did not mince words about wanting a maximum deal once he hits the market. Now that he’s gone from Cleveland, Thomas lost the chance of the Cavaliers using Bird rights to sign him to a max contract. Instead, he is unlikely to stay in Los Angeles and one general manager told Deveney before the trade that Thomas’ chances at a max deal are unlikely.
“It’s a tough position because he has certain expectations but it’s hard to see where he could have those expectations met,” the GM said. “He is going to be disappointed, a lot, if he is not with Cleveland but still thinks he is getting a max deal out there. The money is just not there.”
Check out other Lakers news below:
- Thomas’ agent Aaron Goodwin spoke to USA Today’s Sam Amick after his client was dealt on Thursday. Goodwin made it clear that Thomas worked hard to get back to health with the Cavs and wanted it to work out. However, Goodwin insisted that Thomas does not want to come off the bench in Los Angeles and wants to prove he is still an impactful player. Per ESPN’s Chris Haynes and Ohm Youngmisuk, Thomas will come off the bench for the Lakers in his debut on Saturday. However, sources tell Haynes and Youngmisuk that the plan is for Thomas to eventually start.
- ESPN Insider’s Bobby Marks (subscription required and recommended) examined the Lakers’ healthy salary cap entering this summer and beyond. Shedding the contracts of Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. gives the Lakers enough cap space this summer for two elite free agents. However, Marks also looks at the possibility of the team being patient and waiting for summer 2019 to avoid another situation of Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng.
- Lou Williams signed a three-year extension with the Clippers before the deadline, ending any rumors he would be dealt. After suiting up for four teams in four years, Williams was happy with the Clippers and wanted a sense of stability, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Ntilikina, Bruno, Ainge
The Knicks were interested in both Emmanuel Mudiay and Elfrid Payton as minutes winded down to the trade deadline and the team ultimately decided to swing a deal for Mudiay. Both former lottery pick point guards have been disappointments but Mudiay may have been the more sensible target for the Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
While Mudiay and Payton both come with some downside, they are also both still young and possess talent. Berman quotes two executives who believe Mudiay — who is still under contract for one additional season beyond 2017/18 — is a better fit for the Knicks. The Knicks also gave up Doug McDermott, who was not in New York’s future plans, Berman notes.
In 42 games this season, Mudiay has averaged 8.5 PPG and 2.9 APG.
Check out other Knicks news below:
- While adding another young point guard could be interpreted as the Knicks losing faith in Frank Ntilikina, he is not worried about the acquisition, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone writes. Ntilikina views the addition of Mudiay as a positive that will benefit both sides. We’re not competing against each other,” Ntilikina said. “We’re going to bring each other to the top to make the Knicks a competitive team. We can both play with the ball, we can both play off the ball, so it might be great for us.”
- The Raptors‘ trade of Bruno Caboclo to the Kings for Malachi Richardson may not be a major deal on a blockbuster deadline day but it has salary cap implications, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Trading Caboclo sheds nearly $1MM in salary, which gives Toronto flexibility to fill its 15th roster spot without going over the tax line.
- Despite numerous rumors entering the deadline, the Celtics ultimately kept Marcus Smart. Greg Monroe‘s deal with Boston also became official and the chase for Eastern Conference supremacy continues. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe spoke to general manager Danny Ainge about the deadline, Smart staying in Boston, and the team’s future — including plans to explore the buyout market.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/8/18
Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
- The Lakers recalled center Thomas Bryant from the South Bay Lakers, according to the G League team’s Twitter feed. Bryant has appeared in 23 games with South Bay, averaging 19.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG.
Jeremy Lin Opts In For 2018/19 Season
Oft-injured Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has opted into his $12.5MM option for next season, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Lin went down with a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon on opening night and has been rehabbing since.
The 29-year-old has only appeared in a combined 37 games with the Nets in his first two seasons. A series of hamstring injuries and setbacks limited Lin to just 36 games in 2016/17. It was widely expected that Lin would opt-in to the final year of his contract as he would likely not receive a comparable salary as a free agent this summer due to his injuries.
Lin spoke to reporters for the first time since he went down with the injury last week. He said his recovery is going smoothly and that he expects to be ready for training camp next season, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
“Shoot, if I am not [ready by training camp], there’s issues,” Lin said.
There has been speculation Lin may tone down his game when he returns to avoid another major injury. However, the Harvard product put that speculation to rest during his chat with reporters as he plans on playing the same way once he returns to full strength.
“I am not going to change the bread and butter of who I am, which is downhill, attacking, dynamic playmaking. I will always be that player,” Lin said. “Maybe the type of risks … I don’t know, I never really saw them as risks, but what we will see is probably a similar style but in a safer way.”
With Lin on board for next season, Brooklyn will enter 2018/19 with a surplus of point guards as D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie are under contract.
Bulls Notes: Paxson, Lopez, Holiday, Allen, Dunn
The Bulls were relatively quiet as the trade deadline passed on Thursday, completing a pair of minor deals involving Noah Vonleh and Jameer Nelson. Chicago’s major move came when the team dealt Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans, which netted the team highly-coveted draft picks.
Vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, is happy with the Bulls’ moves and is excited about the future, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. Paxson compared draft picks to gold for teams as his franchise restocks for the future. In particular, Paxson likes having future high picks to go along with the young talent already on the roster.
“We look at it this way: We got the three young guys [Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn] when we made the [Jimmy Butler] trade for last year, we’re going to have two [first-round] picks most likely in this draft, and we’ve got Bobby [Portis] and Denzel [Valentine] as young guys,” Paxson said. “That’s seven young pieces, and we just need to continue to develop them, grow, and make the smart decisions, not get in a rush.’’
Check out other Bulls news and notes below:
- Paxson said that the Bulls were offered several multiyear bad contracts in trade talks, but the team was not comfortable taking on significant money that went beyond the 2018/19 season, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Paxson added that the Bulls were comfortable taking Omer Asik in the Mirotic trade because he is set to make just $3MM in 2018/19.
- While the Bulls could have traded Robin Lopez and/or Justin Holiday, Paxson said their value as veteran leaders and teammates was too important to the club, Johnson tweets.
- Tony Allen, who was acquired as part of the Mirotic trade, was reportedly set to be waived by Chicago. However, Paxson said the team will have a discussion with Allen’s agent before deciding on his future, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets.
- Point guard Kris Dunn is out of concussion protocol but he is still not ready to return, per the Associated Press. Dunn has missed the Bulls’ past eight games; he’s averaging 13.7 PPG and 6.4 APG for Chicago this season.