Pelicans Sign DeAndre Liggins To 10-Day Deal
JANUARY 10, 12:01pm: The Pelicans have officially signed Liggins to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Friday.
JANUARY 9, 8:48pm: The Pelicans are signing guard DeAndre Liggins to a 10-day deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Liggins was waived by the Bucks last Sunday to open a roster spot.
Liggins, 29, appeared in 31 games for Milwaukee, providing a jolt on the defensive end, per Wojnarowski. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game.
New Orleans currently has a full 15-man roster, but the team has four players – Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Tony Allen, and Solomon Hill – sidelined with long-term injuries. That makes the Pelicans eligible for a hardship exception, so they’ll temporarily add Liggins as a 16th man.
Liggins is expected to be available for New Orleans’ Wednesday night tilt against the Grizzlies. This marks Liggins’ seventh NBA stop as he has also suited up for the Magic, Thunder, Heat, Cavaliers and Mavericks since he was drafted out of Kentucky in 2011.
As Wojnarowski writes, Liggins joins a Pelicans team that features two former Kentucky teammates in DeMarcus Cousins and Darius Miller.
Atlantic Notes: Hardaway, Burke, Fultz, Lowry
Tim Hardaway Jr. returned to practice on Tuesday and while he will likely sit out Wednesday’s against the Bulls, his 20th consecutive missed game, his return is close, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. Head coach Jeff Hornacek did not commit to a specific return date for Hardaway but both sides are optimistic it will be soon.
“I think I’m coming back when I’m confident. Right now, we’re close,” Hardaway said. “But it doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what the doctors say and what my training staff and people want me to do after I get the news.”
The Knicks have missed Hardaway’s scoring since he went on the shelf with a stress injury in his left leg. In 21 games before the injury, Hardaway averaged 17.8 PPG and 4.2 RPG.
Check out other Atlantic Division news below:
- The Knicks are reportedly considering signing Trey Burke to their roster from the G League but Hornacek does not see a clear roster spot for the point guard, Joyce writes in a separate story. Burke has played well for the Westchester Knicks, averaging 26.6 points and 5.3 assists. The roster is currently at 15 players and if Burke is added, it’s expected that Ramon Sessions is released, Joyce notes.
- Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz played in a five-on-five practice last Sunday and while he was limited, he looked good, Sarah Todd of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Fultz’s return is “accelerating” but his first NBA season has been disappointing. Jason Concepcion of The Ringer examined Fultz’s mysterious injury and absence.
- Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was diagnosed with a bruised tailbone and back spasms, according to the Raptors (via Twitter). X-rays on Lowry were negative and he will be evaluated daily. Lowry suffered the injury on Monday against the Nets in Brooklyn after taking a hard fall.
Suns To Guarantee Isaiah Canaan’s Contract
The Suns have guaranteed point guard Isaiah Canaan‘s contract for the rest of the season, tweets Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports.
Canaan, 26, is dealing with a left adductor strain that sidelined him for Phoenix’s last game. In 10 games for the Suns this season, the former second-round has averaged 10.0 PPG and 4.9 APG in 23.2 minutes per night.
Canaan was originally signed using the Suns’ hardship exception due to four players being out with injuries Last month, the Suns elected to keep Canaan over Mike James, who the team waived in favor the fifth-year guard. He was signed to a minimum deal after James’ release but did not see his contract guaranteed until today.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/7/2018
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Lakers recalled rookie center Thomas Bryant from their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers so he could play in tonight’s game, per a press release. Bryant has appeared in two NBA games this season. Bryant has appeared in two games for the Lakers this season. With South Bay, Bryant has averaged 21.3 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 29.7 minutes per game.
- The Bucks have recalled D.J. Wilson from their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced in a press release. Wilson has appeared in 12 games with Milwaukee this season.
- After recalling the duo on Saturday, the Kings re-assigned Justin Jackson and Georgios Papagiannis to the G League on Sunday, per RealGM’s transactions log. The duo helped lead the Reno Bighorns to a victory, combining for 43 points and 20 rebounds.
- A pair of Celtics, Abdel Nader and Guerschon Yabusele, headed to the G League on Sunday, according to RealGM’s transactions log. The two youngsters suited up for the Maine Red Claws in Sunday’s loss to the Raptors 905.
Luke Walton Talks Criticism That He Lost Lakers’ Confidence
The Lakers enter play on Sunday losers of their last nine games and owners of the worst record in the Western Conference at 11-27. The outspoken LaVar Ball, father of Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, voiced his opinion recently that head coach Luke Walton has lost the team’s confidence and that he needs to be replaced.
Walton, who is in his second season as head coach, spoke to reporters, including Bill Oram of the Orange County Register (via Twitter), and addressed Ball’s comments. Despite Ball’s criticism, Walton said he knows the organization is on his side.
“I know they have my back,” Walton said. “My concerns are coaching our team, prepping for games, and working with what gives us the best chance to win. I know our front office and organization has my back and they will do whatever they have to do on their end of it. I’m not spending my time trying to figure out what they’re all doing about it. I just know they’ll take care of it.”
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets that Walton’s job status is “not even a conversation.”
This is not the first time Walton has had to address comments from his rookie’s father. In late November, Ball said that the Lakers do not know how to coach his son and that he is the only one who can do it effectively. While Walton called the situation “not ideal” for the team, he said it does not bother him as long as his relationship with the Lakers’ starting point guard is not impacted.
“I’m fine with it, it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “My only concern with any of it is for Zo. As long as Zo is fine with it and Zo can come in and play and it doesn’t affect mine and his relationship, then it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Shortly after Walton spoke, Lonzo addressed his father’s comments and disagreed with the assessment that Walton has lost the team’s confidence (via Bill Oram on Twitter). When asked about his relationship with the head coach and if he likes Walton, Lonzo said he would “play for anybody.”
Moving forward, the outspoken elder Ball figures to create more headlines with his vocal opinions of his son, the Lakers franchise, and the current head coach. Walton was asked if he’s worried that Ball’s criticisms may influence the Lakers’ decisions in the future.
“I would hope not,” Walton said.
Lakers Release Andrew Bogut
12:12pm: The Lakers have officially requested waivers on Bogut, the team announced in a press release.
11:51am: The Lakers will release veteran big man Andrew Bogut, giving him a chance to latch on with a playoff contender for the rest of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Los Angeles signed Bogut to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal in September to provide a veteran presence to a young Lakers team. Bogut’s deal would have become fully guaranteed on January 10 but teams can avoid that by waiving players on non-guaranteed deals by January 7, allowing them to clear waivers before the deadline.
The 33-year-old appeared in just 24 games (five starts) with the Lakers, averaging 1.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG. However, Bogut still provides defensive value and playoff experience as he was a member of the Warriors’ 2014/15 NBA championship-winning team.
You can follow along with all transactions related to the non-guaranteed contracts at this link.
Rockets Sign Demetrius Jackson To 10-Day Contract
The Rockets have terminated their two-way deal with point guard Demetrius Jackson, tweets Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. As Johnson notes, Jackson has signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets. However, he does not figure into the team’s plans, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Jackson, 23, will spend time with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and appear in the G League showcase during his 10-day deal. The second-round pick (45th overall) from the 2016 NBA Draft appeared in 12 games with the Rockets this season, averaging just 0.7 PPG and 0.9 RPG. In 14 games with the Valley Vipers, Jackson has averaged 14.0 PPG and 4.1 APG in 30.9 minutes per game.
After he was waived by the Celtics in the offseason, Jackson signed a two-way deal with the Rockets, becoming the first player in franchise history to sign such a deal. Jackson saw more playing time early in the season when Chris Paul was out with injury but lagged on the depth chart behind Bobby Brown as the backup.
New York Notes: Okafor, Hollis-Jefferson, Beasley
Jahlil Okafor admitted relief after making his home debut with the Nets in Wednesday’s win over the Timberwolves. However, both he and the Nets are still in the beginning stages of their relationship, getting familiar with how both sides operate, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
“It works on both parties, of me having to adjust to the team and the team having to adjust to me,” Okafor said. “I’m open to it and so are they.”
Okafor has played sparingly this season, both for the Sixers and the Nets since he was traded. Brooklyn indicated that Okafor would start playing regularly after he improved his conditioning, a byproduct of appearing in just two games in Philadelphia. The 22-year-old is set to hit free agency at the end of the season and a strong finish to the 2017/18 could go a long way to helping Okafor revive his career.
“Our guys have got to learn how to play with him,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s the chemistry with the group he’s going to be out there with.”
Check out other news out of the NBA’s New York teams below:
- Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson rarely dealt with losing as a high school and college player but his tenure in Brooklyn has been a different story, Kerber of the New York Post writes in a separate story. However, even with the Nets hovering around the worst record in the NBA during his time in Brooklyn, Hollis-Jefferson said he understands the level of competition in the NBA does not compare with high school or college. “When you get to the NBA, it’s pretty much everyone’s talented, everyone is here because they can do something good so it comes down to the little things,” he said.
- After making some critical comments of his three stints with the Heat, Knicks forward Michael Beasley cleared the air with his former coach, Erik Spoelstra, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Beasley left Friday’s game with an ankle injury but met up with Spoelstra after the game. Both Spoelstra and Beasley wished each other well in their press comments.
Central Notes: Rose, Thomas, LaVine
Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose could return during the team’s current five-game road trip. When he does, the former NBA Most Valuable Player will take away some playing time from veteran Dwyane Wade, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
“I think playing D Wade on a lot of back to backs has been tough for him,” Lue said. “Some games where he doesn’t feel great, but we don’t really have the extra ball handler to sit him. So when D Rose gets back, he’ll definitely help with that and help with D Wade getting his rest and being able to feel good on the floor.”
Rose, 29, has not played since he went down with an ankle injury on November 7. Shortly after the injury, Rose took an indefinite leave from the team, leading many to believe he was contemplating retirement. However, Rose has since denied he was looking to leave the NBA and expressed excitement to pursue a championship with Cleveland.
In seven games before the injury, Rose averaged 14.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 26.9 minutes per game.
Check out other Central Division news and notes below:
- One night after making his season debut, Isaiah Thomas was forced to sit Cleveland’s road contest against his former team, the Celtics, in Boston. The Cavaliers are being cautious with Thomas’ return from a hip injury that sidelined him for over seven months. As Sean Deveney of Sporting News writes, the difference in Cleveland’s performance without Thomas after just one night was noticeable.
- Zach LaVine has made progress in his recovery from a torn ACL and the Bulls hope to set an exact return date for the two-time Dunk Contest champion next week, per USA TODAY Sports. LaVine, 22, was the Bulls’ significant acquisition as part of the offseason’s Jimmy Butler trade.
Southwest Notes: Paul, Matthews, Selden, Pelicans
Chris Paul has battled some injuries in his first season with the Rockets, but the team has played exceptionally well when he has been on the court. Houston is 16-2 in games that Paul has started, and has enjoyed one of the NBA’s best backcourts when the veteran plays alongside James Harden.
The Rockets are now eligible to offer Paul, 32, an extension but the All-Star point guard has not given much thought to that possibility, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Paul is set to hit free agency at season’s end, at which point he will face no shortage of suitors. It will be Paul’s decision to either stay in Houston or pursue other options but the team is prepared to make him a part of their future plans.
“Obviously, when we get someone as great as Chris Paul or James Harden, the plan is to keep him here,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said to Feigen. “He’ll have a choice when the season ends. We feel like we set things up well. It should be an easy choice for him.”
The Rockets are just two games back of the Warriors for the best record in the Western Conference and a healthy Paul — along with Harden — would go a long way to making that a strongly contested race.
Check out other Southwest Division notes below:
- Wesley Matthews, who holds a player option for the 2018/19 season, has altered his game for the Mavericks this season, Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News writes. Matthews has always been a “3 and D” player, meaning he shoots well from beyond the arc while providing solid defense. However, this season, Matthews has attempted fewer threes in favor of shots closer to the basket.
- Wayne Selden has played sparingly this season due to injury but his recent return for the Grizzlies has the team excited, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes. “(Selden) brings an athleticism and speed to the game,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You keep watching how the game is evolving, and that’s where it’s evolving. He also brings a bit of playmaking for you.
- The Pelicans are a win-now team that is struggling to win games, including back-to-back losses to the Mavericks and Knicks in recent days. Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate opines that Pelicans fans deserve better from the organization.