Wizards Waive Donald Sloan, Retain Carrick Felix
The Wizards have waived veteran point guard Donald Sloan, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Washington has confirmed the move in a press release.
This move paves the way for Carrick Felix to enter the regular season holding Washington’s final roster spot, Bucker notes. Washington’s roster now appears set at the 17-player maximum, with 15 on the NBA roster and two under two-way contracts.
Sloan, 29, did not play in the Wizards’ preseason finale on Friday, a 110-103 win over the Knicks. Sloan has made appearances in five different uniforms, suiting up for the Hawks, Hornets, Pacers, Cavaliers, and Nets.
As for Felix, 27, the former Cavaliers second-round pick (33rd overall) is looking to complete a full comeback from a series of knee injuries. He has not appeared in a regular season NBA contest since his rookie campaign when he averaged 2.7 PPG in seven games.
“Things like that, the injury I suffered, it happens to one percent of the world,” Felix said to reporters, including Bucker, earlier this week. “A lot of people break their knee cap and it kind of stays together [but] mine had a really big displacement, so I just had to take the time and really rest and let my body heal at once.”
Felix played in 66 minutes during the preseason, posting 32 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in four games. Felix figures to replace Sheldon Mac on the depth chart after the young shooting guard suffered a potentially season-ending left Achilles’ tendon tear last week.
Cavaliers Cut Kendrick Perkins, Isaac Hamilton
The Cavaliers have waived veteran center Kendrick Perkins, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Perkins, 32, showed up to training camp in great shape, appearing in three preseason games with Cleveland. He racked up 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 25 total minutes played.
Perkins — who missed the 2016/17 season — tells Wojnarowski that he wants to continue playing but will consider coaching if he decides to retire (via Twitter). Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, that the organization has discussed bringing Perkins to the coaching staff if he cannot find an on-court role.
“We’ve already talked about that,” Lue said. “I think Perk was great because he holds everybody accountable. He plays the right way, tries to do the right thing every single day.”
Perkins started his career in 2004 with the Celtics and proceeded to spend parts of the following eight seasons in Boston. The 6’10”, 270-pound Perkins was a key player on the Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship team. After he was traded from Boston, Perkins spent parts of five seasons with the Thunder and, in recent years, made cameos with the Cavaliers and Pelicans. For his career, Perkins boasts averages of 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 781 career games.
“I definitely want to coach when I hang them up,” Perkins said this week, per Cleveland.com. “Right now my mind is on trying to play. Not only can I be a voice in the locker room, but I feel I can go out and contribute 8-to-12 minutes a night.”
The Cavaliers also waived Isaac Hamilton, ensuring that the roster is ready to go for the regular season. Hamilton is a good bet to join the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Hawks Exercise Options On DeAndre’ Bembry, Taurean Prince
The Hawks have exercised third-year (2018/19) options on both DeAndre’ Bembry and Taurean Prince, the team announced in a press release. Atlanta faced an October 31 deadline for picking up their options beyond this coming season, and Bembry ($1,634,640) and Price ($2,526,840) will return at team-friendly prices.
Bembry, 23, averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.6 RPG in just under 10 minutes per game last season. The Hawks’ first-round pick (21st overall) was effective during the NBA Summer League where he posted 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.3 APG in 26.3 minutes per contest.
Prince, 23, a former 12th overall pick by the Jazz, was acquired by Atlanta from Utah in a three-team trade that sent Jeff Teague to the Pacers. In his rookie campaign, he posted in 5.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 16.6 minutes. Prince’s season concluded with six starts in Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against the Wizards. He averaged 11.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.3 APG during the postseason.
For all of this year’s decisions on 2018/19 rookie scale options, be sure to check out our tracker.
Pacific Notes: Griffin, Booker, Chandler, Lakers
Blake Griffin signed a long-term deal to stay with the Clippers this past offseason and when he signed on the dotted line, he became the undisputed face of a revamped franchise. Longtime point guard Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, ending an era that saw the Clippers as perennial playoff contenders but also a team that never advanced past the first round.
In an interview with ESPN’s Sam Alipour, Griffin addressed the Clippers’ changed roster but said that change is not always a bad thing.
“I don’t know. You never want to blow up something like that — you have All-Stars in CP and DJ [DeAndre Jordan], great pieces like J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford,“ Griffin said. “But at the same time, we haven’t had success, so a shake-up doesn’t hurt.”
With a five-year, $173MM deal keeping Griffin in Los Angeles, he said that he will take on a stronger leadership role. Despite losing Paul, the team still has talent that can lead the team to the playoffs.
“Yeah, I led by example, but I’ll be more outspoken this year,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve learned that leaders aren’t always popular. You have to say things people don’t necessarily want to hear.”
Read up on other news coming out of the Pacific Division below:
- Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins became the latest players to sign maximum rookie deals and the Suns‘ budding star, Devin Booker, could be in the same boat next year, Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports writes.
- Veteran center Tyson Chandler has become a voice of reason and guidance for a young Suns team, Bordow writes in a separate story.
- Larry Nance Jr. has been the favorite to win the Lakers‘ starting power forward position but the play of Kyle Kuzma — who led the NBA with 104 preseason points — has made it a tougher decision, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes.
- The Lakers signed 19-year-old Can Pelister as the youngest international scout of all-time, according to basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link).
Warriors Waive Georges Niang, Michael Gbinije
The Warriors have waived guard Georges Niang and forward Michael Gbinije, the team announced in a press release. Both men were second-round picks in last year’s NBA draft.
Niang, 24, played in four preseason games, averaging 4.0 PPG in 9.8 minutes per game. Gbinije, 25, also appeared in four games, averaging 3.3 PPG in 7.5 minutes per contest.
Niang, who was drafted by the Pacers last year, latched on with Golden State on a one-year pact in mid-August. Gbinije, last year’s 49th overall pick by the Pistons, signed his deal in early September.
Both Niang and Gbinije are candidates to land with the Warriors’ G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors. After waiving Trevor Thompson yesterday, the Warriors have 15 players on their NBA roster.
Clippers Sign Ike Iroegbu
The Clippers signed point guard Ike Iroegbu to a deal on Friday, as reported by Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Iroegbu played for 17 minutes in the Clippers’ preseason finale against the Lakers, posting seven points, five rebounds and one assist.
Iroegbu, 22, spent the last four seasons at Washington State University. He appeared in 31 games in each of his four years at the school, averaging just under 10 points, three rebounds and three assists during his tenure. After going undrafted, Iroegbu participated in Afrobasket this year representing Nigeria and appeared in one game with the Suns during Summer League.
It is likely that the Clippers waive Iroegbu ahead of the deadline for teams to finalize rosters at 15 players. Signing and then waiving Iroegbu will give the Clips first dibs to make the young guard an affiliate player for their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.
Northwest Notes: George, Nurkic, Nuggets, Wolves
Paul George loves the excitement in Oklahoma City, especially with the reigning Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook, and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony on the same team. Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes that George is optimistic and has found a comfort zone with the Thunder. Yet, the ex-Pacer simultaneously wants head coach Billy Donovan to put him in uncomfortable situations as a challenge.
A Los Angeles native, George has been rumored to join his hometown Lakers for a while. There were rumblings all offseason that George’s goal is to end up home in California — whether it was this season or when he hits free agency next summer. However, George tells Mannix that L.A. isn’t on his mind as he focuses on succeeding with the Thunder.
“I’m committed here, we’re all committed,” George said. “We want this to happen and we want this to work really well. Once we get on the court, it’s been like magic. We understand one another, we have a feel for one another, we know each other’s games so well. We want to make the most out of it, to be in the best position to succeed.”
George and the Thunder may be in a position where they have a one-year window before he departs for his home team. But he has made it clear he wants to win before he makes any long-term decisions.
Below you can check out other news around the Northwest Division:
- Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic will miss the team’s Wednesday game against Phoenix due to a concussion, and may end up sitting out the rest of the preseason, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Nurkic is eligible for an extension up until October 16, so by the time he takes the floor next for Portland, he may have a new deal in hand or be preparing to play out a contract year.
- ESPN’s Micah Adams writes that the Nuggets‘ blueprint to build a championship contending team is eerily similar to how the Warriors went from Western Conference contender to budding dynasty.
- Veteran Jameer Nelson is back in the competition for the Nuggets‘ starting point guard job after battling a toe injury, Gina Mizell of The Denver Post writes.
- Timberwolves‘ head coach Tom Thibodeau has a roster with several players he coached in Chicago with the Bulls, which has made for a comfortable environment, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes.
Pacific Notes: Ball, Thompson, Bogdanovic, Len
Lonzo Ball sprained his left ankle last Monday during a preseason contest against the Nuggets and the Lakers think their first-rounder may sit out the remainder of the preseason, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Ball, 19, also sat out a portion of the Summer League a few months ago due to a calf strain.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton did not rule out Ball missing the season opener if his balky ankle does not improve. Walton said that Ball does not feel pain running straight but side-to-side movements are causing the UCLA product discomfort. Ball tried practicing on Sunday but he could not do it pain-free, Walton said.
“If he is not ready, he won’t [play],” Walton said. “Again, it is day to day so I assume he will be back by then. If he’s not ready to play basketball and really cut and move and do everything that you need that ankle you need it to do for you, we are not going to play him.”
Check out other tidbits of news out the Pacific Division:
- Klay Thompson said the Warriors aspire to be a dynasty like the Michael Jordan-led Bulls of the 1990s, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes. Thompson said that fanfare and success surrounding the franchise can eventually be on par with the legendary Bulls team; Golden State enters 2017/18 aiming for a third NBA championship in four seasons.
- Kings head coach Dave Joerger wants Bogdan Bogdanovic to use his years of international experience in the NBA and stop passing up open shots, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes.
- Alex Len has posted 16.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG for the Suns during the preseason and the team is thrilled with the 24-year-old’s progress, NBA.com’s Cody Cunningham writes.
- Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is impressed with rookie Sindarius Thornwell‘s toughness, which bodes well for his future with the team this season, Elliot Teaford of The Orange County Register writes.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Porzingis, LeVert, Valanciunas
The Sixers decided to take a risk as the franchise signed talented but oft-injured center Joel Embiid, to a five-year, maximum salary extension this week. It’s a lofty commitment to a player who has appeared in just 31 regular season NBA games in three years. However, it could also prove to be a steal if Embiid can stay healthy and match his output from last season, David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
In 25.4 minutes per game last season, Embiid, 23, averaged 20.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. This season, Embiid will be a focal point on a Sixers team with highly-touted rookies (Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz), veterans (J.J. Redick). Murphy also notes that compared to centers such as Steven Adams and Timofey Mozgov, who signed lucrative deals, Embiid possesses a rare upside that could make a huge difference in Philadelphia.
Embiid has been limited in practice this preseason but is expected to make his debut versus Brooklyn tomorrow. It will be the first step in determining whether or not the Sixers’ franchise-altering signing was a mistake or a bargain.
Read about additional news from the Atlantic Division below:
- Kristaps Porzingis has performed poorly in the preseason and was called out on it by MSG announcers on a hot mic. He’s also having trouble lifting his leg as he deals with a hip injury, according to head coach Jeff Hornacek. It’s a concerning start to the season for the man the Knicks view as a franchise linchpin, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.
- Caris LeVert returned from an ankle injury to face the Knicks in the preseason and his energy, defense, and improvements impressed Nets officials, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
- Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas understands that the role of the center has evolved but he refuses to accept that it has been marginalized, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes.
Pacific Notes: Beverley, Bogdanovic, Cauley-Stein, Lakers
Patrick Beverley has earned the reputation of a defensive pest who can get under the skin of his opponents and the Clippers are glad he is on their side, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Beverley has the unenviable task of being one of many reinforcements for a departed Chris Paul. Despite the lofty expectations, Beverley’s defense and overall demeanor through his first few preseason contests have made him popular with teammates but not changed his approach.
“I try to set the tone defensively,” Beverley said. “That helps the rest of our team. I understand I have DJ [DeAndre Jordan], but I don’t want to rely on him too much. At the same time, I want to be able to still do my thing within the defense.”
Last season, Beverley averaged 9.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG for the Rockets last season. If he replicates the on-court performance and retains his outspoken style, the Clippers should be set at the position, according to his coaches and teammates.
Below you can find other news coming out of the Pacific Division:
- Willie Cauley-Stein is entering his third NBA season at a time when third-year players are expected to develop into mainstays. However, a tumultuous period in Sacramento with roster, coaching, and front office turnover will make it a possibly difficult adjustment for Cauley-Stein, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic has spent limited time in the United States but he cannot contain the excitement for his NBA opportunity with the Kings, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee details.
- The Lakers have hired Jason Rosenfeld as Director of Basketball Analytics, according to the team. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link) noted, the Lakers’ signing of Rosenfeld is crucial as the team has been criticized for its lack of analytics use.