D-League Notes: Cavs, Grizzlies, Heat
We’ll keep track of today’s D-League assignments and recalls right here. As always, you can check out our running post to keep track of all of the D-League moves for the 2014/15 season..
- Grant Jerrett has been recalled from the D-League, the Thunder announced earlier today. Jerrett has appeared in five games (four starts) for the Blue this season, averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.
- The Cavs announced that they have recalled center Alex Kirk from the Canton Charge. Kirk has played in 13 games (all starts) for the Charge this season with averages of 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 32.2 minutes per contest. The big man has appeared in three games for the Cavs this season.
- The Grizzlies announced that they have recalled guard Jordan Adams and forward/center Jarnell Stokes from the Iowa Energy. Both players were on their third stint with the Energy this season. Adams, 20, has averaged 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in across seven games for the Energy this season. Stokes, 20, has averaged 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games for Iowa.
- The Heat announced that they have recalled Andre Dawkins from the D-League. Dawkins appeared in nine games (three starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and averaged 25.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 36 minutes per game. Just yesterday, Dawkins dropped 42 points on the Texas Legends. He’ll be available for Miami’s contest against the Celtics later today.
Week In Review: 12/15/14 – 12/21/14
After many months of speculation, the Celtics finally moved star guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo and Dwight Powell were sent to the Mavs in exchange for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, a 2015 first rounder with conditions, and a 2016 second round choice. The Celtics added valuable assets to their stockpile in Wright and the draft choices while the Mavs made a bold move to upgrade their lineup in the ultra-competitive West. More from the week that was..
- The Rockets acquired Corey Brewer in a three-way deal involving the Sixers and Wolves.
- The Hornets haven’t gotten a deal they like for Lance Stephenson and they’re prepared to hold on to him for now.
- The Kings’ coaching search continues after they fired Mike Malone. Tyrone Corbin is at the helm, for now.
- The Mavs are now the front-runners to sign Jermaine O’Neal.
- The Nets and Kings discussed a swap involving Deron Williams.
- The Clippers, Pelicans, and Grizzlies inquired on Jeff Green.
- The Pistons are struggling and considering their options.
- The Pelicans said goodbye to Gal Mekel.
- The Sixers will release Ronny Turiaf, who they acquired in the three-way deal. He’s likely done for the year.
- It sounds like the Knicks and Pelicans are open for business.
- The Raptors are growing increasingly intrigued by Marc Gasol.
- Jabari Parker is likely done for the year.
- Alexey Shved is thinking about a return to Europe.
- Isaiah Thomas insists his decision to change agents isn’t an indication that he wants to be traded.
- Josh McRoberts has a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee which will probably end his season.
- Former Sixers power forward Arnett Moultrie is joining the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons.
- Dwight Buycks is also headed to China.
Latest On Lance Stephenson
8:22pm: The Hornets have not received an offer for Stephenson that they are inclined to accept, and will “keep him for now,” Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 8:10am: Charlotte isn’t making any progress in its talks with Indiana, and the market in general for Stephenson is lean, Wojnarowski tweets.
TUESDAY, 1:04pm: The Heat are among the teams to have called the Hornets about the mercurial shooting guard, but there’s no traction toward a deal, since Miami doesn’t have much that would entice Charlotte, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 6:28pm: Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer confirms that the Hornets are aggressively looking to move Stephenson, but his sources say that they are nowhere close to a deal.
12:51pm: The Nuggets have recently been in the mix for Stephenson, too, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears.
SUNDAY, 6:10pm: The Hornets are targeting the Pacers and Nets as destinations for Stephenson, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski also hears that, so far, Charlotte has shown no inclination to package a future draft pick to move Stephenson.
Stephenson’s inability to co-exist on the floor with point guard Kemba Walker is among the main reasons for the franchise’s desire to move him, according to sources who spoke with Wojnarowski. The Pacers, meanwhile, are all too familiar with Stephenson’s troubles and are acting with little urgency in the talks.
When it comes to talks with the Nets, the Hornets have been willing to consider center Brook Lopez, whom they nearly signed to an offer sheet in 2012, league sources told the Yahoo scribe. Charlotte has been open to discussing the high-priced Lopez and Joe Johnson as part of a broader Stephenson package. However, they’re not interested in Deron Williams, thanks to his sizable contract and the emergence of Walker.
4:50pm: The Nets and Clippers are researching Stephenson’s time in Charlotte but they’ve yet to show serious interest, sources tell Wojnarowski (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, the Kings are not among the teams with interest due to concerns about Stephenson, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. It’s not hard to imagine other teams having worries about the guard.
4:38pm: The Hornets will be allowed to trade Lance Stephenson starting Monday and they’re exploring their options to move him, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stephenson has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks now and if the Hornets can find a trade partner, their union could be coming to an end within the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) hears that the Hornets and Pacers have had preliminary talks to facilitate a possible Indiana return for Stephenson, but those discussions haven’t gone far. So far, the Hornets have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to unload Stephenson, Wojnarowski tweets. That could have enticed the Pacers to make a move, he adds.
The Hornets are only 23 games into the Stephenson era, but a disappointing 6-17 start has them antsy to make moves. They’re not in move-him-at-all-costs mode, Stein writes, but they’re ready to bail out on their gamble if the right deal presents itself. So far, Stephenson appears to be a poor fit alongside Charlotte’s established core of Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, shooting 38.9% from the floor and going 8 for 48 from downtown. The Brooklyn native has a 10.5 PER this season, his worst since becoming a starter in 2012/13.
Late last week it was reported that four or five teams have let the Hornets know they have strong interest in acquiring the shooting guard. For his part, Stephenson wouldn’t mind returning home to join the Nets, but it remains to be seen if there’s a match there.
Sixers Waive Ronald Roberts
MONDAY, 11:38am: The move is official, the team announced as it confirmed the signing of Furkan Aldemir.
SUNDAY, 4:09pm: The Sixers will waive Ronald Roberts to make room for the newly signed Furkan Aldemir, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). It was a brief stay in the City of Brotherly Love for Roberts, who was signed just two days ago.
Roberts, 23, spent training camp with the team in October after going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s this past June. Philadelphia gave the Adam Pensack client a partial guarantee of $35K when it signed him for camp and retained his D-League rights after waiving him before opening night. It’s unclear if there was any guaranteed salary involved with Roberts’ latest deal.
The 6’8″ power forward put up 17.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game for the D-League affiliate of the Sixers so far this season. He did not see the floor for the Sixers’ varsity squad, however. With Roberts out and Aldemir in, the 76ers’ roster remains at 15.
Sixers Sign Furkan Aldemir
MONDAY, 11:35am: The deal is official, team spokesperson Michael Preston announced (on Twitter).
SUNDAY, 3:18pm: Furkan Aldemir has agreed to a four-year deal in the $12MM range with the Sixers, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The first two years of Aldemir’s deal will be guaranteed. David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link) reported earlier today that the big man received his visa, allowing him to officially make his transfer to the Sixers.
The Sixers first reached agreement with the draft-and-stash prospect back in November. Since then, however, there have been a series of roadblocks and hurdles that delayed the union between Aldemir and Philadelphia. Now, however, Aldemir ostensibly has obtained FIBA clearance and the blessing of his Turkish club, Galatasaray, paving the way for him to pursue his NBA dream.
The Sixers obtained the NBA rights to the 6’9″ power forward in the 2013 Royce White trade with the Rockets. Aldemir, said to be a decent rebounder, reportedly wasn’t being paid in a timely fashion for his hard work as Galatasaray was behind on paying off his three-year, $5.3MM deal. The 23-year-old has played exclusively overseas since entering the draft in 2012, when the Clippers made him the 53rd overall pick before sending him to the Rockets the next day.
The deal marks one of the first attempts that Philadelphia has made to cash in on its store of overseas talent that includes the rights to No. 12 overall pick Dario Saric and two other 2014 draftees. As Hoops Rumors’ roster counts show, the 76ers are at the maximum of 15 and will have to make room for Aldemir before adding him to the roster. Aldemir is represented by agent Misko Raznatovic.
Hoops Links: Anthony, Kobe, Stephenson
On this date in 1965, Rick Barry poured in 57 points in the Warriors’ 141-137 loss against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Barry’s 57 points were the second-highest total ever scored by a rookie in an NBA game (Wilt Chamberlain twice scored 58 for Philadelphia in 1960), and his 21 free throws (in 22 attempts) tied Frank Selvy’s NBA rookie record for the most free throws made in a game.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Green Street weighs the pros and cons of the Celtics pursuing Carmelo Anthony.
- Legion Report wonders if the Lakers will let Kobe Bryant retire on a losing team.
- Hardwood Insiders has some thoughts on Lance Stephenson and more.
- Detroit Bad Boys is worried about the Pistons inside the arc.
- Six Championship Drive gives us their power rankings.
- At The Hive tips their cap to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
- Peachtree Hoops discussed Al Horford at the line.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- With our look back at the Kings’ summer, the Hoops Rumors 2014/15 Offseason In Review series is in the books.
- Eddie Scarito looked at the cap hit for small forwards, power forwards, and centers in 2014/15.
- Chuck looked at the 76ers’ revolving door.
- Eddie rolled out the Hoops Rumors Prospect Power Rankings for the 2015 draft.
- The latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings still has the Cavs’ duo at the top, but Marc Gasol has leapfrogged LaMarcus Aldridge for the No. 3 spot.
- There are few 2014 first-round picks seeing major minutes, Chuck Myron writes.
- Chuck examined Corey Brewer as a trade candidate.
- If you missed out on this week’s chat, check out the transcript.
- Play nice, everyone. For a refresher on the rules, take a look at our commenting policy.
Week In Review: 12/8/14 – 12/14/14
A report indicated that Knicks star Carmelo Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, but both Anthony and agent Leon Rose have denied such talk. “Carmelo, as always, is committed to the Knicks,” Rose said. “There have never been discussions about trades or wanting to leave New York. Any story, rumor, report to the contrary is utter nonsense.” Our look back at the week that was..
- Finally, after weeks of speculation, the Nets found a trade partner for Andrei Kirilenko. AK47 joined the Sixers, though it’s unclear how long he’ll stay in Philadelphia. Sixers coach Brett Brown was not happy about losing Brandon Davies in the deal.
- The Nets have made Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson available.
- The Warriors and Grizzlies are now among the teams eyeing Ray Allen.
- Four or five teams have let the Hornets know that they have strong interest in acquiring Lance Stephenson. Charlotte can deal the guard starting tomorrow and it sounds like the team is inclined to do so.
- J.R. Smith is reportedly the Knicks player whom the team would most like to trade. Team president Phil Jackson says the Knicks aren’t going to make a trade for someone who wouldn’t be a long-term fit.
- The Thunder have inquired on Wilson Chandler.
- The Cavs have been asking the Grizzlies about their willingness to trade Kosta Koufos.
- The Clippers and Heat showed interest in Corey Brewer when the Wolves were in active discussions about him last month. It’s unclear whether they’re still eyeing him, however.
- The Nets signed Darius Morris.
- Finally, Furkan Aldemir is joining the 76ers. Ronald Roberts Jr. was waived to make room.
- The Sixers had signed Ronald Roberts Jr. and waived Jorge Gutierrez before Aldemir came aboard.
- The Rockets are pushing again to use their trade exception.
- The NBA is thinking about trimming down the preseason to build more off days into the regular season calendar.
- The arrival of Daniel Orton could prompt the Sichuan Blue Whales to say goodbye to Metta World Peace.
- The Nuggets might be in the market for point guard help.
- The Lakers’ hardship exception expired.
- The Jazz signed Patrick Christopher.
- Quincy Miller will join the D-League.
- Earl Clark is headed to China.
Hoops Links: Baynes, Pistons, Thornton
On this date in 1990, the Nets retired jersey No. 23 in honor of “Super John” Williamson, who played three years in the ABA and four years in the NBA with the Nets. Williamson owned the second-highest NBA scoring average (22.5 PPG) in team history.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Air Alamo loves Aron Baynes‘ hot start.
- Six Championship Drive looked at the trade values of the Pistons’ perimeter players.
- Celtics Blog says it’s clear that Marcus Thornton isn’t in the Celtics’ long-term plans.
- Sonics Rising is looking for the next Lenny Wilkens.
- Blazer’s Edge explains why Portland could be poised for something big.
- Grizzly Bear Blues questions Mark Cuban.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Thompson, Warriors
Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports learned that Kings star DeMarcus Cousins has been out for the last five games with a case of viral meningitis. Cousins continues to recover but he’ll be out for at least another seven to 10 days. More from the Pacific Division..
- The L.A. D-Fenders announced (via Twitter) that Jordan Clarkson has been recalled by the Lakers in time for tonight’s tilt against the Pelicans. Clarkson’s weekend stint with the D-Fenders was his third of the season.
- Over the summer, Mychal Thompson said he’d have to talk his son Klay Thompson “down off the ledge” if a rumored deal sending him to the Timberwolves came to fruition. Earlier today, the younger Thompson said that his dad was kind of overstating things. “He exaggerates things. I’m sure you guys know that,” the Warriors star said, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
- Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob made some interesting comments about ex-coach Mark Jackson last week but he took the time to publicly apologize for them today, as Leung writes. Lacob believes that Jackson will “succeed again in this business.”