NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/10/17
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
10:40 pm:
- The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from their D-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to a team press release. The power forward played seven games with Long Island during his latest stint, averaging 18.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.
3:17 pm
- The Kings have sent 2016 first-round pick Malachi Richardson to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). In 11 games so far this season for the Reno Bighorns, Richardson has averaged 21.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG.
- The Pelicans have re-assigned rookie forward Cheick Diallo to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Interestingly, after being assigned to San Antonio’s affiliate twice earlier in the season, Diallo joined the Long Island Nets this time around. New Orleans doesn’t have its own NBADL squad, so the club needs to rely on other affiliates, using the flexible assignment rule.
- Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee have been assigned to the D-League, according to a tweet from the Knicks. Both players are expected to suit up tonight for the Westchester Knicks, New York’s NBADL affiliate.
Nets Waive Anthony Bennett, Sign Quincy Acy
JANUARY 10: The Nets have officially signed Acy to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JANUARY 9: The Nets have requested waivers on a former first overall pick, announcing today in a press release that they’ve parted ways with Anthony Bennett. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the team will fill Bennett’s roster spot by signing Quincy Acy, who is currently playing for the D-League’s Texas Legends.
Bennett, who will turn 24 in March, was selected first overall in the 2013 NBA draft, but has failed to develop into a productive NBA player. In four NBA seasons, Bennett has appeared in 151 total games for the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Raptors, and Nets, averaging 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 12.6 minutes per contest, including 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 23 games for Brooklyn this season.
This past offseason, Bennett signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Nets that featured a guaranteed salary for the first year and a non-guaranteed salary in 2017/18. Assuming Bennett goes unclaimed, Brooklyn will be on the hook for his full 2016/17 cap hit, though the club remains well below the salary floor, so that won’t have a real impact on team salary. The former UNLV big man will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday if he passes through waivers.
As for Acy, the veteran power forward began the season with the Mavericks, but was waived in November when backcourt injuries forced the team to add another guard. Shortly thereafter, Acy joined Dallas’ D-League affiliate. He averaged 17.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 12 contests for the Legends, making a strong case for an NBA call-up.
According to Stein (via Twitter), Acy will get a 10-day contract from the Nets.
Dinwiddie, LeVert Paying Dividends
The Nets have liked their early returns on Spencer Dinwiddie enough to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn signed the third-year guard last month to a three-year deal with a partial guarantee. He has responded by averaging 5.5 points and 1.8 assists through 12 games and earning a spot in the rotation. He made his first start with the team, and just the second of his NBA career, on Friday. After being traded by the Pistons in June and waived twice by the Bulls during the offseason, Dinwiddie likes the prospect of having a shot at stability. “They say bet on yourself,” Dinwiddie posted Saturday on his Instagram account. “Sometimes in the face of adversity you have to double down. Thank you to the Nets organization. Happy to have a home.”
- Rookie guard Caris LeVert appears to be another gamble that’s paying off, Lewis states in a separate piece. In just his 15th NBA game, LeVert scored 19 points and was a team-best plus-10 against the champion Cavaliers on Friday. The Nets have been happy with the progress of LeVert, who slipped to 20th in the draft after his college career was cut short by a foot injury. “We saw a glimpse of who he can be, who we project him to be,” said coach Kenny Atkinson. “The defensive part of it is obviously the most important, especially on that wing position. We can throw him out there against the Paul Georges and the LeBrons [James], and he did a pretty decent job. The offensive part was a bonus.”
- The Celtics might be interested in Hawks forward Paul Millsap, but only if he guarantees not to opt out of the final year of his contract, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Atlanta is reportedly listening to offers for the 31-year-old power forward and wants a “quality” draft pick in return. Millsap can opt out of his nearly $21.5MM salary for next season and become a free agent this summer. Washburn speculates that any deal would involve one of the Nets‘ picks that Boston owns plus Amir Johnson and another starter to match salaries. A trade would reunite Millsap with Al Horford, but it would push Horford to center, where he would prefer not to play.
Nets Seeking Multiple First-Rounders For Lopez?
The Nets don’t appear overly motivated at this point to move Brook Lopez, who has another year remaining on his contract after 2016/17. Although he could potentially be had before February’s trade deadline, the asking price will be high. According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, word is that the Nets are currently seeking two first-round picks in any deal for Lopez.
Lopez, viewed at one point as a health risk after he missed significant chunks of two separate seasons due to foot injuries, has appeared in at least 72 games in each of the last two seasons, and is on track to do so again this year. The veteran center is having another solid season in Brooklyn, averaging 19.9 PPG and 1.7 BPG, though his FG% (.466) and RPG (5.2) are career lows.
Of course, the dip in Lopez’s shooting percentage can be attributed to his newfound three-point shot — After taking just 31 three-point shots in his career, the 28-year-old is averaging more than five long-distance attempts per contest this season, making nearly two per game.
Set to earn just under $22MM annually for this year and next year, Lopez would be a solid trade chip to help the rebuilding Nets add more assets. However, former team executive Bobby Marks noted last month that there’s no rush for the Nets to make a move, since they like having Lopez on the roster. Marks also suggested that Lopez is more likely than most players to re-sign with his current team in free agency, meaning Brooklyn could wait until next season and still get good value, since a team acquiring the big man could be pretty confident about re-signing him.
The Nets currently don’t own a first-round pick for 2018, and will almost certainly end up with the Celtics’ first-rounder instead of their own in 2017.
Nets Affiliate Acquires D-League Rights For Hunter
- The D-League affiliate of the Nets has acquired the rights to recently waived R.J. Hunter, the team writes in a press release. Hunter had previously played for the Bulls, though only saw action in three games this season.
Celtics Will Listen To Offers For Nets’ Pick
With an 8-25 record so far this season, the Nets currently hold the top spot in our 2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings. If Brooklyn remains in that position at season’s end, the team’s pick will be a guaranteed top-four selection, with a 25% chance of it being No. 1 overall. Nonetheless, the Celtics, who have the rights to that pick, will listen to offers for it, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).
General manager Danny Ainge indicated today that, while nothing is “close or imminent,” he has had some trade calls, per Blakely. This year’s deadline is about six weeks away, so Ainge has plenty of time to continue scouring the market and fielding inquiries.
The Celtics don’t technically hold the Nets’ first-round pick in the 2017 NBA draft, but they have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn, and given how the first half of the season has played out, they’ll certainly be taking advantage of those swap rights. Boston’s own pick – which the Nets would receive – currently projects to be No. 23.
If they were to deal away the rights to the Nets’ 2017 pick, the Celtics would be left without a first-rounder in this year’s draft, and the ’17 class is expected to be a deep and talented one. Still, Boston would be well-stocked for future years — the team owns the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick outright, and is owed first-rounders from the Clippers and Grizzlies in 2019.
The Celtics have been linked to a number of potential trade candidates already this season. According to multiple reports though, the team is intent on finding a deal for a star player, rather than settling for a complementary piece, so it makes sense that the Nets’ pick is in play. If Ainge and the C’s are unable to land that sort of impact player, they could circle back to someone like Andrew Bogut or Nerlens Noel closer to the deadline, but Brooklyn’s 2017 pick would almost certainly be off the table in that sort of deal.
New York Notes: Knicks, Porzingis, Lin
It was a rough night for the NBA’s New York teams on Monday, as both the Nets and Knicks suffered double-digit losses on their home courts. While Brooklyn lost to a strong Utah club that’s in the midst of a winning streak, the Knicks’ defeat came at the hands of an Orlando team that ranks below them in the standings. In the wake of that loss, Jeff Hornacek delivered “his most damning assessment” of his club’s defensive issues, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
“I don’t think our guys aren’t trying — maybe they’re not capable,” said the Knicks head coach. “I don’t know. That’s what we have to figure out. Maybe play some other guys and mix the lineup somehow. … We have to find someone to play some defense. You can’t come out at the beginning and their first three baskets are 3s. You have to have better pride than that. … I think they’re trying — they must not be good enough defensively.”
With Hornacek sounding ready to make some changes to his lineup, let’s round up a few more notes out of New York…
- Nagged by Achilles pain, Kristaps Porzingis missed his second straight game on Monday, and may see his minutes reduced going forward as the Knicks try to keep him and their other starters fresh and healthy. As Berman details in a piece for The Post, Porzingis isn’t thrilled with the plan, telling reporters with a smile that he wants to play all the minutes he can. However, he deferred to Hornacek and said he’d go along with what’s best for the team.
- Speaking of Porzingis, he remains on the shelf for now, with Hornacek telling reporters today that the big man is doubtful for the Knicks‘ next game on Wednesday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).
- There’s no specific timetable for Jeremy Lin‘s return to the Nets, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Lin admitted that it has been discouraging to have to battle health issues so far this season after he joined a new team on a new long-term deal in the summer.
- We passed along a few Knicks and Nets notes on Sunday and Monday as well.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Nets
Ersan Ilyasova, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, expressed an interest in sticking with the Sixers beyond this season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. While it is not unusual to hear of a player set to be a free agent speak highly of his current team, Ilyasova’s comments are noteworthy because his presence seems to be a good fit for both sides with Sixers management expressing a desire to re-sign him, as Pompey adds. Ilyasova has been a positive player in the locker room and has averaged 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, shooting 40.1 percent on three-pointers, since being acquired in a trade from the Thunder on November 1st, Pompey notes.
Here is more from around the Atlantic Division:
- There is some concern that the Knicks are overusing Kristaps Porzingis, who was out of Monday’s game because of Achilles soreness, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Berman spoke with a league scout who feared the Knicks are “draining” the young star.
- Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is particularly high on Isaiah Whitehead because of the young guard’s 3-point shot, passing prowess and defense, NetsDaily passes along in a look at Brooklyn’s batch of prospects.
New York Notes: Rose, Holiday, Hornacek, Nets
As the Knicks ponder their decision on whether to re-sign Derrick Rose, ESPN’s Ian Begley notes that Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday could be part of the equation. Holiday will also be entering free agency this summer, and team president Phil Jackson has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring him before. New York needs just a few small roster moves this summer to create enough cap room for a max contract. Holiday 26, has played 20 games after missing the start of the season to care for his ailing wife. He is averaging 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per night. The 28-year-old Rose is in his first year with the Knicks after being acquired in an offseason deal with Chicago. He is averaging 17.7 points and 4.4 assists in 29 games.
There’s more news out of New York:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is asking for maximum effort from his team and hints that rotation changes could be on the way, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. His comments came after the team lost in Houston Saturday night to slip back under .500. “Some of the young guys can really give effort in there. We’ll have to take a look at maybe getting them in the games more, maybe giving our older guys a little bit more rest,” Hornacek said. “So that they have shorter minutes so they can put the full effort out there. We’ll take a look at everything.”
- The Knicks should be happy to see a miserable 2016 come to an end, Bondy writes in a separate story. The year started with a coaching change involving Derek Fisher, followed by a 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference, a surprise hire in Hornacek, a draft night with no picks, a possibly disastrous free-agent signing in Joakim Noah, several ill-considered comments by Jackson and the end of his engagement to Lakers executive Jeanie Buss.
- Tensions boiled over for the Nets on the court and in the locker room after Friday’s loss to Washington, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn has dropped seven of its last eight games and is tied with Philadelphia for the league’s worst record. “It was emotional and a frustrating game, and guys were just venting,” said center Brook Lopez. “I don’t know what was necessarily correct or who said what, but the important thing is it happened. It’s not something we’ve had to repeatedly deal with this season. It’s something that happens with every team over the course of the year. We addressed it. It’s an emotional game; obviously emotions were running high. We talked about it as a team. We addressed it as players.”
New York Notes: Galloway, LeVert, Porzingis
The Knicks made an effort to re-sign Langston Galloway over the summer, but the lure of returning to his home-state propelled the combo guard to join the Pelicans, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I didn’t think I would leave [New York],’’ Galloway said. “But I had an opportunity to go home. That definitely was big, important for me and my family and wife. It’s definitely been great playing back home, loving the atmosphere New Orleans has.’’
Here’s more from the Big Apple:
- Caris LeVert has only played 12 games this season because of a foot injury, but Nets coach Kenny Atkinson likes what he’s seeing from the rookie, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. “[LeVert’s play has been] Super positive. I just said that to our coaches, his energy, how hard he plays, how fast he is, his athleticism, how aggressive he is,” Atkinson said. “So that’s the positive we take out of [it], that he’s really starting to grow in front of our eyes. That’s good to see.”
- Randy Foye is taking advantage of his playing opportunity this season and he credits his experience playing alongside diverse play-makers for his ability to help the Nets run an effective offense, Lewis writes in a separate piece. “I played with [Blake Griffin in the past], last year being with [Russell Westbrook] and [Kevin Durant], and seeing the double team and just knowing you’ve got to have the right spacing,” Foye said. The shooting guard signed a one-year deal with Brooklyn during the offseason.
- Kristaps Porzingis said Anthony Davis‘ game has greatly influenced his own, Berman passes along in a separate piece. “Before I got to the NBA, I was watching him a lot — skinny guy coming out of college, how he was able to adjust to the NBA, at this level,” Porzingis said of Davis. “Obviously, I learned from him — even seeing defensively, able to hold guys in the post. His skill set is his, pretty all-around. He can do everything, but it was more seeing how he can adjust with his physicality.”