Samuel Dalembert, Jamaal Franklin To Play In China
Former NBA center Samuel Dalembert and shooting guard Jamaal Franklin have signed with Shanxi of the Chinese Basketball Association, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter links). Dalembert’s contract will pay him approximately $200K, but the amount of Franklin’s pact has not been announced, Pick notes. It is unclear if either deal includes an NBA out clause. If their arrangements do not include such provisions, Dalembert and Franklin would be eligible to sign with an NBA team in the spring when the CBA season is complete.
Dalembert, who was in training camp with the Mavericks this year, played for the Knicks last season, appearing in 32 games and notching 4.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. The 34 year old’s career stats through 886 regular season contests are 7.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.
Franklin, 24, made three appearances for the Nuggets during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 1.0 point and 1.0 assist in 4.3 minutes per contest. The shooting guard had been playing for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate after being waived by the Nuggets back in July. This won’t be Franklin’s first stint playing in China, as he previously spent time with Zhejiang Guangsha.
Southwest Notes: Ellis, Randolph, Neal
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the decision not to make an offer to Monta Ellis over the summer came down to a desire to clear cap space, not because of Ellis’ age (he turned 30 in October) or any thought that he was in decline, writes Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
“We love Monta as a person, his family. It was one of the times where I went back and forth a lot,” Cuban said. “Not just on the basketball side but on the family side. His wife [plans to attend] law school. His wife has an amazing future as a lawyer and it was hard. That’s the down side of this business.”
Ellis instead signed with the Pacers, though he’s still feeling the effects of offseason surgery, as Buckner also reports and as we passed along earlier. See more from the Southwest Division:
- Zach Randolph, now coming off the bench for the Grizzlies, tells Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com that he’s on board with his reduced role, and Randolph agrees with Jackson’s assertion that a dead-eye shooter in the mold of J.J. Redick is the missing element on the Memphis roster.
- Gary Neal roots for the Spurs whenever he’s not playing them and has plenty of admiration for the team with which he spent his first three NBA seasons, notes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Neal is on a one-year, $2.139MM contract with the Wizards.
- The Mavs‘ inability to trade a first-round pick for any draft prior to 2018 and the lack of value their expiring contracts have in a market full of teams with cap flexibility for 2016 make it difficult to envision Dallas pulling off any swap that significantly upgrades the roster this season, contends Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Central Notes: Jennings, Ellis, Bucks
Brandon Jennings plans to return to the lineup for the Pistons on December 29th in a game against the Knicks in New York, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link), but Jennings said Wednesday that an 80% chance exists that he plays on D-League assignment first, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has appeared to publicly encourage Jennings to accept a D-League assignment, which would require both Jennings and the union to consent because he has more than two years of experience, but the point guard appears willing.
“I don’t care. I just want to play, man. I just want to get out there and hoop and see where it’s at,” Jennings said, according to Ellis.
A D-League trip for Jennings would represent the fifth time this season that a veteran player and the union have given the OK to a D-League trip. That happened with three Sixers, as I noted earlier this month, and this past weekend with Jeremy Evans of the Mavericks. See more from the Central Division:
- Pacers free agent signee Monta Ellis is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, he told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, and he and assistant coach Nate McMillan are confident he’ll start playing better as the season goes on, as Buckner details. Head coach Frank Vogel believes the struggles of Ellis are a result of adjusting to a new role, not his advancing age, Buckner adds.
- Bucks coach Jason Kidd said he spoke with Greg Monroe, Khris Middleton, O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee, all of whom showed up in TMZ Sports videos depicting them in a Los Angeles strip club late at night before the team’s loss to the Lakers this week, relays Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said he didn’t think their partying was a contributing factor to the loss, but, coincidentally or otherwise, the Bucks are reportedly the likely trade destination for veteran leader Caron Butler.
- Bucks preseason cut Marcus Landry has signed with San Sebastián Gipuzkoa of Spain, a source told international journalist David Pick. Radio Marca Donostia first reported the signing would take place (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
Timberwolves Make Kevin Martin Available
The Timberwolves have made Kevin Martin available in discussions about potential trades, a source told Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Minnesota wants to find more time for younger perimeter players Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, according to Krawczynski. The potential that LaVine has shown to become a scorer and the increased amount of time Wiggins is seeing at shooting guard, plus the eight losses in nine games that the team has suffered, have helped prompt GM Milt Newton and company to put the 32-year-old Martin on the block and focus on Wiggins, LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad, Krawczynski explains.
Minnesota spoke with two teams about Martin early this season but was reluctant to move him amid a promising 8-8 start, Krawczynski writes. He began the season on the bench but the team made him a starter in late November to help him break out of a shooting slump, according to Krawczynski. The 12th-year veteran is nailing only 36.7% of his field goal attempts, a career low. Martin didn’t play in the team’s loss to the Knicks because of a sprained right (shooting) wrist, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, and he’s questionable for Friday’s game against the Kings.
Martin was a part of trade talk last winter, when a series of reports identified the Mavericks, Wizards, Bulls, Kings and Rockets as interested parties, though late Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders didn’t appear willing to trade him or work a buyout. The Mavs, who signed Wesley Matthews in the offseason, were no longer interested as of October, according to a report at that time from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, and it’s unclear if any of the other teams linked to him almost a year ago are still eyeing him.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca speculates the Raptors might have interest, citing Martin’s track record as a scorer and an asset to team chemistry as well as his relationship with a few of Toronto’s players, though he suggests his contract could be a stumbling block (Twitter links). Martin is making $7.085MM this season with a player option for nearly $7.378MM next year.
What team do you think would make sense for Martin? Leave a comment to let us know.
Western Notes: Wright, Ellis, Miller
Grizzlies big man Brandan Wright says that he expects to miss six to eight weeks after a knee surgery he’s scheduled to undergo Thursday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. This confirms an earlier report by Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM. Memphis GM Chris Wallace, discussing Wright’s scheduled surgery, said, “There is a need to do the procedure at this time. We tried the rest and rehab route,” Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays (Twitter links). Tillery also notes that the team had believed that Wright, prior to his latest diagnosis, was merely suffering from tendinitis and was “soft” for sitting out.
Here’s more from out West:
- Nuggets swingman Mike Miller had considered retirement after the 2011/12 season, but the veteran says that he feels rejuvenated and may continue his playing career for longer than expected, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Post writes. “If my body feels the way it is right now, I want to play a couple of more years for sure,“ Miller told Tomasson. “I never would have believed [in 2012] that I’d still be playing now,” Miller added.
- Despite competing with each other for minutes, Suns centers Tyson Chandler and Alex Len work well together, Matt Petersen of NBA.com writes. “Those guys have a great relationship,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “They’re two of the most unselfish guys we have on the team. I’m not really as concerned about that. It’s a nice luxury for us and the coaches that they can go with whoever’s playing better, especially if somebody is either in foul trouble or has an off night.”
- Mavs power forward Dirk Nowitzki says he wasn’t surprised that Monta Ellis opted out of his deal after last season in order to become an unrestricted free agent, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. “I mean, you figure since he had two good years for us and he’s [30 years old] now … you figure he’s going to get out and sign one more deal,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy for him. He signed a four-year deal, got some good money, obviously. He is on a very good team in Indiana that is playing well, well-coached and well-run. I’m happy for him.“
Southwest Notes: Anderson, McDaniels, Leonard
The Rockets have “kicked the tires” on trade scenarios involving Markieff Morris and Ryan Anderson, though it doesn’t seem likely they’ll deal for either, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. It’s clear the team has shopped Terrence Jones and K.J. McDaniels, though Rockets sources label such talk as routine and due diligence, Kyler adds. Sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com earlier this month that the Rockets were interested in Morris and would likely give up Jones to get him. The Pelicans would consider giving up Anderson for Morris, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, but New Orleans is not anxious to trade him, Kyler wrote earlier this month. McDaniels has appeared for a total of only 39 minutes this season after signing a three-year, $10MM deal in the offseason. See more from around the Southwest Division:
- Rookie scale contracts will look “like gold” as the salary cap escalates and their dollar values remain the same, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in the offseason, a signal that the team knows it must replenish its youth, Lowe writes. Dallas is turning away any teams interested in trading for Justin Anderson, this year’s 21st overall pick, sources tell Lowe.
- Kawhi Leonard won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, and after signing a five-year max deal to stay with the Spurs in the summer, his defense has improved even further, Spurs coach/executive Gregg Popovich acknowledged, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter links).
- The Pelicans have been slow to pick up the ball movement principles in new coach Alvin Gentry‘s offense, observes John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans struggled with injuries throughout the preseason, keeping players from the opportunity to learn the new system. The Pelicans have the NBA’s third-worst record, though that puts them in prime lottery position, as our Reverse Standings show.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wade, Dragic, Mathis
The Hornets are averaging 10.0 made 3-pointers this season, up drastically from 6.1 last year, and most of that is because of the team’s offseason pickups, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
“Not only just for our shooting, but also our playmaking ability out there. We have so many – both perimeter and big players – who can make plays. A huge difference from last year,” said Marvin Williams, a free agent at season’s end. “When you bring in a Jeremy Lin – a very good pick-and-roll player. When you bring in a Jeremy Lamb, also a very good pick-and-roll player. Spencer Hawes, who can pass and shoot the ball. Frank [Kaminsky], the rookie, a very good playmaker. Nic Batum can do everything.”
See more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat committed more than $105MM in the offseason to Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, and while they each thrive at a different pace and might not be an ideal backcourt pairing, they’ve shown signs of being able to play together successfully, argues Michael C. Wallace of ESPN.com.
- The play of Luol Deng, in the final year of his contract, is holding the Heat‘s rotation together with his ball movement and versatility, as well as his status as one of the few who’s found a rhythm with Dragic, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in a mailbag column.
- The Mavericks let former assistant coach Monte Mathis join Scott Skiles‘ new staff in Orlando over the offseason as part of a larger shift toward more game-to-game consistency on defense and away from a customized approach for each opponent, Mavs sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Dallas has risen from 18th in defensive efficiency last year to 14th this year, but Mathis has helped the Magic surge from 25th to seventh, according to NBA.com.
Western Notes: Howard, Pachulia, Teletovic
It’s been an unusually quiet season for Dwight Howard, who can opt out of his current deal after the season and become an unrestricted free agent, as the Rockets center is averaging only 12.7 points per game, the fewest since he averaged 12 as a rookie in 2004/05, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle observes in an explanatory piece. For his part, Howard, as Feigen points out, has had no complaints about his seemingly diminished role in the Rockets’ offense.
“To us, it’s important that Dwight serves his role,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Dwight’s not a one-dimensional player. Dwight knows how to impact winning in a bunch of different ways. He’s not a guy who has to score the basketball to be effective. As long as he understands how important he is to us and his teammates let him know how important he is to our success, I think he’s confident he’ll go out and do what he’ll have to do to help us win.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Zaza Pachulia, in a Q&A with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, said he initially had mixed feelings regarding his trade to the Mavs from the Bucks, but warmed up to the idea rather quickly. “Here it’s a totally different situation for me,” Pachulia told Sierra. “I was one of the oldest guys in Milwaukee, now I’m coming here and I feel like I’m one the younger guys. So many veterans around me.”
- Nicolas Batum believed the Blazers, as they were constructed last season, had at least another run in them, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders writes. Things changed, of course, when LaMarcus Aldridge decided to sign with the Spurs. “I understand his choice,” Batum said. “He had done a lot of things for the Portland franchise, but to get a chance with the Spurs to win a ring right away? I think a lot of people would have done the exact same thing. He wanted to go to another place to win a championship, and I respect that. I’m not mad about it, but I was surprised. It was a good run, and it was fun, but it’s time to move on.”
- Mirza Teletovic is enjoying a strong bounce-back season with the Suns after inking a one-year deal following his issue of blood clots, Howard Megdal of USA Today Sports details.
Western Notes: Bass, Mavericks, Thunder
Brandon Bass, who signed a two year, $6MM deal with the Lakers this offseason, wanted to remain in Boston, but the Celtics immediately went after power forward Amir Johnson, who signed a two year, $24MM with the team, and left Bass to look elsewhere, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
“I would have never, ever thought I would not be in Boston,” Bass said. “I thought I was going to retire a Celtic, even when it was coming up to me signing with the Lakers. I just thought I’ll still be a Celtic. Boston was my home, man. I had a great experience, family loved the town. I loved the town, really got comfortable there. It feels surreal, but it’s definitely part of the business.”
Bass is averaging 5.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game off the bench for Los Angeles this season.
Here are a few notes from the Western Conference:
- The Mavericks have recalled Salah Mejri from the Texas Legends, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to a team press release. Mejri is averaging 5.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 20.9 minutes per game during his three games with the Legends this season.
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, per a team press release. Huestis averaged 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.38 blocks in 34.0 minutes per game for the Blue this season. McGary has averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in five games for the Blue this year.
- Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman examines which players are more valuable to new coach Billy Donovan than they were to coach Scotty Brooks. Enes Kanter, who signed a four year, $70MM deal with OKC during the offseason, is among the players getting less minutes under Donovan.
And-Ones: ‘Outperformers,’ Bryant, Dinwiddie
Four Western Conference players join Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis on an “Outperform” Team compiled by Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. The columnist honors the players who have most exceeded expectations during the first quarter of the season. The other team members are the Kings‘ Rajon Rondo, the Warriors‘ Stephen Curry, the Mavericks‘ Dirk Nowitzki and Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant addressed his relationship with former teammate Dwight Howard after tonight’s loss in Houston, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “My responsibility when Dwight and I played together was to get him to play his best basketball,” Bryant said. “That involves pushing buttons.” Their rocky relationship was believed to be part of the reason Howard left Los Angeles for the Rockets in 2013.
- Pistons guard Spencer Dinwiddie may be headed to the team’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids on Sunday, according to Terry Foster of The Detroit News. A slump and injuries have reduced Dinwiddie’s playing time, and he has dropped behind Steve Blake in the point guard mix. Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy suggested that Dinwiddie might benefit from increased minutes in Grand Rapids. “We have tried to use the D-League a little bit so he gets some game time,” Van Gundy said. “I think he has to take advantage of every opportunity he’s got to work and get better.”
- The Thunder assigned Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue of the D-League, the team announced via press release. Huestis has played in seven games for the Blue this season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.57 blocks.