Eastern Notes: Yormark, Harrellson, D-League
Nets CEO Brett Yormark is excited about the coming offseason and the free agent possibilities it brings, NetsDaily relays. “This will be the first time we’ve been able to test free agency and really realize the power of Brooklyn, the power of our brand and the commitment that ownership continues to make,” Yormark said. “We’ve got a good story to tell — with the addition of our $50MM practice facility and the D-League franchise — and I think we’ll be in a position where we’ll be able to add to Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic and some of the other younger pieces, and bring in the necessary pieces to turn things around quickly. I’m excited about that opportunity, but obviously we have to make all the right decisions and we have to plan now. … I think there’s a chance here to really build something special.” Brooklyn is currently projected to have between $32MM and $38MM in free cap space next summer.
Here’s more from the East:
- Wizards camp cut Josh Harrellson has signed with the Latvian club VEF Riga, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 26-year-old averaged 3.9 points in 7.3 minutes per game over seven preseason appearances for Washington this year.
- Brandon Jennings‘ decision to accept a rehab assignment in the D-League is a testament to the point guard’s commitment and love of the game, according to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. It also demonstrates the value of the franchise having its own D-League affiliate, Langlois adds. “I think it shows how important the commitment [team owner] Tom [Gores] was able to make to have a D-League team and putting money into it,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve already gotten a value of last year sending Spencer Dinwiddie and Quincy Miller there and this year sending Spencer and Darrun [Hilliard] down. Now you’ve got a guy who can be a big part of what you do and you’ve got somewhere close by where you can send him and he can play. Those kinds of things seem minor when we’re talking about ownership commitment, but that’s a big one. We can send Brandon there to get significant minutes.”
- The Raptors assigned shooting guard Norman Powell to their D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). This will be Powell’s first jaunt to the Raptors 905 this season.
- The Pistons have assigned Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, the team announced via press release. This will be Hilliard’s fourth stint with the Drive and Bullock’s first.
Pistons Assign Brandon Jennings To D-League
2:45pm: The assignment has officially taken place, the Pistons announced via press release.
“This is a great example of the many benefits our D-League team offers, supporting [owner] Tom Gores’ vision to push for a hybrid affiliation with the Grand Rapids Drive,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said. “It gives Brandon an opportunity to go play in a game, work on his conditioning and compete in a similar system that’s being run by [Pistons D-League coach] Otis Smith and his staff.”
12:41pm: The Pistons will assign Brandon Jennings to the D-League, Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy confirmed today to reporters, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). The news is no surprise, as Jennings said Wednesday that he was 80% certain he’d play Saturday for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League team, in their game against the Iowa Energy, the affiliate of the Grizzlies. It’s a rehab stint for Jennings, who hasn’t appeared in a game since suffering a torn left Achilles tendon in January. He plans to make his return to NBA action December 29th in Detroit’s road game at New York, as Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com reported.
The assignment requires approval from both Jennings and the National Basketball Players Association, since Jennings has more than two years of previous NBA experience. It’s not unheard of for players and the union to give the OK for D-League trips, and it happened just this past weekend with Jeremy Evans and the Mavericks. Rajon Rondo is the most prominent player to have been assigned to the D-League since the current rule went into place for the 2013/14 season, but his stint with Boston’s D-League affiliate in 2014 encompassed only one practice, and he didn’t appear in a D-League game. The Knicks received approval from Amar’e Stoudemire and the union to send Stoudemire on a three-day D-League assignment in 2012, but he, too, only practiced with the D-League squad. Jennings, who’s making more than $8.344MM this season, will continue to earn his NBA salary while in the D-League, where most of his temporary teammates are making between $13K and $25,500.
He will return to a much different situation in Detroit than the one he was in when he got hurt. The Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson in February and re-signed him to a five-year, $80MM deal in the offseason, leading to speculation that Detroit will trade Jennings, who’s in the final year of his contract. Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors examined his trade candidacy in depth earlier this month. Still, Van Gundy said this week that he’s yet to have a single conversation with another team about dealing him.
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).
Central Notes: Jones, LeBron, Love, Scola, Jackson
LeBron James‘ affection for James Jones runs deep, and the same is true for Kevin Love, who said Jones may well be his best friend in the NBA, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details. Jones re-signed with the Cavaliers this summer on a one-year, minmum salary deal.
“I told J.J., as long as I’m playing, he’s going to be around,” James said last week. “He’s not allowed to stop playing basketball. So, I’m going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever had.”
Jones is 35 and James turns 31 later this month, so it would be tough for Jones to hang in the league for the rest of LeBron’s career, but it’s nonetheless clear that the two are close. See more from Cleveland amid the latest from the Central Division:
- It was watching his Cavaliers teammates doggedly pursue a championship during the finals last summer that served as the last bit of convincing Love needed to make up his mind to re-sign with the team, Love says, according to McMenamin, who writes in separate piece.
- The Pacers and Luis Scola talked a couple of times while he was a free agent in July, but the team didn’t make an offer for him to re-sign, and Scola and agent George Bass got the impression the team didn’t intend to make one, the power forward told Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. Scola, 35, signed instead with the Raptors for one year and $2.9MM, and he said to Agness that he’s pleased with Toronto so far.
- Reggie Jackson drew motivation from the commitment that the Pistons showed when they gave him a five-year, $80MM deal this summer, and the deal signaled that the team’s executives “did their homework,” Jackson told TNT’s David Aldridge for his NBA.com Morning tip.
Eastern Notes: Okafor, Stokes, Jennings
Sixers rookie center Jahlil Okafor has already experienced various off–court incidents, but he and the team look at them as an opportunity for growth, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune writes. “Those of us who know him or get a chance to talk to him, all you have to do is look at him and let him interact and you see there’s goodness in him,” coach Brett Brown said. “He’s a good guy. The situation that happened was unfortunate. He was ashamed, he was embarrassed. That seems like a distant memory.”
“I’m sure there are scars, but raising anybody in the NBA, let alone somebody that has a profile like he has at 19 years old, there are challenges all over the place,” Brown continued. “In a twisted way, I hope we look back at that experience — all of us, from a program’s perspective, from his perspective — and it toughens him up, it hardens him, it teaches him a real hard life lesson. We’re with him. I am personally with him. I’m very fond of him.”
Here’s more from the East:
- The Pistons have not discussed any potential trades regarding injured point guard Brandon Jennings, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. “We haven’t one talk with anybody about him,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “I just think that people assume that with Reggie Jackson here and the way Brandon played last year, I think people just make that assumption. He’s no more or less available than anybody else we have. Until he’s back on the court and playing, there’s nothing to even talk about. My preference is, that when he’s fully healthy, he’s able to help us. That’s my preference. I’ve even talked to him about a vision going forward where he helps us even beyond this. But right now, we’re just trying to get him back.”
- Bulls center Joakim Noah‘s minutes have been down this season, though according to coach Fred Hoiberg, that is more a product of the team’s frontcourt depth than a decline in the big man’s performance, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays. “That’s the luxury, slash, problem we have with our bigs,” Hoiberg said. “It’s not always going to be the same guy. Taj Gibson finished the last game with Pau Gasol. Nikola Mirotic has finished a lot of games for us. And it was Jo [Saturday]. That’s what we have. We’ve got the depth to play different lineups and go with the guy that’s getting the job done.“
- The Heat have recalled power forward Jarnell Stokes from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, the team announced. Stokes has appeared in seven games during his two stints with the Skyforce, averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.29 steals, 1.14 blocks in 29.0 minutes per contest.
And-Ones: Jennings, D-League, Knicks
Brandon Jennings, who has yet to play this season, is officially practicing with the Pistons, but it is still too early to know when he will appear in a game, Terry Foster of the Detroit News relays. Hoops Rumors’ Dana Gauruder recently profiled Jennings as a trade candidate because Jennings has an expiring contract at $8,344,497.
“We had one practice last week,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said, per Foster. “He got up and down and he brought good energy to the practice. We haven’t seen him in a week and when we do see him it is 15 minutes of action. It is really tough to gauge him in the little bit of time we see him. Right now it is once a week in short bursts.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Lakers recalled Tarik Black, Anthony Brown and Ryan Kelly from their D-League affiliate one day after assigning each player, the team announced (on Twitter).
- Kristaps Porzingis insists he has not hit a “rookie wall” after 25 games with the Knicks, Fred Kerber of the New York Post relays. Porzingis, who was sensational before the Knicks’ recent road trip was held scoreless Saturday for the first time. “A couple of bad games, it happens to all of us. Not only rookies. I’m just looking forward to the next game,” Porzingis said, per Kerber. “So ups and downs, obviously this is my rookie season.”
Central Notes: Love, Jennings, D-League
Kevin Love has long since moved past the sting of the injury he suffered in last season’s playoffs that reportedly short-circuited the interest he had in signing with the Celtics, but Boston wasn’t the only hopeful suitor not in the mix when Love’s free agency began July 1st, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer details. Love insists he never truly considered going anywhere but Cleveland, even as Boston, along with the Suns and Blazers, hoped to meet with him, Haynes writes, confirming reports from this summer that linked those teams to the power forward.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores met with Brandon Jennings over the summer to encourage him to return to health and increase his value with free agency looming this coming July, and the rendezvous left an impression on the point guard, as Jennings tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. “Yeah, especially during the time of when I was injured, and to hear what he had to say to me definitely opened up my eyes and just really helped me through a lot of stuff I was going through,” Jennings said. “Like a father-son type talk. It was some good things that were said, and he definitely gave me a different perspective on things I need to work on and what I need to come back and do.”
- The Pistons have recalled Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard from the D-League, notes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Hilliard scored a game-high 23 points in Sunday’s D-League game while Dinwiddie had only 7 points on 2 for 9 shooting.
- Joe Young is back from his assignment to the D-League, the Pacers announced. The rookie averaged 22 points per contest during his two-game stint with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Whiteside, Johnson
Kristaps Porzingis is having an outstanding rookie season and Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News argues that the Knicks are becoming his team. While Lupica admits that Carmelo Anthony is the current star and face of the franchise, Porzingis’ play will allow him to carry the team sooner than later. The 20-year-old is averaging 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, while shooting 35.4% from downtown in 27.3 minutes per game this season.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Although it will only take one team to offer him a max contract, Hassan Whiteside‘s market value may have been overstated, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel opines in his latest mailbag. Winderman points out that it seems the Heat are not fully committed to making Whiteside a focal point, citing the team’s reluctance to keep him in the game late in the fourth quarter.
- While the possibility of trading for Joe Johnson seems unlikely for the Bulls due to the veteran’s $24.89MM salary, if the 34-year-old agrees to a buyout with the Nets, Chicago would be a logical landing spot, Sam Smith of NBA.com argues in his latest mailbag. Smith is merely speculating, as there has been no indication that Johnson or Brooklyn would pursue a buyout.
- The Pistons have assigned Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard to the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to their Twitter feed. Terry Foster of the Detroit News reported on Saturday that Dinwiddie might be sent down to the D-League today.
Central Notes: Monroe, Gibson, Rose, Jennings
The Bucks handed the Warriors their first loss of the season on Saturday night and offseason addition Greg Monroe was a key component to the team’s success. Monroe scored 28 points while adding 11 rebounds, five assists in 35.5 minutes of action. Monroe was expected to take Milwaukee to the next level, but the team has struggled up to this point, especially on the defensive end. The team now sits at 10-15, good for last in the Central Division, but the all-around effort during the win may serve as a momentum builder for the rest of season.
Here’s a look at a few of Milwaukee’s Central Division foes:
- Taj Gibson is playing well in the starting lineup and he is too valuable for the Bulls to trade him away, Sam Smith of NBA.com opines in his latest mailbag. Smith cautions while it may seem like Chicago has a glut of big men and could easily make a trade, the threat of losing Joakim Noah, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, and Pau Gasol, who will likely opt out of his current deal, makes keeping Gibson on the team imperative.
- Smith, in the same piece, believes a Derrick Rose trade is highly unlikely. The Bulls currently have no intention of trading Rose and even if they did, getting value back for a player with as much injury history as the point guard has will be difficult, the scribe adds.
- Brandon Jennings will be a free agent at season’s end, but the point guard is just focusing on playing at a high level as he returns from a torn left Achilles tendon, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. “If I don’t come back the way I was last year, I’m going to be very upset with myself,” Jennings tells Ellis. “I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself first right now. I’m not thinking about re-signing here, not re-signing here. I’m just thinking about getting back on the court and taking care of business.” Jennings was the subject of trade rumors before the injury and once he returns to the court, those kind of talks will likely resurface again. Dana Guaruder of Hoops Rumors examined the chances of a Jennings deal in his Trade Candidate piece and speculated that the Nets and Knicks would be good fits if the Pistons decide to ship out the 26-year-old.
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.