Pacers Re-Sign Sam Young
The Pacers have officially re-signed Sam Young, the team announced today in a press release. Indiana had waived Young earlier in January after he sprained his ankle and before his contract could become guaranteed for the season.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reported (via Twitter) that the Pacers were expected to re-add Young to the roster to replace Dominic McGuire, whose second 10-day contract has expired. While Young takes McGuire's place as the team's 15th man, it's not clear whether the 27-year-old is back on a 10-day contract or rest-of-season deal.
Young was averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 16.0 minutes per game earlier this season with the Pacers, before he went down with the ankle injury. Presumably, since the team is comfortable re-signing him at this point, Young's ankle has healed and he'll be available immediately.
Odds & Ends: Pacers, Gelabale, Joseph, Wolves
Tonight's schedule includes a battle for Western Conference positioning between the Rockets and Jazz, Andrew Bogut's possible return to the court for the Warriors, and an opportunity for the Wizards to win their third straight game (and eighth of their last 11). As we look forward to the evening's slate of games, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA….
- Dominic McGuire's second 10-day contract with the Pacers has expired, and the team has elected to let him go rather than sign him to a rest-of-season deal. According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the Pacers will likely bring back Sam Young, though it's not clear whether he'll get a 10-day contract or a rest-of-season deal. Indiana released Young before his contract became guaranteed, and shortly after he suffered an ankle sprain.
- Agent Bill McCandless expects the Timberwolves to keep Mickael Gelabale for more than just one 10-day contract, as he tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype: "Based on my conversations with Timberwolves management, I understand that Minnesota is very likely to offer M.G. a second 10-day contract." (Twitter links).
- With Sacramento and Seattle potentially set to battle over the Kings, Neema Hodjat of RealGM.com makes a case for why the NBA should consider expansion as an alternative to relocation.
- We heard last week that Kris Joseph had signed a contract to play for Orleans in France, but David Pick of Sportando reports (via Twitter) that Joseph backed out of that deal for a possible D-League offer.
- A.J. Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops makes his early picks for the top 10 European prospects of the 2013 draft class.
- Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, and D.J. White are among the former NBA players in China whose CBA teams won't qualify for the postseason, according to Shaopeng Shen of Hupu.com (via Twitter). As such, those players would be free to return to the NBA sooner, assuming there's any interest.
- The Timberwolves received a disabled player exception worth about $381K for Malcolm Lee, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times and HoopsWorld. Considering how small that amount is, the team is unlikely to use the exception.
Magic Want Picks, Young Talent For Redick
Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Sulia) that the Orlando Magic are asking for picks and young talent on a rookie contract if they are to deal J.J. Redick before the February 21 trade deadline.
Bucher also says that, while the Celtics and Pacers are known to be interested in acquiring Redick, they lack the pieces to meet the Magic's asking price. As such, it is unlikely that he will be dealt before the deadline.
Redick, 28, is averaging 14.9 PPG and 4.4 APG, both career highs, in his final season with the Magic. He is due to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Ford’s Latest: Bargnani, Kings, Granger, Draft
Chad Ford's latest chat at ESPN.com includes a handful of trade-related inquiries along with plenty of draft questions. Let's dive in and check out the highlights from both categories….
- While the Raptors would likely move Andrea Bargnani for any decent offer, Ford hasn't spoken to any general managers that are excited about making an offer for the former first overall pick.
- The Kings could still be active before the trade deadline, but the Maloofs are still in charge of any decisions until the NBA Board of Governors makes a decision on the sale of the franchise. As such, most rival teams view the Kings' assets as "essentially frozen" for now.
- Danny Granger is receiving assurances from the Pacers that he won't be traded, but Ford thinks Indiana would change that stance if the right offer came along. A young power forward or point guard could interest the Pacers, says Ford.
- Ford spoke to five different NBA GMs this week who said they'd take Kansas guard Ben McLemore first overall next June.
- Ford also adds that McLemore would be at the top of his personal top-five list for 2013, with UNLV's Anthony Bennett and Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State right behind him.
Pacers Seek To Retain West
The Pacers and David West—their soon to be unrestricted free agent power forward—are committed to extending their relationship, according to the Indianapolis Star's Bob Kravitz. Team President Donnie Walsh declared that Indiana wants to keep West earlier today.
It's against NBA rules for the Pacers to offer West an extension right now, but both parties have made it known they're interested in getting something done this offseason. Along with Paul George, West has been Indiana's most valuable player this season, and retaining him for off the court reasons are just as important, due to his positive influence with younger players in the locker room.
D-League Moves: Plumlee, Tyler
We'll round up today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with the latest news on top.
- Miles Plumlee is back with the Pacers, as the team announced it's recalled him from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The rookie's latest D-League assignment, his fifth, lasted four days. He's played in 11 games with the Mad Ants, averaging 12.8 points and 11.2 rebounds in 31.3 minutes. That's in contrast to just 22 total minutes with Indiana.
- The Warriors have reassigned big man Jeremy Tyler to Santa Cruz of the D-League. It's the fifth time he's been sent down this season, but Tyler has only played in four games for Santa Cruz this season, notching 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per contest. The 39th overall pick in the 2011 draft has appeared in a total of 48 minutes over 16 games for Golden State this season, with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Amico On Gay, Kings, Millsap, West, Oden
The latest piece from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is brimming with juicy material, so let's dive right in.
- Even though the Grizzlies are reportedly in a "holding pattern" regarding trades, Memphis is still talking to other teams about moving Rudy Gay. The clubs engaged most heavily in those discussions are the Bobcats, Timberwolves, Suns and, more recently, Hawks. Nonetheless, a source tells Amico not to expect a Gay trade until after the All-Star break.
- Speaking of holding patterns, that appears to be the current state of any potential Kings sale, Amico writes. Whatever happens, it's "pretty clear" this is the final season for Geoff Petrie as GM. He's in the final year of his deal, and the 64-year-old reportedly wants to retire.
- We heard Friday about the Nets' possible interest in Paul Millsap, and Amico confirms Brooklyn, along with the Bucks and Nuggets, are among teams that could make a push for Millsap at the deadline. Most of the teams in that mix would want to offer Millsap an extension immediately upon acquiring him, since he's in the final year of his contract.
- Like Millsap, David West is another power forward set to hit the unrestricted free agent market, but the Pacers are confident they can re-sign him, Amico reports. That's why the team is largely ignoring trade offers for him.
- Greg Oden hopes to sign with a team around the All-Star break or right after the trade deadline. Interested clubs include the Celtics, Heat, Mavericks and Cavaliers.
Odds & Ends: Union, Gay, Magic, West, Adelman
It's been quite an evening in the NBA, as a third of the nine games on the docket went to overtime. It was also a rare night when both the Wizards and Bobcats recorded wins. As we wait to find out more about trade candidates and the Suns coaching situation tomorrow, here's the rest of the news from around the Association.
- A day after the release of a report detailing abuses of power by players union executive director Billy Hunter, Nets star Deron Williams called for changes from "top to bottom" in the organization, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler says the Magic aren't interested in Rudy Gay, but wouldn't be surprised to see the team get involved in a trade that sends Gay elsewhere. Orlando's $17.8MM trade exception allows Orlando to get involved as a middleman, as Kyler points out (All Twitter links).
- In a piece that looks back on the Magic's in-season trades from years past, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel argues that Nikola Vucevic has become the team's No. 1 trade chip and urges the front office to hold on to him.
- David West won't let his impending free agency distract him from his work with the Pacers, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy documents via Sulia.
- Wolves coach Rick Adelman won't be returning to the team anytime soon as he continues to tend to his ailing wife, GM David Kahn told reporters, including Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Assistant coach Terry Porter will continue to lead the team in Adelman's stead.
Pacers Re-Sign Dominic McGuire
The Pacers have re-signed Dominic McGuire to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. McGuire was initially signed by the Pacers on January 7th, the first day teams could sign 10-day deals, so his contract expired last night.
McGuire, 27, appeared in just two games for the Pacers, averaging six minutes per contest and failing to score a single point. However, he was productive at times for the Raptors and Hornets earlier this season, appearing in 24 games for the two teams, including nine starts for Toronto.
Besides playing for Indiana, New Orleans, and Toronto this season, the well-traveled McGuire has also played for the Warriors, Bobcats, Kings, and Wizards in his six-year NBA career, averaging 2.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 342 total contests. The Pacers won't need a corresponding move to make room for the former second-round pick, since a roster spot opened up when his first 10-day deal expired.
D-League Moves: Pittman, Jones, Plumlee
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves posted to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Heat will recall Dexter Pittman from their D-League affiliate in time for tomorrow's game, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. When I examined potential solutions for Miami's rebounding woes earlier today, I noted that giving Pittman and other internal frontcourt options more minutes could be a short-term approach for the club.
- Terrence Jones has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets announced today in a press release. Jones was recalled from the D-League on Monday, but wasn't active for Houston's game against the Clippers last night.
- The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It's already the fifth time this season that Plumlee has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. While he's barely seen the court for the Pacers, the 2012 first-round pick has averaged a double-double in eight games with Fort Wayne, posting 13.4 PPG and 11.5 RPG.