Texas Notes: Bogut, Barea, Nene, Ennis
Mavericks center Andrew Bogut, who has been sidelined since December 5th with a bone bruise on his right knee, could be back on the court this week, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Coach Rick Carlisle announced the news today on Bogut, who started 16 games before the injury. The 32-year-old, who was acquired in a trade from Golden State to sure up the Mavericks’ interior defense, is averaging 3.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. He was considered a prime candidate to be traded again when Dallas was at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but Mavericks may consider keeping him as they inch back toward playoff contention. The way he and the team play between now and the February 23rd trade deadline could determine how long he stays in Dallas.
There’s more basketball news out of Texas:
- Carlisle also indicated good news might be coming about J.J. Barea, according to Sneed (Twitter link). The backup guard, who has been out with a muscle strain in his left leg, still has no timetable to return, but his coach says it’s “on the shorter end of things.” Barea has only been available for 11 games this season.
- The Rockets‘ plan for veteran center Nene involves more games and fewer minutes, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. With starting center Clint Capela out a month or more with a fracture in his left fibula, Houston needs Nene to play in back-to-back games. The Rockets play the Suns tonight and the Mavericks on Tuesday, and coach Mike D’Antoni plans to limit him to fewer than 20 minutes in the second game. “I think it’s working out,” D’Antoni said. “I talked to him [Monday]. He said he’s feeling great. I would like to avoid some back-to-backs, but we can’t right now. The sooner we get Clint back the better.”
- Tyler Ennis hasn’t played much since coming to Houston in a September trade, but he is hoping to be part of the Canadian National Team, Feigen relays in a separate story. Ennis met tonight with Suns assistant Jay Triano, who serves as Canada’s coach, to discuss his future role with the squad. “I’ve always played for the national team,” Ennis said. “With the Canadian guys we have in the NBA now, there’s more interest in playing. Hopefully, one summer, we’ll get everybody to come and play. We’re all pretty young.”
And-Ones: CBA, Roster Spots, Bynum, Senegal
Negotiators for the league were determined to make it more difficult to assemble “super teams” under the new collective bargaining agreement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical. In a brief video, Wojnarowski recounts a meeting this summer in which Commissioner Adam Silver told team owners that he was troubled by Kevin Durant‘s move to Golden State, fearing it would impact competitive balance. Warriors owner Joe Lacob defended his organization, saying it managed its salary cap in a way to enable the signing of a max player. In negotiations, the league tried to give small-market stars more incentive to re-sign with their current teams. Wojnarowski says the new system creates a “far more punitive financial choice” for players who want to leave for larger cities or more competitive teams. However, he adds that some small-market owners are concerned that the league didn’t go far enough with its rules changes.
There’s more basketball news tonight:
- The new CBA will add two roster spots for each team, which will be two-way contracts for players who shuffle back and forth from the D-League, notes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. In a transcript from an interview with onthenbabeat.com, Reichert notes that the salary range for those players will be $50K to $75K, which is more than typical D-League players receive. The rise in NBA minimum salaries will also benefit D-League players because the 10-day contracts that teams can offer starting in January are based off minimum salaries adjusted for a player’s years of experience.
- Veteran guard Will Bynum has signed a contract with the D-League, according to a tweet from D-League Digest. The 33-year-old was among the last players cut by the Hawks in training camp. He spent the majority of his 360-game NBA career with the Pistons, but also played for the Warriors and Wizards. He played most of the past two seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China.
- The NBA plans to open an academy in Senegal next year, writes Gerald Imray of The Associated Press. This will be the sixth international academy for the league, which already has three in China and one in Australia, with another in India set to begin in April.
Sixers Rumors: Noel, Holmes, Korkmaz
Sixers center Nerlens Noel recently changed agents, and his new representatives are working together with the team to try to find a potential trade for the disgruntled big man, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Given the 76ers’ lack of leveraage, the team will have a hard time extracting decent value in any deal, and there’s no sense that anything is close right now, according to Kyler. Still, he adds that “there is some urgency to getting the public dispute resolved.” For now, Noel is not a part of the Sixers’ regular rotation.
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- The decision to remove Noel from the rotation drew most of the headlines, but Richaun Holmes is also the victim of the numbers game in Philadelphia, having logged back-to-back DNP-CDs. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details, head coach Brett Brown suggested last night that he feels worse for Holmes than Noel, who missed the first month and a half of the season with a knee injury. “Richaun has been here since Day 1,” Brown said. “I feel that is something that’s on my mind as much as Nerlens.”
- There’s plenty of blame to go around in the Noel situation, according to Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com, who notes that Noel, Brown, former GM Sam Hinkie, and current GM Bryan Colangelo all played a part.
- International basketball reporter David Pick has an update on Sixers draft-and-stash prospect Furkan Korkmaz, tweeting that the 2016 first-rounder – who is playing in Turkey – has been traded from Anadolu Efes to Banvit.
And-Ones: Motiejunas, Neal, Jerrett, 2017 FAs
Now an unrestricted free agent, Donatas Motiejunas has more freedom than ever to decide the next step in his basketball career, even if he can no longer sign with the Nets. As he looks for a new NBA home, Motiejunas released a statement today on Twitter, announcing that he has “a lot more to give to the game of basketball, and can’t wait to get back on the court.”
“I invest so much into my craft and have worked extremely hard to stay healthy and prove myself on the basketball court, which was evident last season,” Motiejunas said. “I look forward to immediately contributing to a new team and ultimately winning championships.
“I want to thank the great fans in Houston for all of their support. I really enjoyed my time in the community. The city and people will always hold a special place in my heart as the place where my NBA career began.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- After veteran NBA guard Gary Neal signed a D-League contract earlier this week, he landed with New York’s affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, as Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.
- Former Arizona big man and 2013 second-round pick Grant Jerrett has signed with the Beijing Ducks, Stephon Marbury’s team in China, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link).
- Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com identifies 11 players on track for 2017 free agency who may be flying under the radar a little, including JaMychal Green (Grizzlies), Patty Mills (Spurs), and Bojan Bogdanovic (Nets).
- Jason Concepcion of The Ringer examines some of the players who are off to underwhelming starts this season after signing lucrative new contracts over the summer, with Hornets forward Marvin Williams leading the way.
Henry Sims To Play In China
Journeyman center Henry Sims is headed overseas, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Sims has struck a deal with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in China. The Chinese club has cut former NBA big man Samuel Dalembert to clear room on its roster for Sims.
An undrafted free agent out of Georgetown, Sims made his NBA debut in 2012/13, ultimately appearing in 135 total regular season contests for New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn over the course of four seasons. In those games, the 26-year-old averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG, making 47.1% of his shots from the floor.
After participating in camp with the Jazz this fall, Sims started this season in the D-League, putting up 18.0 PPG and 8.7 in 11 games for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s NBADL affiliate. A report earlier this week indicated that Sims’ D-League contract had been bought out, signaling that he was likely headed to a team in Europe or Asia.
With the move, Sims be moving from a Salt Lake City club that was 2-10 to a Shanxi team that is playing better ball, with a 9-8 record so far in CBA play. Former Grizzlies second-rounder Jamaal Franklin, who is averaging an impressive 37.2 PPG so far, will be among Sims’ teammates in China.
Steve Blake Probably Finished In Australia
Veteran point guard Steve Blake has likely played his last game in the Australian league, according to Fox Sports.
The 36-year-old, who played for the Pistons last season, signed with the Sydney Kings in October after he was unable to get a training camp invitation from any NBA team. Blake was granted an indefinite leave of absence this week to return to the United States to be with a sick family member, and his coach, Andrew Gaze, doesn’t expect him to return.
“The high probability is he won’t be back,” Gaze told EON Sports Radio. “We’re hopeful that he may be, but I think it’s going to be a difficult one.”
Blake was used as a reserve by the Kings and averaged fewer than 6.0 PPG in nine games. However, managing director Jeff Van Groningen insisted that his departure had nothing to do with his performance on the court.
Blake spent 13 years in the NBA, playing for eight franchises. During an interview last month with the Blazers Edge fan site, he acknowledged that a return to the NBA was unlikely, but said he would be interested if he got an opportunity.
Lorenzo Brown, Royce White Join Non-NBA Teams
Former NBA draftees Lorenzo Brown and Royce White have signed with new teams, and will be headed to China and Canada, respectively, according to reports. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Zhang Duo) has the details on Brown, who will join China’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls, while Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets that White has signed with the London Lightning in Canada’s NBL.
Brown, who was in camp with the Pistons this fall, was waived after losing the battle for the team’s third point guard spot, and reached an agreement with Russia’s Unics Kazan last month. However, the 26-year-old reportedly failed his physical with the Russian team, leaving him looking for work elsewhere.
The 52nd overall pick in the 2013 draft, Brown has logged 63 total NBA regular-season appearances for the Sixers, Timberwolves, and Suns. The former N.C. State standout spent much of the 2015/16 campaign with Detroit’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, averaging 18.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 turnovers in 33.3 minutes per game, before he signed with the Pistons near the end of the season.
As for White, the former 16th overall pick only ever appeared in three NBA regular-season games, back in 2014. An anxiety disorder, which included a fear of flying, complicated White’s ability to contribute to an NBA team, though a handful of clubs, including the Rockets, Sixers, and Kings, attempted to make it work. The 25-year-old continues to seek out professional basketball opportunities, but has acknowledged that advocating for mental health awareness is more important to him than trying to return to the NBA.
Andrew Andrews To Play In Turkey
Hornets camp invitee Andrew Andrews is heading overseas, having agreed to a contract with Turkish team Best Balikesir, a source tells international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The exact terms of Andrews’ deal aren’t known.
Andrews, 23, is a 6’2″ point guard who played four years at the University of Washington, averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 34 games with the Huskies as a senior last season. He went undrafted in June before playing for the Clippers in the NBA’s Summer League and later securing a training camp invitation from the Hornets.
In three preseason contests with Charlotte, Andrews played sparingly, averaging 10.4 minutes per contest and recording 4.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 1.0 APG. He was waived by the Hornets less than a week before the regular season got underway, as the team cut down its roster to 15 players.
Andrews’ new team in Turkey is off to an 0-9 start this season, so he’ll be tasked with helping Best Balikesir to get into the win column and turn things around.
Toure’ Murry, Ryan Hollins Sign Overseas Deals
Two NBA veterans have reached agreements to play basketball overseas.
Guard Toure’ Murry has signed with the Yesilgiresun club in Turkey, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 27-year-old guard was waived by the Timberwolves during the preseason. Murry started his career with the Knicks after going undrafted in 2013. He wasn’t re-signed after playing 51 games as a rookie, and had brief stints with the Jazz and Wizards the following season. Murry is averaging 2.6 points per night in 56 NBA games.
Ryan Hollins has signed with CB Gran Canaria in Spain, according to Carchia. The 32-year-old center played for nine organizations in a 10-year NBA career. His last team was the Grizzlies, who waived him just before the end of last season. Hollins appeared in 518 NBA games with career averages of 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Pablo Prigioni To Play In Spain
A month and a half after being released by the Rockets, Pablo Prigioni has caught on with a new team — his old team in Spain. Saski Baskonia announced today that it has signed Prigioni, bringing the veteran point guard back to Europe after he played the last four seasons in the NBA. Prigioni spent time with Baskonia several years ago prior to arriving stateside to play in the NBA.
Prigioni, 39, made his NBA debut for the Knicks back in 2012, and spent two and a half seasons with the team before being traded to Houston. He was subsequently traded to the Nuggets, waived by Denver, signed by the Clippers, and then signed by the Rockets this past summer. Although Prigioni’s two-year, minimum-salary deal was guaranteed for 2016/17, he was the victim of a roster crunch in Houston, with the team opting to waive him rather than Tyler Ennis at the end of the preseason.
In 270 career regular-season NBA games, Prigioni averaged 3.5 PPG and 2.8 APG in 16.9 minutes per contest, with a solid shooting line of .425/.379/.872. He also appeared in 33 postseason games, including 17 with the Rockets during the club’s run to the Western Conference Finals in 2015.
Prigioni, who drew interest from Spanish powerhouse Barcelona as well, will join a Baskonia team that has employed several former Knicks and/or Nets players this season, including Shane Larkin, Andrea Bargnani, and Tornike Shengelia. Baskonia is 7-4 in ACB action so far, and 6-4 in Euroleague play.