Grizzlies Keep James Ennis, Cut Ryan Hollins
4:18pm: The Grizzlies announced via a press release that Hollins has been waived.
1:35pm: The Grizzlies will waive Ryan Hollins today, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), but they’ll hold on to James Ennis, reports Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (All Twitter links here). Memphis needs a roster spot for Elliot Williams, who’s reportedly set to sign a 10-day contract with the team, so it appears that Hollins, who just signed last week, will depart. Ennis, who had already earned more than the partial guarantee on his salary by virtue of remaining under contract as long as he has this season, will see his full $845,059 one-year veteran’s minimum take, since today is the final day for NBA teams to waive non-guaranteed salary before it becomes fully guaranteed.
The details of the contract Hollins signed December 29th remain unclear, but Bobby Marks of Yahoo’s “The Vertical” offered a hint, tweeting that he’ll see about $96K for his time on the Memphis roster. That indicates that Hollins was on a non-guaranteed deal, just like the contract the Grizzlies had him on during the preseason and the one he signed with the Wizards in late November. Memphis waived him before opening night, and Washington cut him loose last month, so his latest release from the Grizzlies represents the third time he’s hit waivers in less than three months.
Ennis came to Memphis in early November via the Mario Chalmers trade, and he’s already gone on D-League assignment six times since then. He’s logged only 27 minutes at the NBA level with the Grizzlies so far, but Memphis apparently thinks he can grow into a productive player, since the team’s interest in keeping him for next season was the reason why it chose Ennis over Hollins today, according to Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Ennis’ contract covers 2016/17 with a non-guaranteed salary. The combo forward was the 50th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Timberwolves Interested In Courtney Lee
The Timberwolves have tried in vain to convince the Grizzlies to swap Courtney Lee for Kevin Martin, Sam Amick of USA Today reports (video link). Martin has his fans in the Memphis organization, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, but no indication exists that the Grizzlies will go for Minnesota’s proposal, Wolfson tweets. Grizzlies want to preserve their cap flexibility for the summer ahead, according to Amick, and while Lee is on an expiring contract, Martin has a player option worth close to $7.378MM for next season.
Minnesota made Martin available in trade talk last month, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reported, and Amick indicates that it’s unlikely that the veteran shooting guard finishes the season on the Timberwolves roster. The Kings are high on him, as Wolfson reported, but a deal has yet to materialize with the February 18th trade deadline set for six weeks from today. He played Tuesday for the first time after failing to appear in Minnesota’s previous seven games partly because of a wrist injury but primarily because the team wanted to give Zach LaVine a chance to play shooting guard.
Lee, like Martin, has seen statistical declines this season, with his normally reliable 3-point shooting dropping from last season’s 40.2% rate of accuracy to 31.9%. That’s a problem for the Grizzlies, who lack outside shooting, and Lee has been in and out of the starting lineup this year. Martin is nailing 37.7% of his 3-point looks this season, and his career numbers from behind the arc are about the same as Lee’s, but Martin will turn 33 on February 1st, while Lee just turned 30 in October.
A straight-up swap of Lee and Martin would also pose financial trouble for the Grizzlies. Martin makes $7.085MM this season, compared to Lee’s $5.675MM. Memphis is already only about $2MM shy of the $84.74MM luxury tax threshold.
Do you think the Grizzlies are wise to turn down this proposal? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Lawson, Mavs
Coach Dave Joerger asked the Grizzlies‘ front office for Ryan Hollins after news that Brandan Wright would need to miss at least six weeks so it’s no surprise Memphis is glad to have the center back, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal details. The Grizzlies signed Hollins on Tuesday. Hollins was with Memphis during training camp, but the Grizzlies waived him before the season started. Hollins had a strong showing in training camp, but it just wasn’t enough for the Grizzlies to keep him at the time, Tillery writes. The move to sign Hollins is an essential one because it adds a much-needed big man to the roster, Tillery adds.
“We’ve got some support and some insurance for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph whether it be an injury or a foul,” Joerger said. “We also got an energy guy and a hard roller. That will help with our 3-point shooting. We have a lob threat.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Ty Lawson has shown flashes of his offensive game coming back to life since his return from a two-game suspension for last season’s DUI case, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Despite Lawson’s recent string of success, however, the Rockets have no immediate plans of reinserting him in the starting lineup, per Feigen. “He’s starting to find his rhythm,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You can see some of the shots that he’s taking. Those are the shots he’s taken in the past when he’s confident. Those are plays and shots he was taking in Denver when he was playing at his peak. Early in the season, he was hesitant to take those shots. Now, he’s taken the gloves off a little bit he’s freed himself to play the way he played in the past when he’s been successful.”
- Zaza Pachulia said the most significant difference between playing in Dallas this season in comparison to his previous stops with the Hawks and Bucks is the Mavs‘ collective experience and maturity. Pachulia made the comments while appearing on The Ben & Skin Show on 105.3 FM KTVT The Fan in Dallas (interview transcription via the Dallas Morning News). “Most of the time I’ve been on the teams that have either been young or rebuilding or immature,” Pachulia said. “They were good opportunities I had and good experiences I had playing with the good coaches, the young prospects around me. So I’ve never really been on a team like Dallas Mavericks.”
Knicks Notes: Early, Jennings, Conley
Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early was shot once in his right knee early this morning, Thomas Tracy of The New York Daily News reports. The injury occurred when a taxi Early was riding in was set upon by four to six armed men wearing ski masks, who then robbed the player, according to the Daily News’ report. Early was wounded during the course of the robbery and his injury is reportedly not life-threatening, though no prognosis has been released regarding its potential effect on his NBA career. The Knicks released an official statement on the matter which read, “We are aware of what occurred with Cleanthony Early this morning and are relieved that he is not in a life-threatening situation. We will not comment any further until we receive more information.”
Early is the second Knicks player to have allegedly been targeted by grifters in recent days, with combo forward Derrick Williams having reportedly been robbed of approximately $600K to $750K in jewelry by two unidentified women this past weekend, albeit not at gunpoint. Here’s more from New York:
- The Knicks should seek to acquire Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings prior to this season’s trade deadline, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News opines. Though Jennings’ season debut on Tuesday night was merely average, Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy still believes Jennings can make an impact in the league, Isola notes. “Oh yeah, I don’t think there is any doubt,” said Van Gundy. “Brandon is coming back well off of the injury and he’s a guy who just absolutely loves to play, loves to be in the gym. He’s still young, he’s still 26. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll be a starting point guard in this league again.”
- Acquiring Jennings could be problematic for New York, Isola adds. The Knicks don’t have much in the way of talent or draft picks to offer Detroit, and the team may want to hold off adding a playmaker since the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Daily News scribe notes. There is no guarantee that Conley will leave Memphis, but his talent level may warrant the Knicks taking a pass on Jennings, Isola writes. It should be noted that Jennings’ contract is set to expire at the end of this season, so there wouldn’t be any salary cap implications for 2016/17 if the Knicks acquired him, unless Detroit insisted on New York taking on a less than desirable contract as part of any trade.
Grizzlies Sign Ryan Hollins, Waive Russ Smith
TUESDAY, 11:30am: The signing of Hollins is official, the Grizzlies announced. The team also confirmed that Smith has been waived.
MONDAY, 11:00pm: The Grizzlies will waive Russ Smith in order to make room on the roster for the signing of center Ryan Hollins, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports. Hollins was with Memphis during training camp prior to the season and he made a strong impression on the team, Charania adds. The Grizzlies are limited to giving Hollins the minimum salary, though it’s unclear if he’ll have any guaranteed money.
Smith’s contract runs through the 2016/17 season and he’ll make slightly more than $845K this year, all of which is guaranteed. His salary for next season was set to be roughly $980K, though that salary is non-guaranteed. The Louisville product was averaging 1.5 points in 4.4 minutes per game this season.
The move to add Hollins isn’t expected to be a temporary one, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal reports (Twitter links). Backup center Brandan Wright remains out with a knee injury, so Hollins shouldn’t have to wait too long to see minutes for the Grizzlies.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Pistons, Robinson, D-League
Brandon Jennings declared himself ready to play for the Pistons, but with backup point guard Steve Blake playing so well, the team has a good problem, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “It’s a tough thing to weigh,” coach Stan Van Gundy said of possibly taking minutes away from Blake. “It’s a dilemma a little bit. But Brandon has looked good.” The 35-year-old realizes he will most likely lose minutes once Jennings returns to the rotation, but that is something that was expected.
“That was an understanding of mine coming here,” Blake said. “Coach Van Gundy and I talked about that. There will be times when I’m playing well while he’s injured. When he comes back, the chance of me going to the bench and him playing at some point was an understanding of mine. He’s working his way back to where he wants to be and when that time comes, that’s fine with me. It’s a team thing. I don’t see it as him and I as competition. We’re teammates playing against other people, so when that time comes, that’s totally fine with me.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Pacers like Glenn Robinson III and they can envision the 22-year-old carving out a role with the team, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes. Robinson appreciates the team communicating with him about his future. “They’ve done a great job of talking to me. They haven’t really given me a definite timeframe or when it’s going to come, but they’re saying that that point is going to come,” Robinson said. “Just knowing my moment is coming, I think that really locks me in, too. That keeps me going. So that’s a good thing to hear, especially from Larry [Bird].”
- The Spurs have recalled Ray McCallum from their D-League Affiliate, the Austin Spurs, per the team’s website. McCallum is averaging 18.0 points, 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds in five D-League games this season.
- The Grizzlies assigned forward Jarell Martin to the Iowa Energy, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to the team’s website. This will be Martin’s third stint with Iowa this season.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Barnes, D-League, Donovan
The NBA has suspended Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes for two games without pay for his role in the off the court altercation with Knicks coach Derek Fisher back in October, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. Barnes is expected to serve the suspension during tonight’s game against the Heat and Saturday’s game at the Jazz. He will lose $64,409 in salary because of the suspension, Wojnarowski adds. The small forward will be eligible to play the next time New York and Memphis square off, which is set for January 16th in Memphis.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Thunder coach Billy Donovan said that he wasn’t worried about the differences between managing NBA players and college ones when he accepted Oklahoma City’s vacant coaching position this past offseason, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. “I didn’t look at coming here to Oklahoma City under that umbrella of ‘what are all these relationships gonna be like,’ because I think we’re all people,” Donovan said. “I think you communicate, you talk, generally things work themselves out. Everything’s not always gonna go perfect, but I think if you’re working for the same cause, moving in the same direction, things get resolved.” Donovan was responding to a question regarding the difficulties new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is experiencing this season after also making the jump from the NCAA to the pros.
- The Rockets have recalled swingman K.J. McDaniels and power forward Montrezl Harrell from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (Twitter link). This was the third D-League assignment on the season for McDaniels and the second for Harrell.
- The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This will be Mickey’s eighth jaunt to Maine on the season.
D-League Notes: Hardaway Jr., Ennis, McCallum
The Hawks have assigned Tim Hardaway Jr. to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Atlanta does not have its own affiliate so Hardaway will likely join the Austin Spurs, based on the league’s flexible assignment system and the fact that the Hawks have an on-going relationship with the D-League franchise this season, Vivlamore writes. Hardaway played for the Canton Charge in his previous D-League stint.
It will be the second D-League stint for Hardaway, who has been a non-factor for the Hawks this season after he was acquired in a trade from the Knicks in June. Hardaway has appeared in only four games this season with Atlanta. Still, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer seems to remain optimistic about Hardaway’s development, as Vivlamore writes.
“I can promise you he is doing well and he is in a good place,” Budenholzer told reporters, including Vivlamore on Saturday. “A lot of it has been his approach to it. He’s been very professional. There is a real emphasis on player development with us and we’ve seen guys who have come in and maybe not started out gangbusters but through work, time and effort they find a way. I was say he is following that path in a very good way.”
Here are more moves and notes regarding the D-League:
- The Grizzlies assigned James Ennis to the D-League three days after recalling him, the team announced in an emailed press release. This will be Ennis’ sixth stint with the Iowa Energy, Memphis’ D-League affiliate.
- The Spurs assigned Ray McCallum to the Austin Spurs, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This marks McCallum’s third stint with the Austin Spurs this season.
- The Kings have recalled power forward Duje Dukan from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter). It was Dukan’s fourth stint with Reno on the season.
- The Mavericks recalled Justin Anderson and Salah Mejri from the D-League, the team announced in an emailed press release. Anderson has played sparingly in 18 games, including one start, while Mejri has seen action in only five games for Dallas this season.
Southwest Notes: Wroten, Pelicans, Grizzlies
The Sixers offered to send the now-waived Tony Wroten to the Pelicans in today’s trade that shipped Ish Smith off to Philadelphia, but New Orleans didn’t have any interest, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports passes along (via Twitter). The Pelicans will instead end up with two future second round picks: Denver’s in 2016 and Philadelphia’s in 2017, according to fellow Yahoo Sports contributor Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
More from the Southwest:
- The Grizzlies have recalled James Ennis, Jarell Martin, and Russ Smith from the D-League, the team announced today via press release.
- Anthony Davis’ on-court abilities are obvious, but it’s how the fourth-year Pelicans power forward carries himself off of the court that has some of his teammates impressed, as Michael Wallace of ESPN.com details. “I already knew his skill, but I was more surprised with his mindset and maturity,” Kendrick Perkins said. “He’s on a level where he’s thinking like this already? Damn. It’s going to be scary over the next 10 years.”
- It’s been a year since the Timberwolves dealt Corey Brewer to the Rockets, and Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle breaks down his tenure in Houston. Although he has struggled lately, interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff remains high on Brewer’s game. “I love Brew. I had him in Minnesota when we drafted him, and he is a champion,” Bickerstaff said. “He is special. His personality never changes; his attitude never changes. He is a guy that wherever I would go or would be, if it was time to go to battle, I would take him with me.“
Western Notes: Malone, Leonard, Jones
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry declined to discuss how much contact he had with the Nuggets over the summer regarding Denver’s then open coaching position, which ultimately went to Michael Malone, but firmly believes the franchise made a good choice in its hire, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. “They got themselves a really, really good coach, a guy that works his butt off,” Gentry said. “I don’t think there’s anybody out there that works any harder [than Malone] or understands the game. He’s been around it his whole life. So, I think they did great.“
Malone noted that Emmanuel Mudiay‘s recent ankle injury is related to the injury the rookie sustained while playing in China last season, Dempsey adds. When asked when Mudiay might return to game action, Malone said, “We trust our athletic training staff to tell us when he can get back on the floor to start practicing. And then obviously he’ll have to get through a practice before he can play in a game. To be honest, I think he’s probably a little ways away from that. So we’ll be cautious. It’s an injury he sustained while in China, and it’s kind of come back a little bit.“
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The reports that Blazers big man Meyers Leonard was offered and turned down a four-year, $60MM extension from the team are “grossly inaccurate,” according to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Leonard is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer provided Portland extends him a qualifying offer worth $4,210,880.
- The Timberwolves have recalled point guard Tyus Jones from the Idaho Stampede, the team announced. The rookie had been with the Jazz’s D-League affiliate since December 5th as part of the league’s flexible assignment program.
- The Grizzlies have assigned James Ennis, Jarell Martin and Russ Smith to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced. This will be Ennis’ fifth stint with the Energy and the second for both Martin and Smith.