Atlantic Notes: Afflalo, Durant, Powell, Early
Executives around the league believed Arron Afflalo was likely to turn down his $8MM player option for next season with the Knicks even before the shooting guard and interim coach Kurt Rambis began publicly disagreeing about whether they discussed Afflalo’s benching, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Afflalo’s choice is key since the team would have the cap flexibility necessary to chase middle-tier max free agents if he opts out, Begley notes. Afflalo and teammate Derrick Williams must decide on their player options no later than June 22nd, the day before the draft.
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- Former Providence College head coach Tim Welsh said in an appearance on “Toucher & Rich” on WBZ-FM that his conversations with NBA types of late indicate that the Celtics will be on the list of teams Kevin Durant‘s will at least look at in free agency this summer, in large measure because of the allure of coach Brad Stevens (video link via Comcast Sports Net Northeast).
- DeMarre Carroll‘s injury has given Raptors 2015 second-round pick Norman Powell more of a chance at the NBA level that first-rounder Delon Wright has had, and Powell is playing a much different role in Toronto than he did early this season on assignment with the team’s D-League affiliate, notes Eric Koreen of Sportsnet. Still, Raptors D-League coach Jesse Mermuys sees Powell’s time with Raptors 905 reflected in his play of late. “All he saw was the rim, no matter how many bodies were there,” Mermuys said of Powell’s D-League performance. “We really wanted to try to develop when he got to the paint and got to the rim and there was a crowd, [that he would be] able to make the right play and the simple play, which he dramatically improved in his time. The more time he played and worked at it, it was a pretty rapid improvement, which was a huge sign for him. His ability to improve at that rate is why he is in the position he’s in now.”
- The Knicks have recalled Cleanthony Early from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Early has made only one 19-second appearance at the NBA level since he was injured in a December shooting.
And-Ones: Hield, Burke, SuperSonics, Huestis
Buddy Hield’s outstanding performance in the NCAA Tournament may not be helping his draft position as much as casual fans would assume, according to Jonathan Givony of The Vertical. The high-scoring Oklahoma star has led the Sooners to the Final Four, but an unidentified GM says teams knew what Hield was capable of doing even before the tournament started. Hield had considered declaring for last year’s draft, but feedback from teams placed him in the middle of the second round at best. Now he projects as a top-10 pick.
There’s more from around the world of basketball:
- Hield has impressed NBA executives and scouts who talked to Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops, and one Western Conference exec thinks he could go as high as No. 3. Scotto has Hield atop his list of prospects who have improved their draft stock in the tourney, followed by Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis, North Carolina’s Brice Johnson, Baylor’s Taurean Prince and Iowa State’s Georges Niang.
- Jazz point guard Trey Burke has seen his playing time cut since the trade for Shelvin Mack, but he’s trying to stay positive, according to The Associated Press. “I know I’ll have a long career in this league, regardless of what anybody says,” Burke said. “That’s my mindset. It is a little frustrating because you want to be out there. You know you can help the team. But, for me, I’m looking at the big picture. I don’t really look at the temporary situation. I just try to get better every day. Be the best version of me that I can be.”
- The annual trip to Portland makes Celtics guards Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley nostalgic for the Seattle SuperSonics, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Both Pacific Northwest natives were just teenagers eight years ago when the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City. “That hurt kids’ childhoods, man, not growing up with a professional basketball team like everyone else had,” Thomas recalled. “It’s tough now, and Portland is the closest team to them. I’m glad I was raised on Sonics basketball.”
- The Thunder have assigned Josh Huestis to their Oklahoma City Blue affiliate in the D-League, the team announced today. Huestis is averaging 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.52 blocks in 23 games with the Blue.
And-Ones: Dunleavy Sr., Diallo, Murray
Mike Dunleavy Sr. has officially been hired as head coach of Tulane, the university announced. “We could not be more excited to welcome Mike Dunleavy to the Green Wave family,” Tulane’s athletic director Troy Dannen said. “His reputation as a great evaluator of talent, master of strategy and teacher of the game define him today as one of the top basketball minds in the country at any level. His commitment to Tulane athletics is a game changer for our program.” Dunleavy has zero college coaching experience but owns a career NBA mark of 613-716 from his stints with the Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Hawaii junior combo forward Stefan Jankovic intends to sign with an agent and enter the 2016 NBA draft, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter). The 22-year-old is the No. 78 ranked junior according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- Creighton junior point guard Maurice Watson Jr. intends to declare for the draft but won’t hire an agent, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. Watson is the No. 70 ranked junior according to Givony.
- Kansas freshman forward/center Cheick Diallo, who has announced his intention to enter this year’s NBA draft, may be better served to return to school for another season, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. “He will get drafted but he could be in a much better position if he stayed another year to develop. He is headed to the D-League if he stays in the draft,” an NBA executive told Zagoria regarding Diallo’s NBA prospects. The young big man is currently ranked 36th in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings and 39th according to Givony.
- University of Washington freshman Dejounte Murray intends to sign with agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, reports Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group (on Twitter). Hiring an agent would eliminate the possibility of the combo guard returning to school in 2016/17. The 19-year-old is the No. 37 overall prospect, according to Givony, though Haynes notes that Murray is a potential lottery selection come June.
- The Celtics have assigned James Young to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s 12th jaunt to Maine on the season.
And-Ones: Colangelo, Upshaw, Westbrook
Better times are ahead for the Sixers in the near future, executive Jerry Colangelo told fans in a video that appears on the team’s official website (transcription courtesy of Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We have a bright, bright future,” Colangelo said. “We’re watching young players develop. We’re anticipating a lot of good things to happen in the very near future. If the stars are aligned and you have a little bit of luck, we could turn this thing around much faster, much quicker than people seem to believe it’s going to take.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Russell Westbrook‘s stellar play and increased willingness to share the basketball this season could be the Thunder‘s best recruiting tool when the team attempts to re-sign unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant this offseason, Sam Amick of USA Today opines. Westbrook is currently second in the league in assists (10.4 per game) and has fed Durant on 67.4% of his made field goal attempts, which is a marked increase from previous campaigns, Amick adds.
- Lakers affiliate player Robert Upshaw, who was tossed from the D-league earlier this month for violating its anti-drug program, has parted ways with BDA Sports Management and agent Bill Duffy and hired Hazan Sports Management to represent him, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.
- The Hawks have assigned Lamar Patterson to the NBA D-League, the team announced. Patterson will report to the Austin Spurs as part of the league’s flexible assignment rule since Atlanta does not have its own affiliate.
Western Notes: Harrell, Foye, Burke
Rockets rookie power forward Montrezl Harrell has been suspended five games without pay by the NBA D-League for shoving a referee to the floor in the midst of an altercation with another player during Rio Grande Valley’s contest on Saturday night, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report relays (on Twitter). The suspension will cost Harrell approximately $45K in salary and Houston will shave roughly $34K off its luxury tax bill as a result, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). Harrell will not be eligible to be recalled from the D-League by the Rockets until the suspension is completed.
Here’s more from out West:
- The Thunder sent Denver $1,169,559 as part of the trade that landed Randy Foye in Oklahoma City, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
- The Mavericks have been struggling on the defensive end and coach Rick Carlisle plans on using Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson, the team’s youngest players, as starters the rest of the way to help provide a spark, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com writes. “Well, if you’re having an energy problem and you’re having a problem defending, then you need to get more energetic and better defenders in the game,” Carlisle said. “You’ve got to make the point, and I felt right now we’ve got to make the point that anything other than your best effort and your best energy is unacceptable. These two guys are going to go hard unconditionally, and they delivered tonight. … You know, you’re going to see some of these guys going forward. There’s no question about it.”
- When the Jazz traded two draft picks to the Wolves in exchange for the rights to Trey Burke, the team thought it was a coup, but nearly three years later it would appear Minnesota came out on top in that transaction, Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News writes. Both players Minnesota acquired (Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad) have been productive, while Burke is stuck in a reserve role despite the run of backcourt injuries Utah has endured this season, Sorensen notes. Burke admits he wonders what his career would be like if he had gone to the Wolves, the scribe adds. “I think about it every time I play against them — it motivates me,” Burke said. “That’s one of the teams I play really well against. It’s just motivation, that’s how it’s been my whole life, the underdog who’s overlooked.”
And-Ones: Lawson, Thompson, Bacon
Pacers point guard Ty Lawson feels he was used improperly by the Rockets during his stint with them this season, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Lawson felt Houston interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff erred by playing him off the ball instead of making him the primary ballhandler. “I just know I was a better player than what I was showing there,” Lawson told Feigen, while adding he harbors no resentment toward the organization. “I wasn’t being used the right way. I’m not a space player. I like to have the ball in my hands.” Bickerstaff acknowledged in the story that he could have utilized Lawson differently. The Pacers signed Lawson earlier this month after he reached a buyout arrangement with the Rockets and cleared waivers. “I don’t know if it was just the early transition of him learning to play without the ball, the limited opportunity he got,” Bickerstaff said. “That may be some of my responsibility because he didn’t get the opportunity he was accustomed to. For whatever reason, it didn’t work and I was sad to see him go.”
In other news around the league:
- Ohio State 6’11” sophomore center Trevor Thompson will declare for the draft but not hire an agent, he told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Thompson posted modest numbers as a sophomore, averaging 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. Thompson has a long climb ahead of him to make himself a draft-worthy prospect, as he’s not currently among the Top 100 prospects listed by either Chad Ford of ESPN.com or Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- Florida State freshman small forward Dwayne Bacon has decided to return to school for another season, according to both Goodman and CBSSports.com’s Jon Rothstein (Twitter links). Rothstein reported last week that Bacon intended to enter the draft but not hire an agent. The 6’7” Bacon was ranked as the No. 72 overall prospect by Ford and No. 74 by Givony. Bacon had a strong freshman campaign, averaging 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Seminoles.
- The Clippers recalled C.J. Wilcox from the D-League’s Canton Charge, the team announced. Wilcox averaged 21.7 points in three games during his latest assignment and has appeared in 14 games for the Charge. He’s also played 14 games for the Clippers, averaging 1.6 points in 4.4 minutes.
- The Hawks assigned swingman Lamar Patterson to the D-League’s Austin Spurs, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Patterson has played in a combined 16 games for Austin and the Canton Charge under the league’s flexible assignment rule. Patterson has also appeared in 35 games with the Hawks, averaging 2.4 points in 11.3 minutes.
Eastern Notes: Dunn, Sixers, Bucks
The Sixers are interested in drafting Providence’s Kris Dunn should the team have a pick in the range where the point guard is projected to go, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Dunn is the fifth-best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him as the seventh-best prospect. The Sixers are currently atop our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would be a guaranteed one of the top four selections. Philadelphia owns a top-three protected first-rounder from the Lakers, a top-10 protected first-rounder from the Heat, and a top-15 protected first-rounder from the Thunder.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Ish Smith would like to stay with the Sixers, but he’ll have options on the free agent market, Pompey writes in the same piece. “I love this city,” Smith said of Philadelphia. “Fans have been great. Man I would love to, but you never know.”
- The Bucks will not bring back Jared Cunningham, Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel writes. Cunningham, whose 10-day deal with the team expired on Friday night, was signed via the NBA’s hardship provision and the team needs to leave a roster spot open for the impending return of Greivis Vasquez.
- The Bucks recalled Rashad Vaughn from the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. He appeared in four games during his stint in the D-League, scoring 8.0 points per game.
Atlantic Notes: Brown, D-League, Smart
Sixers coach Brett Brown is excited for the coming offseason, as he believes it will differ from previous years, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We are going to be doing something that we haven’t done yet,” Brown said. “Like I feel like the rebuild as people know it, the severe rebuild as we have known it, those days are done. Now we will get into the free agent game. It’s the first time in my time in Philadelphia that we have done that. We haven’t gotten into the free agent game with anybody.”
Brown’s optimism stems from the presence of executive Jerry Colangelo, who is entering his first offseason with the team, and the possibility that the Sixers will add players who can contribute immediately instead of prospects, Pompey notes. “Now what that place means in a quality of wins, we don’t know,” Brown added. “We don’t know who the team is yet. But the path and the plan will take a left turn in a more legitimate way in trying to build it in a more expedited way.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets GM Sean Marks acknowledged that the franchise was “a bit short” on draft picks the next few seasons and the team plans to utilize its new D-League affiliate to attempt to develop players in lieu of draftees, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now Link). Marks also noted that he has a list of potential coaching candidates for the Long Island Nets, who begin play next season, but no timetable has been established for making a hire, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com tweets.
- Celtics point guard Marcus Smart has regressed offensively in his second season and his defense has been slipping as well, so as a result, Boston should consider trading him this offseason, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opined on the “Toucher & Rich” show. “If you’re the Celtics, I think you have to give some thought to moving him this summer with how poorly he’s played,” Blakely said. “He isn’t making the progress you were hoping. Obviously every player goes through a slump where they’re not making shots, but certainly you have to wonder when is he going to snap out of this.” Blakely did add the caveat that if the team does decide to trade Smart, it should only be as part of a package to land a “transcendent” player, lest the Celtics risk giving up on Smart too soon.
And-Ones: Skiles, White, D-League, Butler
Despite the Magic being out of the playoff hunt, which gives the team an opportunity to evaluate its younger players for the future, coach Scott Skiles noted that playing time will still need to be earned through hard work and performance, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “It’s imperative that we get away from just playing guys regardless of what they do. That’s a terrible mistake, in my opinion. I don’t think that’s how guys develop properly,” Skiles said.
“You also have to verbalize it to guys — and it has been a whole bunch of times — we want guys to earn their minutes and understand how you perform is important,” Skiles continued. “If you’re a young player and you have a bad game or something, you certainly don’t want them sulking or getting too down about it. But on the other hand, you want them to have some sense of urgency that, ‘I have to perform. This is big-time pro sports,’ and it’s not just, ‘That’s OK because I’m here to develop and by Year four I’ll magically be [a great player].’ That’s not the way it works.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Suns affiliate player Terrico White has a signed contract to play for Israel’s Nes-Ziona at the end of the D-League season, according to international journalist David Pick (Twitter link), bringing clarity to some conflicting reports about his status. White, the 36th pick in the 2010 draft, was on Phoenix’s NBA roster for the preseason this past fall.
- Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler said that he doesn’t think he’ll need to undergo surgery this offseason on his injured left knee, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays (via Twitter). Butler also noted that he hasn’t been informed by any doctors that the malady would require going under the knife to repair, Johnson adds.
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release.
- The Celtics have recalled Coty Clarke and James Young from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This concludes Clarke’s second assignment to the Red Claws and Young’s 11th.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Anthony, Stepheson, Dunleavy Sr.
Cavs shooting guard J.R. Smith feels for his former Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony and the struggles he’s endured, but he firmly believes that ‘Melo wants to stick it out and make things work in New York, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. “I know it’s been hard on him,” Smith said. “It’s one of those situations when you’re a great player in the league and you just don’t have the support system, that cast that you’ve been accustomed to like when we were in Denver or the earlier years when he got to New York. I know it’s been a frustrating process, but if anybody can get through it, it will be Melo.”
“And I know he absolutely wants to make it work here [New York],” Smith continued. “This is everything he asked for, I mean, except for not making the playoffs and stuff like that. But everything he’s doing for the city and for the Knicks, I think it’s harder for him now more than anything. He doesn’t have the whole supporting cast yet, but this year has been better than last year and I think they will continue to improve. And the way I know him, he’s committed there, for sure.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Alex Stepheson has returned to the Iowa Energy, which is the D-League affiliate of Memphis, after the Grizzlies declined to sign him to a second 10-day contract, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (Twitter link). The 28-year-old made four appearances for Memphis and averaged 5.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per outing.
- The fact that Pelicans big man Anthony Davis has played the past three seasons with a shoulder injury makes his performance all the more impressive, though it does raise questions about whether he is more injury-prone than previously believed, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes. The scribe posits that New Orleans may need to rest Davis more often in the future to help maintain his health but also points to Dwight Howard, who has dealt with similar shoulder issues since 2013, as a reason to believe Davis can continue to log significant minutes without being coddled.
- Former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. has a verbal agreement in place to become the next head coach of Tulane University, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com reports. Dunleavy has zero college coaching experience but owns a career NBA mark of 613-716 from his stints with the Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers.
- The Hawks have recalled Lamar Patterson from the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Patterson was assigned to the Canton Charge, the affiliate of the Cavs, via the flexible assignment rule.