Pacific Notes: Kerr, Frazier, Eddie, Lakers
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is currently on a leave of absence while recovering from two offseason back surgeries, hopes to make his return to the bench prior to January, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press writes. “I am feeling better, so that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m not feeling well enough to coach yet,” Kerr said. “It’s hard because I don’t know when that will be. There’s no timetable. It’s not a sprained ankle, two-to-four weeks type thing. When I feel better, I’ll feel better. It’s very frustrating but I am improving. I’m able to physically work out now, which has helped quite a bit the last couple weeks. But I know I’m not healthy enough yet to do this. It’s a demanding job and it wouldn’t be fair to the team and it wouldn’t be smart for me. We’ll see.”
Here’s the latest from the Pacific Division:
- Shooting guard Michael Frazier, who was waived by the Lakers last week, has signed with the team’s D-League affiliate, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).
- Jarell Eddie will rejoin the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays (Twitter link). Eddie was waived by the Warriors this past Friday.
- Lakers coach Byron Scott said that it was an agonizing decision to choose between Jabari Brown and Metta World Peace for the team’s final roster spot, which ultimately went to World Peace, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. Scott called it a “very, very, very … difficult decision” to waive Brown and added that “It was probably the most difficult cut that I’ve ever had to make,” Holmes notes. But Scott added that with such a young roster, it was important to add a veteran who could mentor the team’s plethora of younger players, the ESPN scribe relays.
Texas Notes: Alexander, Lalanne, Murry
With Dwight Howard eligible to opt out of his deal after the season, Ty Lawson‘s pending free agency next summer, and the team needing to make decisions on whether or not to offer contract extensions to Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas prior to the November 2nd deadline, the Rockets appear to be at a crossroads, but team owner Leslie Alexander doesn’t consider 2015/16 a make-or-break-it-up season, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “I’m not thinking that far ahead,” Alexander said. “Nobody ever leaves here if we want to keep them. It’s not like I’m planning on losing people.” Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron had previously examined the extension candidacy of Motiejunas, and Arthur Hill did the same with Jones.
The owner also noted that he feels competitive regarding how the Rockets are run as an organization in comparison to the rest of the league, Feigen adds. “Everything is well set on the business side and the basketball side. This organization is nicely run,” Alexander said. “We have terrific people on both sides of the aisle. They really know what they’re doing. We have it running really well. I try to have it running like a really great corporation, even though we’re a sports team. I try to do it like if it was a big business: You would run it this way, but keeping it small enough that it is a family atmosphere. I think I’ve achieved that.”
Here’s more from the Lone Star State:
- Cady Lalanne, who was selected by the Spurs with the No. 55 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, has signed with San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).
- Toure’ Murry, who was recently waived by the Wizards, will sign with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ D-League affiliate, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post relays (Twitter link).
- The Mavs are looking forward to the regular season commencing so they can put a challenging offseason behind them, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. “We’ve turned the pages months ago,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we’ve talked about everything that’s transpired. We’ve given respect where respect is due and we’ve adjusted where we’ve needed to adjust. The NBA is pretty much an ‘it is what it is’ league. The guys we have, we’re going to make the best of it with those guys. And we like our chances to have a hell of a year.“
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Wilbekin, Stackhouse
Count GM Billy King among those curious to see how the retooled Nets roster will fare this season, writes Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com. “We know we’re not a finished product at this point, and the goal is to get better,” King said. “We’ve revamped, got some youth, and now I want to see how we play, see how some of the pieces we acquired fit, how they go. We’ve got some young guys and it’s going to take time. They have to play and they’re going to make mistakes and we’ve got to live with them because the only way we’re going to get better is applying it on the court. We have the ability to get better as a team because we do have some inexperience with some guys. But we need our main guys, our veteran guys to carry us, to do their part to allow the young guys to sort of blend in and help.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Point guard Scottie Wilbekin, who was waived by the Sixers on Monday, has lucrative overseas offers lined up, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays.
- Despite being a rookie assistant coach this season, Jerry Stackhouse is fitting in well with the Raptors and notes that he doesn’t feel like a newcomer to the coaching ranks, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “Man, it’s nothing new to me,” Stackhouse told Lewenberg. “I’ve been coaching for the last 10 years and I don’t feel any different. It’s just about trying to get guys better, better prepared for what they’re going to see during game action. The best way to do that is to build more repetition, more repetition. And that’s the key, being creative to come up with ideas everyday so things don’t get stagnant and guys [don’t] get bored.“
- Coby Karl and Derrick Alston were officially hired by the Knicks‘ D-League affiliate in Westchester as assistant coaches, the team announced.
- You can view the opening night regular season rosters for the Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Sixers, and Raptors by clicking on the link beneath each team name.
Hornets Formally Add D-League Team For 2016/17
The D-League will expand for the 2016/17 season to include a one-to-one affiliate for the Hornets in Greensboro, North Carolina, the D-League and the Hornets jointly announced today via press release and in a press conference. The news is no surprise, as Jeff Mills of the Greensboro News & Record reported this weekend that Greensboro would be the location for the D-League club, and the Hornets had targeted 2016/17 as their timetable for partnering with a D-League team. Charlotte is one of 11 NBA teams without a D-League affiliate this season.
“This is an important step for our franchise,” Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in the team’s statement. “Having our own team will allow us to use the NBA D-League in a more efficient and worthwhile way. By operating our own club, it will be a seamless transition for our players, coaches and front office when we assign a player because the NBA D-League team will follow the same principles and run the same sets as the Hornets. Placing the team in Greensboro also allows us to expand the Hornets’ brand to another city in our region that has a great basketball tradition.”
Charlotte used the D-League sparingly last season, making only two assignments. They signed D-Leaguer Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract in February, but otherwise, the Hornets had no other D-League ties as they shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with a dozen other NBA franchises.
The new Hornets affiliate will be the 20th D-League team, though a decent chance exists that the league will add more before the start of 2016/17, since several other NBA teams have expressed a desire to have one-to-one affiliates. The Hornets will run both the business and basketball operations for the club, becoming the 11th NBA franchise to own a D-League team outright.
And-Ones: Hornets D-League, Final Cuts, Johnson
Greensboro, North Carolina, will be the site of the Hornets‘ new D-League team, reports Jeff Mills of the Greensboro News & Record. The new franchise, which will expand the league to 20 teams, will begin play next fall. Charlotte currently has no D-League affiliate. Players on D-League assignment will go to the one-to-one affiliate of another NBA team. “Greensboro’s approach to the process was innovative,” said Fred Whitfield, the Hornets’ president and chief operating officer. “Taking the Pavilion and renovating it into a basketball-style fieldhouse for us was very attractive. Especially when you could have offices for us right across the street.” The move is expected to be officially announced Tuesday. Asheville and Fayetteville were the other finalists.
There’s more news from around the basketball world:
- After a flurry of moves Saturday, seven NBA teams still have final cuts to make before Monday’s roster deadline, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Mavericks, Pistons, Pacers, Lakers and Grizzlies each have to unload one player to reach the roster limit of 15. The Nets still have 17 players and the Sixers have 20, which is the training camp maximum (Twitter link). The five teams with roster openings are the Rockets, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic and Suns, who each have 14 spots filled. (Twitter link).
- Several teams have expressed interest in Nick Johnson, who was waived Saturday by the Nuggets, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops.net. Citing an unidentified source, Amico says there’s a chance someone could pick up Johnson by Monday. Johnson was one of four players sent from Houston to Denver in the Ty Lawson trade.
- The league is looking into the reported confrontation between Knicks coach Derek Fisher and the Grizzlies‘ Matt Barnes, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the investigation, but did not offer specifics regarding possible punishment for either Fisher or Barnes. They were allegedly involved in a physical altercation at the house of Barnes’ estranged wife.
Pistons Sign Ryan Boatright
The Pistons have signed point guard Ryan Boatright, the team announced via a press release. Detroit intends to waive Boatright and assign him to its D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter). Teams can retain the D-League rights for up to four players.
The Suns, Hornets and Blazers were also reportedly interested in Boatright, whom the Nets waived Tuesday. The undrafted point guard from Connecticut performed well during limited preseason action, averaging 4.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.0 turnover in 13.9 minutes per game. His career NCAA numbers were 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, with a slash line of .416/.380/.794.
The addition of Boatright raises the Pistons’ roster count to 17 players, including 16 with fully guaranteed pacts. The team is expected to waive veteran Danny Granger, who along with Boatright, would reduce the team’s roster to the regular season maximum of 15 once they are indeed let go.
Atlantic Notes: Clarke, Fisher, Wood, Young
Derek Fisher experienced a difficult rookie season as Knicks head coach, but he feels that 2014/15’s growing pains are merely part of the learning process, and Fisher, who defied expectations throughout his playing career, may end up doing the same as a coach, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. “Just continuing to chip away at what my vision is for coaching and teaching and leading,” Fisher told Ding of his approach this season, “Last year, coming in, I was learning and trying to figure out the best leadership styles. How do you work with players? How do you criticize players in a constructive way? All these things were unknowns. Just really learning as I went along. Not that I know the world of basketball a year later, per se, but I’m just more confident in what it is I expect and better able to articulate that to our players. Being really clear about what I want and not so much me trying to find that vision.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Combo forward Coty Clarke, who was waived by the Celtics on Tuesday, will play this season for Boston’s D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays (via Twitter).
- Being passed over in this year’s NBA Draft is what is driving Sixers power forward Christian Wood throughout the preseason, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Wood, who is signed to a partially guaranteed deal, believes that he has a solid shot to make the team’s regular season roster, Breen notes. “I want to show every team what they missed out on,” Wood said. “I’m hustling on every loose ball. Giving it my all and giving it my 100% on every possession. I’m lucky to have a shot with the 76ers.”
- Celtics swingman James Young chalks up a hefty chunk of his rookie difficulties last season to growing pains and believes he’s now on the correct path as a player, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “Last year, I just wasn’t thinking straight about the game,” Young said. “Now, I feel like I’m by that and I can just play my game.” When asked what was weighing on his mind last season, Young told Bulpett, “Hesitating, going back and forth to the D-League, off the court issues with my mom, family stuff. Everything’s caught up now, so I’m good.”
Celtics Waive Clarke, Miller, Randolph
4:12pm: All three players have officially been released, the Celtics announced.
3:07pm: The Celtics will waive Coty Clarke, Malcolm Miller and Levi Randolph today, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Corey Walden, the team’s other camp invitee, will remain for the time being, but all are expected to end up signing with Boston’s D-League affiliate, Bulpett says. Miller, Randolph and Walden have matching $25K guarantees, while Clarke is on a non-guaranteed contract. The release of Clarke, Miller and Randolph will take Boston down to 17 players, 16 of whom have fully guaranteed deals, as our roster count shows.
Clarke, a 23-year-old combo forward, and Miller, a 22-year-old small forward, went scoreless in preseason cameos that encompassed less than a minute of playing time, while the 23-year-old Randolph, a shooting guard, managed three points in slightly more time on the court. The Celtics also got a look at Miller on their summer league team in July, when he averaged 4.0 points in 12.1 minutes across seven appearances.
More pressing for the Celtics is their decision regarding the final preseason cut, which will involve letting go of a full season’s salary unless they work a trade. Perry Jones III has appeared to be most at risk for a release among the 16 Celtics with full guarantees, as Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe said to Hoops Rumors last month, but Jones has drawn praise from Celtics coach Brad Stevens and others.
Who do you think should be the final cut for the Celtics? Leave a comment to let us know.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Young, White, Mitrovic
The Warriors have largely the same roster they did when they won the title in June, but with a handful of players entering the final season of their contracts and Steve Kerr on a health-related leave of absence, this year’s team has a different feel, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Stephen Curry says it’s “weird” not having Kerr around and acknowledges the challenges of everyone coalescing once more, as Aldridge relays.
“We are, technically, the same team,” Curry said. “We have everybody minus David Lee back, and Jason Thompson. But we’re different in that regard. Because everybody’s in a different place in their careers. Maybe stuff’s going on off the court. You’ve got to kind of separate what we did last year from this year, even though it’s the same personalities in the locker room. Support each other, encourage each other, figure out how we can mesh all the different storylines together into one goal, which is doing what we did last year.”
See more from the Pacific Division:
- Nick Young calls the trade rumors that surrounded him this summer “confusing” and “motivating,” but the Lakers didn’t find a taker, and Young and coach Byron Scott are entering this season preaching optimism about their continued partnership, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details. “Me and Byron are good, but I’m using it as motivation,” Young said. “I’m just trying to do my part and stay alive. I’m trying to do everything he tells me to do. Anything I got to do to stay out there on the court.”
- Suns camp cut Terrico White will play for Phoenix’s D-League affiliate, a source tells Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link). White cleared waivers this weekend after the Suns released him Thursday. NBA teams can retain the D-League rights to as many as four players they waive, so White appears to be one of Phoenix’s four.
- Kings draft-and-stash prospect Luka Mitrovic is expected to miss several months because of a left knee injury, Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi tweets. Mitrovic, the last pick of this year’s draft, signed an extension with Crvena Zvezda of Serbia this summer. Sacramento holds his NBA rights as a result of the cap-clearing trade with the Sixers this summer.
Pacific Notes: Staten, Murray, Henderson, Kerr
Juwan Staten, who was waived by the Warriors earlier today, will sign with Golden State’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). Colin Bryant, Staten’s agent, confirmed the news to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (on Twitter). NBA teams can retain the D-League rights to up to four players they waive. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers have officially signed Tracy Murray for the remainder of the season as the team’s shooting coach, Los Angeles announced. “I’ve known Tracy a long time, and he was one of the purest shooters I’ve ever seen,” said coach Byron Scott. “I think he’ll be a benefit to our players, especially our young guys, and I look forward to working with him as a member of our staff.” Murray appeared in 659 games during his 12 year NBA career.
- The Kings have offered point guard Marshall Henderson a spot on their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, Spears relays (via Twitter). The 24-year-old, who was waived by Sacramento on Thursday, is also garnering interest from teams overseas, the Yahoo scribe adds.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who took a leave of absence from the team after experiencing complications related to back surgery he had undergone in July, is expected to return to the team soon, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com relays. Of Kerr’s impending return, interim coach Luke Walton said, “I think it’s great. Obviously Steve’s one of those guys just having him around makes everything better, so he wouldn’t be coming down with us at all if he was still as bad as he was. So I think it shows signs of improvement. I don’t think it means he’ll be back within the next two days, but all we can ask for is that he keeps getting better.”