And-Ones: Young, Afflalo, Pelicans
Rookie Joseph Young has earned the Pacers’ backup point guard job, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. Pacers coach Frank Vogel announced on Monday that the second-round pick had taken that spot after making a strong impression through the first three preseason games, Taylor continues. Young, who is averaging 11.3 points, has displayed the quickness needed to get to the rim and make shots over taller defenders, Taylor adds. “He’s going to struggle at times,” Vogel told Taylor. “We’re committed to getting [Young and first-round rookie Myles Turner] some minutes early on as long as they keep proving themselves and having the right approach. We want to see how they develop early on.”
In other news around the league:
- The opportunity to play with Carmelo Anthony again was a major reason why Arron Afflalo signed with the Knicks, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports in his weekly column. Afflalo and Anthony were teammates on the Nuggets from 2009-11. “It was a mixture of individual opportunity, and maybe some unforeseen potential,” Afflalo told Aldridge. “I get to play with ‘Melo again, and I knew the coaching staff. I knew the management. I knew what they were trying to build.” Afflalo signed a two-year, $16MM contract with a player option in July.
- The Pelicans could add another point guard to their training camp roster in the next few days, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. Backup Norris Cole suffered a high ankle sprain in practice on Sunday which could jeopardize his status for opening night, according to the team’s website.
- The NBA is exploring the possibility of having a D-League team in Omaha, Nebraska, Chris Reichert of UpsideMotor.com reports. Gary Green, who owns a minor league baseball team in Omaha, said in a recent interview with Omaha.com that he has talked to NBA and D-League representatives and a deal is in place, Reichert continues. However, Green is struggling to find an affiliation because NBA teams prefer to have their D-League team close to home, Reichert adds.
Central Notes: Butler, Jack, Cook, Bullock
The relationship between stars Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose has reportedly been a bit rocky at times, and the discord between the two is a result of Butler not being satisfied with Rose’s work ethic, an unnamed former member of the Bulls tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Personally, the two are great. Professionally is where they have a difference of opinion,” said the source. While Butler does consider Rose a friend, Butler doesn’t have a lot of respect for Rose’s practice habits, and he feels that if Rose is supposed to be the face of the franchise, he should also be one of the hardest workers on the team, Cowley hears. The source also noted that Butler took offense to a comment Rose made during the playoffs last season, when the point guard was asked if Butler had reached superstar status. “I think it’s going to take a little minute for Jimmy to get there,’’ Rose said, according to Cowley.
There are no such concerns regarding Butler’s work ethic from his other teammates and coaching staff, writes Cowley, with new head coach Fred Hoiberg raving about the swingman, saying, “I’m telling you, the amount of work he puts in … even during two-a-days, he would still come in a third time. I mean the guys is unbelievable how much energy he has. He’s just so dedicated to putting the right things in his body, his training, and he wants to continue to add to his game every year. I take my hat off to him. It’s been fun to see everything he’s been able to do out there on the floor.’’
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers‘ signing of power forward Kadeem Jack to a minimum salary, non-guaranteed deal was a developmental move, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Indiana intends for Jack to play for its new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, this season, Buckner notes.
- With six players vying for the Cavaliers‘ final regular season roster spot, point guard Quinn Cook is making a strong impression on the coaching staff, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve been fighting my whole life,” Cook said. “Fighting to get in a position to be in high school. Fighting to get playing time at Duke and fighting now for a roster spot. I’m used to fighting, and I’m just happy to be at this point, happy that the Cavaliers are giving me this opportunity.”
- In Detroit, Reggie Bullock has made a strong case to secure himself a roster spot on the Pistons with his hard-nosed defensive play, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “He’s done everything he can possibly do for us to think about him because he really goes out and defends,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “He plays with high energy. I think he stepped up last night and did a good job.”
Western Notes: Kroenke, Lillard, D-League
The National Football League gave its OK to Stan Kroenke’s plan to transfer ownership of the Nuggets to his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, satisfying an NFL rule barring its owners from also owning another pro sports team in an NFL city, report Nathan Fenno and Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Kroenke’s son Josh, who already serves as Nuggets team president and is the team’s representative on the board of governors, will continue to run the Nuggets and the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche, Fenno and Farmer add. Stan Kroenke owns the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
Here’s more from the West:
- Damian Lillard, with input from C.J. McCollum, organized a team getaway to San Diego for the Trail Blazers in an effort to draw together all the newcomers from an offseason of upheaval in Portland, writes Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. It furthers the notion that Lillard, who signed a five-year max extension this summer, has replaced LaMarcus Aldridge as the team’s central figure, Peterson writes. “It’s still going to take us time to get to know each other. It’s going to take more than a week in San Diego, or getting here early before camp,” Lillard said. “It’s going to take more than that. Being out together in the preseason, we’ll learn more about each other. … I think it’s about the growth, the process.”
- The Spurs announced via a press release that Patrick Mutombo and A.J. Diggs have been hired as assistant coaches for their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. “The additions of Patrick and AJ bring a wealth of NBA and player development experience to our team that will serve our group well moving forward,” said coach Ken McDonald. “We are fortunate to continue to attract strong candidates to join our coaching staff.”
- The Mavericks‘ rotation at center is unsettled and while it’s not ideal, the team is counting on veteran big man Samuel Dalembert to contribute this season, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “Dalembert’s having a solid camp,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday night’s preseason contest against the Nuggets. “He came in a little bit out of shape. He’s working really hard to get himself where he needs to be. I thought his minutes tonight were positive.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Young, Budenholzer, D-League
Thaddeus Young was looking for a change after playing on losing teams with the Sixers and Timberwolves, and while he had a brief taste of success with the Nets late last season, he didn’t hesitate to re-sign with Brooklyn even though the team is taking a step back, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com details. Young, who’s endured family hardship the past two years, has long been seeking stability, Mazzeo writes. “It was a smooth transition. The guys on the team, the front office and the coaching staff were so welcoming that it made me want to stay,” Young said of his initial experience in Brooklyn. “Whatever we asked for, they got it done. It’s frustrating when you’re in an environment where you’re not happy with a lot of things that go on. But for the most part, I’m happy here, and we have a great coach in Lionel Hollins. I think he’s done a helluva job putting us in a position where we can be successful, and I think he’s going to continue to do that.”
Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:
- Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer says he’s trying to follow Gregg Popovich‘s lead now that he’s joined the longtime Spurs boss among coaches who also oversee basketball operations for their teams, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Budenholzer added that he has a great deal of trust in new GM Wes Wilcox.
- The Heat have officially added Octavio De La Grana and Corey Belser as assistant coaches on new coach Dan Craig‘s staff for their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced.
- Nets shooting guard Markel Brown, whose $200K partial guarantee jumped to a full guarantee on his $845,059 minimum salary when he wasn’t waived by his contract’s September 29th guarantee date, will miss the remainder of the preseason, the team announced. Brown is suffering from a strained left oblique muscle.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Thompson, Rose, Gansey
Tristan Thompson has become a virtual outsider for the Cavaliers as his training camp holdout continues, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes. “Right now, my thoughts are just about the guys that are here and how hard and how well they are working and no specific expectation otherwise,” said coach David Blatt when asked for his reaction to Thompson not signing the team’s qualifying offer. “Just happy to see our guys working as well as they are.” The coach noted that he isn’t losing any sleep over the situation — literally, with Blatt admitting that he was fast asleep when Thursday night’s deadline for Thompson to accept the qualifying offer passed, McMenamin adds. “I was liking the dream I was having,” Blatt said. “Usually I don’t go to sleep that early, but [that] night I was tired. We’re just back at it. We’ve got to focus on the now and here and that’s what we’re doing.”
Here’s what else is happening around the Central Division:
- The city of Chicago’s love for hometown star Derrick Rose is waning rapidly, and the story between him and the Bulls may not have a happy ending, Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com writes. Outside of his numerous injuries the past few seasons, Rose didn’t help public perception of himself with his comments saying that he was looking forward to becoming a free agent in 2017, Jackson notes. “What is interesting about Derrick Rose’s career is the public has seen him grow as a man and a spokesperson for himself and the team. For someone who has played in so little games, he is still the face of the team. He has gone from a shy introvert to an aggressively vocal [player] on the court and defender of himself and team to the media,” communications strategist Micaeh Johnson of Carte Blanche LTD, a Chicago-based public relations firm, told Jackson. When asked what Rose could do to help the public’s perception of him, Johnson said, “In short: Recover, stay away from the media, don’t respond to the sport of media and fan [expletive] talking, speak to his fans with humility and confidence when he returns and play ball.“
- The Pacers have officially named Steve Gansey as the head coach of their new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced. Gansey spent the 2014/15 season as associate head coach for Cleveland’s affiliate, the Canton Charge.
- The Pistons have been hit by the injury bug at the point guard spot early on in training camp, which will give 2014 second-rounder Spencer Dinwiddie a chance to show what he can do, and potentially earn himself a slot in the team’s regular season rotation, Aaron McMann of MLive.com writes.
Northwest Notes: Jones, Gallinari, Donovan
The Timberwolves will consider sending Tyus Jones to the NBA D-League this season in order to get the rookie more playing time, Marcus R. Fuller of The Pioneer Press writes. The decision will come down to whether or not the team believes it can get Jones enough playing time to properly develop, Fuller adds. “We haven’t really used [the D-League] in the past, and that’s something we’re trying to rectify,” GM Milt Newton said. “If there’s an opportunity for us to use the D-League, we will do that, with Tyus especially. But it can be a position where you send him to the D-League and he plays only 14, 15, 20 minutes a game, which was the situation last year. For us, we wanted to utilize the D-League. But the team we were associated with, they couldn’t guarantee that our guys would get the minutes that we felt they needed to develop, and so we felt it was better to keep our players here and let [them] practice and get developed from our coaching staff. If we can fix that situation, while we’re in the situation without a D-League team, that’s a decision we’ll have to make.” Jones was the No. 24 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Danilo Gallinari, who agreed to a renegotiation and extension of his contract this offseason, wants to remain with the Nuggets for his entire NBA career, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. “I was just glad to stay in Denver,” Gallinari said. “That was my goal. If you see my history with contracts, it’s never been about money because if it was about money I would have made other choices. But I love Denver and I want to stay here as long as I can. I would like to finish my career here. I was glad we were able to sign this contract.”
- New Thunder head coach Billy Donovan says he has been humbled by the reception he has received from the community and fans of the team since being hired back in April, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. “The community has been really remarkable in terms of helping myself, helping my kids, my wife adjust. Very very grateful for all the help that so many lended, reached out, to make this a smooth transition,” said Donovan.
- This season will likely be the final one for Jazz point guard Trey Burke to establish himself as a starter in the league, writes Brad Rock of The Deseret News. With projected starter Dante Exum undergoing surgery on the ACL in his left knee that may cause him to miss the entire season, Utah will need Burke to step up his game if the team is to have a shot at the playoffs this season.
- The Trail Blazers elected to exercise their team option for Chris Kaman for the 2015/16 season, a move that pleased the veteran big man despite the franchise entering a rebuilding phase, Casey Holdahl of NBA.com writes. “First of all, I was happy to have the opportunity to come back here again because obviously that was something in question,” said Kaman. “I’m grateful to be back here. Even if it’s a rebuilding season and we’re able to make the playoffs or skirt at the edge there and be somewhere at the end of the season where we’re having a great opportunity, I’m happy to be here.”
Atlantic Notes: Ross, Nets, Turner, Sixers
2014/15 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams departed via free agency to the Lakers this offseason, and the Raptors will look to Terrence Ross to help replace his production off the bench, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. “The first guy that comes to mind is Terrence Ross,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said of the swingman. “Not only just a scorer, but he’s got to come in and defend. He had an off year last year defending. He knows it. We know it.”
Casey was pleasantly surprised by how vocal a player Bismack Biyombo is on the court, Koreen adds. “I knew [he was a good communicator] just talking to the coaches from Charlotte. I knew that about him,” Casey said. “I didn’t know before they told me. I wouldn’t have guessed it. Great communicator. He’s probably going to be the captain of our defense as far as a guy who can go vertical, block shots, communicate. … Now we’ve got to get everybody else, even the guards to join in on the party, especially in transition.” Biyombo signed a two year, $6MM deal with Charlotte during the summer.
Here’s more from out of the Atlantic Division:
- Mikhail Prokhorov once again stated that he has no intention of selling controlling interest in the Nets franchise, Rod Boone of Newsday tweets. The Russian is reportedly working toward a deal that would give him 100% ownership of both the team and the Barclays Center.
- The Nets are currently under the luxury tax threshold, but Prokhorov said he would have no problem going “far above the line once again, but it would have to be for the right opportunity”, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post tweets.
- The Raptors are hoping that their offseason additions will make for a more cohesive roster and usher in a new on-court identity for the franchise, Koreen writes in a separate piece.
- Celtics swingman Evan Turner has an extremely tradeable contract, with him set to earn $3,425,510 in 2015/16, the final year of his deal, but he would prefer to remain in Boston, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. “I like Boston, I like the town and the city; the restaurants are pretty good too,” Turner said. “I like Boston; I genuinely would like to stay here. I’ve been places where I hated it.” Turner didn’t specify which city’s charms it was that he didn’t appreciate, but for reference, he has previously played in Philadelphia and Indiana.
- Italian coach Andrea Mazzon is joining the Sixers‘ D-League affiliate in an unspecified, but important role, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie said that the team tried to make a bigger splash in free agency this summer than it did, but many of the better players didn’t change teams, Tom Moore of Calkins Media relays (Twitter links). However, the GM is happy with the organization’s progress, saying that it feels like “night and day” from when training camp began two seasons ago, Moore adds.
Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Heat, Wizards
Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is entering the final season of his current deal, but there is mutual interest between the team and the 26-year-old in reaching an agreement on a new contract next offseason, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Speaking about his feelings for Atlanta, Bazemore said, “I’ve come to love Atlanta. Of the whole summer, I was probably only gone two weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time here. I just moved into a new house. I’m renting it. Maybe I can buy it next year.” Bazemore and the Hawks will have to wait until next summer to work out a new deal since his current deal was signed for less than four years, meaning Bazemore is ineligible to sign an extension during the season, Vivlamore adds.
Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Heat assistant Dan Craig was officially named as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced. The news of Craig’s hiring was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
- Jaron Johnson‘s one-year deal with the Wizards is non-guaranteed and for the league minimum, while Jaleel Roberts‘ agreement is also for the minimum, but his includes a partial guarantee of $10K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links).
- The Heat‘s deals with John Lucas III and Tre Kelley are one-year pacts for the league minimum and do not include any guaranteed salary, Pincus tweets.
- Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said that it may make more sense for the team to carry the regular season maximum of 15 players rather than keeping a slot open, Vivlamore tweets. Atlanta currently has 13 players inked to fully guaranteed deals.
- The Hornets are hoping that Jeremy Lamb will get off to a fresh start in Charlotte after not seeing much playing time during his three seasons with the Thunder, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Lamb was acquired back in June in exchange for for Luke Ridnour and a 2016 second-round pick.
- Greg Stiemsma‘s and Nnanna Egwu‘s one-year, minimum salary deals with the Magic are non-guaranteed, while Keith Appling and Jordan Sibert‘s minimum salary arrangements include partial guarantees of $100K, Pincus relays in a series of tweets.
- The presence of Goran Dragic, who re-signed with the Heat this offseason, was a big draw for Amar’e Stoudemire to join Miami as a free agent, Surya Fernandez of SB Nation tweets. Of Dragic, Stoudemire said, “If he would have stayed in Phoenix, I would have thought about going back to Phoenix.“
Northwest Notes: Kanter, Arthur, Miller, Pekovic
Enes Kanter hoped to stay with the Thunder even as he signed an max offer sheet with the Trail Blazers this summer, creating a tense three days before the Thunder matched, notes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
“The three days was definitely tough, because I really wanted to be here,” Kanter said. “That three days was really tough, really difficult. I never experienced anything like that before. In the end, it worked out. [I’m] really happy to be here. It’s really nice [to have] your team’s trust in you. It means a lot.”
See more from the Northwest Division:
- Darrell Arthur nearly left for the Clippers this summer before ultimately deciding to re-sign with the Nuggets, observes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter links). “I was pretty close. It was a tough decision to make,” Arthur said. “But with this [Nuggets] team I felt that I could possibly make a difference in trying to help this team make it to the playoffs.” The money couldn’t have hurt, either, as Arthur received a two-year deal worth almost $5.755MM from Denver, about $3.08MM more than the two-year minimum salary offer that the Clippers were limited to.
- Andre Miller visited the Bulls in free agency before signing with the Timberwolves this summer, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).
- Nikola Pekovic said he’ll miss roughly the first month of the season, but the Timberwolves expect Ricky Rubio will be healthy enough to play on opening night, even though he’s not quite 100% yet, observes Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press.
- Timberwolves GM Milt Newton expressed a desire to use the D-League more often this season, pointing to No. 24 pick Tyus Jones, but the GM said he’d want the point guard to go to a D-League team that would give him some playing time, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune relays (on Twitter). The Timberwolves, who don’t have a D-League affiliate and would have to send Jones on assignment with another team’s D-League club, haven’t made progress toward their own D-League partner, Zgoda notes.
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey expressed optimism about his point guards on Monday, jibing with earlier reports that the team is content for now even without the injured Dante Exum, but he wouldn’t rule out spending to acquire another point guard if the performance at that position is lacking, notes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).
Andrew Harrison To Sign In D-League
Second-round pick Andrew Harrison will sign with the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, the team that holds his NBA rights, according to Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Memphis announced its 20-man camp roster earlier today, and it doesn’t include Harrison, this year’s 44th overall selection. The Grizzlies can still sign him at any point to the NBA roster, though they’d have to make a corresponding move, since they don’t have an open roster spot.
The Suns made Harrison the 44th overall selection this June and traded his rights shortly thereafter to Memphis for Jon Leuer. The Kevin Bradbury client can’t negotiate with any other NBA teams, though he did have the option of signing a one-year, $525,093 minimum salary tender without a guarantee that the Grizzlies had to make this month to retain his draft rights. The point guard who turns 21 next month has evidently decided against that, and he’ll instead start the year on a D-League contract making no more than $25,500.
Harrison was the fifth-ranked prospect in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school in 2013, but his stock fell precipitously in college. He joins No. 48 pick Dakari Johnson, No. 51 pick Tyler Harvey, No. 52 pick Satnam Singh and No. 53 pick Sir’Dominic Pointer among this year’s second-rounders expected to sign in the D-League, as our draft picks signings page indicates. Harrison’s twin brother, Aaron, went undrafted but is with the Hornets on a deal that’s partially guaranteed for $75K.
Do you see Andrew Harrison panning out once he gets to the NBA? Leave a comment to tell us.