D-League Moves: Gaines, Wizards, Knicks
Sundiata Gaines is headed to the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The three-year NBA veteran has appeared in 11 games with Besiktas Milangaz in Turkey this year and was in camp with the Pacers in the fall of 2012. The 6’1″ guard’s most memorable contribution to the NBA was a buzzer-beater for the Jazz in 2010, though his best season was in 2011/12, when he started 12 games for the Nets. Here are more comings and goings from the D-League:
- The lack of a one-to-one relationship with their affiliate might be one reason why the Wizards are unlikely to send Otto Porter to the D-League, even though coach Randy Wittman says an assignment is possible, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
- The Knicks followed through with their plan to recall Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler from the D-League today, the team announced (Twitter link). New York sent the trio down on Wednesday merely to practice with the team’s affiliate, which is stationed at the Knicks training facility this week.
- The Rockets have recalled Isaiah Canaan from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Canaan is undergoing rehab for a strained hamstring, as Jason Friedman of Rockets.com notes, so it doesn’t sound like he’ll see action for the big club (Twitter link).
- Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks says the team will send Tony Mitchell and Peyton Siva to the D-League to play this weekend, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, confirming a report from Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel.
Tyshawn Taylor Acquired By Maine Red Claws
After being waived recently by the Pelicans, Tyshawn Taylor has been claimed off waivers by the Maine Red Claws, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest.com. Taylor will play in the NBA D-League with the Celtics’ affiliate. Taylor has averaged 21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 10 career NBA D-League games (two games this season and eight games last season). He had also spent time with the Nets this season, where he appeared in 29 games, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 assists in 11.7 minutes per game.
The D-League will probably be a better place for the Jeff Schwartz client than heading overseas to play, since it might be his best chance to try and showcase what he has to offer, especially if Taylor hopes to land a 10-day contract this season. Taylor is also still collecting his NBA paychecks, as his salary of $788,872 was fully guaranteed for the year.
Odds & Ends: Mavs, Kings, Draft, Cavs
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says he’s confident his team is attractive to marquee free agents, the sort he confirms the club will again be chasing this summer, observes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
“The hope is … we’ll be able to [make a marquee hire] sooner than later,” Nelson said. “I think we’ve made an attempt to do that the last two summers. So much for second place. But, yes, that would be the plan and the hope at some level to be able to do that.”
Nelson also suggests the team won’t be aggressive before the trade deadline, and Sefko outlines the reasons why in a separate piece. As we wait to figure out what the Mavs do with the chance to open up roughly $30MM worth of cap space, here’s more on their rivals from around the league:
- A group opposed to a $258MM civic expenditure for a new Kings arena has sued the city of Sacramento, report Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. The legal action has been anticipated since last week, when the city rejected a petition to put the funding up for a public vote.
- The NCAA has cleared draft prospect Chris Walker to play for the University of Florida, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, who adds via Twitter that the decision makes it a near-certainty that the small forward will return to school for next season. Walker, ranked as the 25th-best prospect for 2014 on the ESPN.com Insider list and No. 27 at DraftExpress, could become a lottery pick in 2015, Goodman says.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant expressed confidence today in coach Mike Brown and said he’s unsure if the team will make any changes to the roster in advance of the trade deadline. Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer has more from Grant’s rare chat with reporters today.
- The Cavs have assigned Sergey Karasev to the D-League, the team announced. Carrick Felix, Karasev’s usual traveling partner on trips to the Canton Charge, is out for the next six to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his left knee.
Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Aldrich, Murry, Tyler
The Knicks earned a measure of revenge Tuesday night for their 41-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season, turning the tables in a 26-point victory. Still, the Knicks are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and mystery surrounds the matter of where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. There’s more on that amid the latest from Madison Square Garden.
- Anthony brushed off inquiries on Tuesday about a weekend report suggesting he’d like to join the Bulls, cutting off a reporter in the middle of a question that seemingly was to be about whether he’d ever considered playing in Chicago. Anthony did allow for a full question about whether he had a relationship with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, but last year’s scoring champ replied that he didn’t, as Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
- The Knicks have assigned Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. All three will practice today with the Erie BayHawks, who are spending the next few days at the Knicks training facility. The Knicks plan to recall them tomorrow, the team also tweets.
- The BayHawks also spent a break in their schedule last season working at the facility, and that’s when New York assigned Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Copeland and James White to join the BayHawks as they practiced, notes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Schlosser didn’t count on the Knicks making similar assignments this year, but New York doesn’t play again until Thursday night, so it doesn’t sound like Aldrich, Murry or Tyler will miss any time for the big club.
Odds & Ends: Dragic, Jefferson, Carmelo
The summer of 2010 shows why teams would be unwise to make compromising moves at next month’s trade deadline just to clear cap space for the coming offseason, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller writes. Few clubs land true superstars in free agency, but many more have success with cheaper additions, as Ziller explains. While we wait to see how teams position themselves for the summer ahead, here’s the latest from around the NBA:
- Goran Dragic has a realistic chance to earn a spot in next month’s All-Star Game, and if he does, he’ll receive a $1MM bonus, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Al Jefferson thought Kemba Walker was joking this summer when he suggested the big man should join the Bobcats, but agent Jeff Schwartz persuaded Jefferson to travel to Charlotte, where Steve Clifford helped convince the 6’10” free agent to sign. Steve Aschburner of NBA.com has more from one of 2013’s most surprising moves.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times hears Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t mind joining Chris Paul and Blake Griffin (Twitter link). Rumors have linked Anthony to the Clippers, but most such reports suggest Griffin would go to the Knicks in return for Anthony.
- The Sixers have again sent Lorenzo Brown to the D-League, the team announced. Philly sent Brown to the Delaware 87ers early Monday so he could play in their day game and recalled the point guard in time for him to appear in the big club’s loss to the Suns at night.
- Jimmer Fredette may not be long for the Kings, but he isn’t destined to become the sort of star he was in college no matter where he ends up in the NBA, opines Brad Rock of the Deseret News. Rock hears the Jazz would have passed on him in the 2011 draft even if he had slipped to them at the No. 12 pick.
- The United States Olympic Committee and the NCAA’s Big East Conference have shown interest in hiring incoming NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Gordon, Ohlbrecht
Mavs executives are optimistic about the team for this season in beyond, believing they have an offense built to win in the playoffs and the flexibility to pounce on desirable free agents this summer, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe details. Execs from other teams tell Lowe that they see coach Rick Carlisle, in the second year of a four-year pact, as the Mavs’ most valuable long-term asset. They also regard the Mavs with respect, fearing the team’s advantages of an appealing owner who’s built top-notch facilities in a large market with a friendly tax environment. There’s more from Lowe’s Dallas-themed piece amid our look at the Southwest Division:
- Lowe views cap flexibility as the most effective weapon the Mavs possess, but even owner Mark Cuban acknowledges that it’s not as valuable as it used to be, now that so many teams enter offseasons with plenty of leeway to spend. “That could potentially be the case,” Cuban said. “But a lot of that depends on how you spend it, right? A lot of teams choose not to, so we’ll see.”
- Eric Gordon wishes he knew for sure whether the Pelicans were trading him or not, but he says he could be doing more for the team that matched a four-year offer sheet for more than $58MM to retain him in 2012, observes Brett Martel of The Associated Press. Coach Monty Williams believes Gordon could be doing more, too, but Williams is nonetheless pleased with what he’s seen from the shooting guard this season. Williams says Gordon’s late-game performance on Friday against the Pistons is what the team “paid the big bucks for.”
- Former Rockets center Tim Ohlbrecht has a longer resume than most in the D-League, but he explains to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest that his NBA experience helped convince him to return to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the affiliate of the Rockets. “I had so much positive feedback from NBA personnel after last season and from training camp,” the 25-year-old Ohlbrecht said. “I’m in my mid-20′s now so I figured why not? We discussed all of my offers and figured that if it doesn’t work out, I’ll have some other options. I’m glad I’m here though.”
Northwest Notes: Thomas, Roberson, Jazz
Now in his fifth NBA season, Ty Lawson is looking to make his final All-Star push before teams are selected, writes Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com. The Nuggets guard is historically a slow starter, but he has scored in double figures in 39 of his 41 games and is averaging 17.9 points and 8.9 assists – both career-highs. In his past 12 games, Lawson is averaging 18.5 points and 11.1 assists with ten double-doubles. While Lawson hopes to punch his ticket for New Orleans, let’s take a look at today’s news out of the Northwest Division..
- Jazz newcomer Malcolm Thomas has bounced around a bit but he’s hoping to stick with the club so that he can build on what he learns, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. Meanwhile, GM Dennis Lindsey told reporters, including colleague Steve Luhm, that Utah has had the former Spurs forward on their radar for some time. Thomas was in the middle of getting a pedicure when he found out Utah was claiming him, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
- The Thunder announced that they have assigned Andre Roberson to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. In 19 games (four starts) with the Thunder this season, Roberson is averaging 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Roberson has seen action in seven games (all starts) with the 66ers this season and recorded averages of 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.86 steals and 1.29 blocks in 37.3 minutes. He’s quite familiar with the drive from OKC to Tulsa, as our running list of D-League assignments shows.
- Lee Benson of the Deseret News writes that outgoing commissioner David Stern helped save the Jazz and the NBA as a whole.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Sixers, Casey
Will Carmelo Anthony stay in New York? We’ve heard lots of opinions on the matter and earlier today, his wife La La Anthony weighed in. “I definitely think he will stay [in New York]. I know that he wants to stay and I support him wherever he wants to go,” La La said in an interview with Bravo TV, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “Listen, I used to live in Denver with him. If I can live in Denver, I can live anywhere. I just want him to be happy.” The latest from the Atlantic Division..
- Anthony badly wants to win a championship, writes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. “(Winning a championship is) the only thing I care about. Anything else is irrelevant to me as far as when it comes to basketball,” Anthony said. “A championship is the only thing that’s on my mind, is the only thing I want to accomplish, I want to achieve and I’m going to do what I got to do to get that.” As Knicks fans are well familiar with, the Larry O’Brien trophy hasn’t come to New York since 1973.
- The Sixers have recalled Lorenzo Brown from the Delaware 87ers of the D-League just hours after assigning him, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Brown, as our running list shows, was sent down for a single day in his previous two trips and set a new personal record today with a stint that lasted just a few hours.
- There have been, “no really significant discussions,” on extending Raptors coach Dwane Casey‘s contract, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Instead, it appears that the Raptors will finish out what has been strange year so far and re-evaluate. That’s perfectly fine with Casey, who would have no problem returning to his home in Seattle and getting back to another passion of his. “I never worried about having a job,” Casey said. “I say that with all sincerity. I never worried about losing a job, getting a job. Because I learned a long time ago how to fish.”
Shawne Williams Signs With D-League
3:34pm: The team officially announced the move via Twitter, moments after Wojnarowski broke the story.
JANUARY 27TH, 2:27pm: Williams will play for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The D-Fenders are the affiliate of the Lakers.
JANUARY 23RD: Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com reports that former Lakers forward Shawne Williams is heading to the NBDL. Williams had been waived by Los Angeles earlier this month, and likely figures that showcasing himself in the D-League will help him eventually land another 10-day contract with an NBA team.
Initially, I thought Williams would find a way to replicate some of the success he displayed with Mike D’Antoni in New York two seasons ago, especially considering his 20.2 MPG this season were pretty much on par with the 20.7 MPG he received back then. With that being said, his shooting percentages from the field overall and from distance this year (.377 and .327) were noticeably less efficient than his numbers were in 2010/11 (.426 and .401).
Williams appeared in 32 games with 11 starts this season, averaging 5.2 PPG and 4.5 RPG. As Pilato notes, this will be Williams’ first stint in the NBDL.
Eastern Notes: Pierce, Lowry, Pistons
It was an emotional Sunday evening in Boston for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who returned for the first time as Nets players, but it might have been especially awkward for Pierce, who had spent his entire career in green before this summer’s trade. The move devastated Pierce, writes Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, who says the C’s second all-time leading scorer was near tears almost the entire time she interviewed him this past summer. Pierce told MacMullan that he wondered why the Celtics didn’t allow him to finish his career in Boston.
“I loved it here,” Pierce said Sunday. “Never wanted to leave.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The sense around the league is that the Raptors are more likely to keep Kyle Lowry than to trade him, but that could simply be a matter of Toronto’s high price tag for the point guard, which no other team has accepted yet, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Lowry will be a free agent at season’s end, and Stein suggests that’s motivation for Raptors GM Masai Ujiri to continue trade talks
- Jose Calderon says the Pistons never made him an offer to re-sign with the team this summer, observes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press. “They were in contact with me, but I think they were waiting for Josh Smith, so I was just waiting and waiting, and Dallas came with a great offer … I couldn’t say no to that,” Calderon said.
- The Wizards spent their bi-annual exception this summer on Eric Maynor, who’s fallen so far out of the rotation that he isn’t even playing in blowouts, notes J. Michael of CSNWashington. Still, there’s plenty of reason why Maynor and the Wizards won’t soon be parting ways. His guaranteed contract includes a $2.1MM player option for next season, and he probably wouldn’t command as much if he were to become a free agent, Michael points out.
- The Sixers have assigned Lorenzo Brown to the D-League, the team announced. It’ll be the third time the point guard has gone to the Delaware 87ers this season, but his last pair of D-League stints lasted only a single day.