Hamady N’Diaye To Sign In D-League
Center Hamady N’Diaye will sign a contract with the D-League and play for the affiliate of the Sixers, who hold his D-League rights, as Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports. The Sixers auditioned N’Diaye yesterday for a spot on the big club, but passed him over in favor of Dewayne Dedmon.
N’Diaye spent much of the season with the Kings after making the team out of training camp. Sacramento cut his non-guaranteed contract last week before it would have become fully guaranteed for the season. The 27-year-old was also drawing interest from China and was considering signing there before choosing to go back to the D-League where he’s played in 35 games over parts of three seasons, Charania writes.
The native of Senegal will play for the Delaware 87ers, though every NBA team remains eligible to sign him. Playing in the D-League will give him a better chance to showcase his skills than he had when he was with the Kings, who gave him just 74 minutes of playing time in more than two months. He played 56 total minutes in two D-League games while on assignment from Sacramento earlier this season.
D-League Notes: Harris, Jazz, Muhammad
Manny Harris, fresh off his second D-League Performer of the Week award, is drawing interest from the Hawks and Lakers, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. NBA interest is nothing new for Harris, who also spoke with Thunder management about a week ago. Here’s more from the D-League..
- The Jazz today officially announced their recall of Ian Clark and Rudy Gobert from the D-League. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News first reported the move yesterday.
- The T’Wolves announced that they have recalled Shabazz Muhammad from the Iowa Energy. The rookie forward is expected to practice with Minnesota today. The UCLA product averaged 24.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in four games. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (on Twitter) notes that Flip Saunders said this would be the plan all along.
- The Pistons announced that they have recalled rookie guard Peyton Siva and rookie forward Tony Mitchell from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Siva averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.6 steals in five games (four starts) with Fort Wayne. In six games (five starts) with the Mad Ants, Mitchell averaged 6.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.1 minutes per game.
- The Kings announced that they have assigned rookie guard Ray McCallum to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. McCallum was assigned yesterday and recalled just a few hours later.
- The Raptors announced that they have recalled Dwight Buycks from the Bakersfield Jam. Buycks has appeared in 12 games for the Raptors this season recording a total of 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 121 minutes.
- The Delaware 87ers of the D-League have claimed guard Vander Blue, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Maccabi Rishon LeZion of Israel waived the former Marquette shooting guard just before the New Year.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Gordon, Grizzlies, Bynum
Two reports on Friday indicated New Orleans was shopping Eric Gordon, but the Pelicans were quick to tell the shooting guard and Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune that they aren’t pursuing any such deals. Gordon doesn’t appear concerned with the chatter, and even though his field goal attempts and scoring average are down for the third straight season, he’s been uncharacteristically healthy this year, having played in all but three games. Backcourt mate Jrue Holiday is sidelined indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right leg, so I’d be surprised if a Gordon trade happens anytime soon. Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- James Johnson‘s improved conditioning and maturity has turned him into an asset for the Grizzlies just a month after he signed a minimum-salary deal with the team, as Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines. One Western Conference scout tells Herrington that he laments that his team passed on the former 16th overall pick while he languished in free agency.
- Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com weighs the chances that Andrew Bynum could be a fit for the Mavericks, pointing to owner Mark Cuban’s comments about Samuel Dalembert and the state of the team’s centers. “Depends on which Sam we have,” Cuban said. “If we have the Sam of [Friday] night, we’re good. If we have the Sam that isn’t as on key as he was [Friday] night, it’s different. Again, we’re always being opportunistic. Wherever we can improve our team, we will.”
- USA Today’s Sam Amick looks at the way NBA teams are connecting with the coaches of their D-League affiliates, noting that Nevada Smith, who beat out 34 other candidates for the head job at Rockets affiliate Rio Grande Valley, has become the “darling” of the D-League coaching circle.
D-League Notes: De Colo, Franklin, McCallum
A look at today’s D-League assignments and recalls..
- Nando De Colo was recalled from the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced. The guard, who has been assigned to Austin five times this season, has appeared in eight D-League contests, averaging 23.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.75 steals in 37.1 minutes. He has appeared in 12 games this season for the Spurs, averaging 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 7.0 minutes.
- The Grizzlies announced they have recalled guard Jamaal Franklin from theirD-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Franklin has averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes in three games through two assignments with Fort Wayne.
- Kings rookie guard Ray McCallum may have set a new record for quickest D-League assignment and recall. After being assigned to the Reno Bighorns this afternoon, he’s already back up and available for Sacramento’s game tonight against the Cavs.
- The Thunder announced that Andre Roberson has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers. Roberson was sent down on Friday after he put up five points and six boards against the Nuggets the night before.
Western Notes: Cuban, Fredette, J.R. Smith
With just 39 days left until the trade deadline, the Mavericks say they are cool on the idea of signing Andrew Bynum, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. It’s not a financial issue, but rather that the team doesn’t need an upgrade at center in the light of the recent play of Samuel Dalembert. That could change if Dalembert cannot maintain consistent production. Team owner Mark Cuban also says the team will be exploring other deals, but he adds that they are restricted by the financial constraints of the collective bargaining agreement. When asked if that meant the “Bank of Cuban” is open, he said: “It’s always been open. Even on Saturdays and Sundays,” and, “We’re always wide-open. We’ll do the deal that we need to do to accomplish what we need to accomplish.”
Some more notes from around the Western Conference:
- In response to George Karl‘s suggestion that the Spurs trade for J.R. Smith, a staff member of the Spurs joked, “Does Karl have any other terrific ideas such as, oh, bringing back Dennis Rodman to work in marketing?” Despite that, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express News writes that it might not be that far-fetched, but it wouldn’t make sense for this season.
- The Jazz recalled rookies Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark from their D-League assignment in Bakersfield, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
- Jimmer Fredette is a new player following the Kings’ trade for Rudy Gay now that he is getting regular minutes as the backup point guard, writes Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee.
Eastern Notes: Deng, Siva, Garnett, Woodson
With the recent acquisition of Luol Deng revitalizing the Cavaliers, the biggest question remaining is whether or not he is just a short-term rental, or a long-term building block for the franchise. If he does in fact re-sign with Cleveland, would that prohibit the Cavaliers from bringing back LeBron James or another star player? Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal thinks that, theoretically, the team could fit both players in under the salary cap, but it will take some work and creativity on the team’s part.
A few other notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- Petyon Siva may be on his way back to the Pistons from the D-League, according to his Twitter feed. The rookie has been on D-League assignment since December 26th.
- Kevin Garnett of the Nets expressed his unhappiness with being forced to log heavy minutes at center in the wake of the season ending injury to Brook Lopez, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
- With the recent speculation that the Knicks will pursue the still-under-contract Tom Thibodeau, Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News opines that current Knicks coach Mike Woodson is more the solution than the problem.
D-League Notes: Gobert, Clark, Shengelia
Here are a few points pertaining to the NBA’s D-League:
- The Jazz are expected to recall rookies Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark from the D-League this weekend, tweets Jody Genessy of Deseret News. The duo spent time playing for the Bakersfield Jam but should rejoin the Jazz sometime today or tomorrow.
- Tornike Shengelia has been recalled by the Nets, the team announced. Shengelia, who had been playing with the Springfield Armor, has played sparingly throughout his career after being selected late in the 2012 draft by the 76ers. So far for this season, Shengelia has averaged 8.4 MPG in 15 contests for Brooklyn.
- Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times takes a look at how a couple of former D-League players, Jon Leuer and Ed Davis, have been able to be productive for the Grizzlies. With Marc Gasol sidelined, the two big men have gained valuable experience by playing more minutes than they would have otherwise.
- Earlier today, we passed along that the Hawks had officially signed James Nunnally to a 10-day contract. Nunnally caught Atlanta’s attention after a strong showing in this year’s D-League Showcase where he earned a spot as a member of the All-Showcase Second Team.
Eastern Notes: Smith, Boozer, Knicks, Heat
Indications are that J.R. Smith is still on the outs with the Knicks and his benching will probably continue today against the SIxers, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The benching appears to have the full support of owner James Dolan and, as Berman notes, most people that cross the Knicks owner can’t get back into his good graces. More from the East..
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Carlos Boozer could be a fit for the Heat if the Bulls use the amnesty clause on him. While he’s likely to available come July and has South Florida ties, Winderman doesn’t see it happening. Boozer has always gone for top dollar and that probably wouldn’t change this summer.
- With Luol Deng in the mix, the Cavs suddenly seem to have a balanced roster and much better ball movement on offense, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Cleveland is now 2-0 in the Deng era.
- James Nunnally, whose ten-day deal with the Hawks should be finalized today, made the D-League Showcase first-team, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Nunnally, LeBron
The Knicks have been shopping J.R. Smith ever since he reacted negatively to the team’s decision to waive his brother, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith’s public and private responses to his brother’s dismissal put him in owner James Dolan’s doghouse, and evidence suggests it was Dolan who ordered Smith’s surprise benching Thursday, Isola writes. Carmelo Anthony nonetheless remains supportive of the troubled swingman, and that could be the key to Smith’s ability to stick around New York, Isola believes. While even Thursday’s win over the Heat apparently can’t stop the New York soap opera, there’s also plenty of scuttlebutt from elsewhere in the NBA:
- The Hawks are set to finalize their 10-day signing of James Nunnally on Saturday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- LeBron James and Tom Thibodeau share mutual admiration, but the Bulls would have to OK repeated luxury tax payments and Derrick Rose would have to cede crunch-time shots for LeBron to wind up with Chicago, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Thibodeau indicated today that the Bulls plan to send Erik Murphy to the D-League soon, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- Giannis Antetokounmpo would love to play with his brother, Thanasis, but he won’t pressure the Bucks to draft him this year, writes Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).
- Australian guard Dante Exum has been meeting with agents the past few weeks, as expected, and the projected top-five pick appears to be a “lock” to enter the draft this year, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter).
- There isn’t as much motivation for teams to tank as popular opinion suggests, and even when there is, the practice demonstrates a willingness to win as much as much as it does an intention to lose, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for SB Nation.
D-League Moves: Fesenko, Hairston, Nedovic
The Sixers recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League this morning, about 24 hours after assigning him to the Delaware 87ers, and that was just the first of several notable D-League transactions today. Let’s round up a few more….
- Former NBA veteran Kyrylo Fesenko has been claimed by those Delaware 87ers, the team announced (Twitter link). Fesenko hasn’t played in the NBA since appearing in a few games with the Pacers in 2011/12, having caught on with multiple teams overseas since then. Gino Pilato of D-League Digest first reported last weekend that the ex-Jazz center had entered the D-League player pool.
- Former North Carolina guard P.J. Hairston has filed the paperwork to join the D-League, as he tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Hairston’s NCAA basketball career ended when UNC decided not to seek his reinstatement following an investigation into potential rule violations. Hairston will be eligible for the 2014 draft, so no NBA teams will be able to call him up this season.
- The Warriors have recalled Nemanja Nedovic from the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to a press release from Golden State. Nedovic, on his fourth assignment of the season, was sent to Santa Cruz nearly two weeks ago, but didn’t play much this time around after tweaking his hamstring last weekend.
- Andre Roberson will head to the Tulsa 66ers on his second D-League assignment of the season, the Thunder announced today in a release. The assignment comes on the heels of perhaps the strongest showing of Roberson’s young NBA career — he scored five points and grabbed six boards in Denver last night.
- The Grizzlies have re-assigned Jamaal Franklin to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Franklin played one game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during his last assignment, recording 15 points and four steals.