D-League Moves: Hudson, Douglas-Roberts, Spurs
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Lester Hudson has joined the Austin Toros of the D-League, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets. The former NBA guard spent most of the season playing in China, where he averaged 27.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in 15 games for the Dongguan Leopards. The 28-year-old Hudson is a veteran of three NBA seasons, and played a total of 16 games for the Cavs and Grizzlies last year.
- In a piece on Delonte West, who's expected to make his debut this weekend for the D-League's Texas Legends, Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside notes Chris Douglas-Roberts has continued to work with officials from the Legends and their NBA parent club, the Mavericks, after the Mavs waived him in January. Douglas-Roberts isn't on the roster of the Legends or the Mavericks.
Earlier updates:
- Aron Baynes and Nando De Colo have been assigned to the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced in a press release. Both players will be on their third D-League assignments of the season, and will be in uniform for the Toros' game tonight against the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
- The Nets have assigned Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Both players have excelled in their brief stints with the Springfield Armor this season, as Shengelia has posted 26.8 PPG and 9.2 RPG in six D-League contests, while Taylor has averaged 26.5 PPG and 7.5 APG in four games with the Armor. Based on the players' previous assignments, this one likely won't last long, but both guys will be in uniform tonight against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Dominique Jones Joins Springfield Armor
Several days after clearing waivers, Dominique Jones has signed a D-League contract and will join the Springfield Armor, agent Michael Hodges tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Jones was released last weekend by the Mavericks.
Jones, 24, averaged just 9.3 minutes per game in 80 contests during nearly three season with the Mavericks. Dallas explored trades for Jones on multiple occasions, but was unable to find an acceptable deal. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported (via Twitter) last Saturday that the Mavericks' decision to waive Jones was motivated in part by his reluctance to accept a D-League assignment, so assuming that report was accurate, it's a little ironic to see Jones end up on a D-League squad.
Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said earlier this week that the playing time Jones was seeking wasn't available in Dallas, so the stint with the Armor will at least give the 6'4" guard an opportunity to log increased minutes. According to Charania, Jones remains open to signing a rest-of-season deal with an NBA team, particularly if it includes a partially-guaranteed team option for 2013/14.
Knicks, Others To Monitor Delonte West
It's been nearly two months since Delonte West was added to the roster of the D-League's Texas Legends, but it appears West is finally ready to make his debut. After not reporting to the team for several weeks, West recently joined the Legends and is expected to play tomorrow, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
If and when West debuts for the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, there figure to be a number of NBA teams monitoring his progress. We recently heard West cited as a potential target for the Knicks as the club considers adding another point guard, and Stein confirms (via Twitter) that the Knicks will indeed be one of the teams keeping an eye on West.
Regardless of how West performs in the D-League, there will likely still be concerns about his off-court presence and his locker-room influence. But if he shows that he can still contribute on the court, I'd expect at least a couple teams to express some interest, thinking that the pros will outweigh the cons.
D-League Notes: Jones, Brackins, Warriors, Acy
In addition to the usual assignments and recalls, we've got a couple more D-League links of note to share. Let's round them up….
- Perry Jones III has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder announced today in a press release. The 2012 first-round pick will be available for tonight's game in Oklahoma City vs. the Jazz.
- The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired former first-round pick Craig Brackins, the D-League squad formally announced today (Twitter link). Brackins, who played in Italy earlier this season, was the 21st overall pick in 2010, but only appeared in 17 games over two season for the Sixers before failing to find an NBA job last summer.
Earlier updates:
- The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Thomas from the D-League, a day after their respective assignments, the team announced today in a press release. Bazemore and Thomas combined for 24 points and 26 rebounds in Santa Cruz's 110-103 win over Reno last night.
- Kevin Jones has been re-assigned once again to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. Jones' D-League assignments this season have typically just lasted one game, so I imagine he'll return to the Cavs after playing for the Charge in tonight's game against the Bakersfield Jam.
- With Andrea Bargnani officially ruled out for the season by the Raptors, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun anticipates that the team will recall Quincy Acy from the D-League (Twitter link).
- Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, who is also the GM of the team's D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, spoke to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside about developing players and the relationship between the organization's D-League and NBA teams.
- Ken Rodriguez of Spurs.com takes a look at Cory Joseph's journey to the D-League and back to the Spurs.
Mavericks Sign Chris Wright To 10-Day Contract
12:50pm: The Mavs have officially signed Wright to a 10-day contract, according to a team release.
WEDNESDAY, 7:52am: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he signed his portion of Wright's contract on Tuesday. Wright is expected to officially sign and finalize the deal today, says Price (Twitter links).
SUNDAY, 6:53pm: The Mavericks are set to sign guard Chris Wright to a 10-day contract this week, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Wright will take the place of the recently waived Dominique Jones on the Mavs' roster.
Wright, 23, was a standout at Georgetown but injuries slowed him down along the way with the most notable being a broken bone in his left hand during his senior year. The 6'1" point guard would then travel overseas to Turkey before landing with the D-League's Iowa Energy this season.
Wright has been amongst the most talked about players in the D-League this year and has been connected to several teams looking for a fill-in at guard. In 2012/13, Wright averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Energy.
The Mavs' decision to waive Jones came as a surprise last week but it is believed that they cut him loose over his unwillingness to go to the D-League. Jones has only seen time in five games for the Mavericks in this calendar year.
Warriors Assign Bazemore, Thomas To D-League
Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with any further moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Warriors have assigned Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Thomas to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Thomas is on a 10-day contract with Golden State, so either his D-League stint will be brief or the team has a longer-term plan for him — perhaps both. For Bazemore, it's his fifth assignment to the Santa Cruz Warriors this season.
D-League Moves: Thunder, Heat, Lamb, Varnado
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page.
- The Heat announced that they have recalled Jarvis Varnado from the Sioux Falls Skyforce after a stay that lasted less than two weeks. In 15 D-League games this year, Varnado has averaged 12.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.67 blocks, 1.1 assists and 29.9 minutes while shooting 52.2 percent from the field.
- The Thunder continue to make liberal use of their nearby D-League affiliate, announcing they've assigned forward Perry Jones III and shooting guard Jeremy Lamb to the Tulsa 66ers. It's the sixth time Jones has been sent down this season, and the seventh assignment for Lamb, who's put up slightly better numbers over his time in Tulsa. Lamb is averaging 21.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the D-League, while Jones has posted 14.8 PPG and 6.9 RPG.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Martin, Bynum
Here's a look at the latest out of the Atlantic..
- Ten-day signee Kenyon Martin will almost assuredly remain with the Knicks for the rest of the season, and as long as he performs well in the absence of Amare Stoudemire, New York might not feel compelled to waive the injured Rasheed Wallace to pursue another healthy big man, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com surmises.
- A sign-and-trade of Andrew Bynum might be the best option for the Sixers, who probably won't be as eager as other teams to roll the dice on the big man's health once more, argues John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Former Celtics and Knicks guard Bill Walker has resurfaced in the D-League and is hoping to show that his inconsistent tendencies are behind him, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Walker is with the guard-heavy Austin Toros who often have the Spurs' Cory Joseph suiting up for them, so he will have to work hard to be a regular part of their rotation.
Lakers Assign Morris, Sacre To D-League
The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned center Robert Sacre and guard Darius Morris to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, the team announced.
You can view every D-League assignment and recall of the 2012/13 season Hoops Rumors' D-League assignment tracker.
D-League Moves: Selby, Lakers, Thunder, Jerrells
We'll track today's D-League moves, including assignments and recalls, right here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Josh Selby, who was released by the Cavaliers over the weekend, has been acquired by the D-League's Maine Red Claws, according to RealGM.com. The Celtics' affiliate sent a 2013 D-League draft pick to the Canton Charge in exchange for Selby.
- Darius Morris and Robert Sacre have been assigned to the D-League by the Lakers, the team announced today in a press release. It's Sacre's third assignment and Morris' first assignment with the D-Fenders this season.
- The Thunder have re-assigned DeAndre Liggins and Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers, according to a team release. Liggins was recently assigned to the D-League along with Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, but for Orton, it's his first assignment since being recalled in late January. Both players are expected to be active tonight for Tulsa's game against the Iowa Energy.
- Curtis Jerrells, who had been playing in Turkey, is set to join the Maine Red Claws, tweets David Pick. The former Baylor point guard has never appeared in an NBA regular-season game, though he has spent time with the Spurs and Hornets.