Pelicans Waive Nate Robinson
The Pelicans have waived Nate Robinson, the team announced. He was the team’s starting point guard in its opening game Tuesday. However, he only played 19 minutes in that game, and just four in Wednesday’s contest, one in which usual starter Jrue Holiday returned to action. The release of Robinson’s non-guaranteed deal leaves New Orleans with 14 players, one below the regular season limit.
Injuries beset the team during the preseason, and Holiday remains on a minutes restriction. Backup point guard Norris Cole is a couple of weeks into a recovery from a high ankle sprain that’s expected to keep him out for as long as six weeks, and Tyreke Evans, who’s also taken on point guard duties in the past, is about a week into a six-to-eight week recovery from knee surgery. Still, New Orleans has given the majority of its minutes at point guard to Ish Smith, whom the Pelicans claimed off waivers Monday.
The team signed Robinson two weeks ago as part of its effort to offset injuries at the point, but it appears the Pelicans would rather go with Smith and perhaps Toney Douglas, with whom the team is reportedly in talks. In any case, Robinson will receive a sliver of his $1,499,187 for sticking on the roster a few days.
Pelicans Talking With Toney Douglas
The Pelicans and Toney Douglas are discussing a possible deal, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New Orleans just waived Nate Robinson, opening up a roster spot and ostensibly some time at point guard. Douglas cleared waivers from the Pacers this week.
Douglas, 29, is familiar to GM Dell Demps and the Pelicans front office, having signed a pair of 10-day contracts and a multiyear deal with New Orleans last season. The Pelicans waived Douglas in July rather than guarantee his salary, which led the former 29th overall pick to turn to the Pacers. Now, with both Douglas and the Pelicans in a position of need, it appears a reunion is in the works.
New Orleans has made a madcap series of moves over the past several weeks as the team has dealt with more than its share of injuries, particularly at point guard and center. Backup Norris Cole and Tyreke Evans, an occasional point guard, stand fair chances to miss most if not all of November, while starter Jrue Holiday is on a minutes restriction. Robinson began the season as the starter Tuesday while Holiday sat out, but Robinson saw only four minutes in Wednesday’s game and the majority of the minutes at the position have gone to Ish Smith, whom New Orleans just claimed off waivers last week. New Orleans also signed and cut former University of New Orleans player Bo McCalebb over a 10-day span this month.
Douglas received a $600K partial guarantee from the Pacers, so he shouldn’t be hurting for cash. New Orleans has its $2.139MM biannual exception available, but it would be surprising if the Pelicans committed more than a partially guaranteed minimum-salary contract to him.
Do you think Douglas is a better option for the Pelicans than Robinson was? Leave a comment to let us know.
Pelicans Claim Ish Smith Off Waivers
TUESDAY, 7:18am: The move was a waiver claim, not a signing, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) and the RealGM transactions log show, so Smith is on a one-year, non-guaranteed, minimum salary contract.
6:02pm: New Orleans announced that it has signed Smith, and doesn’t say anything about a waiver claim. Either way, Smith is with the Pelicans now, though the terms of his contract could be different if the team signed him rather than claiming him.
MONDAY, 4:10pm: The Pelicans have claimed Ish Smith off waivers from the Wizards, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That means the Sixers took a pass on claiming him, a move Philadelphia was reportedly considering. New Orleans inherits the one-year deal that’s for the minimum salary without guaranteed money that Smith signed before the start of camp with the Wizards.
Smith was waived Saturday by the Wizards, along with four other players. He spent much of the first half of last season with the Thunder, but he looked especially strong as he played 25 games down the stretch with the Sixers, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 assists and 2.8 turnovers in 27.1 minutes per contest. In five preseason games with the Wizards, his averages were 2.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.0 turnover in 11.5 minutes.
The signing brings the Pelicans up to the roster limit of 15. Smith gives the Pelicans some added depth at point guard with Norris Cole on the club’s inactive list, according to the opening-night rosters released by the league on Monday night. Cole suffered a high ankle sprain during training camp and could be out several more weeks.
And-Ones: Kings, Pelicans, Mavs
Point guard Marshall Henderson, who was waived by the Kings two weeks ago, plans to accept an offer to play for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Henderson, 24, went undrafted out of Mississippi in 2014. During his final season at Mississippi, Henderson averaged 19.0 points per game.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Cory Jefferson‘s versatility was key factor in him making the Suns‘ regular season roster, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “Guys like Cory and Jon Leuer are primarily power forwards but, the way the NBA is going, teams are placing premiums, as we are, on mobility, the ability to move your feet, guard multiple positions on the perimeter and switch, the ability to make an open shot and help with your spacing, the ability to run the floor and get out in transition,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said. “The game is going more and more position-less. We try to balance the roster as much as we can but we look for guys who can potentially play multiple positions.”
- If Chuck Hayes, who was waived by the Clippers on Saturday, doesn’t get picked up by another NBA team, he is expected to turn to coaching, his agent Calvin Andrews tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Hayes has received assistant coaching interest from several teams, including the Rockets, according to Spears (Twitter link).
- While veteran Nate Robinson has moved into the top backup spot behind starting point guard Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans might still be looking to acquire another guard, John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports. Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole are out with injuries.
- While many seem ready to write off Deron Williams, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines the point guard’s talent — and desire — has not disappeared since a few years ago, when Williams was considered one of the league’s best. While Sefko seems to think Williams is ready for a rebound season in his home state, the scribe also concludes that Williams is likely the most important part of the Mavs this season.
- Backup center Jeff Withey, whom the Jazz signed in August, has turned out to be a solid player and there is a good chance he sees a lot of minutes this season, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes.
Pelicans Eye Ish Smith; Sixers Mull Waiver Claim
12:25pm: The Sixers are considering claiming Smith off waivers, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
12:07pm: The Pelicans are nearing a deal with guard Ish Smith, tweets Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate. Kushner reports that Smith is in New Orleans and is waiting to clear waivers.
Smith was waived Saturday by the Wizards, along with four other players. He had a non-guaranteed deal in Washington after performing well for the Sixers late last season. Smith played 25 games in Philadelphia, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 assists and 2.8 turnovers in 27.1 minutes per contest. In five preseason games with the Wizards, his averages were 2.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.0 turnover in 11.5 minutes.
If Smith is signed, he will bring the Pelicans up to the roster limit of 15, with 13 fully guaranteed contracts plus Nate Robinson, who has a non-guaranteed deal. New Orleans would be Smith’s ninth NBA franchise.
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.
Pelicans Waive Adrien, Dejean-Jones, McCalebb
The Pelicans have waived power forward Jeff Adrien, as well as guards Bryce Dejean-Jones and Bo McCalebb, the team announced via a press release. Adrien and McCalebb were both in camp on non-guaranteed deals, so New Orleans won’t be on the hook for any salary for them, but Dejean-Jones’ deal includes a partial guarantee of $50K, which the team will be responsible for unless he is claimed off waivers. The Pelicans’ roster count is now at 14 players, one below the regular season maximum.
Adrien appeared in 17 games with the Timberwolves last season, averaging 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 12.6 minutes. The 6’7” forward, who played in China after Minnesota waived him in January, has played for five teams in his five-year career. He appeared in three preseason games this year, averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Dejean-Jones averaged 12.8 points in 21.6 minutes per game for the Pelicans’ summer league entry, nailing 61.9% of his shots from the floor and nine of his 18 three-point attempts. Those were better numbers than he posted in his lone season with the Cyclones after having previously played at USC and UNLV. The 6’5″ Dejean-Jones put up 10.6 PPG in 23.0 MPG with 32.9% three-point shooting as a senior at Iowa State.
McCalebb, 30, has played overseas since going undrafted in 2008, save for a summer league stint with the Kings in July of that year. He was the top scorer in the Euroleague in 2011/12, notching 16.9 points per game for Siena of Italy. His assists were up last season with FC Bayern Muenchen of Germany, when he averaged 4.8 per game to go along with 12.4 PPG in 25.7 MPG.
Pelicans Cut Chris Douglas-Roberts, Sean Kilpatrick
The Pelicans have waived Chris Douglas-Roberts and Sean Kilpatrick, the team announced via press release. The moves give New Orleans 17 players, 13 of whom have full guarantees. Neither Douglas-Roberts nor Kilpatrick has any guaranteed salary.
Most of the original camp invitees for the Pelicans were wing players like Douglas-Roberts and Kilpatrick, but injuries at point guard and center threw the preseason into flux for New Orleans. Centers Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca, point guard Norris Cole, and swingman and occasional point guard Tyreke Evans are all missing time, plus starting point guard Jrue Holiday is on a minutes restriction. Point guards Nate Robinson and Bo McCalebb and power forward Jeff Adrien are the remaining non-guaranteed players for the team, while rookie shooting guard Bryce Dejean-Jones has a $50K partial guarantee.
The 28-year-old Douglas-Roberts was attempting to revive his NBA career after he saw action in only 12 games last season. He averaged 7.0 points in 19.7 minutes per game across seven preseason contests for New Orleans, including one start, but it wasn’t enough to save his spot on the roster. Kilpatrick, 25, looked strong, too, averaging 10.4 PPG in 14.2 MPG. He was the beneficiary of an injury problem last year with the Timberwolves, when he earned a roster spot in large measure because of his proximity to New York, where the Wolves were set to play the Knicks but didn’t have enough healthy players.
Who should the Pelicans keep for opening night? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
And-Ones: Amerileague, Fredette, Draft, Coaches
The viability of the Amerileague plunged further into question Wednesday as a former spokesperson for the league revealed to freelance journalist Erin Ashley Simon that the league’s CEO was using a fictitious name and is actually Glendon Alexander, a former McDonald’s All-American with multiple fraud convictions. Amerileague operations manager Marcus Bass confirmed the news to Jeff Goodman and Paula Lavigne of ESPN’s Outside the Lines. Alexander has resigned as CEO, reports Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link), ending a trail of suspicion about his involvement that Kami Mattioli of The Sporting News first detailed in May. Henry Walker recently became the first player who appeared in the NBA during the 2014/15 season to sign with the Amerileague, but Walker’s agent, Mike Naiditch, tells Hoops Rumors that, “If there was never a league, then [there] was never a deal.”
The Amerileague draft was to take place today, but Bass tells Johnson that the event is on hold (Twitter link). See more from around basketball:
- An unwillingness to adjust his freewheeling college game to the NBA style of play led to Jimmer Fredette‘s lack of success in the league, one of his former NBA assistant asserts to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. The Spurs waived Fredette on Wednesday, though four other NBA teams still reportedly have some level of interest in him.
- Vanderbilt junior center/forward Damian Jones says he plans to enter the 2016 draft, as Adam Sparks of The Tennessean relays. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the 6’10” Jones as the 14th-best draft prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has him at No. 16.
- Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson, Magic assistant Adrian Griffin and Pelicans assistant Darren Erman are future head coaching candidates to watch, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. Heat assistant David Fizdale draws an honorable mention on Mannix’s list.
Southwest Notes: Chandler, Mavs, Anderson, Sykes
It caught Tyson Chandler off guard when the Mavs pursued DeAndre Jordan instead of him, and Chandler felt as though he needn’t take a backseat to anyone, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News details. An extension was on the table before the start of last season, as Chandler and Mavs owner Mark Cuban both confirmed to Sefko, but Chandler elected to become a free agent, since doing so would have allowed him to re-sign with Dallas for five years instead of three, Sefko notes. Instead, the Mavs looked elsewhere, and Chandler signed with the Suns, a turn of events that left Chandler with a right to be bitter about what happened in Dallas, as Cuban said, according to Sefko.
“I would be, too,” Cuban said. “We had extension discussions for a reason. And then we went for it on a player that wasn’t ready to be gone for.”
Still, Cuban added he felt justified in going after Jordan, saying he’d “rather swing and miss than not step up to the plate,” as Sefko relays. See more on Chandler amid the latest from around the NBA:
- Chandler made it clear Wednesday that he doesn’t feel animosity toward Cuban, observes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, though comments the center made on Tuesday that Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic conveyed showed that his feelings are still raw. “I definitely felt like, after winning a championship and [helping] bring it there, that I was going to be there for the long run,” Chandler said Tuesday. “I never heard of a championship team being broken up like that. When they traded for me to come back, I sat at the podium with everybody else and heard them say this was going to be a long-term deal and they weren’t going to make the same mistake as last time and blah-blah-blah. Seven months later, the same thing happens again. But I learned in this business that you can’t trust everybody. That’s why it is what it is.”
- Ryan Anderson endured personal and physical hardships the last two years, but this summer, he finally had a chance to concentrate on his game, and new Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry is impressed so far, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. Anderson is entering the final season of his contract.
- Spurs camp cut Keifer Sykes plans to join the team’s D-League affiliate once he clears waivers, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).