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Eastern Notes: Payne, Nets, Raptors

December 9th, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks re-assigned Adreian Payne to the D-League on Sunday night, but instead of heading to Fort Wayne, the rookie was sent to the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ affiliate instead, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. This was due to the maximum allowance of four NBA players already being on assignment to the Mad Ants at the time, though three of those players were recalled Monday, Vivlamore notes. In his two previous stints with Fort Wayne, Payne has appeared in a total of six games, averaging 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from the East:

This flexible assignment to Austin for Payne actually works in his and Atlanta’s favor since Austin runs a very similar system to the one the Hawks use, Vivlamore adds. “It’s not the same system that we run here [Atlanta],” Payne said of his previous assignments in Fort Wayne. “It’s different. It’s just like coming from college when you learn a different system.”
With the Nets reportedly willing to trade Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) runs down which teams would be the best fit for each. Doolittle opines that Williams would look good in a Pacers uniform, the Lakers would suit Lopez just fine, and Johnson could fit in with the Pelicans.
The Raptors have no intention of utilizing the remaining $4,583,432 of the trade exception they created from the Rudy Gay trade, which expires tonight, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
If the Nets do indeed trade Andrei Kirilenko to the Sixers for a player with a non-guaranteed contract, Brooklyn would be able to create a trade exception worth $3.3MM, Robert Windrem of Nets Daily reports (Twitter link).

D-League Moves: Hawks, Pelicans, Ledo

December 8th, 2014 at 5:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

This time last year, Robert Covington was on the Rockets roster but in the midst of a D-League assignment that had begun November 7th and wouldn’t end until this past January 18th. He went down for several more assignments last year, and after the Rockets released him just shy of opening night this year, he became the first pick in the D-League draft and spent a few more weeks on the circuit until the Sixers signed him in mid-November. Covington credits all of that D-League experience with helping him to a strong start in Philadelphia, where he’s knocked down 17 of 32 three-point attempts, as Tom Moore of Calkins Media notes via Twitter. No one on NBA rosters hopes to spend as much time in the D-League as Covington did, but they have a chance to benefit if they do. Here are the latest assignments and recalls:

The Hawks are sending 15th overall pick Adreian Payne to the D-League again, just two days after recalling him, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Vivlamore indicates that it’s unclear which D-League team he’ll play for. That signals that perhaps the D-League will be exercising its new rules for accommodating assignments for the 13 NBA teams that share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, of which the Hawks are one. Still, it’d be odd if the D-League sent Payne to another affiliate, since the Mad Ants don’t have anyone else on NBA assignment aside from Glen Rice Jr. of the Wizards.
That’s in part because Atlanta recalled John Jenkins and Mike Muscala from the Mad Ants today, the Hawks announced (Twitter link). Jenkins had been on assignment since November 28th, while Muscala was with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for just two days.
Russ Smith is back with the Pelicans after a three-day assignment to Fort Wayne, New Orleans announced. This year’s 47th overall pick averaged 14.5 points and 3.0 steals in 26.0 minutes per game over two D-League contests, but Smith, a point guard, totaled nine turnovers and just six assists.
Ricky Ledo is headed on D-League assignment for the fourth time this year, the Mavs announced (on Twitter). He’s yet to appear in a game for the big club this season, and he’s putting up 12.0 PPG in 34.0 MPG across five D-League contests.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Spurs, Fredette

December 8th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

It would be surprising for the Grizzlies to make a trade anytime soon in spite of reported interest from the Cavs in Tayshaun Prince and Kosta Koufos, as Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal writes in his “Pick and Pop” column. Prince has played well and removed the reasons for the Grizzlies to trade him since the start of the season, and Dion Waiters, whom the Cavs are apparently willing to give up, would be a poor fit in Memphis, Herrington believes. There’s another Grizzlies tidbit amid the latest from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs like the players they bring in to have a sense of humor, as witnessed by the continued presence of Matt Bonner, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News examines. “We look for a guy that is mature enough to laugh at himself,” coach/executive Gregg Popovich said. “You’re on the bus, you’re on the plane, and you want to be able to enjoy each other. If a kid doesn’t have a sense of humor or the ability to be self-deprecating, it doesn’t work as well.” Bonner, who re-signed this summer, is the longest-tenured Spur outside of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, McDonald notes.
The addition of Gal Mekel to the Pelicans seems like a signal that the team is ready to move on from Jimmer Fredette, as Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune believes. Fredette, with New Orleans on a guaranteed one-year contract for the minimum salary, saw just one minute of action in Sunday’s 17-point win against the Lakers.
The Grizzlies have recalled Jordan Adams from the D-League, the team announced. This year’s 22nd overall pick had been in the D-League since November 25th, as our log of assignments and recalls shows. The shooting guard has averaged 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game across four contests for the Iowa Energy.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Howard, Mavericks

December 7th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans are building their team around Anthony Davis in the same way the Spurs built their dynasty around Tim Duncan nearly two decades ago, writes Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated in a piece that chronicles Davis’ journey to the NBA. Jenkins notes that the team acquired Ryan Anderson in part because of how the Spurs sustained success with floor spacing.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The injury-plagued Rockets shouldn’t count on Dwight Howard returning to the court soon, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen said coach Kevin McHale is pessimistic about a quick return from Howard or any of Houston’s other injured players.
Nobody in Dallas is surprised Jason Kidd made such a quick transition from on-the-floor leader to the head coaching ranks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle isn’t the least bit surprised with Kidd’s career moves. “Let’s face it; he was always coaching, anyway, when he was out there,” Carlisle said. “I felt like he had a very good idea coming off his playing career, as to how he felt the game should be played. And he’s coaching it that way. You’ve got to give him a lot of credit for that.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich continued his long-distance jousting with Knicks president Phil Jackson this week, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Jackson said in April that San Antonio didn’t qualify as a dynasty because the team hadn’t won two titles in a row. “Ooh that makes me mad,” Popovich said sarcastically when asked about the comments. Jackson made the remarks when talking about whether Carmelo Anthony would accept less money to stay in New York, similar to what Tim Duncan has done with the Spurs.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Knicks, Mekel, Mirotic, Kerr

December 6th, 2014 at 9:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks have started the season with a record of 4-17, but there is upside to the team’s horrendous start, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Ending up in the early part of the lottery could lead to the addition of a franchise changing player to the team either by the draft itself or by a trade that sends the pick out in a package that lands the Knicks an elite talent, like the Cavs did with Kevin Love this past offseason. Isola points out that the Knicks haven’t been the most patient franchise when it comes to developing talent and notes that the last two Knicks’ draft picks to make the All-Star team were David Lee, who was drafted in 2005, and Mark Jackson, who was selected in the 1987 draft.

Here’s more from around the Association:

Gal Mekel‘s two-year, non-guaranteed deal he signed with the Pelicans will pay him $639K this season, and he’ll earn $947,276 during the 2015/16 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). That means the deal is a minimum-salary arrangement.
The Bulls‘ three-year wait for Nikola Mirotic brought back memories of a similar saga with Toni Kukoc two decades ago, writes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. But while Kukoc was publicly dissed by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Mirotic has gotten a friendly reception from Chicago’s current stars. “He can put it on the floor, he can make plays for people, he can get to the basket,” Mike Dunleavy said of Mirotic, who is in the first season of a three-year, $16.6MM deal. “Defensively he’s pretty good — blocks shots, gets his hands on a lot of balls. As he gets used to everything a little more, he’ll foul less and be a pretty effective defender.”
Steve Kerr, who has the Warriors off to the NBA’s best start in his first season behind the team’s bench, tells Sam Smith of Bulls.com that his coaching style borrows from every coach he ever played under. Kerr played for two of the league’s most successful coaches ever in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, but said he learned something everywhere he went. “Cotton Fitzsimmons and Lenny Wilkens and Lute Olson; you sort of take a little from each person,” Kerr said. “But what they all told me was to be yourself. They said you have to be yourself, that players will know if you are trying to do something that is not you.”

Arthur Hill and Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

D-League Notes: Celtics, Smith, Ledo

December 5th, 2014 at 7:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Mavs reaped a subtle benefit when the Thunder decided to keep Ish Smith instead of Sebastian Telfair when their 16th roster spot expired last week, as Gino Pilato of D-League Digest explains. The Mavs affiliate, by D-League rule, inherited top waiver priority once Smith, who left the Mavs affiliate to sign with Oklahoma City on November 7th, spent his 21st day on the Thunder’s NBA roster, as Pilato points out. Thus, the Legends were able to grab Ivan Johnson even though Dallas didn’t have his D-League rights when he signed with the league earlier this week.

Here are the latest D-League moves:

The Celtics have recalled James Young, Dwight Powell, and Marcus Smart from their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team has announced. The trio make their return after seeing action in Maine’s victory against Fort Wayne last night. Young poured in 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Powell contributed 21 points. Smart, making his D-League debut, added six points, five boards, and dished out seven dimes.
Russ Smith has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pelicans have announced. Smith has appeared in three contests for New Orleans, going scoreless in his 3.7 minutes per game. The rookie averaged 5.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in six preseason games for the Pelicans this year. Smith is the first player that New Orleans has assigned to the D-League this season.
The Pistons have assigned Tony Mitchell to their D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, David Mayo of MLive reports (Twitter link). This will be Mitchell’s third trip to the D-League this season.
Ricky Ledo has been reassigned to the Texas Legends, the Mavs‘ D-League affiliate, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets. This is Ledo’s third such assignment, and in four games with the Legends Ledo has averaged 11.5 points and 2.8 assists.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pelicans Sign Gal Mekel

December 5th, 2014 at 5:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pelicans have signed free agent Gal Mekel, the team announced in a press release. Roey Gladstone of Israeli Channel 5 TV was the first to report the news. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Gladstone tweets that it is a two-year deal which contains a team option for the second season, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com adds (Twitter link) that the contract is non-guaranteed. This signing will increase New Orleans’ roster count to the league-maximum 15 players.

New Orleans had one open roster spot available after waiving Patric Young and Darius Miller on Sunday and inking Dante Cunningham to a deal yesterday. Mekel will add depth at the point guard position behind Jrue Holiday.

The 26-year-old guard joined the Mavs in 2013 after putting up 13.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.5 turnovers in 32.3 minutes per game during 2012/13 for Maccabi Haifa in his native Israel. He inked a fully guaranteed three-year contract for the minimum salary to come stateside, but Dallas instead chose to eat the salaries for the final two years to instead sign J.J. Barea shortly after opening night.

Southwest Notes: Cunningham, Spurs, Pelicans

December 4th, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pelicans reached out to the NBA to determine if the league would punish Dante Cunningham before they decided to sign him earlier today, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reports. As was noted earlier, the NBA is unlikely to discipline Cunningham for the domestic assault charges against Cunningham that were dropped over the summer. “We have commenced an independent review of the matter and the charges that were subsequently dropped against Mr. Cunningham, but at this point we have no basis to conclude that he engaged in conduct that warrants discipline from the NBA,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Cunningham sees the Pelicans as the ideal team to restart his NBA career with, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com writes. “It’s a great opportunity to get here, sign and be part of this great organization,” Cunningham said. “It’s been a rough couple months, but at this time, it’s definitely behind me. I’ve learned, I’ve grown and I’m a stronger person for it. Being back where I love to be [playing basketball], it’s definitely a weight off of my shoulders. My name is cleared. I’m now just trying to rebrand it and make sure it’s ‘Dante Cunningham’ once again.”
Kyle Anderson, the Spurs‘ first round pick this season, has a unique opportunity to learn from the storied veterans in San Antonio’s locker room, Andy Vasquez of The Record writes. “I landed in a really good situation,” Anderson said. “Every day I walk into this locker room I’m among Hall of Famers, I’m among real pioneers of the game, guys I’ve watched my whole life. So it’s big time for me. I don’t take any day for granted that I’m in this locker room.”
One of the reasons New Orleans signed Cunningham is because head coach Monty Williams was an advocate for Cunningham’s character, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes. Williams’ relationship with Cunningham dates back to the 2009/10 season, when Williams was an assistant coach with the Blazers and the forward was playing in Portland, notes Wojnarowski.

Pelicans In Advanced Talks With Gal Mekel

December 4th, 2014 at 2:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:39pm: The Pelicans are working on securing a visa for Mekel, and the team thinks it will be able to do so, tweets Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.

2:24pm: The Pelicans are in “advanced discussions” with free agent point guard Gal Mekel, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The club has identified the former Maverick as its primary target after working out other point guards, including Diante Garrett and Eric Maynor, Stein adds in a second tweet. No visa issues are expected for Mekel this time after such problems scuttled a deal he had in place to join the Pacers last month, since the Pelicans aren’t under a time crunch to sign him, as the Pacers were with a hardship exception that was expiring, Stein also reports (Twitter link).

New Orleans has an open roster spot after waiving Patric Young and Darius Miller on Sunday and inking Dante Cunningham earlier this afternoon. GM Dell Demps and his staff have reportedly been aggressive in trade talk as the December 15th trade-eligibility date for most offseason signees nears, but it appears their first priority is to scour the market for free agents who can add depth. Mekel played sparingly in his first season with the Mavs, but the Thunder liked him, and the Lakers recently auditioned him along with several other players.

Mekel, now 26, joined the Mavs in 2013 after putting up 13.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.5 turnovers in 32.3 minutes per game during 2012/13 for Maccabi Haifa in his native Israel. He inked a fully guaranteed three-year contract for the minimum salary to come stateside, but Dallas ate the salaries for the final two years to instead sign J.J. Barea shortly after opening night.

Pelicans Sign Dante Cunningham

December 4th, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans have signed Dante Cunningham, the team announced via press release. The team reportedly worked him out this past weekend and had been doing their “due diligence” to investigate domestic assault charges against Cunningham that were dropped over the summer, as Jimmy Smith of the The Times-Picayune wrote earlier this week. The NBA is unlikely to punish Cunningham, a league spokesman tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The NBA recently took a tough stand against domestic violence with a 24-game suspension for Jeff Taylor, but Taylor had pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Cunningham is getting a one-year deal for the minimum, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter links), though it’s unclear if there’s any guaranteed salary involved.

Agent Joel Bell told Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press this fall that he estimated that Cunningham would have received annual salaries of more than $4MM had it not been for the charges. That figure was debatable, but it was surprising that, according to Bell, Cunningham hadn’t received so much as a minimum-salary offer as of October. It demonstrated the chilling effect that the NFL’s much-criticized handling of domestic violence among its players had on the NBA market, even for Cunningham, whose charges were dropped in August.

The now 27-year-old Cunningham pulled down a career-high 5.1 rebounds per game and came close to a career mark with 8.7 points per contest last season for the Wolves, who were reportedly in talks with him about a new deal shortly after the charges against him were dropped. Still, it seemed even at that point that the Timberwolves were a long shot to re-sign him, since Minnesota’s roster was already full. The Wolves added power forward Jeff Adrien instead last week when the league granted them an extra roster spot.

The Pelicans made space on their roster Sunday, when they let go of Patric Young and Darius Miller. The addition of Cunningham, who’ll begin his sixth year in the NBA, still leaves one open roster spot for New Orleans, which has reportedly been aggressive in its pursuit of trades lately.