Derrick Rose Absent From Knicks’ Game
10:36pm: Per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Rose left without permission to tend to a family matter, but Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes that it’s still unclear where he actually is.
9:36pm: Teammate Joakim Noah has been in touch with Derrick Rose since Monday’s game finished and says “he’s okay,” tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Noah did not elaborate further as to why the guard was absent. Rose was at the team’s shootaround this morning, per Courtney Lee via Begley. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News says there are “strong indications” that Rose returned to his hometown of Chicago.
8:59pm: Speaking after the game to reporters, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said that he doesn’t have enough information to pass along an update, adding that he’ll need to “wait until we hear from Derrick himself” (Twitter link via Mike Vorkunov). Hornacek did say that he expects Rose will be back with the team, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
8:29pm: The Knicks are in action tonight against the Pelicans, but starting point guard Derrick Rose is “not with the team,” as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. Rose had been penciled in as a starter 90 minutes before the game got underway, but never showed up.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), there are team officials, teammates, and close associates of Rose who aren’t certain why the point guard is not at Madison Square Garden tonight. At the time of tip-off earlier in the evening, the Knicks still hadn’t been in contact with Rose, and it’s unclear if they’ve been able to reach him since then, tweets Wojnarowski.
The Knicks sat Rose during the fourth quarter in Milwaukee on Friday, and he wasn’t thrilled with that move, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The former MVP also played just 26 minutes on Saturday, but it’s not clear whether tonight’s absence is impacted by anything on-court related.
This sort of absence is unusual, so hopefully Rose is okay. We’ll pass along any updates as they come in.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/8/17
Here are the D-League assignments and recalls from Sunday:
10:20pm:
- The Spurs moved guard Dejounte Murray to the Austin Spurs of the D-League, the team announced on its website. The rookie guard has appeared in 19 games for San Antonio, averaging 2.3 points in 5.5 minutes.
- The Mavs announced via press release that they have assigned center A.J. Hammons and guard-forward Nicolas Brussino to their D-League affiliate. Hammons has appeared in 17 games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.5 minutes. Brussino has played in 27 games for Dallas this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.8 minutes.
- The Nuggets recalled rookie guard Malik Beasley, Denver announced in a press release.
12:18pm:
- The Sixers have recalled forward Richaun Holmes from their Delaware affiliate, the team announced in a press release. He had 10 points and eight rebounds in the 87ers’ win Saturday.
- The Knicks have recalled Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee from their Westchester affiliate, the team tweeted.
- The Bulls have recalled forward Paul Zipser from their Windy City affiliate, the team announced via press release. Zipser had played in the D-League team’s last two games, averaging 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.
- The Celtics have assigned guard Demetrius Jackson to their affiliate in Maine, the team tweeted.
- The Rockets have assigned forward Kyle Wiltjer to their affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, according to a tweet from the team.
Arthur Hill contributed to this report.
Knicks Notes: Jennings, Baker, Anthony
Brandon Jennings, whom the Knicks signed to a one-year deal in July, ripped himself and the team for New York’s poor play this season and especially as of late, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. Jennings is the floor-leader for the Knicks’ second unit, and after a hot start, the veteran has fizzled out, which coincides with the way the team has played; they’ve gone from 14-10 to a season-worst three games under .500, as Berman points out.
“Honestly, I don’t think we’ve played well at all this year,” Jennings said. “I don’t know if you’re watching it. We’re winning games because of our talent. Basketball-wise, I don’t think we’re playing basketball like we should.”
Here is more on the Knicks:
- Carmelo Anthony‘s right shoulder is bothering him, but the Knicks star plans to play through it and has not missed a game since December 13th, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. Anthony said he will tolerate the pain, and added he has not missed any practices, per Iannazzone.
- Ron Baker’s contract becomes fully guaranteed for the season on Tuesday, and Jeff Hornacek said the Knicks plan on keeping the undrafted rookie guard on the roster, Iannazzone passes along in the same story.
- It is clear the Knicks have relied too much on their individual talent and have yet to jell together as a team, as evidenced by the team’s latest losses, Berman writes in a separate piece.
Chasson Randle To Work Out For Sixers
10:45am: Randle’s workout will be held Monday and he will be part of a group, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Joining him will be point guards Briante Weber, Yogi Ferrell and Cat Barber.
8:52am: Point guard Chasson Randle, who nearly won a roster spot with the Knicks in the preseason, will work out for the Sixers today, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post.
The decision comes a day after Ron Baker solidified the third point guard spot in New York when his contract became guaranteed for the remainder of the season.
Randle appeared headed toward a roster spot in October, but was waived after suffering an orbital bone fracture. He joined the Westchester Knicks in the D-League as an affiliate player and has averaged 20.7 points through 19 games.
The Knicks told Randle he might be re-signed this month now that teams are permitted to begin issuing 10-day contracts, according to Berman, who speculates that Marshall Plumlee or Maurice Ndour would be waived if that happens.
But before the Knicks get a chance, Randle might wind up with the Sixers, who are short on point guards after Jerryd Bayless was lost for the season with torn ligaments in his left wrist. They have been relying on T.J. McConnell, who had 17 assists Friday, and Sergio Rodriguez to handle the position. Philadelphia has an open roster spot after waiving Hollis Thompson on Wednesday.
Randle’s options in New York appear limited as Baker keeps impressing Knicks officials. Coach Jeff Hornacek compared Baker to himself as a guard who’s not flashy but knows how to get the ball to the right player.
“At the beginning of the year, I had a meeting with Jeff and he had mentioned something about January,’’ Baker said. “If I stayed on the right path as I did in preseason, I’ll be fine. I wasn’t concerned after that meeting, but I’m trying to keep improving obviously.’’
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/6/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
9:24pm:
- The Magic have recalled guard C.J. Wilcox, the team announced via press release. Wilcox has appeared in four games with the Erie BayHawks this season, averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
9:01pm:
- The Rockets have sent Kyle Wiltjer to their D-League affiliate, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Wiltjer has seen action in nine games for Houston this season, most recently on December 30.
8:07pm:
- The Hawks have recalled Taurean Prince and Mike Scott, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the pair will join the team in Dallas.
6:00pm:
- The Hornets have reassigned Christian Wood to their D-League affiliate, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Wood as played just one game with the big league club, back on November 7.
3:32pm:
- The Knicks assigned Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee to their D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Both players will be able for tonight’s game.
- The Bulls have assigned Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser to the Windy City Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Spurs have assigned Dejounte Murray to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. Murray is averaging 15.8 points and 6.8 assists in 34.2 minutes per contest during 11 games Austin this season.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jennings
The Raptors own the second best record in the Eastern Conference, but executives around the league are skeptical that they can truly compete for a title, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. One executive told Ding that Toronto is “one-and-a-half” players away from being title contenders.
Skepticism surrounds the team’s title chances, but there’s no denying the franchise’s stranglehold on the division, as the Raptors are in great position to take home the Atlantic for the third consecutive year. Here’s more from the division:
- The Sixers waived Hollis Thompson on Wednesday, which left Nerlens Noel as the last player left on the roster from when The Process began, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet writes. With Thompson off the team, first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will see more playing time. “Having Timmy now here and trying to play him more, you’re going to see an athleticism on the wings, you’re going to see a fearless mindset attacking the rim,” coach Brett Brown said. “He is an elite athlete if he is anything, and he’s different than all of our other wings. He really, really is different. I think his catch-shot game is coming around. I feel like [president of basketball operations] Bryan Colangelo did a really good job of selecting him.”
- Brandon Jennings said the Knicks need more accountability, adding that the team needs to get comfortable with each other, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “Guys are still together. I just wish we would hold guys, we would hold each other a little more accountable for what we do on the court,” Jennings said. “I definitely like confrontation. I definitely like being coached and being told when I’m doing something wrong. So those are things that I really think we need to start doing within each other and the team because that’s what good teams do.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/5/17
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
6:29pm:
- The Warriors have assigned rookie center Damian Jones to their D-League affiliate, according to a team-issued press release. The big man has made four starts with the Santa Cruz Warriors so far this season.
3:33pm:
- The Rockets have recalled rookie big man Chinanu Onuaku from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The 2016 second-rounder, who has earned a spot in highlight packages with his underhanded free throws, has averaged a double-double (11.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG) in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season.
- The Grizzlies have assigned Wade Baldwin and Troy Williams to the Iowa Energy, according to a press release issued by the team. The duo should get a chance to suit up for Memphis’ D-League affiliate tonight against the L.A. D-Fenders.
11:27am:
- Richaun Holmes, who is recovering from a concussion, has been recalled from the D-League by the Sixers, according to a team release. Holmes had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Delaware 87ers on Wednesday night, and was apparently deemed ready to return to the NBA.
- The Knicks recalled Maurice Ndour from the D-League after sending him down on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). Ndour had a big game for Westchester last night, posting 26 points and nine rebounds.
- Rookie forward Georges Niang has been sent to the D-League, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Although he has played sparingly for Indiana so far, Niang has spent most of the season with the NBA club — this is just his second NBADL assignment.
- The Pistons have recalled first-round rookie Henry Ellenson from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League affiliate, in a Wednesday victory.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/4/17
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
4:25pm:
- The Lakers have re-assigned rookie big man Ivica Zubac to the D-League (Twitter link). Zubac will be in uniform for the L.A. D-Fenders tomorrow night for the team’s game against Iowa.
- The Pistons officially announced in a press release this afternoon that they’ve sent Henry Ellenson to the Grand Rapids Drive. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets, fellow rookie Michael Gbinije likely would’ve joined him, but he’s battling a forearm injury.
- Forward Troy Williams has been recalled by the Grizzlies from his assignment with the Iowa Energy, per a team release. Williams averaged 24.3 PPG in three games during his D-League stint, including 32 in 28 minutes on December 27.
2:28pm:
- Richaun Holmes, who has completed and passed all the elements of the NBA’s concussion protocol, has been assigned to the D-League by the Sixers, the team announced today in a press release. While some NBADL rehab assignments don’t include game action, the Sixers suggest that Holmes is expected to suit up tonight for the Delaware 87ers.
12:55pm:
- A pair of Nuggets rookies, Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, have been assigned to the D-League, according to a press release. Despite having a fairly young roster, Denver hasn’t used the D-League much this season, since the team doesn’t have its own affiliate. Beasley and Hernangomez will join the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBADL squad.
- The Raptors have sent Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet back to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo has bounced back and forth between the NBA and NBADL all season — it’s the 13th D-League assignment for Caboclo and the ninth for VanVleet.
- Maurice Ndour is headed to the D-League, having been assigned to Westchester today by the Knicks (Twitter link). New York’s D-League affiliate is in action tonight against Grand Rapids, and Ndour is expected to suit up for the game.
- The Suns have assigned rookie forward Derrick Jones to the D-League, the team announced today (Twitter link). It’s the fourth NBADL assignment of the season for Jones, who has averaged 14.0 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 14 games for Northern Arizona.
Knicks View P.J. Tucker As Potential Trade Target
2:31pm: Although the Knicks’ front office has its eye on Tucker, no trade discussions between the two teams have taken place at this point, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
8:54am: As they continue attempting to address their defensive issues, the Knicks have identified a Suns wing player as a potential trade target. According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, New York’s front office has been eyeing P.J. Tucker, labeling him as a player the team may pursue before this year’s trade deadline.
Tucker, 31, has played for Phoenix since returning from overseas in 2012, appearing in 356 games for the Suns over the last five seasons. Having averaged 30+ minutes per game in each of the last three seasons, Tucker has seen his playing time reduced a little this year (27.1 MPG) and is coming off the bench more often than he’s starting for the first time since his return to the NBA. In 36 games this season, he has recorded 6.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.3 SPG.
As our list of 2017 free agents by team shows, Tucker is the only Suns player currently on track for unrestricted free agency this summer. Unless the club is fairly confident he’ll be re-signed in July, it could make sense for Phoenix to gauge the market for him in the coming weeks and get an asset or two in return.
It’s not clear what the Knicks would give up if they put a formal offer on the table for Tucker. As Begley observes, the club has a few intriguing young players, like Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O’Quinn, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Draft picks could also be in play, though Begley notes that Phil Jackson and the Knicks’ front office were unwilling to part with future first-rounders last season.
Tucker is earning a fairly modest $5.3MM salary in 2016/17, so if the Knicks were to make a move for him, they’d only have to send out about $3.5MM to accommodate a deal under cap rules.
New York Notes: Knicks, Porzingis, Lin
It was a rough night for the NBA’s New York teams on Monday, as both the Nets and Knicks suffered double-digit losses on their home courts. While Brooklyn lost to a strong Utah club that’s in the midst of a winning streak, the Knicks’ defeat came at the hands of an Orlando team that ranks below them in the standings. In the wake of that loss, Jeff Hornacek delivered “his most damning assessment” of his club’s defensive issues, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
“I don’t think our guys aren’t trying — maybe they’re not capable,” said the Knicks head coach. “I don’t know. That’s what we have to figure out. Maybe play some other guys and mix the lineup somehow. … We have to find someone to play some defense. You can’t come out at the beginning and their first three baskets are 3s. You have to have better pride than that. … I think they’re trying — they must not be good enough defensively.”
With Hornacek sounding ready to make some changes to his lineup, let’s round up a few more notes out of New York…
- Nagged by Achilles pain, Kristaps Porzingis missed his second straight game on Monday, and may see his minutes reduced going forward as the Knicks try to keep him and their other starters fresh and healthy. As Berman details in a piece for The Post, Porzingis isn’t thrilled with the plan, telling reporters with a smile that he wants to play all the minutes he can. However, he deferred to Hornacek and said he’d go along with what’s best for the team.
- Speaking of Porzingis, he remains on the shelf for now, with Hornacek telling reporters today that the big man is doubtful for the Knicks‘ next game on Wednesday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).
- There’s no specific timetable for Jeremy Lin‘s return to the Nets, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Lin admitted that it has been discouraging to have to battle health issues so far this season after he joined a new team on a new long-term deal in the summer.
- We passed along a few Knicks and Nets notes on Sunday and Monday as well.