Fallout From/Reaction To Mario Chalmers Trade
The Grizzlies almost traded Jarnell Stokes to the Knicks to open a roster spot before the start of the regular season, according to The Commercial Appeal. Instead, Memphis included him in Tuesday’s trade with Miami, the earliest November swap since 2008, which sent Stokes and Beno Udrih to the Heat for Mario Chalmers and James Ennis. People within the Grizzlies organization believe that the shooting and playmaking ability Chalmers has gives the team an opportunity to see how he functions sharing the court with Mike Conley in two point guard sets that would have Conley playing off the ball, the Commercial Appeal report says.
“We just felt that this was a chance to get a guy in Mario Chalmers who is an upgrade as a 3-point shooter, particularly in the playoffs. And you get a little younger,” Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said. “He’s been in the top 10 in steals percentage. He’s not afraid to step up and take the big shot. It’s an opportunity we had to take. It’s also an opportunity to take a look at a young, athletic guy in James Ennis.”
See more on the trade:
- Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal doesn’t see Chalmers as a shooting upgrade over Udrih, but Chalmers is a better defender a theoretically a better fit with the Grizzlies bench, Herrington opines.
- The Heat were reportedly seeking the involvement of a third team before the trade became official, and the Sixers were in play to fill that role, but the sides couldn’t work out a way to make it work, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets. A Heat spokesperson denied that a search for a third team held up the trade call with the league, and team president Pat Riley said he wasn’t looking to channel Udrih and Stokes to another team, as Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald notes (Twitter link). Coach Erik Spoelstra answered affirmatively when asked if Udrih and Stokes will be staying with the team, Navarro tweets. “We’re not actively pursuing anything else other than what we have today,” Riley said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
- The move wasn’t primarily about finances, Riley insisted, adding that he doesn’t think the Heat would ever trade a player they thought could help them win a title merely to save money, as Navarro chronicles.
Pacific Notes: Karl, Divac, Upshaw, Kerr
DeMarcus Cousins spoke Monday night of the Kings holding a players-only meeting, but the confab, which took place today, also apparently included coaches and front office chief Vlade Divac, who termed it a productive affair, observes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Caron Butler said the team is behind coach George Karl, tweets Sean Cunningham of KXTV-TV.
“We addressed some issues and the most important thing is we are on the same page,” Divac said, according to Jones.
While we wait to see if the meeting helps Sacramento end a six-game losing streak or simply leads to more drama, see more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers worked out Kristaps Porzingis but ultimately passed on him with the No. 2 pick, though coach Byron Scott didn’t expect him to be as productive as he has been so soon for the Knicks, who drafted him fourth, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “From what we saw, he was able to shoot it from 3-point range pretty easily,” Scott said. “He’s a young kid that in the workouts we had, really didn’t show any fear. Just thought it was going to take him some time [to develop]. Obviously, we were probably a little wrong about that because he’s playing pretty well right now.”
- Robert Upshaw said he knew from the start of his deal to join the Lakers that the team would waive him, as the Lakers ultimately did before opening night, but he’s confident he’ll receive another NBA contract this season and isn’t considering a jump overseas, as he told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). The undrafted big man is with the Lakers D-League team as an affiliate player.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group tosses out some predictions for the rest of the Warriors season, suggesting that if coach Steve Kerr doesn’t make it back by around March 1st, it would be tough to envision him jumping back in so close to the postseason. Still, Kawakami speculates that such a lengthy absence is unlikely.
Atlantic Notes: Jerebko, Brown, ‘Melo, Scola
Jonas Jerebko‘s defense and versatility are benefiting the Celtics even though his minutes are down from last season, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines. The Celtics re-signed Jerebko this summer on a two-year, $10MM deal.
“If you’ve got guys that can guard multiple positions, especially that can swing from the perimeter to the bigs, and vice versa, it’s huge,” coach Brad Stevens said. “Especially the way the game is being played with so many skilled 4s and so many shooting bigs.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Brett Brown came from a Spurs team that seamlessly adapted to the small-ball era, but with Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel on Philadelphia’s roster, and Joel Embiid if he ever returns to health, Brown believes the Sixers can win with multiple bigs, as Ian Thomsen of NBA.com details. “I think it is relevant,” Brown said of the rise of small-ball. “But trends don’t necessarily mean that’s the correct path with respective teams. The path that Golden State went on catered to their strengths first. For me it always gets down to, how do you get your best players on the court? The trend we’re talking about with small ball is true, but I don’t see it being the answer, that it’s the only way.”
- Carmelo Anthony‘s increased assist production is an indication that of his faith in the roster that Knicks team president Phil Jackson built around him, posits Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Luis Scola‘s addition of a corner 3-pointer to his game is setting him apart from Patrick Patterson, whom Scola beat out for the starting power forward job on the Raptors, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
And-Ones: Bryant, Barnes, Pacers
Kobe Bryant would be thrilled to play for USA Basketball in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, he told Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Bryant, who won gold medals the past two Olympics, could end his competitive basketball career in the Olympics if he chooses to retire after this NBA season, Reynolds adds. “It would mean the world to me to be around those guys,” the veteran Lakers’ swingman said. “I think to be able to have a chance to continue the relationship that I already have with most of those guys, talking and just kind of being around each other and understanding that this is it, it’s just us being together, that would be fun.” The 12-player roster is expected to be revealed in June.
In other news around the league:
- Dragan Bender, a 7’0” forward who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, heads the list of Top 10 NBA prospects compiled by Kevin O’Connor of DraftExpress.com and Celticsblog.com. The 17-year-old could be a draft-and-stash option for the Celtics, who own the struggling Nets’ 2016 first-rounder. The next three players on his list are also 6’10” or taller — LSU point forward Ben Simmons, Kentucky center Skal Labissiere and Duke forward Brandon Ingram.
- Matt Barnes is still furious that Knicks coach Derek Fisher went to the authorities after their October altercation at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times tweets. “We’re two grown men who should have handled two grown men’s business, but he wanted to run and tell the cops and the NBA,” the Grizzlies’ small forward said. The NBA is still investigating the matter, according to Ryan Lazo of the New York Post.
- Indiana’s Capital Improvement Board unanimously approved a contract Monday to allow the Pacers to build a $50MM practice facility, Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star reports. The five-story, 130,000-square-foot facility will be located across from Bankers Life Fieldhouse and is scheduled to open in 2017.
Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Celtics, Sixers, Nets
The fate of the Knicks — and possibly team president Phil Jackson — is now linked to Kristaps Porzingis, writes Mike Breshnahan of The Los Angeles Times. The fifth overall pick in June’s draft, who was loudly booed at the time by the New York crowd, has been an early success, averaging 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds through the Knicks’ first six games. With Jackson hoping to start luring big-name free agents to New York, he needs Porzingis to be part of a solid foundation to sell them on the future. Porzingis is showing early signs that he can do that. “Porzingis is their best player on the court,” an unidentified scout told Breshnahan. “Hands down.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that he understands the trials former teammate Danny Ainge, who holds the same title in Boston, is facing as he tries to rebuild the Celtics. “It’s definitely a four-year deal,” said Bird. “The problem in our league is that if you get stuck in the middle [of the draft] like with the 14 to 18th pick, you can get good players there, but they’re not game-changers.” Boston could take a giant step forward next summer when it will have the Nets‘ first-round draft pick, and possibly first-rounders from the Mavericks and Wolves.
- T.J. McConnell has been a pleasant surprise for the Sixers, but Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer warns that his playing time could be affected when Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten return from ACL tears. Coach Brett Brown said Friday that he isn’t certain when the injured point guards will be back. Previous estimates had Marshall returning sometime this month and Wroten available in December. “I’m doing my part to come back,” Wroten said. “Obviously, they said December. But I want to come back earlier if it’s right. So I’m taking it one day at a time, and hopefully I’ll come back sooner.”
- One bright spot for the winless Nets has been the play of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. The rookie made his first start Friday, replacing Markel Brown, and Bontemps says the move could be permanent.
Knicks Rumors: Bryant, Anthony, Vujacic, Calderon
Carmelo Anthony thinks Kobe Bryant should retire as a Laker, regardless of rumors ignited by Knicks president Phil Jackson, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I don’t see why he would at this late stage of his career — go all these years with the Lakers to spend one year with another team,” Anthony said. “I think it’s a bigger picture when it comes down to your legacy and things like that. At this stage, that’s what matters — how you carry out your legacy.” Jackson speculated in September that Bryant may go elsewhere as a free agent next season, but Bryant denied that on Friday, proclaiming himself to be “a Laker for life.”
There’s more out of New York:
- Offseason addition Sasha Vujacic is already in danger of losing his place in the starting lineup, Berman writes in a separate story. The 31-year-old, who had played just two NBA games over the past three seasons before making the Knicks’ roster, has been stuck in a shooting slump, connecting on just 30.4% from the floor and 18.2% from three-point range. “You go through ups and downs in the season and mine came very soon,” Vujacic said. “I’m going through a slump. It’s not a secret anymore. They’re not going in.” Berman reports starting point guard Jose Calderon is also in danger of being replaced, with Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant and Derrick Williams all candidates to join the starting lineup. Arron Afflalo is expected to return from injury this week.
- A change in the backcourt is needed, contends Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. He notes that Calderon ranks 65th out of 66 point guards in John Hollinger’s NBA Player Rankings, and Vujacic is 46th out of 66 at shooting guard.
- The Knicks are off to a 2-4 start, but Anthony told Ian Begley of ESPN.com he is willing to be patient with the rebuilding process. New York overhauled its roster during the offseason, and Anthony thinks the changes will be beneficial because of the new players’ work ethic. “If you’re out there by yourself fighting and competing and just trying to do everything by yourself and you feel like nobody else is with you, then that’s a dagger right there,” Anthony said. “… But when you know you have guys out there working with you, that are willing to get better, willing to put the work in, actually putting the work in to get better — individually and as a team — it makes that process easy.”
Atlantic Notes: McConnell, Ellington, Young
- The proximity of Brooklyn to his native Philadelphia “played a huge role” in Wayne Ellington‘s decision to sign with the Nets this summer, he told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News Group. The move was also thrust upon the shooting guard to a degree, since Lakers prioritized signing others instead of re-signing him, Medina points out. Ellington and his family suffered through the loss of his father, who was murdered in Philadelphia last year, as Medina recounts.
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James Young isn’t discouraged about his latest trip to the D-League, an early-season assignment that’s already the 12th of his career, as the 20-year-old points to his status as the youngest player on the Celtics, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Young, the 17th overall draft pick in 2014, still hasn’t won a spot in the NBA rotation. “Ultimately to play on our team, you have to beat out the people in front of you,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And that’s the reality of the situation.”
- The Knicks are just 2-3, but with the play of rookies Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant, plus the continued success Langston Galloway is having on his partially guaranteed contract, the Knicks have hope for the future, observes Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
Atlantic Notes: Fredette, Saric, Prokhorov, Celtics
- Draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric wished he could have joined the Sixers this past offseason and confirmed to the Croatian outlet Vecernji list that he intends to sign with Philadelphia when his overseas contract allows him to this coming summer (translation via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com). Saric, the 12th pick of the 2014 draft, added that he’s in constant communication with Sixers officials.
- The NBA blocked Mikhail Prokhorov’s plan to borrow money against his share of the Nets to purchase the minority portion that Bruce Ratner owns because it would give the team more than $250MM in debt, sources told Josh Kosman and Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. NBA teams can’t borrow more than that amount without a waiver. So, Prokhorov and Ratner are attempting to restructure the deal that would give Prokhorov 100% of the team, the Post scribes write, and it’s still on track to be complete by year’s end, a league source tells NetsDaily.
- The Celtics recalled Jordan Mickey and James Young from the D-League, the team announced. They received some extra practice reps while with the farm team after the C’s assigned them Tuesday. Keep tabs on all this year’s D-League assignments and recalls with our tracker, which we’ll be updating throughout the season.
Atlantic Notes: Green, D-League, Ross
Spurs shooting guard Danny Green acknowledged that the Knicks had reached out to him over the summer, but said that he couldn’t gauge their sincerity and he instead agreed to re-sign with San Antonio when the free agent signing period began back in July, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I was very much leaning towards [the Spurs] than anywhere else,’’ Green said. “New York reached out, but I don’t think they were as interested as I thought they’d be. My deal was done pretty quick.’’
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey and swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This marks the first assignment of the 2015/16 season for each player. The Red Claws don’t officially open their season until November 12th, so this is likely a move designed to get the duo more practice time, though that is merely my speculation.
- Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Raptors on Monday, will earn $10MM in 2016/17, and $10.5MM per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Nets have officially added Randy Ayers and Bob Bender to their player personnel scouting staff, the team announced. Ayers was named to the position of college scout, while Bender was named pro scout, according to the press release.
- Jared Sullinger, who failed to reach an agreement with the Celtics on an extension prior to Monday’s deadline, said that he’ll be playing the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, and added that even some of his own family members have doubted his abilities, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe relays (via Twitter).
NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players
NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.
NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:
Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)
Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)
Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)
Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)
Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)
Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)
- Michael Cobbins
- Mustapha Farrakhan
- Michael Qualls
- Dez Wells
Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)
Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)
Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)
Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)
San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)
Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)
Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)
Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.
- Keith Appling, Magic — Magic affiliate
- Jordan Bachynski, Pistons — Knicks affiliate
- Earl Barron, Hawks — Suns affiliate
- Sampson Carter, Grizzlies — Cavaliers affiliate (D-League draft)
- Patrick Christopher, Grizzlies — Grizzlies affiliate
- Bryce Cotton, Jazz — Spurs affiliate
- Michael Dunigan, Cavaliers — Cavaliers affiliate
- Jarell Eddie, Warriors — Spurs affiliate
- C.J. Fair, Pacers — Pacers affiliate
- Jimmer Fredette, Spurs — Knicks affiliate
- Stefhon Hannah, Bulls — Pistons affiliate
- Jaron Johnson, Wizards — Rockets affiliate
- Omari Johnson, Trail Blazers — Celtics affiliate
- Perry Jones III, Celtics — Grizzlies affiliate (D-League draft)
- Tre Kelley, Heat — Heat affiliate
- Jordan McRae, Sixers — Sixers affiliate (D-League draft)
- Cartier Martin, Pistons — Grizzlies affiliate
- Toure’ Murry, Wizards — Mavericks affiliate (traded with Rockets affiliate for his D-League rights)
- Dan Nwaelele, Grizzlies — Warriors affiliate
- Marcus Simmons, Bulls — Pacers affiliate
- E.J. Singler, Jazz — Jazz affiliate
- DaJuan Summers, Knicks — Knicks affiliate
- Adonis Thomas, Pistons — Pistons affiliate
- Sam Thompson, Hornets — Pistons affiliate (D-League draft)
- J.P. Tokoto, Sixers — Thunder affiliate (traded for his D-League rights)
- Talib Zanna, Thunder — Thunder affiliate
Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.