Nets Waive David Nwaba, Will Sign Justin Anderson
JANUARY 3: The Nets have officially waived Nwaba, the team announced today in a press release.
JANUARY 2: Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reports (Twitter link) that the Nets will be waiving swingman David Nwaba, who has been ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Nwaba has a cap hit of $1.7MM for the 2019/20 season, but his non-guaranteed salary in 2020/21 will not impact Brooklyn’s salary cap next year. The team still has an $839,000 disabled player exception even after waiving Nwaba.
[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Disabled Player Exceptions]
Since going undrafted in 2016, Nwaba has managed to carve out a small niche for himself as an athletic wing defender. Returning to the league after one of the most devastating injuries an NBA player can suffer will be no small feat.
In Nwaba’s stead, Brooklyn will ink G League wing Justin Anderson, currently on the Raptors 905, to a 10-day contract, Charania tweets. Anderson, the No. 21 pick by Dallas in 2015, has a career slash line of 5.3 PPG/2.6 RPG/0.7 APG in 13.2 MPG. He has played for the Mavericks, Sixers and Hawks.
Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts as of this Sunday.
Gores: Struggling Pistons “Have To Assess Everything”
Speaking on Thursday night to reporters, Pistons owner Tom Gores said that winning is still his top priority, but admitted he wants more than a No. 8 seed and acknowledged that taking a step back in the short term could ultimately help Detroit achieve that goal, tweets James Edwards of The Athletic.
“We have to look at everything because we’re not winning, so you’re not winning, to me, you have to assess everything,” Gores said of his 12-23 squad, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “I think anybody would want to do that. And probably in the next month or so, we’re going to get together as an organization and just discuss things.”
Although Gores didn’t go so far as to say that the Pistons are seriously considering becoming deadline sellers or blowing up their roster, his comments reflect a change in tone. After the club was eliminated from the playoffs by Milwaukee last April, the Pistons’ owner stressed that he doesn’t believe in tanking and wants to establish a winning culture in Detroit. However, the organization’s win-now efforts have been largely unsuccessful.
The Pistons have made the postseason just twice in the last 10 years, both times as the East’s No. 8 seed. The team didn’t win a single game in either playoff appearance and appears on track to miss the postseason again in 2020, despite the fact that the eighth-seeded Magic are just 15-19 — the 11th-seeded Pistons are already 3.5 games back. Injuries have played a part in Detroit’s struggles this season, but Gores doesn’t want to use them as an excuse, as Beard notes.
“We expected to manage minutes and all of that stuff for our players but we’ve had some bad luck, but other teams had bad luck, too, and you’ve got to work through it,” Gores said. “I just think injuries happen. We’ve had more than our share this year, but we have to build a team that can handle it.”
While it’s probably too early in the season for the Pistons to shift into player-development mode, it was interesting that Gores’ comments came on a night when rookie Sekou Doumbouya – the NBA’s youngest player – received his first career start, as Edwards points out at The Athletic.
If the Pistons do become sellers at the deadline, Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, and Langston Galloway would be among the team’s trade candidates. Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson could be discussed as well, though they’d be trickier to move and the franchise would have to be willing to fully commit to a change in direction.
Caris LeVert Expected To Return Saturday
Injured Nets swingman Caris LeVert is expected to suit up for Brooklyn for a Saturday game against the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
LeVert has missed the last seven weeks with a right thumb injury that required surgery. The 25-year-old Michigan alum signed a three-year, $52MM extension with the club this summer.
The 16-17 Nets, currently the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, are reeling after a four-game slump. LeVert (16.8 PPG) and Kyrie Irving (28.5 PPG), two of the team’s three top scorers, have both been out since mid-November.
In his nine healthy games for the Nets this season, LeVert has made contributions beyond his scoring. He is averaging 5.0 RPG and 4.0 APG, while shooting 36.1% of his 4.0 three-point attempts a night. LeVert fell to the No. 20 pick in the 2016 NBA draft in part due to injury concerns. The athletic, 6’6″ wing has played in just 177 of a possible 279 games in his pro career thus far.
Jonathan Isaac Out Indefinitely With Hyperextended Left Knee
JANUARY 2: The Magic have released a statement (Twitter link) declaring that, following an MRI today, ascendant third-year forward Jonathan Isaac suffered “a posterior lateral corner injury and a medial bone contusion.”
The team also noted that Isaac would be out indefinitely and will be re-evaluated in eight-to-10 weeks. Orlando is considering “operative and non-operative treatments” for Isaac. This is a huge blow for the Magic, who are already dealing with numerous injuries to their front court as they scrap to make the 2020 playoffs.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the Magic still have an open roster spot, which could be used to add some frontcourt help.
JANUARY 1: Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Isaac injured his left knee this afternoon while driving on a layup attempt during the first quarter of game action against the Wizards.
The Magic have tweeted that Isaac’s injury is a hyperextended left knee. They note that he will be re-evaluated with an MRI tomorrow, when the team returns to Orlando.
The 22 year-old big man lingered on the floor for several minutes clutching the knee. He eventually sat up and was carried off the Capital One Arena hardwood of on a stretcher. Isaac’s fellow Magic forwards Aaron Gordon (sore left Achilles) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) are also battling injuries.
Isaac, a 6’11” combo forward out of Florida State, was drafted by Orlando with the sixth overall pick in 2017. He has been enjoying his best statistical pro season to date, averaging a solid slash line of 12.3 PPG/7.1 RPG/2.5 BPG/1.6 APG. Isaac is also shooting a career-best 46.3% from the field. Nicknamed the “Minister of Defense” on the Magic, Isaac has been particularly strong on that side of the floor.
If Isaac, Gordon and Aminu miss extended time with their maladies, second year power forward Amile Jefferson, undrafted in 2017, may get additional run for the Magic. Parry noted that Jefferson was the first on-court replacement for Isaac after the starrier Orlando prospect went down today.
According to Josh Robbins of the Athletic (Twitter link) Isaac told his colleague Fred Katz after the game, “I’ve never hurt my knee before. But as I was down there (on the court), I started to feel better and better just being down there. So I kind of felt just a reassurance that I was going to be OK.”
Kings’ Dewayne Dedmon Fined For Public Trade Request
Kings center Dewayne Dedmon has been fined $50K for “public statements detrimental to the NBA and its teams,” the league announced today in a press release. The penalty stems from Dedmon’s comments to The Sacramento Bee about his desire to be traded out of Sacramento.
“I would like to be traded,” Dedmon said on Sunday. “I haven’t been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.”
The fine comes as no surprise. While players and agents are generally permitted to ask for trades via back-channels, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits them from publicly announcing those requests.
Anthony Davis was fined $50K last winter when agent Rich Paul publicly asked for a trade, so Dedmon received an identical penalty for his comments.
Zion Williamson Practices, Still No Return Date Set
Zion Williamson went through his first full practice today since having meniscus surgery in October, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans are hoping the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft will be able to make his NBA debut sometime this month, but coach Alvin Gentry said there’s still no projected date for that to happen (Twitter link).
Gentry told reporters that Williamson definitely won’t play during the team’s current road trip, according to a tweet from the Pelicans. New Orleans has a game tomorrow in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Saturday in Sacramento before returning home Monday.
In a video link from the team, Williamson called it a “great experience” to be back at practice and said he would have started two weeks ago if the decision had been up to him. He added that even he doesn’t have a clear idea of when he might start playing. “It’ll probably be one of those moments, like when it came to my college decision, I’ll (wake) up and I’ll know,” he said.
Not only was Williamson a full participant in today’s practice, he stayed afterward for extra work, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). Williamson practiced his free throws with assistant coach Fred Vinson and worked out with assistant Michael Ruffin as well.
Reactions To The Death Of David Stern
Tributes are pouring in from every corner of the NBA for former commissioner David Stern, who died Wednesday at age 77. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski calls him “a visionary and a dealmaker and a tyrant and a revolutionist.” Stern commanded respect and often instilled fear during his 30 years of running the league. He’s being remembered as an indispensable figure who lifted the NBA out of its financial woes and took it to a place of unprecedented prosperity.
Stern brought salary caps, maximum contracts, and dress codes to the league. He marketed individual players, starting with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird before launching a worldwide superstar in Michael Jordan. He sold the game to a global market that expanded to include China when he negotiated the deal that brought Yao Ming to the NBA.
Wojnarowski relates a story by Manu Ginobili, who grew up watching NBA highlights thanks to a deal that Stern negotiated with Argentina Channel 9 in his first year as commissioner in 1984.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t even dream of playing in the NBA,” Ginobili said. “Nobody ever from Argentina played in the NBA when I was 10. I was watching MJ’s [highlights] and thinking he was from another planet, that he was unreachable, untouchable — the same as Magic and Larry. And then I find myself, years later, raising the same trophy as they did.”
There are more remembrances of Stern this morning:
- One of Stern’s towering acts was the support he gave to Johnson in 1991 when the Lakers’ star announced he had tested positive for HIV, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The public had little understanding of the disease at the time, Zillgitt recalls, and many thought Johnson was about to die. Stern threw the full support of the league behind him and hired a prominent AIDS researcher so he could learn more about what to expect. “David Stern was such a history maker,” Johnson tweeted last night. “When I announced in 1991 I had HIV, people thought they could get the virus from shaking my hand. When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world.”
- Jordan, who dealt with Stern extensively as a player and owner, also released a statement, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. “Without David Stern, the NBA would not be what it is today,” he said. “He guided the league through turbulent times and grew the league into an international phenomenon, creating opportunities that few could have imagined before. His vision and leadership provided me with the global stage that allowed me to succeed.”
- LeBron James believes the league should find something to name in Stern’s honor as a lasting tribute, relays Mark Medina of USA Today. “He definitely should have something named after him,” James said. “Either if it’s an award, or, I don’t know, a day? During the course of an NBA season, there’s a ‘David Stern Day.’ I don’t know. We can figure it out.” James added that Stern and Dr. James Naismith “are two of the most important people for the game of basketball,” and believes the league office will find an appropriate way to honor his memory.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern Dies At 77
Former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away on Wednesday due to the brain hemorrhage he suffered approximately three weeks ago, the NBA announced in a press release.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement:
“For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals – preparation, attention to detail, and hard work.
“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand – making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.
“Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration. Our deepest condolences go out to David’s wife, Dianne, their sons, Andrew and Eric, and their extended family, and we share our grief with everyone whose life was touched by him.”
Stern was hospitalized on December 13 after collapsing at a Manhattan restaurant as a result of a sudden brain hemorrhage. He underwent emergency brain surgery, but reportedly remained in critical condition in the weeks leading up to his death.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Stern’s family and friends.
Darren Collison Eyes Return With Either L.A. Team
Guard Darren Collison is mulling a February return to the NBA and would prefer to play with either the Lakers or Clippers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Collison retired after last season for religious reasons.
Collision was projected to get offers in the $8-10MM range in free agency over the summer, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Both Los Angeles teams have full rosters and would need to shed a player to sign the veteran point man. Either team could ink him for the prorated minimum and the Lakers also have a $1.75MM Disabled Player Exception which expires on March 10, Marks adds (Twitter link).
Collison averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG for Indiana last season. He’s averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.0 APG in 29.4 MPG over 708 career regular-season games.
Collison chose to retire in order to devote more time to his Jehovah’s Witness ministry and spend more time with his family. He was also working with Pro’s Vision, a training company that works primarily with young athletes.
The Lakers have a crowd at point guard, though no standout. That group includes Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley. The Clippers also have a number of point options, including Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Terance Mann and Derrick Walton Jr.
Mavs’ Ryan Broekhoff Has Fractured Fibula
Mavericks swingman Ryan Broekhoff has been diagnosed with a fractured left fibula, according to a team press release.
Broekhoff’s fracture, which is at the proximal head of his fibula, occurred in the final minute of the Mavericks’ game against the Lakers on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Broekhoff has appeared in 10 games this season, averaging 3.7 PPG in 7.7 MPG. He saw action in 42 games with Dallas last season in his first NBA campaign. The former Valparaiso star averaged 4.0 PPG in 10.8 MPG.
The Australian spent five seasons overseas after his college career before the Mavs signed him to a two-year contract in 2018.
While the injury won’t affect the Mavs’ rotation, it could affect Broekhoff’s long-term prospects with the team. Dallas would have to extend a $1,922,425 qualifying offer to him in June to make him a restricted free agent.