D-League Moves: Lamb, Orton, Melo
We'll track the day's D-League assignments and recalls right here:
- Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton have been recalled from the D-League by the Thunder, tweets Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. The duo have been up and down between the Thunder and the Tulsa 66ers so far this season, having just been assigned to the 66ers on Saturday.
- The Celtics have recalled Fab Melo from the Maine Red Claws, the team announced today in a press release. Melo had been assigned to Boston's D-League affiliate back on November 14th. Although the C's have assigned and recalled Kris Joseph to the Red Claws multiple times already, this is Melo's first recall of the season. For Maine, he averaged 6.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 2.2 BPG in five contests.
D-League Moves: Claver, Barton, Jackson
The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled rookie forwards Victor Claver and Will Barton from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League, the team announced this morning.
Claver and Barton were sent down on Friday, and played in two games for the Stampede. Barton averaged 19.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG. Claver averaged 11.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.0 APG.
Here are the rest of the D-League moves from Sunday:
- The Thunder have recalled second-year guard Reggie Jackson from the Tulsa 66ers.
D-League Moves: Jackson, Joseph, Lamb, Orton
We're keeping track of all of the D-League assignments and recalls of 2012/13 right here, and we'll round up today's moves in this post, with the latest on top.
- The Thunder have assigned Reggie Jackson to the Tulsa 66ers, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). The second-year point guard has seen only 56 minutes of action across 10 games for Oklahoma City this year after losing to Eric Maynor in the battle to become the team's primary backup point guard. Jackson is the fifth player the Thunder has sent to the D-League at different points this season, and he'll join Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton, who were demoted earlier today.
- The Celtics announced forward Kris Joseph has been assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the D-League for a third time this season. The 6'7" Joseph has averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 39.0 minutes over three contests for the Red Claws this season. He's also hit the floor for three times with the big club in Boston, but has totaled only nine NBA minutes.
- The Thunder announced that they have sent guard Jeremy Lamb and center Daniel Orton back to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. Both players were recalled just yesterday along with Perry Jones III. Lamb and Orton are presently the only Thunder players on the 66ers' roster with Jones remaining in Oklahoma City and DeAndre Liggins having been recalled last week.
Stein On Gasol, Harden, Lin, Bobcats
In the weekend version of his column, ESPN.com's Marc Stein wonders if any of the four teams involved in the Dwight Howard blockbuster can call themselves the winner. Right now, it would seem that the Magic are the only club that can claim to feel any sort of satisfaction with its current state of affairs. Coach Jacque Vaughn has looked like a smart hire, center Nikola Vucevic is producing consistently, and last week's win over the Lakers should keep Orlando fans happy for a good while. Stein also checked in with a group of league scouts at the quarter-mark of the year to get their thoughts on this summer's player movement and moves that could be around the bend. Let's take a look..
- An Eastern Conference scout believes that Steve Nash can fix the Lakers' problem upon his return. Nash can obviously run Mike D'Antoni's offense, but Pau Gasol doesn't seem to be the power forward the club needs to make everything work. Even though Gasol has helped the Lakers to two NBA titles, the scout believes they will ultimately trade him.
- After seeing the way the Thunder have played without James Harden, an Eastern Conference scout says that he can understand why they opted to keep Serge Ibaka instead. Kevin Martin has played well in the No. 3 role and will be a major asset in the playoffs if he can help pull defensive attention away from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. With the aforementioned stars both being capable of closing out games, the scout picks Oklahoma City to win the West.
- A Western Conference scout gave a less-than-stellar appraisal of Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin. "On an average team, he can be a starter. On a good team, he's going to have to be a backup," said the scout.
- The Bobcats may not be able to keep up this level of play all season long but new coach Mike Dunlap is showing that he can get a great deal out of his players, according to one Western Conference scout. The scout notes that Brendan Haywood is taking charges and diving after loose balls more than he was for the Mavs' championship team.
- Stein hears that the Clippers' new director of basketball administration Eric Miller is being groomed for a larger role in the Clips' decision-making hierarchy.
D-League Moves: Thunder, Barton, Claver, Leuer
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with the latest moves up top. To keep tabs on all of this season's D-League assignments and recalls, check out our complete list.
- The Thunder have recalled Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, and Daniel Orton from the Tulsa 66ers, the team announced today (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports). Having recalled DeAndre Liggins from the D-League last week, the Thunder now don't have any players still on the 66ers' roster, though I'd imagine that won't last too long.
- The Trail Blazers have assigned Will Barton and Victor Claver to the Idaho Stampede, the team announced today (link via Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com). Of the two rookies, Barton has earned more playing time, averaging 8.8 MPG in 16 contests, while Claver has seen limited minutes in just five games. Both players will be with the Stampede for two games before rejoining Portland, according to GM Neil Olshey (Twitter link via Jason Quick of the Oregonian).
- The Cavaliers have assigned Jon Leuer to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Leuer will join the Canton Charge and be available for the club's game tomorrow. After being claimed off waivers by Cleveland in the offseason, Leuer has appeared in five games for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 14.4 minutes per contest. The 23-year-old will be the only member of the Cavs playing in the D-League for now, since the team recalled Kevin Jones earlier this week.
Northwest Notes: Durant, Blazers, Stiemsma
The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Wednesday evening:
- Kevin Durant tells Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that he feels the Thunder have played well in adjusting to James Harden's absence.
- Abby Chin of CSNNW.com writes that Blazers coach Terry Stotts is trying to instill confidence in the team's bench, which has underperformed this season.
- Timberwolves center Greg Stiemsma reflects on his rookie season in Boston as they prepare to play the Celtics.
Berger On Lakers, White, Thunder, Fisher
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a new column dealing with several high-profile topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:
- Berger writes that if the Lakers choose to trade Pau Gasol, they should look for wing defenders and bench depth.
- The Rockets and Royce White appear to be making progress in working through the issues that have prevented the rookie from seeing playing time. Berger reports that White has begun seeing the therapist the team assigned to him to assist with his anxiety disorder.
- Kevin Martin is having a fantastic season for the Thunder, who Berger believes have been vindicated for their decision to trade James Harden.
- Thunder guard Russell Westbrook praised the Mavericks' signing of Derek Fisher, citing the veteran point guard's impact on the Oklahoma City locker room last season.
Odds & Ends: Kings, West, Thunder, Raptors
The Kings are reportedly exploring options for a potential move and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson appears to be running out of patience. "I don't like not being able to fight and not being able to determine the outcome," he said. "The Kings and the owners have to want to be here." The Kings have reportedly spoken with officials in Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, and St. Louis in recent weeks. More from around the Association..
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat should look into signing free agents Kenyon Martin and Delonte West. Both players have picked up less-than-sterling reputations in recent years but would provide Miami with some badly needed defense off the bench. Earlier today we learned that the Celtics haven't checked in on K-Mart despite speculation to the contrary.
- While the Jazz haven't been off to a hot start, they are likely to keep their core in place so long as they are in the mix for the playoffs, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Utah currently sits at 9-10 after losing 105-104 to the Clippers on Monday night.
- It looks like the new-look Thunder are going to be much better than anyone expected them to be, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland.com. Luxury tax concerns were the main reason for the James Harden trade but the club hasn't lost a step thanks to their increased defensive focus.
- It's time for the Raptors to trade Andrea Bargnani in order for both parties to get a fresh start, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. However, Wolstat notes that league chatter indicates that the market for the former No. 1 pick is underwhelming.
- The Lakers' justifications for firing Mike Brown and hiring Mike D'Antoni aren't holding up, writes ESPN.com's J.A. Adande. D'Antoni insists that things will improve upon Steve Nash's return, but Adande points out that he won't help solve their defensive woes.
Martin Says Return To Thunder A Strong Possibility
Kevin Martin is set to become a free agent next summer, and though he and his agent have not spoken with the Thunder about an extension, the 29-year-old shooting guard made it clear that re-signing with Oklahoma City is a strong possibility, according to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com. Still, Martin is excited about the prospect of hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time.
"I’m a Midwest guy and it’s going to be an interesting summer for myself, because I never got a chance to really be a free agent and I’m going to be high in the shooting guard class, so hopefully everything works out here," Martin said. "We have a great thing right now and I’m just living in the moment."
Martin, who's making $12.44MM this season, has inherited the team's sixth man role from James Harden, for whom he was traded just before the season began. It's no surprise that he and the Thunder aren't talking about his contract right now, since the team would only be able to give him three more years in an extension, while they could re-sign him for up to five years when he's a free agent in July.
According to Martin, "everything's been positive" since he joined the Thunder. He's averaging 16.1 points per game on 46.2% shooting, but those numbers are down from the 16.8 PPG and 49.1% shooting Harden gave them last year. Still, the Thunder are off to a fast start, at 14-4. The team wasn't willing to give Harden a max deal, but reportedly made him a four-year offer for a few million dollars less than that. I'm not sure if they're prepared to pay Martin the same money they'd have given Harden, but if they decide to keep the Western Carolina product around, four years and $50MM would probably be enough to convince Martin to return.
Unless Monta Ellis exercises his early termination option to leave the Bucks, Martin figures to be at the top of a relatively weak market for shooting guards next summer. O.J. Mayo, J.R. Smith and Manu Ginobili are other intriguing names who could be available, as our Hoops Rumors list of 2013/14 free agents shows.
Thunder Assign Perry Jones To D-League
The Thunder have assigned rookie forward Perry Jones to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Baylor product was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
In ten games this season, Jones has logged 76 minutes of play with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The 6'11" forward was widely expected to be a late-lottery pick but suffered a free fall due to concerns over a potential meniscus issue.