NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/19/17
Here are Sunday’s G League assignment and recalls from around the NBA:
8:30pm:
- The Cavaliers assigned center Ante Zizic to their G League affiliate, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The big man has seen limited action for the big league club this season.
5:02pm:
- The Lakers have recalled Ivica Zubac and Josh Hart from South Bay Lakers, Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sportsnet tweets. In his latest two-game stint with Los Angeles’ G-League affiliate, Zubac averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per contest.
- The Knicks have assigned Damyean Dotson to their G-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, per the team’s Twitter feed.
- The Heat have recalled Derrick Walton Jr. from their G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announces via press release. Walton will continue to shuffle back and forth between the two clubs, as he’s on a newly established two-way deal.
- The Hawks have recalled Nicolas Brussino, Tyler Dorsey, and Miles Plumlee, from the team’s G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, according to a team press release.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/14/17
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Lakers completed a series of G League moves on Tuesday, assigning Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac to the South Bay Lakers while also recalling Thomas Bryant, per a team release. L.A.’s affiliate plays its next game on Wednesday, so Hart and Zubac should get a chance to play major minutes if they remain on assignment through the day.
- First-round pick Terrance Ferguson was assigned to the G League by the Thunder, the club announced in a press release. Ferguson took advantage of his opportunity to suit up for the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday night, scoring a team-high 24 points in a 122-118 win over the Texas Legends.
- Second-year center Damian Jones was re-assigned to the G League on Tuesday by the Warriors, according to Mark Medina of The Bay Area New Group (Twitter link). Jones has spent most of the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, but was recalled for brief stint in Golden State this week.
Pacific Notes: Paul, Simon, Abdul-Jabbar, Durant
The Clippers view San Antonio as a serious threat to sign Chris Paul this summer, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “Mutual interest” between Paul and the Spurs was suggested earlier this week by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, and L.A. officials see that as a concern despite San Antonio’s lack of cap space. Paul is expected to use an early-termination option and hit the free agent market. He is eligible for a five-year deal worth about $205MM from the Clippers and four years at roughly $152MM from anyone else. The Spurs only have about $10MM in cap room right now, with Dewayne Dedmon ($3MM) and David Lee ($1.6MM) both owning player options.
There’s more today from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers are finalizing a deal to add Miles Simon to their coaching staff, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. He will replace Theo Robertson, who left this week to become an assistant at the University of California. The Most Outstanding Player in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, Simon played just five NBA games, all with Orlando. He spent three years as an assistant coach at Arizona and is currently a college basketball analyst for ESPN.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be the next Lakers legend to get a role with the team, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Abdul-Jabbar says he has been invited to meet with president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and controlling owner Jeanie Buss to discuss a position in the organization. He added that he would like to serve as a mentor to second-year center Ivica Zubac and help him develop his hook shot. “He’s equipped to use it well,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He has the length to begin with. If he can develop his shooting touch and agility, he’ll use it well.”
- As the NBA Finals approach, Warriors star Kevin Durant is “at peace” with his decision to leave Oklahoma City, relays Sam Amick of USA Today. He bristles at suggestions that his move is behind the lack of parity in the NBA. “Like I’m the reason why Orlando couldn’t make the playoffs for five, six years in a row?” he said. “Am I the reason that Brooklyn gave all their picks to Boston? Like, am I the reason that they’re not that good. I can’t play for every team, so the truth of the matter is I left one team. It’s one more team that you probably would’ve thought would’ve been a contender. One more team. I couldn’t have made the (entire) East better. I couldn’t have made everybody [else] in the West better.”
Lakers Notes: Johnson, Zubac, George
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss discussed the team’s roster with Magic Johnson prior to handing him the team president role. At the time, Johnson told her that he didn’t see a star on the roster, as she told Jesse Williams on the Open Run Podcast (h/t Anthony Irwin of SB Nation).
“I asked him who he would build the team around,” Buss said. “He thought about it for a second and he said, ‘I don’t know if you have the player yet… I would build the team around Luke.’”
Johnson joined Los Angeles’ front office back in February. Here’s more on his team:
- GM Rob Pelinka said that one of the Lakers‘ priorities this offseason will be to add a center who fits into today’s NBA, Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays (Twitter links). Pelinka added that he views Ivica Zubac as “someone [the team] considers to be one of the pillars of the future.”
- Pelinka said character will be a major factor when evaluating possible additions this summer, Winters passes along on Twitter. “I think going forward we’re going to really put a lot of weight into the character of a player,” the GM said. “What kind of person is he?”
- Johnson will represent Los Angeles at next month’s lottery drawing, according to Mike Trudell of NBA.com. The Lakers have a 46.9% chance at landing a top-3 pick, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors details. They will owe the Sixers their first-round pick should it fall outside the top-3.
- It’s well known that Johnson is a fan of Paul George and the Lakers may pursue the small-forward either this summer or next. George reportedly hasn’t been quiet about his interest in the team.
Lakers’ Ivica Zubac Out For Rest Of Season
The Lakers recently shut down multiple veteran players in order to get a longer look at their young contributors as the season nears an end. Now, one of those young players will miss the rest of the year too. According to a press release issued today by the Lakers, rookie big man Ivica Zubac sustained a high ankle sprain in his right ankle and won’t return to the court this season. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, per the team.
Zubac, who suffered the injury early in Thursday night’s loss to Minnesota, appeared in 38 games for the Lakers in his rookie season, and flashed some promise. For the year, the 2016 second-rounder averaged 7.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 16.0 minutes per contest.
The Lakers, having shut down veterans Nick Young, Luol Deng, and Timofey Mozgov, have some options as they look to make up Zubac’s minutes. Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, and Larry Nance Jr. are among the players who could see their roles increase over the final two weeks of the season.
Pacific Notes: Len, Zubac, Warriors, Chriss
With restricted free agency looming, Alex Len has been given every opportunity to lock down the Suns‘ starting center job. Veteran big man Tyson Chandler has been shut down for the season for non-health reasons, and Dragan Bender remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Earl Watson has recently deployed a combination of Len, Alan Williams, and Marquese Chriss at the five. Now averaging 10.8 PPG with 9.5 rebounds over his last four games, the onus is on Len to prove himself as an NBA-caliber starter down the stretch.
“It’s my contract year, so it’s a huge stretch. I just have to show everybody I can be a starting center in this league,” Len told Doug Haller of AZ Central. “I got an opportunity, I just have to prove it.”
Watson spoke positively of Len, noting the fourth-year center’s efforts to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal.
“Big guys in this league, either you develop and shoot the 3 or you become a great rebounder,” Watson said. “Alex Len is a capable corner 3-point shooter, he just has to get comfortable shooting it and he has to practice it. That’s where the confidence will come from.”
More from around the Pacific…
- Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post performed a “postmortem” of the Lakers, previewing the team’s summer strategy. Per Bontemps, Magic Johnson would be inclined to select Lonzo Ball of UCLA whether L.A. receives the first or second pick. Bontemps notes that D’Angelo Russell may be used as trade bait over the offseason, while the team still holds Brandon Ingram in a high regard (despite his gaudy 29% mark from 3-point range).
- Chriss has become the Suns‘ bright spot, Doug Haller of AZ Central writes. The 19-year-old feels confident and comfortable in his rookie season, displaying an “ultra-aggressive” style of play on each end of the court. When asked of his post All-Star break improvements, Chriss offered a pragmatic answer: “A lot of the shots I took (in the first half of the season) were contested,” he said. “They weren’t good shots. I think this second half I’ve taken a lot better shots and I’ve kind of picked my spots of when to go to the hoop.”
- According to Tim Kawakami of Mercury News, the Warriors and Jerry West have had preliminary discussions of an extension (Twitter link). While the interview didn’t delve into his long-term plans with Golden State, West held an informative Q&A with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Ivica Zubac discussed his future plans with Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. Zubac, who has lost 24 pounds since December, spoke about the benefits of getting in shape. “I can run way more,” Zubac said. “I’m playing a lot more minutes now. In the beginning of the season if I entered the game and played three minutes — that would be it. … Now I’m feeling great.” The 20-year-old rookie plans to get stronger over the offseason, so he can “fight all these guys in the post.”
Lakers Rumors: Brewer, D’Antoni, Zubac, Pelinka
Veteran swingman Corey Brewer hasn’t been sulking over the trade last month that sent him from the contending Rockets to the lowly Lakers, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Coach Luke Walton credits Brewer for being a positive locker-room presence and helpful hand during film sessions despite losing out on a chance to play in the postseason. “He just has a great energy about him,” Walton told Feigen. “He makes the locker room a more enjoyable place to be. He’s been very pleasant to have around since the trade.”
In other news involving the Lakers:
- Former coach and current Rockets head man Mike D’Antoni has only good feelings toward former GM Mitch Kupchak and previous executive vice president Jim Buss, Mark Medina of the Orange County Register writes. D’Antoni said Kupchak and Buss were fully supportive of him during the two seasons he coached the team, Medina continues. “They did everything for me they could possibly do. There’s nothing else to ask of them,” D’Antoni told Medina. “It was a tough time. We had to deal with a transition period and injuries.”
- Rookie center Ivica Zubac has been one of the season’s few bright spots and he’ll remain in the starting lineup the rest of the season, Medina reports in a separate piece. Zubac, 19, posted a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in his third start on Monday against the Nuggets. The team is thrilled with his development, Medina adds. “Zu is a very skilled player,” Walton told the assembled media. “It doesn’t surprise me when he has nights where he’s making shots.”
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey believes president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka will be a formidable duo in the Lakers’ front office, Medina relays in another story. Morey was impressed how Johnson conducted himself as they negotiated the deadline deal that brought Lou Williams to Houston. He also felt Pelinka, who represented James Harden, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon, was one of the league’s top agents. “When you come from different backgrounds, sometimes that gives you an edge as you come in a new role,” Morey told Medina. “I like the concept. Magic did the smart thing in pairing up with him. I think it’s going to be a good team.”
- Pelinka told the players that he will be open about the franchise’s direction and ask for their input during individual meetings after the regular season ends, Medina notes in a story posted by the Los Angeles Daily News. “They want us to know what their plan is for the future,” Zubac told Medina. “Whatever we want to find out, good or bad things, we’ll find out when we speak to him. That’s really good we’re involved with him.”
Timofey Mozgov ‘Shut Down’ By Lakers
Despite being healthy, Lakers center Timofey Mozgov may not play again this season, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A source tells Spears that Mozgov has been “shut down” so the team can take a closer look at its younger players.
Signing the 30-year-old was the first major move of the offseason for the Lakers, who gave him a four-year, $64MM contract. It was considered a large amount for someone who had rarely been more than a part-time starter since entering the league in 2010.
If Mozgov’s first season is done in L.A., he finishes it with averages of 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 54 games. He has only played twice since February 6th, and rookie Ivica Zubac appears to have taken his place in the starting lineup.
Mozgov still has three seasons and $48MM left on his contract. The Lakers’ other significant free agent signing of last summer, Luol Deng, has three years and $54MM remaining. The 31-year-old small forward hasn’t played since February 28th as the Lakers’ new regime puts an emphasis on youth.
In addition to developing its young players, L.A. has an incentive to tank as its pick will go to the Sixers if it lands outside the top three. The Lakers are currently second in our Reverse Standings.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/10/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Having signed him to a 10-day contract, the Mavericks have now recalled Manny Harris from their D-League affiliate, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Harris, assigned to the Texas Legends for one more game after signing with the Mavs on Thursday, put up 31 points last month in a loss to Northern Arizona.
- The Pistons have sent Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije back to their D-League affiliate for the weekend, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The Grand Rapids Drive will play games in Erie tonight and tomorrow.
- Rookie guard Malik Beasley is headed to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on an assignment, the Nuggets announced today in a press release. Denver doesn’t have its own D-League squad yet, so this is Beasley’s fifth assignment to Miami’s affiliate.
- The Lakers have assigned Ivica Zubac to the D-League for tonight’s game against Reno, per Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Zubac has had a more regular role for the Lakers over the last month, and will get a chance to suit up for the D-Fenders today with the NBA club not in action until Sunday.
- The Knicks have assigned Maurice Ndour to Westchester, the team announced today (via Twitter). The rookie forward has averaged 14.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG in 12 D-League games this season.
- The Grizzlies have assigned Deyonta Davis to the Iowa Energy, the team announced in a press release. The No. 31 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis has been used sparingly in David Fizdale’s rotation; accumulating four DNP’s over Memphis’ last seven games. Davis has averaged 8.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over five games with the Energy in 2016/17.
Pacific Notes: Oracle Arena, Zubac, Cousins, Kerr
Tickets at the Oracle Arena have long been the hottest commodity in town, which has now resulted in an embarrassing story for the Warriors. The team has been issued a fraud alert, AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today reports, as 650+ fans have been sold counterfeit tickets from third-party sources. To avoid being turned away at the door, the team issued a news release encouraging fans to avoid non-verified vendors.
Other goings-on from the Pacific…
- Ivica Zubac has exceeded coach Luke Walton‘s expectations. The 19-year-old rookie has played in each of the Lakers‘ last eight games, and was even used as a positive example when the team reviewed tape. “It’s a good message and a good visual when the guys see it on film,” Walton told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. “We don’t call any plays for Zu and he ends up with 15 shot attempts because he sets hard screens or rolls hard to the basket with his hands ready and when they collapse, he’s ready to make the pass to the weak side. I think that’s a good lesson for everyone to learn as far as you don’t need play calls for you to get opportunities to score the ball.” Zubac is averaging 4.9 points on 12.3 MPG in 2016/17.
- Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated proposed a DeMarcus Cousins-to-Detroit trade, in which the Kings would receive a package headlined by Andre Drummond. Cousins has had a tumultuous (albeit productive) run with Sacramento, as illustrated by Kevin Arnovitz’s profile piece on ESPN.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough must choose between pursuing a playoff spot and rebuilding, Doug Franz of Arizona Sports writes. As Franz notes, it could be a positive experience for 20-year-old Devin Booker to play in a postseason atmosphere.
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will play Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant at the same time during the All-Star Game in New Orleans. “It’s a great honor for those guys individually and for us as an organization,” Kerr told Chris Haynes of ESPN. “It’s pretty remarkable to have this group together right now and to see them all playing so well together along with the rest of our guys. It doesn’t always work that way — where you put a group together, a group of stars — and it doesn’t always click. But it’s clicked because our guys are unselfish and they enjoy playing with one another, so we’re really happy for all four of them.”