NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/14/17
Here are the D-League transactions for the day:
10:32pm:
- The Spurs recalled guard Bryn Forbes from their D-League affiliate in Austin before today’s game with the Suns.
- The Lakers sent center Ivica Zubac to the D-Fenders following their afternoon game, giving him a chance to play for both teams in the same day, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
2:56pm:
- The Warriors recalled Kevon Looney and Patrick McCaw from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team has announced in a press release. Both were assigned on Friday. In a victory over Salt Lake City, Looney dropped 18 points and 20 rebounds.
- The Rockets have assigned rookie center Chinanu Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Onuaku has averaged 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers so far this season.
- The Cavaliers have assigned point guard Kay Felder to the D-League, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The rookie expected to be back with the big league club as soon as Sunday.
- After clearing waivers last week, former Hawks forward Ryan Kelly has rejoined the Maine Red Claws, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Kelly was called up by the Hawks before suiting up for Maine, but they still held his returning rights.
Pacific Notes: Griffin, B. Johnson, Zubac, Cousins
Clippers forward Blake Griffin is showing signs that he is getting closer to a return, tweets Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Griffin went through a “pretty extensive” pregame workout today without a brace or sleeve on his injured right knee. Griffin had minor surgery on the knee in December, and a report on Friday said he could be back in action by the end of the month.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers may soon have rookie power forward Brice Johnson back on the court as well, according to Woike (Twitter link). The 25th pick in the 2016 draft has been playing one-on-one games and is close to being ready for “true on-court activity,” says coach Doc Rivers. Johnson suffered a herniated disc in his lower back in October and hasn’t played yet this season.
- One positive in the Lakers‘ blowout loss to the Spurs on Thursday was the performance of rookie center Ivica Zubac, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Zubac, who was taken with the second pick of the second round in 2016, had a season-high eight points to go with four rebounds in nearly 15 minutes. Zubac has seen most of his action in the D-League this year, and the Lakers want him to drop weight to become more mobile. “When you can run more, you can do everything better on the court,” Zubac said. “It definitely helps to stay in shape. I’m not playing a lot with the Lakers. It’s easy to get out of shape. Playing in the D-League really helps.”
- Andy Furillo of the Sacramento Bee looks at the downside of possibly investing more than $209MM to keep DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento. In addition to being the top player on a losing team for 6 1/2 seasons, Cousins checks in as the slowest player in the league, has had his shot blocked more times than anyone, is tied for first in technical fouls and is second in personal fouls, ranks sixth in turnovers and is only tied for 33rd in offensive rebounds.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/7/17
Here are the D-League assignments and recalls from Saturday:
10:11pm:
- The Bulls have recalled forward Bobby Portis from their Windy City affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Portis had 32 points and nine rebounds in Friday’s game.
- The Spurs have recalled rookie guard Dejounte Murray from their affiliate in Austin, the team posted on its website. Murray is coming off a 25-point performance Friday and is averaging 16.6 points per game in 12 D-League contests. He has played 18 games for San Antonio, getting 5.6 minutes per night.
- The Pacers have recalled Georges Niang from their Fort Wayne affiliate, according to the team’s website. He connected on five 3-pointers and scored 23 points in his last game for the Mad Ants.
2:07pm:
- The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr., according to a team-issued press release. Jones comes off of his fourth assignment to the club’s D-League affiliate this season.
- The Lakers have assigned center Ivica Zubac to the D-League, reports Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times via a team press release. Zubac has already played 11 games for the team’s affiliate, averaging 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
- The Nuggets have recalled Juan Hernangomez from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Hernangomez appeared in just one game for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
11:30am:
- The Sixers have reassigned Richaun Holmes to their D-League affiliate, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Holmes, who hasn’t played since mid-December, was recalled from the Delaware 87ers on Thursday morning.
- The Thunder have recalled guard Cameron Payne, the team announced on Twitter. The second year man will look to make his season debut after missing the first two months with a broken foot.
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.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/31/16
Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Magic assigned center Stephen Zimmerman to the Erie BayHawks, the team tweets. The 7’0” center has appeared in eight games this season with the Magic, averaging 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 4.0 minutes. This is his third assignment to the BayHawks. He’s averaged 17.3 points, 13.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks in 34.2 minutes over six games with them.
- The Suns recalled forward Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, eight days after he was assigned to the D-League for the third time, the team tweets (Twitter link). He has averaged 14.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 32.1 minutes over 14 games with Northern Arizona.
- The Knicks recalled guard Ron Baker and center Marshall Plumlee and they will rejoin the team in Houston, according to their Twitter feed. They were assigned to the Westchester Knicks on Friday and started their game against Fort Wayne. Baker had nine points, four assists and four steals in 30 minutes, while Plumlee posted 16 points and six rebounds in the same amount of action.
- The Hornets recalled guard Aaron Harrison and forward Christian Wood from the Greensboro Swarm, they announced in a press release. Harrison has appeared in 13 Swarm games over three assignments, recording averages of 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.5 minutes per game. Wood has appeared in 11 Swarm games during two D-League stints, averaging 17.2 points, 9.3 boards and 2.1 blocks in 29.3 minutes.
- The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from the D-Fenders, one day after assigning him to the D-League, Harrison Faigen of SB Nation tweets. The 7’1” center had 17 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes against Northern Arizona on Friday.
- The Jazz recalled forward Joel Bolomboy after he appeared in one game with the Salt Lake City Stars during his latest assignment. the team announced in a press release. He recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes against Sioux Falls on Friday.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/16
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- After being sent down to the D-League on Thursday, Patrick McCaw and Damian Jones were recalled by the Warriors today, the team announced in a press release. The duo played in Santa Cruz’s win over Northern Arizona last night, though neither player was particularly productive — Jones had just two points and four boards in 23 minutes, while McCaw made only six of his team-high 17 shots.
- The Jazz continue to shuttle Joel Bolomboy back and forth between the NBA and the D-League, announcing today in a press release that he has been re-assigned to Salt Lake City. The rookie forward figures to suit up for Utah’s NBADL affiliate tonight against Sioux Falls.
- Rookie big man Ivica Zubac will rejoin the Los Angeles D-Fenders, having been re-assigned to the D-League by the Lakers, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. L.A.’s affiliate will host Northern Arizona tonight, giving Zubac a chance to see some playing time.
- The Knicks assigned Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee to the D-League earlier today, according to the team (via Twitter). It’s the fifth assignment of the season for Baker, and the eighth for Plumlee.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/28/16
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
8:35pm
- The Grizzlies have recalled Wade Baldwin from the Iowa Energy, according to the team’s website. The rookie has appeared in 20 games for the Memphis this season, and he’s seeing 14.5 minutes per contest.
3:41pm
- The Cavaliers have sent rookie point guard Kay Felder to the Canton Charge, according to a press release issued by the team. It’s the first D-League assignment of the season for Felder, who has appeared in 14 games for Cleveland.
- A day after being assigned to the D-League, rookie center Damian Jones was recalled by the Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Jones contributed to Santa Cruz’ win on Tuesday night, chipping in eight points and four boards before fouling out.
- The Celtics have re-assigned Jordan Mickey to the NBADL, the team announced today (via Twitter). Mickey, who has played sparingly for Boston this season, has averaged 16.0 PPG and 12.0 RPG in his two contests with the Maine Red Claws.
- Ivica Zubac will suit up for the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, having been assigned to the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate today (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News). The 2016 second-rounder has played well in eight D-League games this year, averaging 16.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG.
Mitch Kupchak Discusses Lakers’ Season, Future
Lakers rookie Ivica Zubac has seen little playing time so far, but GM Mitch Kupchak is confident that the Croatian center has a bright NBA future, relays Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. In a wide-ranging interview, Kupchak addresses the 19-year-old prospect, who was the 32nd pick in this year’s draft, along with other topics surrounding the Lakers, who have lost eight straight games after a 10-10 start.
On Zubac and the young core that L.A. has assembled through the draft:
“Our scouts have done a wonderful job. Beginning with Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle two years ago, D’Angelo [Russell] and Larry Nance [Jr.] and then this year with Brandon Ingram and a player that will play … Ivica Zubac. You haven’t seen too much of him, and he’s very young, but he’s very skilled, and we think he has a bright future.”
On the hiring of Luke Walton as head coach:
“We love Luke Walton. He’s not a Hall of Fame coach today, but we’re betting that every year he’s going to become better and better. He’ll be a really good coach, and maybe a great coach, but a lot of that has to do with the players we get him, too.”
On guard Nick Young, who has become a regular starter after an offseason filled with rumors of his possible release:
“In training camp, clearly the biggest surprise was how quickly Nick fit in. You can see that we desperately miss what he brings to the team. I know that’s a surprise for a lot of people to hear me say that because we didn’t expect the kind of contribution. He’s really dedicated himself to be the kind of player that fits into this system, and he’s one of our best on-ball defenders.”
On veteran guard Lou Williams, who is averaging a career-best 19.2 points per game at age 30:
“I wasn’t sure how Lou would fit into a motion offense, where there’s so much passing and movement. I think you can say that our most valuable player has been Lou Williams.”
On the possibility of a significant trade before the February 23rd deadline:
“We’re fun to watch. We’re very competitive. We love our coaching staff. We love our young players. We’re going to have to be a little patient. We’re going to have to do our job, which is to look at opportunities that may come up in the next month or two. And if there are none — which is fine with me, because I like the young guys on the team — then during the offseason, we’ll have to look at opportunities.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/16
Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affilitate, the team announced via its website. This marks the fourth assignment this season for Bolomboy.
- The Pistons recalled forwards Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit announced in a press release. That was Johnson’s first D-League stint and it lasted one day.
- The Bulls announced via press release that guard R.J. Hunter was recalled from the Windy City Bulls.
- The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from their D-League affiliate, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16
Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:59pm:
- The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.
3:05pm:
- The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
- Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
- The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
- A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
- The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.