Jalen Lecque Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Williamson, Silas, Adams, Lecque

September 29th, 2022 at 8:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have never paid the luxury tax but that could change soon, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Owner Gayle Benson is willing to pay the tax, according to Pelicans executive VP David Griffin, since the team has the ability to become a serious contender.

“We’re not bound by, ‘We won’t pay the tax,'” Griffin said. “We will not frivolously pay the tax. If this team is in a position to be as good as we hope to be, I don’t think resources are going to be the reason we won’t get where we need to go.”

The Pelicans are currently approximately $3.6MM below the NBA’s luxury tax line of $150.3MM.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Following a season in which he rehabbed a foot injury, Pelicans big man Zion Williamson left his coach and teammates awestruck in two practices Tuesday, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “What stood out was his force more than anything,” coach Willie Green said. “He got down the floor quickly. When he caught the ball, he made quick decisions. Whether it was scoring, finding a teammate. It was really impressive to see.” Williamson inked a five-year, max extension this summer.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas wasn’t thrilled by what he saw during Wednesday’s practice, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I saw we have a lot of work to do,” Silas said. “(It’s) day two, obviously. We did a good job of putting things in. We scrimmaged quite a bit today and it’s evident, it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s going to be a process for us. We’re going to have to learn from mistakes and watch film and get better as a result.”
Steven Adams taking 3-pointers this season? It’s not out of the question. “He’s definitely putting in the work over the summer,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I even told him if you’re open, shoot it. I want him to be aggressive.” However, Adams hopes to keep it a secret weapon. He’s only made one 3-pointer in 14 career attempts.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights to guard Jalen Lecque from the Raptors 905, the team tweets. The Vipers traded away the returning player rights to Christian Vital. Lecque played four games with the Pacers in 2020/21.

Summer League Commitments: Bulls, Hawks, Mavericks, Magic

June 25th, 2022 at 1:53pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls have agreed to a summer league deal with point guard Carlik Jones, a source told Hoops Rumors. Jones signed 10-day contracts with the Mavericks and Nuggets this past season. He averaged 22.1 points per game with Dallas’ G League affiliate, shooting an efficient 46% from the floor.

Jones, 24, was also named to the All-NBA G League Third Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team. He played for the Mavericks in summer league last year after going undrafted.

Here are some other summer league commitments to share:

The Hawks have received a summer league commitment from Chris Clemons, a league source told Hoops Rumors. Clemons averaged 21.3 points per game with the Celtics’ G League affiliate this season, which included a 52-point outing. The 5’9″ point guard was one of the top scorers in the G League this season.
Free agent guard Jalen Lecque has accepted a summer league invite from the Mavericks, a source told Hoops Rumors. The 22-year-old averaged 16.8 points per game with the Wisconsin Herd this season, shooting 42%. He holds experience with the Suns and Pacers.
Free agent forward Emanuel Terry has committed to playing summer league with the Magic, according to a source. Terry, 6’9″, holds brief NBA experience with the Suns and Heat. He averaged 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds with the Stockton Kings this year.

Dion Waiters, Tyreke Evans Among FAs Attending Mavs’ Mini-Camp

June 21st, 2022 at 7:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are hosting a free agent mini-camp this week that will have over 30 players in attendance, our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter).

The list of participants includes a handful with extensive NBA experience, including veteran guards Dion Waiters, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway.

Jalen Lecque, Chris Clemons, Emanuel Terry, Grant Riller, Jay Huff, and Tyler Hall are among the other mini-camp invitees who have played in at least one regular season NBA game. A.J. Lawson, Andrew Andrews, Isaiah Brown, Justin Gorham, and Sekou Wiggs are some of the participants without NBA experience (Twitter links).

Teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players during the offseason, giving them some flexibility to take fliers on veterans or youngsters who could come to training camp on non-guaranteed contracts and compete for a 15-man roster spot.

It’s possible one or more of the players at Dallas’ mini-camp this week will make a strong enough impression to earn a camp invite. As Shaw notes, some of the mini-camp participants could also be invited to join the Mavericks’ Summer League team next month.

It’s worth noting that even after agreeing to trade four players for Christian Wood, the Mavs don’t project to have a ton of open 15-man roster spots for 2022/23. Dallas will have nine players on guaranteed salaries, plus Maxi Kleber and Frank Ntilikina on non-guaranteed contracts. Jalen Brunson and Theo Pinson are free agents, but the team reportedly wants to bring back both. If all of those players return, it would leave just two openings on the Mavs’ standard regular season roster.

Bucks Waive Four Players

October 16th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have trimmed their roster by waiving four players, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Jalen Lecque, Tremont Waters and Javin DeLaurier were all let go, along with Wenyen Gabriel, who was signed and waived today. All four are candidates to join Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, after clearing waivers.

Lecque played four games with the Pacers last season after getting into five the previous year as a rookie with the Suns. He signed a training camp deal with the Bucks on Friday.

Waters was a second-round pick by the Celtics in 2019 and spent the past two years in Boston. DeLaurier played for the Hornets’ affiliate in the G League last season and was with the Hawks during Summer League. Gabriel has appeared in 51 combined games with the Kings, Trail Blazers and Pelicans.

Bucks Sign Jalen Lecque To Camp Deal

October 15th, 2021 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have signed guard Jalen Lecque to their training camp roster, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The club opened up a pair of roster spots on Thursday by waiving Elijah Bryant and Rayjon Tucker.

Lecque signed with the Suns in 2019 as an undrafted free agent and spent his rookie season in Phoenix, playing limited minutes in five games for the club. The 21-year-old was sent to Oklahoma City during the 2020 offseason in the Chris Paul trade and was subsequently flipped to the Pacers. He spent most of the 2020/21 season in Indiana, appearing in four games, before being waived in March.

Although Lecque has only seen the court in nine games at the NBA level, he has been a G League fixture over the last two years, averaging 13.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 3.4 RPG in 47 games (27.7 MPG) for the Northern Arizona Suns and Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He has struggled with his efficiency in the NBAGL, however, posting an overall shooting line of .405/.232/.603.

Because no team holds Lecque’s G League returning rights, the Bucks can make him an affiliate player for the Wisconsin Herd if he’s waived in the coming days and then signs a G League contract. I’d expect that to be the plan.

Central Notes: Windler, Cunningham, Lecque, Bucks, Dosunmu

October 3rd, 2021 at 6:44pm CST by JD Shaw

Cavaliers forward Dylan Windler is eager to prove himself this season after dealing with multiple injuries to start his career, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic writes.

Windler, 25, was drafted by the team No. 26 overall in 2019. He’s appeared in just 31 games since then, all coming during the 2020/21 season. The Belmont product averaged 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 16.5 minutes per game in those contests.

“My knee is feeling the best it’s felt since I’ve been here, so that’s huge for me,” Windler said. “That was half the battle for me last year, fighting through that. It led to more problems, not only physically but mentally.

“I’m in a clear headspace right now. Had the best training camp I’ve had by far, so I’m ready to prove myself all over again and help this team win a lot of games.”

Here are some other notes from the Central Division:

The Pistons are being patient with rookie Cade Cunningham‘s development, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. Detroit drafted Cunningham No. 1 overall this summer, cementing the 20-year-old as its franchise cornerstone going forward.
The Bucks recently brought in Jalen Lecque as part of a free-agent group workout, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Lecque has only appeared in nine NBA games since going undrafted in 2019. He appeared in 14 contests with the Pacers’ G League affiliate last season, averaging 14.3 points per game on 39% shooting. Milwaukee currently has 20 players under contract, the most it’s allowed to have at once.
Bulls rookie Ayo Dosunmu has received praise during training camp for his strong play, Sam Smith of NBA.com writes. Chicago selected him with the No. 38 pick in this year’s draft. “The scrimmages and practices have been great,” Dosunmu said as part of a larger quote. “I come out here each and every day and compete to make our team better. They’ve been using me as a point guard on the second unit and a combo guard on the second unit, someone who will go out there and make guys better, use my playmaking skills and also being tenacious on defense. Running the floor, playing the right way, trying just to carve a role out on the team.”

Pacers Waive Jalen Lecque

March 25th, 2021 at 4:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:10pm: The move is now official, according to a press release from the team.

4:03pm: The Pacers are waiving guard Jalen Lecque, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Indiana didn’t make any deadline deals on Thursday but the move will open up a roster spot. Lecque appeared in five games with Phoenix and only made four cameo appearances with Indiana this season.

He was sidelined by an ankle sprain in early January, then was sent to the G League bubble later that month. He averaged 14.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in 14 G League games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in Orlando.

Indiana acquired him in an offseason trade with the Thunder.

The athletic 20-year-old guard will seek a greater opportunity elsewhere.

Central Notes: Prince, Cavaliers, Pacers, Bulls

January 29th, 2021 at 2:28pm CST by JD Shaw

Cavaliers forward Taurean Prince is proving to be more than a simple throw-in player in the multi-team trade featuring Jarrett Allen, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes.

Prince, 26, was acquired by Cleveland alongside Allen earlier this month. The five-year veteran has been effective in his five games with the team, averaging 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from downtown.

“He fits the mold of what we’re looking for,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We’re looking for guys who can play multiple positions, guys who have the ability to knock down shots, who have athleticism, who can run the floor. And then on the defensive end, guys who take 1-on-1 challenges and compete.

“It’s how he’s willing to work, the toughness that he plays with, the scrap that he has. We’ve seen that from him in the past. But I’ve been even more pleased having him every single day with how he makes his teammates better, how unselfish he is. We’re definitely glad to have him.”

There’s more from the Central Division today:

The Cavaliers have once again met with state officials in hopes of boosting their attendance, Fedor writes in a different story. The team presented a comprehensive plan, according to Fedor, who notes that roughly 2,000 fans are currently allowed to attend games at the franchise’s arena, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
The Pacers have assigned guard Jalen Lecque to their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced in a press release. Indiana also transferred two-way players Brian Bowen II and Cassius Stanley. The G League bubble is set to tip-off on February 10.
Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic examines what the injury to Wendell Carter Jr. means for the Bulls. Carter, who recently suffered a right quad contusion, is expected to miss at least four weeks of action. Chicago currently owns the 10th best record in the Eastern Conference at 7-10.

Injury Updates: Burks, Lecque, MCW, Haliburton

January 6th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Alec Burks, who has missed the Knicks‘ last four games due to a sprained left ankle, underwent further testing on that ankle and is now in a walking boot, according to the team (Twitter link). He’ll be re-evaluated in about 7-10 days.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Burks, who scored 22 points in each of the Knicks’ first two games and had already racked up 18 points in 21 minutes when he was injured on December 27. However, the club has managed to win four of five games since he suffered that ankle injury (including the one he left early).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Pacers guard Jalen Lecque has suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and has been ruled out indefinitely, the team announced in a press release. Lecque, acquired by Indiana in an offseason trade, will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Michael Carter-Williams has been diagnosed with a mild bone bruise and a sprained ligament in his left foot, according to the Magic (Twitter link). Carter-Williams has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland and may miss additional time — his return will depend on how he responds to treatment, per the team.
Kings rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has missed the team’s last two games due to a bone bruise in his left wrist, has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s contest against Chicago, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Even if Haliburton isn’t able to play tonight, it sounds like he’s close to a return.

Thunder Trade Lecque To Pacers For Leaf, Second-Round Pick

November 25th, 2020 at 7:02pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The deal between the Pacers and the Thunder is now official, with the Thunder acquiring Leaf and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Lecque, the team announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 22: The Thunder are acquiring yet another draft pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Oklahoma City will receive a future second-round pick and forward T.J. Leaf from the Pacers in a deal that sends guard Jalen Lecque to Indiana.

Lecque, a former Sun, was one of the players sent to the Thunder in this week’s Chris Paul trade. He signed a four-year contract with Phoenix as an undrafted free agent a year ago, but only saw action in five NBA games as a rookie. The 20-year-old has a guaranteed $1.52MM salary this season with no guarantees beyond for 2020/21.

It’s not clear whether the Pacers are intent on keeping and developing Lecque, since the move appears to be financially motivated too. As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets, moving Leaf’s $4.33MM salary for ’20/21 will allow Indiana to slip back below the luxury tax line.

The Thunder will acquire yet another future draft pick as a sweetener for taking on that extra salary, adding another second-rounder to the long list of draft assets GM Sam Presti has picked up during the last couple offseasons.

It doesn’t seem safe to assume this offseason that any newly-acquired player will remain in Oklahoma City for long, but if the Thunder hang onto Leaf, they’ll be getting a player who hasn’t carved out a regular rotation role since being drafted 18th overall in 2017. He averaged just 3.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 28 games (7.9 MPG) for the Pacers in 2019/20.