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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/21/20

February 21st, 2020 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pistons assigned guard Khyri Thomas to the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a team press release. Thomas has been sidelined most of the season after undergoing foot surgery. He played two early-season games with Detroit and will be playing his first G League game this season on Friday.
The Magic assigned second-year shooting guard Melvin Frazier to their Lakeland G League affiliate, according to the G League transactions log. Frazier has logged time in 14 games with the Magic this season.
The Jazz assigned and then recalled guard Rayjon Tucker from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the G League log. Tucker has appeared in 12 games with the Jazz.

Northwest Notes: Clarkson, Tucker, Gallinari

December 27th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Jordan Clarkson scored nine points in 20 minutes in his Jazz debut and Donovan Mitchell was impressed by how quickly his new teammate picked up the system, as he told Aaron Falk of the team’s website. Clarkson was acquired from Cleveland for Dante Exum and two second-round picks. “He was aggressive. I loved it,” Mitchell said. “He learned on the fly, really fast. For him to understand some of the reads and plays we were running … that’s impressive. Our system, it took me a whole year and a half to learn it. I’m really happy with the way he played. He’s going to be a big piece for us.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Clarkson brings more than just scoring to the second unit, coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Josh Newman. Utah was second-to-last in bench points prior to the trade. “You can tell he wants it, like there’s a hunger about him, and I think he plays with a level of confidence that we need,” Snyder said. “A couple times, he passed the ball and it was a swing-swing, so someone else got the shot. I think he’s unselfish, and he’s also got the ability to create for himself and other guys.”
Another Jazz addition this week, Rayjon Tucker, will receive a $340K guarantee on his $1.5MM contract for next season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Tucker has a guaranteed prorated minimum contract for this season, Marks adds. The Jazz waived veteran forward Jeff Green to create a roster spot for Tucker, a G League standout after going undrafted out of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari will be out at least through the weekend with a sore ankle, Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman reports. Gallinari is the Thunder’s third-leading scorer this season, averaging 18 PPG. The 31-year-old Gallinari is headed to unrestricted free agency in July.

Jazz Waive Jeff Green, Sign Rayjon Tucker

December 25th, 2019 at 8:09am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 25: The Jazz have officially signed Tucker, according to NBA.com’s transactions log, which suggests that the move was finalized on Tuesday. In addition to having a guaranteed contract for 2019/20, Tucker will have a partially guaranteed salary for next season, per Tony Jones of The Athletic.

DECEMBER 24: The Jazz have officially waived Green, the team announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 23: The Jazz have decided to waive forward Jeff Green, Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic report.

Utah needed to open up a roster spot because the team is signing small forward Rayjon Tucker to a multi-year contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tucker, who went undrafted out of Arkansas-Little Rock, made a strong impression at the G League Showcase, having been identified by John Hollinger as the NBAGL player most deserving of a call-up. He had been playing for the Bucks’ affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. His contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of this season, according to Wojnarowski.

In 16 G League games this season, Tucker was averaging 23.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.8 APG in 33.8 MPG. The Jazz only have the prorated minimum exception available to sign Tucker, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Green was averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 28 games with Utah. He scored seven points in 18 minutes against Miami on Monday. He was making the veteran’s minimum at $2.56MM.

Green, 33, was playing for eighth NBA team. He started 44 games for Washington last season. His scoring average with the Jazz was the lowest of his career.

It’s unusual for a team to cut a rotation player, particularly right after a game. But the Jazz obviously valued the 6’5” Tucker and had competition for his services.

The Jazz were busy throughout the night. They also agreed to acquire guard Jordan Clarkson from the Cavaliers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nets Notes: Kurucs, Tucker, Roster, Jordan

December 24th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

With David Nwaba on the shelf due to a season-ending Achilles tear, second-year forward Rodions Kurucs is getting another opportunity to earn a regular role for the Nets, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. After a promising rookie season, Kurucs has been out of the rotation for most of this season, but he logged 11 minutes in Saturday’s win over Atlanta.

“The period of time when I was on the court, basically next man up. Just got David’s minutes a little bit, trying to get some organization right now,” Kurucs said. “Feels great now.”

Kurucs’ role in Brooklyn changed in part due to all the changes the roster underwent this summer, and perhaps in part due to the off-court legal issues he’s dealing with. Still, the Nets haven’t given up on him as his court case plays out, and may have to lean on him until regular contributors start to get healthy.

Here’s more on the Nets:

The Nets were among the teams interested in signing G League standout, Rayjon Tucker, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Tucker, who had been averaging 23.8 PPG for the Wisconsin Herd, agreed to a guaranteed deal with Utah on Monday.
Net Income of NetsDaily wonders if the Nets’ reported interest in Tucker suggests a roster move might be around the corner for the team. A hardship exception to add a 16th man is a possibility, but waiving a current member of the 15-man squad might make more sense, as the NetsDaily article lays out.
The Nets faced some criticism for handing a DeAndre Jordan a four-year, $40MM contract this past summer, but it’s hard to imagine where the team would be without him, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Jordan has averaged 10.0 RPG despite playing just 21.3 minutes per contest and is showing off a newfound passing ability — his 3.8 assists per 36 minutes are easily a career high.

Hollinger’s Latest: Bertans, 2020 Draft, Celtics, G League

December 23rd, 2019 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

While Tommy Sheppard‘s claim that the Wizards intend to retain Davis Bertans through the trade deadline and beyond this season could be viewed as a leverage play, John Hollinger of The Athletic sounds inclined to believe the first-year general manager. As Hollinger writes in his round-up of chatter from the G League Showcase in Las Vegas, all signals indicate the Wizards are serious about keeping Bertans.

Hollinger points to the Wizards’ recent promotion of center Anzejs Pasecniks as one more sign that the Wizards are committed to Bertans. Pasecniks, who signed a two-way contract with Washington, is a Latvian like Bertans, and the two big men share an agent, per Hollinger.

Hollinger passed along several more tidbits from Las Vegas, so let’s round up some of the most notable items from the former Grizzlies executive…

Teams around the NBA aren’t particularly high on the 2020 NBA draft class, leading Hollinger to surmise that contenders won’t be averse to including 2020 first-round picks in trades this winter.
While center is widely viewed as the Celtics‘ biggest need, most logical trade targets at that position earn $20MM+ and would be difficult for Boston to acquire. As such, one source who spoke to Hollinger thinks the C’s might actually pursue another perimeter player, perhaps a wing or forward. The thinking is that the Celtics often play four of their top five perimeter players – Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Gordon Hayward – together and could benefit from adding another reliable contributor to that group.
Rayjon Tucker, a guard for the Wisconsin Herd, looks like a prime candidate for an NBA call-up, according to Hollinger, who notes that Tucker was getting buzz even before his 34-point game at the G League Showcase. Hollinger’s other top candidates for potential call-ups include DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (Oklahoma City Blue), Jeremiah Martin (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Dedric Lawson (Austin Spurs), and Simisola Shittu (Windy City Bulls).

Bucks Waive Tucker, Lacey, Jones

October 19th, 2019 at 4:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rayjon Tucker, Trevor Lacey and Jemerrio Jones are the final three roster cuts for the Bucks, the team announced in its Twitter feed. All three were on Exhibit 10 contracts and are likely to wind up with the Wisconsin Herd, the organization’s G League affiliate.

Tucker signed with Milwaukee in August and appeared in three preseason games, averaging 3.3 points in 9.7 minutes per night. He announced in the spring that he was transferring to Memphis from Arkansas-Little Rock, but opted to keep his name in the draft, where he wasn’t selected. Tucker played for the Bucks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Lacey signed with Milwaukee on Thursday and Jones inked a deal with the team earlier today, so neither saw any preseason action with the Bucks. Jones was waived by the Wizards earlier this week.

Heat Notes: Free Agency, Leonard, Okpala, Mooney

August 22nd, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat won’t be in the market for any of the remaining free agents unless they trade someone from their current roster, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The hard cap that the team has been operating under since the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade has put a severe limit on its flexibility. Miami is already uncomfortably close to its $138.9MM limit.

That means potential additions such as Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony are off the table unless the Heat make another move to open space. They could release Kendrick Nunn, whose contract isn’t fully guaranteed, but Winderman considers that unlikely. If they decide to trade someone in exchange for a lesser salary, Winderman identifies Meyers Leonard, who will earn $11.3MM this season, as a possibility. He adds that they may try to move Goran Dragic by the deadline or save their next significant moves for next summer.

There’s more this morning from Miami:

Second-round pick KZ Okpala wouldn’t object to spending time in the G League if it’s necessary to get consistent playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that a similar path worked for Josh Richardson, who played four games for Sioux Falls as a second-round pick in 2015. “I trust the staff and whatever they say is best,” Okpala said. “I believe in that and will go into it with a good foot forward.”
Free agent guard Matt Mooney, who agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies last week, received the same offer from the Heat, Jackson notes in the same story. It’s a similar situation to Rayjon Tucker, who recently joined the Bucks, as both players worked out for Miami and were interested in two-way contracts. However, the Heat have decided to let players in training camp compete for two-way deals.
Jackson rates the Heat’s potential interest in six players recently identified by former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox as among the most likely to be traded: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Devin Booker. Miami’s interest in Beal is well known, and he would be at the top of the list if he becomes available. The Heat had discussions about Paul, but won’t make a deal unless they get their two first-round picks back from Oklahoma City. Jackson doesn’t believe Miami would want Love because of his age, contract and injury history, while Iguodala fits better on an immediate contender. However, Jackson sees Booker and Wiggins as possible targets in the future if the Heat can’t land another star in free agency.

Bucks Sign Guard Rayjon Tucker

August 20th, 2019 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

August 20: The signing is official, according to the team’s website.

August 16: Guard Rayjon Tucker will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.

Right after the draft, a report surfaced that claimed Tucker would sign a partially guaranteed deal with Milwaukee.

However, nearly two months went by without a contract being inked. Last week, the Heat hosted Tucker for a three-day audition but no agreement was reached because Tucker was looking for a two-way deal and Miami wasn’t willing to offer more than an Exhibit 10 contract. The Bucks have already filled their two-way slots but Tucker has decided to join them after all.

The Bucks are also signing Jaylen Adams to a camp deal.

Tucker played for the Bucks‘ squad in the Las Vegas Summer League and averaged 10.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 19.8 MPG over five appearances.

The Arkansas-Little Rock product had announced prior to the draft that he would transfer to the University of Memphis, but later decided to keep his name in the draft. The 6’5″ guard averaged 20.3 points per game last season and shot 41.1% from 3-point range. He was a second-team selection on the All-Sun Belt team.

Heat Notes: Tucker, Hard Cap, Maten, Mourning

August 14th, 2019 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat hosted Rayjon Tucker for a three-day audition last week, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. However, no agreement was reached because Tucker is looking for a two-way deal and Miami isn’t willing to offer more than an Exhibit 10 contract, which would have brought him to training camp with a $50K guarantee.

The 6’5″ guard was considered one of the NCAA’s top grad transfers after averaging 20.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game at Arkansas-Little Rock last season. He committed to Memphis in May, but later decided to keep his name in the NBA draft.

Tucker played for the Bucks‘ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League and was reportedly going to sign a partially guaranteed deal with Milwaukee. However, that arrangement fell apart as the Bucks filled both two-way slots with Frank Mason III and Cameron Reynolds.

The Heat recently worked out former St. John’s guard Justin Simon, the authors add, and they believe other players have been given an opportunity as well.

There’s more out of Miami, all courtesy of Jackson and Chiang:

The hard cap that was imposed after the sign-and-trade deal involving Jimmy Butler is hampering the Heat’s efforts to sign players, according to a source who has contact with the front office. Miami doesn’t have enough money remaining to give out standard contracts, so it’s trying to convince players to agree to Exhibit 10 deals with an opportunity to earn a two-way slot. The Heat have 17 players under contract, with 12 fully guaranteed, and both two-way openings available. Forwards Chris Silva and Kyle Alexander and guard Jeremiah Martin, all of whom played for Miami’s Summer League team, have already committed to attend camp to compete for a two-way deal.
Duncan Robinson empathizes with former teammate Yante Maten, who was waived before his August 1 guarantee date to enable the team to re-sign Udonis Haslem. Robinson and Maten shared an apartment while playing for the organization’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. “I know how much he has put into this and how much this means to him,” Robinson said. “But at the same time, I know he’s a really good player and an even better person. So he’ll end up in a good opportunity. I know he will because he certainly deserves to.”
Trey Mourning, another member of the Heat’s Summer League team, has reached an agreement to play in Russia. He is the son of Heat executive and Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning.

Bucks To Sign Rayjon Tucker

June 21st, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rayjon Tucker of Arkansas-Little Rock has reached an agreement with the Bucks on a partially guaranteed contract, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

A graduate transfer, Tucker announced plans to go to the University of Memphis next season, but later decided to keep his name in the draft.

The 6’5″ guard averaged 20.3 points per game this year and shot a sizzling .411 from 3-point range. He was a second-team selection on the All-Sun Belt team.