Quincy Douby

And-Ones: I. Austin, Sims, B. Paul, 2017 Draft

Former Baylor standout Isaiah Austin was recently cleared to play basketball again, after having his NBA hopes initially derailed when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue. Still, although Austin is free to sign anywhere, executives are generally taking a “relaxed approach” to his planned comeback, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Austin was viewed as a borderline first-round prospect back in 2014, and some executives around the NBA are approaching his reported medical clearance with caution.

“What reversed the decision?” one NBA general manager said to Howard-Cooper. “How did it come to be that now he can play? We don’t even know how. Yeah, that’s what I’d be curious about. I’m not saying [Austin found a single doctor willing to clear him], but I’ve seen this before. You can find someone to tell you that you can play. Somebody will.”

As Howard-Cooper details, another GM suggested that teams wouldn’t rush to look into Austin’s situation, but added that those teams may be intrigued: “I’ve never heard anybody (in the NBA) talk about any skepticism on that because I don’t think he’s on people’s radar like that. I don’t think there’s a buzz like, ‘Whoa, now he’s been declared healthy. Is he really healthy?’ I don’t think people are looking at it that way. I think people are more ‘OK, that’s interesting.’ I can see maybe someone trying to do a feel-good story, liking a little bump from a PR standpoint. Maybe someone does a short-term contract with him and brings him in.”

As we wait to see Austin can land a basketball contract, perhaps in the D-League or elsewhere, let’s check in on a few other odds and ends…

  • The NBA D-League has accepted a buyout of Henry Sims‘ contract, as well as Quincy Douby‘s deal, reports Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter links). It’s not yet clear what the next step is for either former NBA player, but they may end up heading overseas.
  • One player heading overseas is swingman Brandon Paul, who was in camp with the Sixers this fall. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes, Turkish club Anadolu Efes Istanbul has agreed to a deal with Paul to replace Bryce Cotton on its roster.
  • In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Michael Scotto takes an early look at next year’s potential draft class, exploring whether we might see three Kentucky freshman come of the board as 2017 lottery picks. As Scotto outlines, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and Edrice Adebayo could become the Wildcats’ third trio since 2010 to achieve that feat.

And-Ones: Gee, Douby, Favors, Love

Nuggets coach Mike Malone believes the addition of Alonzo Gee brings “defensive versatility”, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes.  “I’ve been a fan of him from afar for many years,” Malone said. The team signed Gee on Tuesday.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Quincy Douby has signed in the D-League and will play for the Westchester Knicks, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Twitter link).
  • Derrick Favors‘ MRI confirmed a bone contusion on his left knee and he won’t play for the Jazz in Thursday’s game, according to the team’s website. Utah didn’t provide a concrete timetable for Favors’ return.
  • Kevin Love has no regrets about signing his five-year contract with the Cavs, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Love could have signed a one-year deal during the summer of 2015 and positioned himself to take advantage of this past summer’s exploding salary cap. Instead, Love chose security over taking a risk to maximize his earnings. “When it’s your time [to sign], it’s your time. You’ve got to figure it out,” Love said. “Maybe the shoulder had something to do with it, but you’ve got to think about risk adversity. How much risk do you want to take? Knowing I could be with this team, locking in for five years, it was an easy choice.”

And-Ones: Hawks, Douby, Heat

The league’s players have mixed opinions on whether or not they would consider signing with the Hawks, Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report writes. The majority of players polled agreed with Carmelo Anthony‘s assessment that players would avoid signing with Atlanta in the wake of GM Danny Ferry and majority owner Bruce Levenson’s racist remarks, notes Bucher. But there were a few that said they wouldn’t let the incident get in the way of their potential earnings, but also added that they “wouldn’t shake Ferry’s hand” when the deal was completed.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Former Rutgers star and NBA player Quincy Douby has signed with the Tianjin Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to his agent Bill Neff, Zach Links of Hoops Rumors reports (Twitter link). Douby last appeared in the NBA during the 2008/09 season with the Raptors.
  • The partial guarantee on Khem Birch‘s two-year deal with the Heat is worth $50K, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
  • Keith Smart and Chris Quinn have been added as assistant coaches to Eric Spoelstra‘s staff with the Heat, the team announced.
  • The Bulls are hoping for a healthy season out of Derrick Rose, and that their new additions of Pau Gasol and Doug McDermott will help them contend in the Eastern Conference. The crew over at Basketball Insiders previews the upcoming season, and the majority opinion is that Chicago will finish second in the Central Division.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Warriors, Douby, Fischer

A look at today’s minor moves from around basketball..

  • The Warriors announced that they re-assigned center Dewayne Dedmon and guard Nemanja Nedovic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League.  Both players will be in uniform for tonight’s home game against the Austin Toros this evening.  To keep up with all of this season’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
  • Quincy Douby reached agreement with the Yao Ming-owned Shanghai Sharks, a source told Shams Charania of RealGM.  Douby is free to sign with an NBA club once the CBA season ends in March, but Shanghai’s squad is rather strong with Douby in the fold and he could be locked in with them longer if they make a deep playoff run.  The Rutgers product was previously with the Sioux Falls SkyForce, the affiliate of the Heat, and was being groomed as a point guard.
  • German team Brose Baskets Bamberg officially announced the signing of D’or Fischer, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The big man spent last season with BC Donetsk of Ukraine averaging 11.0 PPG and 7.6 RPG in Superleague action and was in camp with the Wizards over the summer.

D-League Notes: Kelly, Harris, Heat, Expansion

The D-League’s regular season is underway, and the D-League website features a list of young prospects to follow during the 2013/14 season. Some of the young players on the list currently have their rights held by NBA squads, but many are training camp invitees that didn’t make an opening night roster. There’s no telling when the next Jeremy Lin might unexpectedly emerge so it’s definitely worth monitoring the young talent found in the NBA’s official minor league organization.

Here’s some D-League news and notes from Thursday night:

  • Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that the Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Elias Harris from their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. Neither have seen much NBA action yet this year, and Eric Pincus of the LA Times tweets that their recall is probably just a formality.
  • Ira Winderman points out (via Twitter) that the D-League affiliate for the Heat is sporting a particularly impressive roster. Although the Heat do not own their rights, it’s worth noting that Miami’s developmental squad houses three former NBA players: Bill Walker, DeAndre Liggins, and Quincy Douby.
  • Dan Reed, president of the D-League, envisions his circuit expanding into a 30 team organization where each NBA club has it’s own minor league affiliate. Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports sat down with Reed, who appears confident that his vision will one day become a reality: “If you had asked me this three or four years ago, I would have said it will be a very long time horizon. If you ask me now, that time frame has shortened substantially.” Reed has been the president of the D-League since 2007.
  • To keep up with all the D-League assignments and recalls throughout the year, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors 2013/14 D-League Assignments page.

Odds & Ends: Osby, Nash, Perkins, Wittman

The Celtics‘ D-League affiliate in Maine has acquired a pair of players who were in NBA camps last month, according to a release from the team. 2013 Magic draftee Romero Osby and Bobcats camp invitee Abdul Gaddy are now on the Red Claws’ roster. While the deals ensure that Boston’s D-League team will get a first-hand look at the two young players, there’s nothing stopping either player from signing with an NBA team besides the Celtics.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends as the NBA regular season enters its second week….

  • Doug Smith of the Toronto Star is the latest writer to dismiss a rumor connecting Steve Nash and the Raptors, tweeting that it took “about four minutes” to debunk.
  • While he quickly removed the tweet, Kendrick Perkins said last night after playing a season-low 16 minutes against the Suns that it “might be time for a change.” Royce Young of Daily Thunder passes along a screenshot of the deleted tweet.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com predicts the WizardsRandy Wittman will be the first head coach fired this season, and suggests three potential replacements for Washington. Sam Smith of Bulls.com also identifies Wittman’s seat as the hottest among NBA coaches.
  • Quincy Douby was drafted 19th overall in 2006, but only lasted three seasons in the NBA before bouncing around among several international teams over the last few years. Now, he’s back in America and will play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce to start the D-League season. As he tells Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, Douby is hoping the skills and maturity he has developed overseas will help him land an NBA job.
  • A subpar group of 2014 free agent point guards will ensure that Eric Bledsoe and Greivis Vasquez make out well on their next contracts, despite not inking extensions last week, writes Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops.
  • Oliver Braun, the GM of the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany, spoke to a German outlet about the tumultuous negotiations with the Hawks over Dennis Schröder‘s buyout, and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides a translation of some of Braun’s comments.
  • Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival breaks down the offseason player movement among the NBA and the leagues considered to be the top European domestic leagues.

Eastern Notes: Davis, Douby, Carmelo

Though NBA veteran Ricky Davis was drafted by the Erie Bayhawks (which serves as the Knicks’ D-League affiliate) during this week’s NBDL draft, it doesn’t appear that Davis is part of any larger plan after head coach Mike Woodson didn’t seem to be aware of the move (SNY.tv’s Adam Zagoria via Twitter). New York brass had auditioned the 34-year-old swingman in mid-September but did not ultimately extend a training camp invite.

With more than half of the Eastern Conference set to compete tonight, here are some links to pass along from that side of the NBA:

  • Recently drafted by the NBDL’s Sioux Falls Skyforce (a direct affiliate of the Heat), Quincy Douby tells Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld about how he’s matured after playing internationally for the last several years and that demonstrating how much he’s grown will hopefully lead to another opportunity in the NBA.
  • With regard to some of New York’s struggles offensively so far, Carmelo Anthony -who insists that he feels good and is just trying to get back into rhythm himself – thinks that his team needs to be more willing to shoot more three-point shots when the opportunities present itself:  “I think we’re showing a different dynamic part our team. Last year we took a lot more 3-pointers than we took (now). We got to get guys to used to being in those spots and wanting to shoot those. (We) got guys like Bargnani not used to playing a position like that outside the line taking 3s.’’ (Marc Berman of the Post provides a Sulia link)
  • K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune touches upon the Bulls’ uncharacteristic struggles on the defensive end (subscribers only).
  • John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com writes about Maurice Harkless‘ improved mindset as a second-year player.

Grant Jerrett Tops Field Of D-League Draftees

The Thunder’s D-League affiliate used the No. 1 overall pick in tonight’s D-League draft on Grant Jerrett, allowing the Thunder to closely monitor a player whose NBA rights also belong to them. Oklahoma City traded for Jerrett shortly after the Blazers took him 40th overall in June’s NBA draft. A report in September indicated Jerrett had signed with the Thunder-owned Tulsa 66ers, but as I pointed out at the time, he’d have to enter the D-League draft rather than sign with Tulsa outright. The 66ers pulled off a trade yesterday to acquire the No. 1 pick in the D-League draft, positioning themselves to secure Jerrett’s D-League rights.

The Pelicans didn’t do the same with the second-rounder they picked up in the Jrue Holiday/Nerlens Noel trade. Pierre Jackson, the 42nd overall pick in the NBA draft, went fourth overall in the D-League draft to the Idaho Stampede, the affiliate of the Blazers.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the one-to-one affiliate of the Rockets, took four-year NBA vet James Johnson second overall tonight, while Quincy Douby, who has three years of NBA experience, went at No. 3 to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the affiliate of the Heat. The Texas Legends, who are affiliated with the Mavs, rounded out the top five with their selection of C.J. Aiken, who was in an NBA camp with the Kings last month after leaving St. Joseph’s in the spring.

Ricky Davis was perhaps the most well-known figure selected, as the Erie BayHawks, the affiliate of the Knicks, drafted him in the sixth round, signaling that the Knicks liked what they saw when the 34-year-old worked out for them in September. Other notable picks include former Magic and Thunder swingman DeAndre Liggins, who went to the Skyforce at seventh overall. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the brother of Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, went at No. 9 to the Delaware 87ers. Check out the entire list of draftees right here.

Some D-League clubs were involved in draft day trades. The Santa Cruz Warriors came into the draft already stocked with Stephen Curry‘s brother Seth Curry, whose D-League rights Golden State had protected after cutting him at the end of camp. Santa Cruz swapped a second-round pick for Mychel Thompson, brother of Golden State sharpshooter Klay Thompson, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes, giving the Warriors’ affiliate their own version of the big club’s “Splash Brothers” duo.

Players with prior D-League experience who were cut from NBA camps can re-enter the D-League and go back to their old teams without entering the draft. That’s what James Nunnally, fresh off a camp appearance with the Suns, has decided to do, as he’ll return to the Bakersfield Jam, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Suns are one of five NBA teams affiliated with the Jam, as our list of NBA/D-League affiliations shows.

D-League Notes: Draft, Douby, Liggins, C’s

The NBA D-League has released the official list of players eligible to be selected in tomorrow’s draft, which is set to take place at 7:00 pm ET in New York. There are plenty of intriguing names among the 180+ players hoping to be drafted, including a couple 2013 NBA draftees whose NBA rights are still held by their respective teams — Pierre Jackson (Pelicans) and Grant Jerrett (Thunder). Here’s more on the 2013 D-League draft class:

  • Potential top-10 picks include James Johnson, DeAndre Liggins, and Quincy Douby, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Johnson and Liggins were recently released by the Hawks and Thunder, respectively, while Douby averaged 31.6 PPG in China last season, including one 75-point game.
  • There are a handful of international players eligible to be drafted, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s brother Athanasios Antetokounmpo, tweets Givony. Givony adds in another tweet that there are prospects from Croatia and Japan in the draft pool as well.
  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside notes that former NBA veterans Ricky Davis and Salim Stoudamire are among the draft hopefuls.
  • The Maine Red Claws, the Celtics‘ D-League affiliate, announced 11 players on their camp roster today, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). That list features Chris Babb, Damen Bell-Holter, and Kammron Taylor, who were in camp with Boston this month.

Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Garnett, Sixers, Knicks

Three new Nets were formally introduced at a press conference in Brooklyn today, with Jason Terry obviously receiving a little less attention than longtime Celtics Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. While Pierce appeared emotional about leaving Boston, both veterans spoke about having a great opportunity to compete for a title with the Nets, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com details. Here's more on Pierce and Garnett, as well as a few other notes from around the Atlantic Division:

  • According to Pierce, he initially had to talk Garnett into waiving his no-trade clause to complete the deal, with the two teammates speaking on the phone for an hour and a half. Pierce added that he hopes to become a general manager someday, and that if he were Danny Ainge, he would've accepted the offer the Nets made (Twitter links via Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com).
  • Pierce also said that he never spoke to Ainge about keeping the Celtics' core together and attempting one more run, but noted that it would have been tough to make the necessary improvements to return to title contention (Twitter link via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe).
  • No matter how many candidates the Sixers bring in, and they've been linked to plenty, Michael Curry and Brett Brown still appear to be the frontrunners, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, Brown is expected to receive the last interview that the team conducts (Twitter links).
  • Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com adds Austin Daye and Quincy Douby to the list of players who have worked out for the Knicks in Las Vegas (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Josh Newman of SNY.tv hears that the Lakers and Sixers are also expected to take a look at Douby this month (Twitter link).