Spurs Recall Derrick White From G League After 22-Point Game
- After being sent to the G League on Tuesday, rookie guard Derrick White was recalled by the Spurs today, per a press release. White helped lead the Austin Spurs to a win on Tuesday night, putting up 22 points in just 24 minutes.
MacMullan’s Latest: Irving, LeBron, Cavs, Suns
With Isaiah Thomas having returned to the Cavaliers on Tuesday, and the Cavs now poised to square off against the Celtics on Wednesday, it only makes sense to revisit one of the 2017 offseason’s biggest trades. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan has done just that, taking a deep dive into the factors that led to Kyrie Irving heading from Cleveland to Boston.
Along the way, MacMullan passes along several noteworthy tidbits — while the whole piece is worth checking out, especially for Cavs and Celtics fans, we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting details below:
- While Irving made his trade request in July, the Cavaliers explored the possibility of moving the point guard in June, which MacMullan suggests contributed to Irving’s decision to ask out of Cleveland. “They didn’t want me there,” Irving said of the Cavs. Former teammate LeBron James disputes that notion, which he says “makes absolutely no sense.”
- One deal the Cavs explored in June would have sent Irving and Channing Frye to the Suns and resulted in both Paul George and Eric Bledsoe landing in Cleveland. However, Phoenix balked at that deal, since the club was unwilling to give up the No. 4 overall pick, says MacMullan. A few days later, the Pacers dealt George to the Thunder instead.
- Although no formal offer was made during those negotiations, Irving caught wind of the talks and believed they were orchestrated by James’ camp, since LeBron shares an agent with Bledsoe. Team and league sources suggest otherwise, telling MacMullan that former Cavs GM David Griffin sensed that an Irving trade request may be coming and initiated talks with the Suns.
- When Irving and his agent met with the Cavaliers on July 9, they pressed owner Dan Gilbert about the team’s direction, and mentioned the Spurs, Knicks, and Timberwolves as preferred landing spots for Irving. Boston didn’t come up during that meeting, but Gilbert coveted the Nets‘ 2018 first-round pick that was held by the Celtics, and Irving’s camp didn’t oppose a deal to the C’s.
- When the Celtics emerged as a viable trade partner for Irving and the Cavs, Gilbert went to James and attempted to secure a promise that he’d stay in Cleveland beyond the 2017/18 season, but LeBron declined to commit, sources tell MacMullan.
Spurs Re-Assign Derrick White To G League
- Rookie guard Derrick White is headed back to the G League, according to the Spurs, who announced today in a press release that they’ve re-assigned him to Austin. San Antonio’s affiliate is scheduled to visit the Long Island Nets on Tuesday night.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/17
Here are the G-League moves from around the NBA today:
- The Spurs have recalled Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. White has played in seven games with the G League club and he’s averaging 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.
- The Bulls have recalled big man Cristiano Felicio from the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Felicio, 25, has played well on both of his G League assignments, including a 22-point, 14-rebound, six-block performance in Windy City’s recent win over the Canton Charge. Felicio has appeared in 23 games for the Bulls.
- The Thunder recalled guard Terrance Ferguson from the organization’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. OKC’s first-round pick from this year’s NBA Draft has appeared in 21 games this season and averaged 1.3 PPG in 6.7 minutes per game.
Rudy Gay To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Bursitis
Spurs forward Rudy Gay will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks with retrocalcaneal bursitis in his right heel, the team announced on its website.
The injury forced Gay out of Thursday’s game with the Knicks, and he had an MRI this morning that revealed the damage. The Spurs said Gay has begun a program of rest and rehabilitation and his condition will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
This is Gay’s first significant physical setback since returning from an Achilles injury he suffered midway through last season. The 31-year-old has played in 34 of San Antonio’s 36 games so far and is averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per night.
He signed a two-year deal with the Spurs over the summer and has an $8.8263MM player option for next season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/27/17
Here are the notable G-League transactions around the NBA today:
- The Hornets have recalled Malik Monk from the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The 2017 No. 11 overall pick appeared in one G League game and he scored 25 points.
- The Spurs have assigned Derrick White to the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. White has played in six games to date with the G League club and he’s averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.
- The Wolves have assigned Justin Patton to the G League, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Patton has already appeared in six games for the Iowa Wolves, scoring 9.5 points per contest.
Leonard Improving, Club Ready To Take Off
- Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard admits he’s still not 100% as he works his way back from a quad injury but the team appears ready to go on a run, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Leonard played 26 minutes in San Antonio’s victory over the Nets on Tuesday. “I don’t feel like I’m there yet,” Leonard told Wright and other reporters. “But I tried to do what I can. It’s really nothing tonight. Just the whole process of going through playing limited minutes, and just seeing how I feel each game.” With Leonard and Tony Parker back from long-term injuries, the Spurs finally have their full roster together. “It’s a good time to get everybody playing, everybody feeling good, get Kawhi and Tony back to their usual selves, back to their rhythm and feeling good,” guard Manu Ginobili told Wright.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/26/17
Here are the notable G-League transactions around the NBA today:
- The Hornets recalled rookie Dwayne Bacon from the organization’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced in a press release. In 28 games for Charlotte, Bacon has averaged 3.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG. He was acquired along with cash considerations from the Pelicans for draft rights to Frank Jackson during the 2017 NBA Draft.
- In a separate move, the Hornets assigned guard Julyan Stone to the Greensboro Swarm on Tuesday, according to a press release. Stone has appeared in four contests for the Hornets, posting totals of 1.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG and 1.8 APG. This marks Stone’s third assignment to the G League.
- The Spurs announced in a press release that guard Derrick White has been recalled from the team’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. White has appeared in seven games for San Antonio, averaging 1.3 PPG and 1.3 RPG.
- The Trail Blazers assigned guard C.J. Wilcox to the Santa Cruz Warriors, per a press release. After appearing in 20+ games in each of the past three seasons for the Magic and Clippers, Wilcox has yet to see NBA action in 2017/18 due to arthroscopic knee surgery. Wilcox signed a two-way deal with Portland in August.
Southwest Rumors: Tanking, Pelicans, Ferrell, Rockets
The Grizzlies dismiss the notion of tanking to improve their chances of moving up the lottery, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Tillery the team still believes it can make the playoffs, despite its 10-23 record. “In our mind, there is no tanking,” he said. “We’re competitive. We just need to find a way to get over that hump. We’ve continued to take steps.” Center Marc Gasol has no interest in playing for a team that intentionally waves the white flag, Tillery adds. “My job is not allowing that to happen,” Gasol said. “My job is not allowing anyone to throw away the season. Because at 32, 33 next month, I don’t have a season to throw away.”
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans are hovering around the .500 mark and need to take advantage of a soft spot in their upcoming schedule, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examines. They face the Nets, Mavericks and Knicks before the New Year, which could help them make a move in the standings. If New Orleans continues to wallow in mediocrity, trade chatter will increase with DeMarcus Cousins heading to free agency this summer, Kyler notes. The lack of a bona fide leader, plus a penchant for turnovers, are two of the major issues confronting a team that should be better than its current record, Kyler adds.
- Mavericks combo guard Yogi Ferrell has boosted his 3-point shooting average to 40.2% during a recent seven-game hot streak, which doesn’t come as a surprise to head coach Rick Carlisle. One of the reasons Dallas signed Ferrell last season was his superior shooting mechanics, as Carlisle told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “I feel good anytime any of our shooters have a good look at a three,” he said. “But when Yogi has the space and the pass is on time and on target, he does a great job of stepping into it.”
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey recently said in a radio interview that the club is obsessed with beating the Warriors and Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines that it’s not wise to take that approach. Hamilton explains that the Rockets can’t afford to look past or show a lack of respect to the Spurs, who are always dangerous during the postseason.
Derrick White Assigned To Austin
- The Spurs assigned rookie guard Derrick White to the G League’s Austin Spurs today, per an official report. White, who had just been recalled yesterday, has appeared in three total games with Austin, averaging 15.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.