Nets Fire Avery Johnson
12:09pm: Assistant P.J. Carlesimo has been named the Nets' interim head coach, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
11:58am: A poor showing in December has cost a head coach his job. After a 3-10 record this month brought the team's record back to .500, the Nets have fired coach Avery Johnson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com reported earlier today that Johnson could be let go before tomorrow night's game.
"The Nets ownership would like to express thanks to Avery for his efforts and to wish him every success in the future," said Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in a statement confirming Johnson's dismissal.
Johnson, who was in his third season as coach of the Nets, was named Coach of the Month for November just a few weeks ago. Since then, however, not much has gone right in Brooklyn. Kris Humphries has fallen out of the rotation, Deron Williams has publicly questioned the team's offensive system, and most recently, Gerald Wallace expressed displeasure in the club's performance.
At 14-14, Johnson was well on his way to leading the Nets to their best season since he took over, after the team averaged just 23 wins in his two previous seasons. However, after the organization committed well over $200MM+ to free agents and took on Joe Johnson's $89MM contract this summer, expectations in Brooklyn had increased significantly.
James Anderson To Sign In D-League
James Anderson, who was recently waived by the Spurs and worked out for the Timberwolves, is heading back to the D-League, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Anderson will sign with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' D-League affiliate.
It's not clear whether or not the Timberwolves are still interested in signing Anderson, but for the 23-year-old, there's little to lose by returning to the court in the D-League. Because no NBA team holds his rights, he's still essentially a free agent, so if the T-Wolves or another club wanted to sign him, there'd be nothing standing in the way.
Anderson, who appeared in 10 games for the Spurs this season, was on the Valley Vipers' roster during the D-League preseason, but was signed by San Antonio before the regular season got underway. The Wolves were eyeing the 2010 20th overall pick as one candidate to replace the injured Josh Howard on the wing.
D-League Moves: Tony Wroten, Dexter Pittman
We'll use this space to track the day's D-League assignments and recalls. If you want to keep tabs on all of this season's D-League moves, be sure to check out our complete list.
- The Grizzlies have re-assigned Tony Wroten to the Reno Bighorns, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (via Twitter). It's the second assignment of the season for the first-round pick, who was sent to the D-League on November 27th before being recalled on December 17th.
- The Heat have sent Dexter Pittman to their D-League affiliate, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). According to coach Erik Spoelstra, Pittman will spent several weeks with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Pittman, Miami's 32nd overall pick in the 2010 draft, played in 35 games for the club last year, even starting six contests. However, he hasn't been able to crack the rotation this season, appearing briefly in just four of the Heat's 25 games so far.
Pacific Rumors: Cousins, Fredette, Blakely, Paul
Only in Los Angeles could five be greater than 14. That's where the Lakers, winners of five straight, are casting shadows on the Clippers, who are on a franchise-record 14-game winning streak. We passed along some Lakers news earlier, but they aren't the only team making noise in the Pacific Division, as we round up here.
- Agent Dan Fegan may have influenced the Kings’ decision to lift their suspension of DeMarcus Cousins after just one game, writes Mark Perner of the Philadelphia Daily News, who chastises the team for being too lenient.
- Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty doesn't think coach Keith Smart is behind the decision to reinstate Cousins.
- Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee argues that former 10th overall pick Jimmer Fredette deserves a chance to start for the Kings, citing his 16.5 points per game in contests in which he plays 20 or more minutes.
- Clippers training camp invitee Marqus Blakely has signed with the German club Telekom Baskets Bonn, the team announced on its website (translation via Sportando). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported the move would take place. Blakely, a 6'5" small forward, has been in camp with NBA teams the past three seasons but has yet to make his official debut in the Association after going undrafted in 2010.
- The impact soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul has on the Clippers doesn't always show up in the box score, but J.A. Adande of ESPN.com echoes Nuggets coach George Karl's argument that Paul should be a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Cavaliers Claim Livingston, Waive Sloan
The Cavaliers have claimed Shaun Livingston off waivers from the Wizards, according to a team release. To clear a roster spot for Livingston, the Cavs have waived Donald Sloan, the club announced.
Sloan earned a spot on the Cavs' roster out of training camp, but wasn't playing on a guaranteed contract, meaning Cleveland will only be on the hook for a portion of his minimum-salary deal. Livingston, meanwhile, was signed by the Wizards earlier in the season to what was also assumed to be a minimum-salary contract, and was released this weekend. The Cavs will take on that deal, and if they hold on to Livingston past January 10th, his deal will become guaranteed for the season.
Sloan, 24, appeared in 20 games for the Cavs, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.9 APG, and seeing a bit of a bump in playing time when Kyrie Irving was on the shelf. Livingston, meanwhile, averaged 3.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 17 contests for the Wizards, including four starts.
Rockets Assign Terrence Jones To D-League
The Rockets announced today that Terrence Jones will be re-assigned to the team's D-League affiliate, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). It's the third assignment of the year for Jones, who was sent to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on November 30th and again on December 14th.
Jones, the 18th overall pick in the 2012 draft, hasn't seen significant playing time with the Rockets, scoring 34 total points in his 11 appearances for the team (8.3 MPG). In two games for Rio Grande, he has exhibited the ability that made him a first-round pick this past June, scoring 22.5 PPG and grabbing 17.5 RPG.
You can check out this season's complete list of D-League assignments and recalls right here.
Wizards Sign Shelvin Mack, Garrett Temple
The Wizards have officially signed Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple, the team announced today in a press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported that Washington would bring back Mack, while ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Temple was expected to sign with the Wizards.
Both Mack and Temple had been playing in the D-League, for the Maine Red Claws and Reno Bighorns, respectively. In 10 starts for Maine, Mack had averaged 20.2 PPG and 7.1 APG while playing over 40 minutes per contest. Temple, meanwhile, has started nine games for the Bighorns, averaging 14.7 PPG and 5.8 APG.
The Wizards released Earl Barron and Shaun Livingston over the weekend, clearing a pair of roster spots. At the time, Michael Lee of the Washington Post indicated that Washington would likely bring in backcourt reinforcements to fill those roster spots. Barron's and Livingston's deals were non-guaranteed, and I would expect Mack's and Temple's will be as well, meaning the team will have a couple weeks to decide whether to keep the duo on board, guaranteeing their contracts.
Warriors Recall Bazemore, Tyler From D-League
The Warriors have recalled a pair of players from their D-League affiliate, the team announced tonight. Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler will return to the NBA club from the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Neither player has seen meaningful action for Golden State this season, though the duo hasn't spent much time in the D-League either. Having just been assigned to Santa Cruz yesterday, it was the second one-day D-League stint for Bazemore and Tyler this season.
In Santa Cruz's home debut yesterday, Tyler scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards, while Bazemore scored 18 and had five steals.
Patrick Beverley Expected To Sign With Rockets
Point guard Patrick Beverley is expected to sign with the Rockets after securing his release from the Russian club Spartak St. Petersburg, as first reported by Marco Calise of WorldBasket.com (Twitter link). The deal will run through 2015 and include a guarantee, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports the deal, which is close but not imminent, will likely include team options in 2013/14 and 2014/15. Beverley made reference to the move on Twitter this morning.
"I would like to thank Spartak staff and fans for a great 2 years!! There's no better team in the world!!! I love u all!! And Hello NBA," Beverley wrote.
The Rockets will pay the bulk of Beverley's $600K buyout from Spartak, Varlas reports. NBA teams can pay as much as $550K to buy out an overseas contract. Beverley was taken 42nd overall by the Lakers in the 2009 draft and traded to the Heat the same night. Miami brought him to camp in 2010, but waived him before the start of the regular season. The 2011/12 EuroCup MVP has averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds per game in Russia this season, numbers that are down from last year.
Houston is at the limit of 15 players on its roster, so the team will have to waive someone to bring Beverley on board. Greg Smith's deal is partially guaranteed for $381K, though he has found a spot in the team's rotation. Scott Machado, whose minimum-salary deal is only guaranteed for $237K, seems more likely to go. The Rockets are already on the hook for guaranteed money to seven players who are no longer on the roster, and that doesn't include Luis Scola, who was amnestied this summer. Beverley is likely to spend time with the Rockets' D-League affiliate once he's signed, according to Feigen.
D-League Moves: Joseph, Bazemore, Tyler
We'll keep track of all the day's D-League transactions here, with the latest news at the top. Catch up on all the D-League comings and goings this season with each assignment and recall listed in this post.
- The Celtics have recalled Kris Joseph from the Maine Red Claws, as Sportando's Emiliano Carchia notes via Twitter. Joseph's return to Boston isn't a surprise, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com noted when he was sent down yesterday that Joseph expected to travel with the Celtics on their upcoming road trip. Joseph shot just 3-for-16 last night as the Red Claws lost to the Erie BayHawks.
- The Warriors announced they have sent Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors. Both were sent down for one-day stints earlier this season. Neither has seen meaningful action for Golden State this year, though Tyler started 23 games for the big club as a rookie in 2011/12. Bazemore and Tyler will be around for Santa Cruz's home debut. The D-League team, which had played as the Dakota Wizards before the Warriors purchased the club this year, played its first seven games on the road this season while its arena was under construction.
- The Thunder have recalled Reggie Jackson, DeAndre Liggins and Perry Jones III from the D-League, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). The Thunder have shuttled all three, along with Daniel Orton and Jeremy Lamb, back and forth between Oklahoma City and the Tulsa 66ers this year. Jackson has played particularly well in his time with the 66ers, putting up 28.0 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game in three D-League contests this season, including a 37-point effort last night. Liggins is averaging 11.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 4.8 APG in three games with Tulsa, while Jones has played four D-League contests, posting 11.5 PPG and 5.3 RPG. Only Jackson has seen significant time with the big club, logging more than 24 minutes against the Timberwolves on Thursday.