Nets Expected To Assign Taylor To D-League
The Springfield Armor may be welcoming a new player in the near future, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter) the Nets are expected to assign Tyshawn Taylor to the team's D-League affiliate. Although the Nets are the only NBA team affiliated with the Armor, Brooklyn has yet to assign a player to Springfield so far this season.
Taylor, the 41st pick in the 2012 draft, has appeared in seven games for the Nets, but has seen limited action in those contests. Since scoring five points in nine minutes against the Magic on November 9th, the 22-year-old point guard has played less than three overall minutes in four games. The assignment to Springfield should mean a significant increase in playing time for the rookie.
Rockets Recall Scott Machado From D-League
A day after recalling Donatas Motiejunas from their D-League affiliate, the Rockets have brought their other assignee back as well. Houston has recalled Scott Machado from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Machado, who has yet to make his NBA debut with the Rockets, played two games for the Valley Vipers, averaging 16.0 PPG, 8.0 APG, and 5.0 RPG.
You can keep tabs on the latest D-League assignments and recalls with our complete list, which can be found on the right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features" at any time.
Jazz Assign Kevin Murphy To D-League
MONDAY, 11:48am: The Jazz have officially assigned Murphy to the Bighorns, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News confirms (via Twitter).
SATURDAY, 4:25pm: The Jazz will send rookie Kevin Murphy to the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, on Monday as long as the twisted ankle that knocked Mo Williams out of last night's game with the Kings is not too severe, tweets Jody Genessey of the Deseret News. The assignment would be Utah's first of the season.
The Jazz drafted Murphy, a 6'6" swingman from Tennessee Tech, with the 47th overall pick in the draft. He signed a minimum-salary contract that's partially guaranteed for $200K this year and fully non-guaranteed for 2013/14.
Murphy has played just nine minutes in three games for the Jazz thus far, and Utah's backcourt just got more crowded with last night's return of Earl Watson from injury. When the move becomes official, we'll add it to our list of D-League assignments and recalls from the entire league.
Pacers Recall Plumlee, Johnson From D-League
The Pacers have officially recalled rookies Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson from their D-League assignments, the team announced today in a press release. Indiana had assigned Plumlee and Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last Wednesday, noting at the time that the duo would be back with the Pacers for this week's road trip.
Both players were productive in their two D-League games over the weekend, with Johnson pouring in 30 points yesterday against the Maine Red Claws. Johnson averaged 22.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG in the two contests, while Plumlee had marks of 14.0 PPG and 9.5 RPG.
Lakers Re-Assign Johnson-Odom To D-League
The Lakers have re-assigned Darius Johnson-Odom to their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders (according to a tweet from Mike Trudell of Lakers.com). The 6'2 guard has only appeared in four games and played a total of six minutes thus far. Trudell adds that with no limit on how many times a player can be sent or recalled from the development league, the Lakers may often consider this option.
This will be the second time since November 10th that Johnson-Odom has been sent to the NBDL, and it could certainly provide him with an opportunity to continue developing with ample playing time. During a pre-season game between the D-Fenders and the Bakersfield Jam just over a week ago, Johnson-Odom tallied 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in 39 minutes of play.
Rockets Recall Donatas Motiejunas From D-League
The Rockets recalled seven-footer Donatas Motiejunas from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this morning, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The Lithuanian rookie was sent down earlier this month along with Scott Machado, who remains with the Vipers. It appeared at the time of their assignments that Royce White would be joining them as well, but that turned out not to be the case, as Rockets GM Daryl Morey later said the team never intended to demote the troubled White.
Motiejunas started games on back-to-back nights for the Vipers, who tipped off their season Friday. He averaged 24.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in 37.0 minutes per contest. He has also appeared in one game for the Rockets this season, logging five minutes. Motiejunas was the 20th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Timberwolves, who immediately traded him to the Rockets. He spent last season playing for Asseco Prokom Gdynia in Poland.
The recall opens up a spot for the Rockets to send down White or another player, if they choose, since NBA teams can only send down two players at a time. Morey recently spoke about the development of Motiejunas and Machado, and how he wants to use the D-League to facilitate that. For a complete list of D-League comings and goings this season, check out our updated list.
Gary Forbes Signs In China
Gary Forbes signed to play in China this year for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, but he still has his eyes set on an NBA contract when the CBA season is over, agent Greg Nunn informs HoopsHype. The 6’7” forward was one of the last cuts by the Rockets at the end of training camp. The Chinese season ends in February, so there will be plenty of time for Forbes to return to the NBA if any team shows interest.
Forbes, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets and Raptors, respectively, after going undrafted out of UMass in 2008. He spent time in Italy, Israel and the D-League before making the Nuggets out of camp in 2010. He signed a two-year, $3MM contract with the Raptors after the lockout, but was sent to Houston in the Kyle Lowry deal. The contract was fully guaranteed for 2012/13, but the Rockets waived him when the James Harden trade left them with more guaranteed contracts than available roster spots.
Forbes has averaged 5.8 points in 13.5 minutes per game in the NBA, with a 12.4 PER. He’ll join former 14th overall pick Al Thornton, who signed with the Lions in September.
Thunder Assign Orton, Liggins To D-League
The Thunder have assigned a pair of players to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. With the D-League regular season about to get underway, Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins will join the Tulsa 66ers.
Orton and Liggins both spent the 2011/12 season with the Magic. Orton, a first-round pick in 2010, didn't have his third-year option exercised by Orlando, while Liggins was an unrestricted free agent after his rookie season.
Oklahoma City added both players to its training camp roster, retaining Liggins for the regular season, but waiving Orton. Orton was re-signed by the team when a pair of roster spots opened up following the James Harden trade. So far this season, Liggins has seen limited minutes in four games, with Orton appearing in just one.
Ryan Gomes Signs In Germany
After having been amnestied by the Clippers more than four months ago, Ryan Gomes has finally found a new team. Gomes has signed with the Artland Dragons in Germany, the team confirmed on its website today (German link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress first reported (via Twitter) that Gomes would join the Dragons.
Gomes, 30, worked out for the Bobcats in September, but didn't receive a training camp invite from Charlotte or any other NBA club. After a few productive seasons with the Celtics and Timberwolves, Gomes' performance declined with the Clippers over the last two years. In 2011/12, he recorded just 2.3 PPG and a 4.4 PER, along with a .326 FG%, in 32 games. Gomes' career rates (13.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and relative youth suggest he could still earn another shot in the NBA if he has success overseas.
Because he was released via the amnesty clause, Gomes is still earning the $4MM salary owed to him by the Clippers. However, that amount doesn't apply to Los Angeles' team salary for this season.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, Draft, Mavs, Anderson
It's one of the busiest nights of the year on the hardwood in the Association, with a slate of 14 games before the league takes a one-day hiatus for Thanksgiving. There's plenty of off-court news as well, and we've got that covered here.
- Mike D'Antoni will keep all the existing Lakers assistant coaches through the season, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. It looks like D'Antoni won't hire Nate McMillan, as he indicated he would do, Shelburne adds.
- Nuggets coach George Karl believes the Wolves' signing of Andrei Kirilenko was a smart move, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune notes.
- Jeremy Bauman of SheridanHoops.com breaks down the top 10 draft prospects from this week's Legends Classic tournament.
- Dirk Nowitzki hopes when he comes back that he and O.J. Mayo can develop the same rhythm he had with Jason Terry, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details.
- James Anderson, brought back by the Spurs today, wants to copy Danny Green's ability to take advantage of a second chance, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News documents.
- Jim Owczarski of OnMilwaukee.com checks in with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis as the pair tries to answer questions about their ability to play together for the Bucks.
- Sean Williams, who was waived by the Rockets over the summer, lasted just one preseason game with the Foshan Long Lions of the Chinese league after signing this week, tweets Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall, who translated a Weibo report. The team picked up Shavlik Randolph, a Wizards training-camp invitee this year, to replace him.