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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/5/17

January 5th, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

6:29pm:

The Warriors have assigned rookie center Damian Jones to their D-League affiliate, according to a team-issued press release. The big man has made four starts with the Santa Cruz Warriors so far this season.

3:33pm:

The Rockets have recalled rookie big man Chinanu Onuaku from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The 2016 second-rounder, who has earned a spot in highlight packages with his underhanded free throws, has averaged a double-double (11.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG) in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season.
The Grizzlies have assigned Wade Baldwin and Troy Williams to the Iowa Energy, according to a press release issued by the team. The duo should get a chance to suit up for Memphis’ D-League affiliate tonight against the L.A. D-Fenders.

11:27am:

Richaun Holmes, who is recovering from a concussion, has been recalled from the D-League by the Sixers, according to a team release. Holmes had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Delaware 87ers on Wednesday night, and was apparently deemed ready to return to the NBA.
The Knicks recalled Maurice Ndour from the D-League after sending him down on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). Ndour had a big game for Westchester last night, posting 26 points and nine rebounds.
Rookie forward Georges Niang has been sent to the D-League, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Although he has played sparingly for Indiana so far, Niang has spent most of the season with the NBA club — this is just his second NBADL assignment.
The Pistons have recalled first-round rookie Henry Ellenson from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League affiliate, in a Wednesday victory.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/4/17

January 4th, 2017 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

4:25pm:

The Lakers have re-assigned rookie big man Ivica Zubac to the D-League (Twitter link). Zubac will be in uniform for the L.A. D-Fenders tomorrow night for the team’s game against Iowa.
The Pistons officially announced in a press release this afternoon that they’ve sent Henry Ellenson to the Grand Rapids Drive. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets, fellow rookie Michael Gbinije likely would’ve joined him, but he’s battling a forearm injury.
Forward Troy Williams has been recalled by the Grizzlies from his assignment with the Iowa Energy, per a team release. Williams averaged 24.3 PPG in three games during his D-League stint, including 32 in 28 minutes on December 27.

2:28pm:

Richaun Holmes, who has completed and passed all the elements of the NBA’s concussion protocol, has been assigned to the D-League by the Sixers, the team announced today in a press release. While some NBADL rehab assignments don’t include game action, the Sixers suggest that Holmes is expected to suit up tonight for the Delaware 87ers.

12:55pm:

A pair of Nuggets rookies, Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, have been assigned to the D-League, according to a press release. Despite having a fairly young roster, Denver hasn’t used the D-League much this season, since the team doesn’t have its own affiliate. Beasley and Hernangomez will join the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBADL squad.
The Raptors have sent Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet back to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo has bounced back and forth between the NBA and NBADL all season — it’s the 13th D-League assignment for Caboclo and the ninth for VanVleet.
Maurice Ndour is headed to the D-League, having been assigned to Westchester today by the Knicks (Twitter link). New York’s D-League affiliate is in action tonight against Grand Rapids, and Ndour is expected to suit up for the game.
The Suns have assigned rookie forward Derrick Jones to the D-League, the team announced today (Twitter link). It’s the fourth NBADL assignment of the season for Jones, who has averaged 14.0 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 14 games for Northern Arizona.

Sixers Waive Hollis Thompson

January 4th, 2017 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

3:22pm: The Sixers have waived Thompson, a league source confirms to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

3:12pm: The Sixers are set to waive Hollis Thompson, a league source tells Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link). Thompson is on a non-guaranteed contract, so cutting him before the upcoming salary guarantee deadline will ensure that the team isn’t on the hook for his full-season salary.

Thompson, 25, had been one of the longest-tenured players on the Sixers, having signed with the team back in September of 2013. In 256 games since then, the 6’8″ swingman has averaged 7.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG, with a .417/.389/.709 shooting line.

Given how much value is placed on effective three-point shooting in today’s NBA, it’s worth noting that the Sixers are cutting ties with a player who has made 39% of his career attempts from long distance. Still, Thompson’s 36.6% mark this season is the worst of his career, and he has also averaged just 18.1 minutes per game this season, another career low.

Thompson is in the final year of his contract and didn’t appear to be a part of Philadelphia’s long-term plan, so cutting him now will create some roster flexibility and will allow other players – such as rookie wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – to earn more playing time.

Meanwhile, even if he goes unclaimed on waivers, Thompson is a good bet to catch on with another NBA team soon, perhaps on a 10-day contract. He would become an unrestricted free agent on Friday if his release becomes official today and he clears waivers.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/3/17

January 3rd, 2017 at 9:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Magic have sent C.J. Wilcox to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. For Wilcox, whom Orlando acquired in an offseason trade, it’s the second time this season he has been assigned to the Erie BayHawks. During his first assignment, he averaged 10. PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG in two games with Orlando’s NBADL affiliate.
A day after being recalled to the NBA, rookie guard Bryn Forbes has been re-assigned to the D-League, the Spurs announced today in a press release. While Forbes has appeared in 13 games so far this season for San Antonio, he has seen much more playing time for the Austin Spurs, averaging 23.4 PPG in seven games for the NBADL squad.

Hornets Waive Aaron Harrison

January 3rd, 2017 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

12:40pm: The Hornets have made it official, issuing a press release this afternoon to announce that they’ve waived Harrison.

10:40am: The Hornets are opening up on a spot on their roster, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports that Aaron Harrison will be waived today by the team. It’s not clear if Charlotte is eyeing a replacement or if the club will move forward with an opening on its 15-man squad for now.

Harrison, who joined the Hornets as an undrafted free agent last season, has only appeared in 26 total games for the franchise, despite being in Charlotte for the last year and a half. In those 26 games, he averaged a measly 4.2 minutes per contest. The Kentucky product has been solid in D-League action, averaging 20.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.2 APG this season in 14 games for the Greensboro Swarm.

Harrison had been playing on a non-guaranteed contract this season, and his salary for 2016/17 would have become fully guaranteed if the Hornets hadn’t cut him by this Saturday, so the timing of the move doesn’t come as a real surprise. Treveon Graham, who has also played sparingly in Charlotte, is the team’s other non-guaranteed player — a decision will be required on him this week as well.

Assuming Harrison’s release becomes official today and he goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll become a free agent on Thursday, at which point he’ll be a candidate for a 10-day NBA deal or a D-League contract. Meanwhile, the Hornets will carry a cap hit of about $376K on their books after cutting Harrison, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link).

Pelicans Sign Donatas Motiejunas

January 3rd, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

After a free agent saga that lasted more than six months, it appears Donatas Motiejunas finally has a home. The Pelicans have officially signed the free agent big man to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. Rod Walker of The Advocate first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides reached a verbal agreement.

It has been an odd year for Motiejunas, who was involved in both a February trade and a December free agent contract that were scuttled. A 2016 deadline deal that would have sent the 26-year-old from Houston to Detroit was vetoed due to concerns about his back. In July, D-Mo became a restricted free agent, but was unable to find a deal for about five months due to similar health concerns.

Eventually, the veteran power forward signed a four-year offer sheet with the Nets, which Houston matched. Following a dispute about the incentives in that offer sheet, Motiejunas and the Rockets came to a new agreement, but that deal fell apart as well, resulting in the team renouncing its rights to the former first-round pick and making him an unrestricted free agent. Motiejunas visited the Lakers and Timberwolves before talks with the Pelicans became serious over the weekend.

Although Motiejunas struggled to stay healthy last season and his production took a significant hit, he looked like a player on the rise in 2014/15, when he averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG to go along with a .504 FG% and a .368 3PT%. While there’s some long-term uncertainty about how his back will hold up, he is believed to be healthy now, and could immediately find a role in the Pelicans’ rotation.

As Justin Verrier of ESPN.com recently detailed, the Pelicans have found success lately with small-ball lineups, resulting in Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca dropping out of the team’s regular rotation. Motiejunas is a seven-footer, but his ability to shoot three-pointers should allow him to carve out a role in those small-ball lineups.

As for the details of Motiejunas’ new contract with the Pelicans, the exact terms aren’t yet known, but a one-year, minimum-salary pact seems likely. The team also still has $808K of its room exception available, so doing a deal using the rest of that exception would allow for a slightly larger payday for Motiejunas. Still, it’s a significant drop-off from the $7-8MM annual salary he had been seeking. Presumably, the idea is to rebuild his value in New Orleans this season before returning to the open market as an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/2/17

January 2nd, 2017 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

7:40pm:

The Kings have sent rookies Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis to their D-League affiliate in Reno, tweets Jason Jones. The two had most recently played sparingly for Sacramento on New Year’s Eve.

12:27pm:

Forward Joel Bolomboy is headed back to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a press release issued by the Jazz. In Bolomboy’s last game for Utah’s D-League affiliate, on Friday, he posted 18 points and 12 boards to help lead the Stars to a double-overtime win.
The Celtics have recalled a pair of players, Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo could be active tomorrow for the C’s, depending on the health of a few Boston players.
The Spurs have recalled rookie guard Bryn Forbes from Austin, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Forbes has played well for the NBADL Spurs this season, averaging 23.4 PPG in seven games.

Pelicans Waive Reggie Williams, Will Sign Motiejunas

January 1st, 2017 at 6:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:55pm: New Orleans hopes to have the new contract with Motiejunas competed by Monday or Tuesday, Stein reports in a full story.

12:28pm: The Pelicans are finalizing a one-year deal with Motiejunas at the veteran’s minimum, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.

12:02pm: Representatives for Donatas Motiejunas had “positive talks” with the Pelicans this morning, and a deal could be finalized today, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The news comes after the team announced that it has waived veteran small forward Reggie Williams.

New Orleans has about $808K left under the room mid-level exception to sign Motiejunas, according to The Vertical’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). A veteran’s minimum deal for Motiejunas would be worth roughly $600K, since the value of the minimum exception has prorates during the season. Either exception would limit Motiejunas to a two-year deal.

Motiejunas has been without a team since restricted free agency began in July. He went five months without an offer before agreeing to an offer sheet with the Nets in early December. That deal was matched by the Rockets, but that was followed by a holdout after Houston didn’t match the bonuses in the contract, then a separate deal with the Rockets, who decided to waive Motiejunas after his physical.

The Lithuanian big man could find an opportunity for playing time in New Orleans, where centers Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have been removed from the rotation. Motiejunas was limited by back problems last season and averaged 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 37 games with the Rockets.

Williams, who was waived by the Thunder during the preseason, signed with the Pelicans December 9th. He got into five games, averaging 5.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per night. New Orleans was the fifth team for the 30-year-old, who was out of the NBA all of last season. Marks tweets that the Pelicans’ cap hit for waiving Williams is $180,483.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/31/16

December 31st, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Magic assigned center Stephen Zimmerman to the Erie BayHawks, the team tweets. The 7’0” center has appeared in eight games this season with the Magic, averaging 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 4.0 minutes. This is his third assignment to the BayHawks. He’s averaged 17.3 points, 13.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks in 34.2 minutes over six games with them.
The Suns recalled forward Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, eight days after he was assigned to the D-League for the third time, the team tweets (Twitter link). He has averaged 14.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 32.1 minutes over 14 games with Northern Arizona.
The Knicks recalled guard Ron Baker and center Marshall Plumlee and they will rejoin the team in Houston, according to their Twitter feed. They were assigned to the Westchester Knicks on Friday and started their game against Fort Wayne. Baker had nine points, four assists and four steals in 30 minutes, while Plumlee posted 16 points and six rebounds in the same amount of action.
The Hornets recalled guard Aaron Harrison and forward Christian Wood from the Greensboro Swarm, they announced in a press release. Harrison has appeared in 13 Swarm games over three assignments, recording averages of 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.5 minutes per game. Wood has appeared in 11 Swarm games during two D-League stints, averaging 17.2 points, 9.3 boards and 2.1 blocks in 29.3 minutes.
The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from the D-Fenders, one day after assigning him to the D-League, Harrison Faigen of SB Nation tweets. The 7’1” center had 17 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes against Northern Arizona on Friday.
The Jazz recalled forward Joel Bolomboy after he appeared in one game with the Salt Lake City Stars during his latest assignment. the team announced in a press release. He recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes against Sioux Falls on Friday.

Heat Confirm Erik Spoelstra Signed Extension

December 30th, 2016 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signed a contract extension during the offseason to remain with the franchise, the club officially confirmed today, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The deal wasn’t announced at the time of its completion, though summer reports indicated it was considered a formality.

“I would like to thank the Arisons and Pat [Riley] for their continued confidence in me and my staff and are humbled in their trust in me as head coach,” Spoelstra said in a statement. “It has been an incredible 22 years being part of the Miami Heat family and we will look to continue our goal of winning NBA championships.”

The announcement may be a belated one, but it doesn’t come as any real surprise. As Winderman notes, Spoelstra’s voice within the organization has grown in recent years, as he has become more involved with personnel decisions and filled out the team’s coaching staff with his own hires. The team didn’t reveal the terms of Spoelstra’s new extension, but it’s safe to say that the Heat view him as the long-term fit for the job, even as they go through a rebuilding phase.

Spoelstra – who was an assistant for more than a decade in Miami before his promotion – is currently the NBA’s second-longest-tenured head coach, trailing only Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Over the course of his career with the Heat, Spoelstra has led the team to a 673-409 (.608) mark during the regular season. He has also enjoyed significant success in the playoffs, with a career postseason record of 70-43 (.619), including four Finals appearances and two titles.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported in June that Spoelstra and the Heat were nearing an extension, while Riley confirmed in July that the two sides were working toward a new deal.