NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/3/17
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/16
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- After being sent down to the D-League on Thursday, Patrick McCaw and Damian Jones were recalled by the Warriors today, the team announced in a press release. The duo played in Santa Cruz’s win over Northern Arizona last night, though neither player was particularly productive — Jones had just two points and four boards in 23 minutes, while McCaw made only six of his team-high 17 shots.
- The Jazz continue to shuttle Joel Bolomboy back and forth between the NBA and the D-League, announcing today in a press release that he has been re-assigned to Salt Lake City. The rookie forward figures to suit up for Utah’s NBADL affiliate tonight against Sioux Falls.
- Rookie big man Ivica Zubac will rejoin the Los Angeles D-Fenders, having been re-assigned to the D-League by the Lakers, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. L.A.’s affiliate will host Northern Arizona tonight, giving Zubac a chance to see some playing time.
- The Knicks assigned Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee to the D-League earlier today, according to the team (via Twitter). It’s the fifth assignment of the season for Baker, and the eighth for Plumlee.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/16
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
9:00pm:
- The Jazz recalled forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars after assigning him to the D-League earlier in the day, the team announced in a press release. The second-round pick out of Weber State has made nine brief appearances with the Jazz this season.
- The Warriors assigned center Damian Jones and guard Patrick McCaw to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced on its website. Jones has appeared in 10 games with Santa Cruz, averaging 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.70 blocks in 21.8 minutes. McCaw had not been previously assigned to the D-League. He has appeared in 26 games with Golden State but hasn’t left the bench the past three games.
11:26am:
- A day after sending him on his first D-League assignment of the season, the Cavaliers have recalled Kay Felder from the Canton Charge, according to a press release. Felder had an outstanding NBADL debut, leading the Charge to a blowout win with 33 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.
- The Hawks don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, but they have sent Taurean Prince to the Long Island Nets via the flexible assignment rule, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. It’s the first NBADL assignment of the season for Prince, the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and it may end up just lasting one game, according to Vivlamore.
Laprovittola Clears Waivers, Eyes Europe
Nicolas Laprovittola has cleared waivers and will mull his options in Europe, international journalist David Pick tweets. The former Spurs point guard, who is now an unrestricted free agent, will pursue a 10-day contract with an NBA team if he doesn’t hook on to a European team, Pick adds.
Pick labels Laprovittola the best available point man in Europe and that could certainly be the case, given that he was good enough to start three games for San Antonio this season.
The Spurs waived him on Tuesday, dropping their current roster count to 14 players. San Antonio still has three point guards on the roster — Tony Parker, Patty Mills and rookie Dejounte Murray. That left no role for Laprovittola, who benefited earlier in the season from injuries to Parker, who has missed nine games.
Laprovittola, who will turn 27 next month, signed with the Spurs in September and appeared in 18 regular-season games. In 9.7 minutes per contest, the Argentinian averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.6 APG, shooting 37.0% on three-pointers.
Last season, Laprovittola averaged 10.3 PPG and a team-high 3.8 APG for Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania. He was also a member of the Argentinian national team in Rio this past summer, averaging 8.2 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.2 RPG in the Olympic tournament.
Laprovittola’s full $543K salary won’t count against the Spurs’ cap because he had a non-guaranteed contract. That salary would have become fully guaranteed if he had remained under contract through January 10.