Grizzlies Waive Toney Douglas
The Grizzlies are waiving Toney Douglas, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that three of Memphis’ injured players are getting close to returning. Douglas was signed by the Grizzlies using a hardship exception, which allowed the team to add a 16th man to its roster since four players were sidelined for an extended period.
We had already heard that James Ennis, one of those four injured Grizzlies players, was nearing a return, but Wojnarowski says that two others – Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons – have also made significant progress (Twitter links). According to Wojnarowski, Conley could get back on the court as soon as this weekend, which would be a surprisingly fast turnaround. When the veteran point guard went down with a back injury, reports indicated he would be re-evaluated in a month and would likely miss at least six weeks — that was just over two weeks ago.
Up until his injury, Conley had been one of the NBA’s most valuable players, so there were some questions about how the Grizzlies would perform without him. Since he went down, however, Memphis has played some of its best ball of the season, putting up a 7-2 record, with wins against the Warriors and Cavaliers. The team’s only two losses in that stretch came against Cleveland and Toronto, the two top teams in the East.
While Douglas didn’t play a ton during his time with the Grizzlies, he saw 17.8 minutes per game in six contests, averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG. Assuming he’s officially waived today, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent this weekend, while Memphis will carry a cap hit of just over $100K for him, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link).
Gary Neal Signs D-League Contract
Former Wizards shooting guard Gary Neal has signed a contract to play in the D-League, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet which team Neal will land with, but Reichert tweets that either Maine or Long Island has top waiver priority. Those are the Celtics’ and Nets’ NBADL affiliates.
Neal, 32, started his NBA career with the Spurs, playing a major role off the bench for the team for three seasons, starting in 2010/11. After leaving San Antonio, Neal also spent time with Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Minnesota, before landing in Washington last season. In 350 career NBA games, he has averaged 9.9 PPG, shooting 38.3% on three-point attempts.
While Neal’s numbers last year – and in the past – were solid, he was unable to find an NBA home to start this season. In July, he wrote on Facebook that he was the Wizards’ leading scorer off the bench and their best three-point shooter, pointing to some of the contracts his fellow second-unit players received and hinting that he should be in line for a decent payday of his own.
Around that same time, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com reported that Neal rubbed some Washington players and coaches the wrong way, and was viewed by some as a player who was out for his own stats. Perhaps that perception contributed to Neal’s inability to find a new contract over the summer after his deal with the Wizards expired. In any case, it looks like he’ll try to get back into the league by making an impression in the D-League first.
Henry Sims To Play In China
Journeyman center Henry Sims is headed overseas, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Sims has struck a deal with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in China. The Chinese club has cut former NBA big man Samuel Dalembert to clear room on its roster for Sims.
An undrafted free agent out of Georgetown, Sims made his NBA debut in 2012/13, ultimately appearing in 135 total regular season contests for New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn over the course of four seasons. In those games, the 26-year-old averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG, making 47.1% of his shots from the floor.
After participating in camp with the Jazz this fall, Sims started this season in the D-League, putting up 18.0 PPG and 8.7 in 11 games for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s NBADL affiliate. A report earlier this week indicated that Sims’ D-League contract had been bought out, signaling that he was likely headed to a team in Europe or Asia.
With the move, Sims be moving from a Salt Lake City club that was 2-10 to a Shanxi team that is playing better ball, with a 9-8 record so far in CBA play. Former Grizzlies second-rounder Jamaal Franklin, who is averaging an impressive 37.2 PPG so far, will be among Sims’ teammates in China.
NBA, Players Union Reach Agreement On New CBA
6:37pm: The NBA and the NBPA have reached a tentative deal on a new CBA, pending ratification by players and team owners, the league announces via press release. Both parties have agreed to extend the mutual deadline to opt out of the current CBA from December 15, 2016 to January 13, 2017 in order to give both sides enough time to review the terms of the agreement and vote on them.
6:30pm: The two sides have reached an agreement in principle on a new seven-year CBA, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical confirms (Twitter links). The two sides will jointly make an official announcement tonight.
6:20pm: The deal is complete and is pending ratification, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports (ESPN Now links). The players are expected to vote on the deal next week.
6:04pm: An agreement in principle between the NBA and the NBA Players Association on a new labor deal could be reached as early as tonight, Marc Stein and Ian Begley of ESPN.com report. Stein adds (via Twitter) that both sides essentially view the deal as “done.”
The deadline for both sides to opt out of the current labor deal is Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET and the negotiations conducted between the two sides this week have put them on course to reach an agreement before the deadline. One source told the ESPN scribes that the deal is expected “very soon,” which would squash any possibility of a lockout in the 2017 season.
It was previously reported that group licensing remained a barrier to a deal, but Stein and Begley hear that those issues have been resolved.
Both sides are expected to jointly announce a deal once it is finalized. A deal won’t become official until both league owners and active players vote to ratify it, but those votes are merely a formality.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/14/16
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Suns have sent Tyler Ulis and Alan Williams to the Northern Arizona Suns, the team announced today in a press release. It will be the first D-League assignment of the season for both players, who are likely to be recalled to the NBA following tonight’s game against Santa Cruz.
- Rookie swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is back from the D-League, with the Sixers announcing his recall today in a press release. Luwawu-Cabarrot was assigned for Tuesday night’s game, and helped the Delaware 87ers get a win, posting 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
- The Rockets have recalled rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team (Twitter link). Wiltjer has been the second-leading scorer for the Vipers so far this season, averaging 19.7 PPG in 10 games.
- Rakeem Christmas is headed back to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced today in a press release. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Friday, so it’s not clear if Christmas will stick with the team for that game, or if he’s just being sent down for practice.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/13/16
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Kings have recalled a pair of rookies, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Richardson has been the leading scorer for the Reno Bighorns this year, averaging 21.0 PPG in 11 games, while Labissiere has contributed 14.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate.
- The Sixers have assigned first-rounder Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the Delaware 87ers, according to a press release from the club. He’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s NBADL squad tonight against the Oklahoma City Blue.
- Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije will be heading back to the Grand Rapids Drive for the team’s games on Wednesday and Friday, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed today (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com). Unlike last time, Stanley Johnson won’t be joining them on this assignment.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/12/16
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
8:20pm:
- The Jazz have recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced via press release. The second-round pick posted a team-leading 23 points and 12 rebounds with the D-League affiliate on Sunday night. Bolomboy has seen action in seven NBA games so far this season, most recently on November 25.
- The Kings have recalled rookie Georgios Papagiannis from the Reno Bighorns, but he isn’t expected to play tonight, reports James Ham via Twitter. The 13th overall pick has averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game across six contests with the Sacramento affiliate but has seen just one game of NBA action on the year.
- In addition to recalling Bembry (noted below), the Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, marking his second D-League stint since returning from a knee injury, Vivlamore writes for the AJC.
1:46pm:
- The Hawks have recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars on Saturday, Bembry scored 19 points for Utah’s affiliate on Sunday.
- The Pacers have recalled Georges Niang from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Niang, a 2016 second-round pick, played in three games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during his NBADL assignment. His most impressive game came on Saturday, when he recorded 22 points, six boards, and six assists in a win over the Texas Legends.
Austin Kent contributed to this post.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16
Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:59pm:
- The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.
3:05pm:
- The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
- Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
- The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
- A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
- The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.
Pelicans Sign Reggie Williams
DECEMBER 10: The Pelicans have officially signed Williams, the team announced today in a press release.
DECEMBER 9: The Pelicans freed up a roster slot earlier today by waiving Anthony Brown and it appears the team will fill that opening by signing Reggie Williams, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The details of the arrangement are unknown, but it is more than likely a minimum salary pact that includes little or no guaranteed salary.
The 30-year-old, who was waived by the Thunder during the preseason, last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, when he joined the Spurs during the middle of the campaign. He previously played with the Thunder, signing a 10-day contract with the team during the 2013/14 campaign. The forward only saw a total of 17 minutes of action and OKC didn’t re-sign him once the deal expired.
Williams has been playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA D-League, appearing in 11 games and averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 33.3 minutes per night. His shooting line is .462/.419/.727.
Pelicans Waive Anthony Brown
The Pelicans have waived Anthony Brown, tweets Justin Verrier of ESPN.
The second-year swingman played nine games for New Orleans, putting up averages of 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per night. He was signed November 21st in an effort to improve the Pelicans’ depth in the backcourt.
The 24-year-old out of Stanford was selected by the Lakers with the 34th pick of the 2015 draft. He spent his rookie season in L.A., averaging 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 29 games, but was waived before the season started.
The move leaves New Orleans with just 14 players, so another roster move may be coming soon.