Jeff Ayres Let Go By CSKA Moscow, Seeking NBA Return
Former NBA big man Jeff Ayres signed with CSKA Moscow earlier this year, but the Russian team has let go of him, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter links). While Ayres appeared to be receiving interest from Barcelona, Pick reports that the 29-year-old has changed agents and is pushing for a return to the NBA.
Previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball, Ayres has hired BDA Sports for representation, according to Pick. The agency represents several NBA players, including Mike Conley, Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley, and Aaron Gordon, so its connections could help Ayres find an NBA home. Still, no team currently has an opening on its 15-man roster. Last season, Ayres wasn’t able to land an NBA deal until January, when teams begin signing players to 10-day contracts, and it’s possible that will be the case again this year.
Ayres, formerly known as Jeff Pendergraph, spent two seasons in San Antonio and was part of the Spurs’ 2014 championship team, but wasn’t re-signed after the 2014/15 season. He was the first player selected in the 2015 D-League draft and spent much of the season in Idaho before joining the Clippers in January.
After playing on two 10-day contracts, Ayres signed with the Clippers for the remainder of the 2015/16 season. He appeared in 17 games for L.A., averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.3 RPG in limited playing time. Ayres has also played for the Trail Blazers and Pacers over the course of his six-year NBA career.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/22/16
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Sixers have recalled Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the D-League, according to a press release issued by the club. The first-round rookie helped the Delaware 87ers get past the Greensboro Swarm on Monday, contributing 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
- After sending him to the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday, the Jazz have recalled forward Joel Bolomboy from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Bolomboy scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Blue on Monday.
- The Nets have sent Chris McCullough back to the D-League, the team announced today. McCullough will get a chance to play for the Long Island Nets on Wednesday afternoon, then should be recalled to Brooklyn for the team’s Wednesday night game.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/21/16
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
6:00pm
- The Celtics assigned guard Demetrius Jackson to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. The 22-year-old has made just three appearances for Boston this season and is averaging 3.3 points and 1.0 rebound in 5.0 minutes per outing.
- The Sixers announced that they have assigned swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the Delaware 87ers, their D-League affiliate.
- Forward Danuel House was recalled by the Wizards from Delaware, where he was sent via the league’s flexible assignment rule, the team announced.
12:27pm
- The Rockets have recalled rookies Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced today (via Twitter). As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets, the duo likely won’t see any game action for Houston, but the Rockets’ D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Saturday, so it made sense to have them rejoin the NBA club.
- Rakeem Christmas has been recalled from the D-League, the Pacers announced today in a press release. Myles Turner and Kevin Seraphin are battling injuries, so Christmas could see some minutes for Indiana tonight against Golden State.
- The Jazz have assigned rookie forward Joel Bolomboy to the D-League, according to a team release. Bolomboy will suit up for the Salt Lake City Stars tonight in their game against the Oklahoma City Blue.
- Damian Jones has been assigned to Santa Cruz by the Warriors, according to Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group, who writes that the rookie center will continue his injury rehab in the D-League as he works toward his NBA debut.
- The Kings have sent first-round rookie Georgios Papagiannis back to the Reno Bighorns, tweets James Ham of CSNBayArea.com. Papagiannis has averaged 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in three D-League contests so far this year.
D.J. Stephens To Play In Ukraine
Former Memphis shooting guard D.J. Stephens is heading overseas, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Stephens will join a Ukranian club. While the exact terms of Stephens’ deal are unclear, he’ll earn in the “high teens” per month, says Pick.
Stephens, who turns 26 next month, has spent time with a few NBA teams, though his only regular-season action came in 2013/14, when he played three games for the Bucks. Since then, Stephens has been a camp invitee for the Pelicans (2014), the Cavs (2015), and – most recently – the Grizzlies. He was cut by the Grizzlies last month when the team cut its roster down to 15 players.
Shortly after Stephens became a free agent again, a report surfaced indicating that he had been arrested and charged with domestic aggravated assault. According to the report from The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Stephens was accused of attacking his child’s mother. As I noted at the time, the alleged incident likely reduced the guard’s chances of getting another shot with an NBA team anytime soon.
Pelicans Sign Anthony Brown
A day after opening up a roster spot by waiving Archie Goodwin, the Pelicans have filled that opening, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Anthony Brown. ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on Sunday that New Orleans was “closing in” on a deal with Brown.
Brown, 24, was selected 34th overall in the 2015 draft by the Lakers, and appeared in 29 games for the team during his rookie season, starting 11 of them. In 20.7 MPG, he averaged 4.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG, shooting just 31.0% from the field. The Stanford product had a guaranteed $875K salary for 2016/17, but the Lakers decided to move on from him anyway, eating that guaranteed money when they waived him last month.
Because the Lakers didn’t hold Brown’s D-League rights after cutting him, he entered the draft pool and was the first overall pick, joining the Erie BayHawks. Brown appeared with three games for Erie, averaging an impressive 29.3 PPG on 55.8% shooting, including 65.0% from three-point range.
New Orleans was forced to make a roster move earlier this month when Lance Stephenson went down with a groin injury. The Pelicans were already missing Tyreke Evans and Quincy Pondexter, and needed to add some shooting guard depth, prompting them to cut Stephenson and sign Goodwin. Now, Brown will take Goodwin’s spot on the 15-man roster.
Terms of Brown’s agreement with the Pelicans aren’t yet known, but a non-guaranteed minimum salary pact seems likely.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/20/16
Listed below are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
- The Grizzlies sent rookie guard Wade Baldwin to the Iowa Energy, the team announced in an email. He has appeared in nine games for Memphis, averaging 3.1 points.
- The Knicks recalled center Marshall Plumlee from Westchester, the team tweeted.
- The Hornets recalled guard Aaron Harrison and forward Christian Wood from Greensboro, the team announced on its website. They were the first players ever to be assigned to the new D-League franchise.
- The Spurs recalled guards Bryn Forbes and Dejounte Murray from their Austin affiliate, according to the team’s website. Both players were sent down Saturday to participate in a game against Erie.
- The Wizards will recall guard Danuel House from the Sixers‘ affiliate in Delaware in time for Monday’s game, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.
Pelicans Waive Archie Goodwin
The Pelicans have waived guard Archie Goodwin, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Goodwin appeared in just three games with the Pelicans, averaging 5.0 points and 10.0 minutes per contest.
New Orleans signed Goodwin on November 7th after an injury to Lance Stephenson left the team with a shortage of backcourt players. Starting point guard Jrue Holiday returned from a leave of absence over the weekend, lessening the need for another guard. Stephenson was cut to make room for Goodwin in a move that drew criticism from some players even though the Pelicans promised to help with Stephenson’s recovery.
The time Goodwin spent with New Orleans will count $96K against the team’s salary cap, according to The Vertical’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). His contract for 2017/18 was not guaranteed.
Goodwin, who played his first three seasons with the Suns, was a surprise cut last month after averaging 8.9 points per night in 57 games.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/19/16
Listed below are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA. This post will be updated throughout the day if and when other teams announce moves.
6:47pm:
- The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to their Twitter feed.
- The Clippers have assigned Diamond Stone to the D-League and he will play for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bucks have assigned Rashad Vaughn to the D-League and he will play for the Westchester Knicks, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Twitter link).
1:11pm
- The Spurs have assigned Dejounte Murray and Bryn Forbes to the D-League, according to the team. While the headline of San Antonio’s press release indicates Murray has been recalled from the Austin Spurs, the rookie had already been with the NBA club, and the release itself says he and Forbes are being sent to Austin, where they’ll be available for tonight’s game against the Erie Bayhawks. It’s already the fifth assignment of the season for Murray, and the third for Forbes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/18/16
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
11:35pm
- The Knicks assigned Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee to their D-League affiliate in Westchester, the team announced (Twitter link). The duo will play in the team’s contest in White Plains on Saturday.
- The Clippers have assigned rookie big man Diamond Stone to the D-League, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (via Twitter). Since Los Angeles does not have a D-League affiliate of its own, Stone will report to the Santa Cruz Warriors via the flexible assignment rule, Reichert adds.
2:31pm
- The Kings have recalled rookie center Georgios Papagiannis from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The first-rounder’s assignment lasted three games, during which he averaged 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG for the Reno Bighorns. His fellow first-rounders, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, remain in the D-League for now.
- Rookie big man Ivica Zubac has been recalled by the Lakers from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the club confirmed in a press release. Zubac, who has appeared in three games for the Lakers, saw 23 minutes of action in his D-League debut on Thursday, and recorded 13 points, three boards, and a pair of blocked shots.
Ben Bentil To Play In China
After appearing in just a single D-League game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, rookie power forward Ben Bentil is headed to China as an injury replacement, according to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, who adds (via Twitter) that Fort Wayne is expecting Bentil back later in the season.
It has been an eventful offseason for Bentil, who left Providence after his sophomore year to enter the NBA draft, then was selected 51st overall by the Celtics. Boston, however, had a crowded roster and didn’t have room for Bentil — the team hoped to send him to its D-League affiliate in Maine after giving him a $250K guarantee. Instead, Bentil briefly signed with the Pacers – who gave him a $50K guarantee – and joined Indiana’s D-League affiliate in Fort Wayne.
In his first and only contest with the Mad Ants, Bentil led the club to a blowout victory with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in 45 minutes. Just a few days later though, it appears he has received a more enticing offer from a Chinese team.
Terms of Bentil’s new deal aren’t known, but if it’s a standard CBA contract, he’ll be in China until at least February, and potentially longer than that if his team makes a postseason run. Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside tweets that Fort Wayne expects Bentil back in about two months, so the 21-year-old may not play the full CBA season.
Because he was waived by Celtics, Bentil’s NBA rights are no longer held by Boston, meaning he could be picked up by any of the league’s 30 teams upon his return if he impresses overseas.