Week in Review News & Rumors

The Cavs fired head coach David Blatt on Friday and reached agreement on a three-year deal with Tyronn Lue to replace him. Blatt went 83-40 in the regular season and 14-6 in the playoffs during his season and a half in charge of the Cavs, a team with the highest of expectations. James returned to Cleveland from his time with the Heat just weeks after the Cavs hired Blatt, and that drastically changed the nature of the job, which became a win-or-else proposition as the team moved away from rebuilding and positioned itself to win immediately.

The Cavs made Lue the highest-paid NBA assistant coach ever when they hired him to Blatt’s staff in 2014. He reportedly interviewed twice for the head coaching job before the team instead gave it to Blatt. Lue played 11 seasons in the NBA, the last of which was 2008/09. He joined the Celtics staff the next season and followed Doc Rivers to the Clippers where he continued as an assistant coach before heading to Cleveland. This will be his first job as a head coach.

Here’s more from the week that was…

Miscellaneous News

• The league announced the starters for the 2016 NBA All-Star game.
• The Nuggets and GM Tim Connelly agreed to a multi-year contract extension.
• Grizzlies small forward/power forward Matt Barnes was issued a $35K fine from the league for his comments about Knicks coach Derek Fisher.
• Avery Bradley hired Landmark Sports agent Rob Pelinka. The Celtics combo guard had been with former NBA player Mitchell Butler of the Vanguard Sports Group and Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports.
• Bulls center Joakim Noah will be out of action for four to six months after suffering a dislocated left shoulder and undergoing surgery.
• The Nuggets are reportedly actively in pursuit of trades that would send out J.J. Hickson.
• Pelicans shooting guard Eric Gordon suffered a broken right ring finger and will be out for four to six weeks.
• The Nets hired well-known shooting coach David Nurse to work with their players.
• Pau Gasol signed with the Creative Artists Agency.

Signings

• The Magic signed Keith Appling to a 10-day contract.
• The Grizzlies signed Ryan Hollins to a 10-day deal.
• The Suns signed Lorenzo Brown to a second 10-day contract.
• Former Nuggets and Rockets combo forward Kostas Papanikolaou signed with Olympiacos of his native Greece.
• The Suns signed Cory Jefferson to a 10-day contract.
• The Pelicans signed Bryce Dejean-Jones to a 10-day contract.
• Free agent shooting guard Elijah Millsap signed with the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
• The Clippers signed Jeff Ayres to a 10-day contract.

You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.

Trades

• The Clippers traded Josh Smith, the draft rights to Sergei Lishouk and cash to the Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to Maarty Leunen.

D-League News

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

The Nets were the major newsmakers of the past week, firing coach Lionel Hollins and removing Billy King from his GM job with the intention of reassigning him to another position within the organization. Brooklyn named assistant Tony Brown interim head coach, and assistant GM Frank Zanin will run the front office.

“After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it’s time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in the team’s statement. “By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching. We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future. Following the consolidation of team ownership last month, I can assure you that I’m more determined and committed than ever to build a winner.”

The team hired Hollins in the summer of 2014 shortly after the departure of Jason Kidd for the Bucks. Hollins went 48-71 with Brooklyn during the regular season over a season and a half, and the Nets fell in six games to the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last year.

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Miscellaneous News

• Joakim Noah dislocated his left shoulder and is expected to miss four to six months.
• Pelicans small forward Quincy Pondexter is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery January 20th on his left knee.
• Kobe Bryant announced that he won’t pursue a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.
• The Kings have given Luc Mbah a Moute a financial settlement stemming from the dispute over his voided contract with Sacramento this past offseason.
• Bradley Beal acknowledged that he’ll “probably” have to deal with a minutes limit for the rest of his career as he continues to have trouble with injuries.
• John Wall fired agent Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports and hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
• Enes Kanter dropped agent Max Ergul, who helped him land his maximum-salary offer sheet this summer.
• Greivis Vasquez hired agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon after leaving Darren Matsubara of the Wasserman Media Group.
• The Warriors delayed their scheduled move from Oakland to San Francisco for one year, from 2018 to 2019.

Trades

• The Cavaliers traded Joe Harris to the Magic along with a top-55 protected 2017 pick for a top-55 protected 2020 pick.

Signings

• The Nuggets signed Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract.
• Jazz training camp cut J.J. O’Brien rejoined the team on a 10-day deal.
• The Magic plan to sign Keith Appling, who was with Orlando for the preseason, to a 10-day contract.
• Veteran small forward Reggie Williams, who played with the Spurs last season, signed a deal to play with Avtodor Saratov in Russia.
• Kostas Papanikolaou, whom the Nuggets released twice this season, has a deal with Olympiacos of Greece.

You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.

Waivers

• The Magic waived Joe Harris.

D-League News

• Veteran point guard Baron Davis signed with the NBA D-League.
• Recent former Suns power forward Cory Jefferson is expected to sign with the D-League. Phoenix waived him this month just before his salary would have become guaranteed.
• Bryce Cotton, whom the Suns also waived prior to the leaguewide contract guarantee date, rejoined the D-League affiliate of the Spurs.
• Former Grizzlies and Pelicans point guard Russ Smith signed with the D-League and the affiliate of the Sixers claimed him.
• Eight-year NBA veteran point guard John Lucas III has entered the D-League and will play for the Pacers affiliate.
• Veteran shooting guard Keith Bogans intends to sign with the NBA D-League.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

The Sixers signed veteran power forward Elton Brand this week in an effort to add some veteran leadership to the young team. “I’m not coming here to hold Jahlil [Okafor]’s hand — or anyone else’s, for that matter — because that’s not what he needs,” Brand noted about his decision to join Philadelphia. “But I do believe my experience and wisdom can benefit him and my other young teammates. It’s about communicating with them like men, starting to grow together, and — hopefully, eventually — winning some ballgames. That’s what [GM] Sam Hinkie and I talked about when he approached me about joining the team, and what has me so excited about this opportunity.”

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Miscellaneous News

• Nets point guard Jarrett Jack will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL and a small meniscus tear in his right knee. Brooklyn applied for a disabled player exception to compensate for the loss of Jack.
• Cavaliers reserve shooting guard Joe Harris underwent surgery to remove a bone in his right foot and he is expected to miss two to three months of action.
• The NBA suspended Rockets point guard Ty Lawson three games for the second of his two DUI arrests last year.
• Grizzlies shooting guard Jordan Adams is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right knee this Tuesday and there is currently no timetable for his return to action.

Signings

• Bo McCalebb, who was cut by the Pelicans during the preseason, signed with the French club Limoges CSP.
• The Grizzlies signed Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract.
• The Suns signed Lorenzo Brown to a 10-day contract.
• Dionte Christmas, whom the Cavaliers waived shortly before the season started, signed with the Greek club AEK Athens.

Waivers

• The Sixers waived Christian Wood.
• The Jazz waived Elijah Millsap.
• The Nuggets waived Kostas Papanikolaou.
• The Suns waived Cory Jefferson.
• The Suns waived Bryce Cotton.
• The Grizzlies waived Ryan Hollins.

D-League News

• Former NBA second-round pick Pierre Jackson signed with the D-League, where the Jazz affiliate holds his rights.
• Four-year NBA veteran Greg Smith, who played on the Mavs last season, signed with the D-League and will join the Raptors’ affiliate.
• The D-League affiliate of the Raptors acquired DeAndre Daniels, whom Toronto selected 37th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
• Eight-year NBA veteran Ryan Gomes signed with the D-League and was claimed by the Lakers’ affiliate.
• The Magic have begun work to have a D-League affiliate in Florida starting with the 2017/18 season.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

The Suns announced that point guard Eric Bledsoe underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and he will miss the remainder of the season as a result. Initial reports predicted Bledsoe would be out of action for about six weeks, though that timetable may have been reflective of the team’s hope that Bledsoe’s surgery would remove the meniscus, which usually entails a shorter recovery time, rather than make an attempt to repair it.

Bledsoe, now in his sixth year in the league, was enjoying the best season of his career prior to suffering the injury. His 20.4 points, 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game are either tied with or exceed career highs. His absence is certainly a blow to the 12-21 team, and it could hasten the front office in pressing the reset button on its current rebuild. The Suns are eligible to apply for a disabled player exception with the loss of Bledsoe, which would be valued at $5.464MM. The team is not currently eligible to apply for a hardship exception, however.

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Miscellaneous News

• Clippers power forward Blake Griffin will be out of action for at least two weeks after suffering a partially torn left quadriceps.
• The Suns fired assistant coaches Mike Longabardi and Jerry Sichting and gave fellow assistants Nate Bjorkgren and Earl Watson more prominent roles.
• The NBA suspended Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes for two games without pay for his role in the off the court altercation with Knicks coach Derek Fisher back in October.
• Al Jefferson will be out approximately six weeks after suffering a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee.

Signings

• The Grizzlies signed center Ryan Hollins.
• Sixers draft-and-stash pick Vasilije Micic signed with the Serbian club Crvena Zvezda.
• Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who spent part of training camp with the Clippers, signed with Champville in Lebanon.
• Former Celtics center Vitor Faverani signed with the Spanish club UCAM Murcia.

Waivers

• The Grizzlies waived Russ Smith.

D-League News

• Nuggets camp cut Nick Johnson signed with the NBA D-League and was claimed by the Spurs’ affiliate.
• The Hornets’ new D-League affiliate in Greensboro, N.C. will be called the Swarm, the team announced.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

Bucks head coach Jason Kidd underwent right hip arthroplasty in New York on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return and assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as interim head coach during Kidd’s absence. Prunty was an assistant for the Nets while Kidd was the head coach in Brooklyn. He followed Kidd to Milwaukee for the 2014/15 season. Prior to joining the Nets, Prunty served as an assistant for the Cavs, Blazers, Mavs and Spurs.

The pain in Kidd’s hip stems from his time with the Mavs late in his playing career, according to Charles F. Gardner of Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “It’s been chronic for the last three to four years, since I was in Dallas the last time,” Kidd said. “The pain has been to the point where I can’t function. I’ve taken all the medicine I can do. Talking to the doctors, there’s really no good time to do the surgery. I have to fix myself and then we move on and get back to work.”

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Miscellaneous News

• The NBA officially approved the ownership transfer of 100% of the Nets and the Barclays Center to Mikhail Prokhorov.
• Longtime Spurs power forward Matt Bonner indicated that he has no plans to retire after this season as long as there is still interest in him.
• Kings power forward Eric Moreland will be out of action for eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair damage to his broken foot.
• The Celtics reportedly made David Lee available to teams that would like to acquire him.
• Alan Anderson won’t be available to the Wizards for another three to five weeks as he continues to recover from two surgeries on his left ankle.
• Joakim Noah will reportedly miss the next two to four weeks because of a “slight tear” within his sprained left shoulder.

Signings

• The Wizards signed Jarell Eddie.
• Wizards camp cut Josh Harrellson signed with the Latvian club VEF Riga.
• Jarrid Famous, who was with the Mavericks for the preseason, signed with Yulon Luxgen in Taiwan.

Trades

• The Sixers acquired Ish Smith from the Pelicans in exchange for two future second-round picks.

Waivers

• The Wizards waived Ryan Hollins.
• The Sixers waived Tony Wroten.

D-League News

• The Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, acquired power forward Jon Horford off waivers.
• Draft-and-stash prospect Tomislav Zubčić signed with the D-League affiliate of the Thunder.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

The NBA and the players union want to make significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement by December 15th, 2016, the deadline that either side has to inform the other that it wants to exercise its mutual option after the 2016/17 season, according to a report made by Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The owners and players want to have a new deal that would replace the current agreement, which runs through 2020/21. The league and the union held preliminary talks earlier this month. Dissatisfaction exists with the current system among small-market teams that don’t like the imbalance of local broadcast revenue that funnels more money to large markets and helps them pay the tax, Berger relayed. Spending on mid-tier players is a potential source of friction on the players’ side, Berger noted, though the existing system would make the mid-level exception progressively less valuable.

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Miscellaneous News

• The Rockets reportedly expect that Dwight Howard will turn down his more than $23.282MM player option for next season.
• Bucks management and Carlos Boozer have reportedly met about the possibility of a deal.
• The Sixers made Mike D’Antoni their associate head coach.
• Greivis Vasquez underwent surgery to remove a bone spur and loose bodies from his right ankle and may miss up to four months of action.
• The Cavs reportedly have made Joe Harris available for a trade, and they would like to obtain a second-round pick in exchange.
• Private equity investor and Grizzlies minority owner Steve Kaplan is reportedly progressing toward a deal with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor that would see him purchase a 30% share of the Wolves and eventually take over a controlling interest.
• The Timberwolves have reportedly made Kevin Martin available in discussions about potential trades.
• Kings power forward Eric Moreland will be out of action indefinitely after sustaining a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during practice.
• The Kings have reportedly promised small forward Caron Butler that they will trade him in the near future.
• The NBA has reportedly approved ownership transfer of 100% of the Nets and the Barclays Center to Mikhail Prokhorov.
• Al Horford fired agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports and returned to the Wasserman Media Group.

Signings

• Tony Mitchell, whom the Warriors waived in October, signed with Venezuela’s Cocodrilos de Caracas.
• Free agent center Jerome Jordan signed with Jiangsu Tongxi of the Chinese Basketball Association.
• Bucks preseason cut Marcus Landry signed with San Sebastián Gipuzkoa of Spain.
• Former NBA center Samuel Dalembert and shooting guard Jamaal Franklin signed with Shanxi of the Chinese Basketball Association.

D-League News

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

The Sixers hired USA Basketball chairman and longtime NBA executive Jerry Colangelo to serve in their front office. Colangelo will hold the titles of Special Advisor to the Managing General Partner and Chairman of Basketball Operations. Sixers GM Sam Hinkie will continue in his capacity in charge of day-to-day basketball operations, according to owner Josh Harris. Hinkie will still have the final say on personnel, though “a lot of collaboration and discussion” will be involved in the team’s roster moves, Colangelo relayed. “It’s not every day you have the opportunity to work alongside a Hall of Famer with Jerry’s unique set of experiences,” Hinkie said in the team’s statement. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our organization.” Colangelo built the Suns up from expansion as its primary basketball executive from its inception in 1968 until 1994. He has won the Executive of the Year award four times.

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Signings

• Arnett Moultrie, who last played with the Sixers in 2013/14, signed to play in Lebanon with Al Riyadi.
• Mirza Begić, whom the Pelicans waived in October, signed with Spain’s Bilbao.

D-League News

• The Idaho Stampede, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, reacquired point guard Phil Pressey.
• Former Nets, Sixers and Bucks point guard Jorge Gutierrez signed with the D-League affiliate of the Cavaliers.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

Miscellaneous News

• The Sixers and coach Brett Brown reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension.
• The NBA suspended Al Jefferson five games for a violation of its anti-drug program.
• The Rockets are reportedly looking into trading either Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejunas.
• The Wizards used the stretch provision to spread out the cap hit associated with the $2.5MM partial guarantee on Martell Webster‘s salary for next season.
• The league and the NBPA held preliminary talks regarding the next collective bargaining agreement.
• Nets rookie swingman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson suffered a non-displaced fracture of the posterior talus in his right ankle during practice last Sunday and he is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after undergoing surgery.
• Paul Pierce is considering retiring after this season.

Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant announced that this will be his final season in a letter he published in The Players’ Tribune. “This season is all I have left to give,” Bryant wrote. “My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” Bryant, 37, is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, but injuries in recent seasons have taken a toll on the superstar’s body, as he alluded to in his letter. Bryant has spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, and he’s currently third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. He has won five NBA championships and earned MVP honors in 2008. Bryant was drafted out of high school by the Hornets with the 13th overall pick way back in 1996 but was subsequently traded to the Lakers.  He is in the final season of a two-year deal that will pay him $25MM for the 2015/16 campaign.

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Siginings

• The Wizards signed center Ryan Hollins.
• Former Jazz and Cavs big man Jack Cooley reached an agreement to play the remainder of the season with Unicaja Malaga of Spain.
• Free agent Dionte Christmas, whom the Cavs waived shortly before the season started, signed with Hapoel Holon in Israel.
• Power forward Josh Powell, who was waived by the Bucks this preseason, signed with San Lorenzo in Argentina.
• Maurice Ndour is joining Real Madrid of Spain.

Waivers

• The Wizards waived Martell Webster.
• The Sixers waived Phil Pressey.

D-League News

• Draft-and-stash prospect Tomislav Zubčić signed with the D-League affiliate of the Thunder.
• Dahntay Jones joined the D-League affiliate of the Pistons.
• Former Grizzlies and Nuggets shooting guard Jamaal Franklin joined the D-League affiliate of the Lakers.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

Miscellaneous News

• The NBA granted the Wizards a disabled player exception to offset the loss of Martell Webster to season-ending hip surgery.
• Former Mavericks and Pelicans point guard Gal Mekel signed with European power-agent Misko Raznatovic.
• Jazz center Rudy Gobert is out indefinitely after suffering a Grade II sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
• Pau Gasol said he’s “very likely” to opt out of his contract with the Bulls this coming summer.
• Evie Goldstein, the director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, resigned from her post.
• Kings rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein will miss about four to six weeks because of an open dislocation of his right index finger he suffered late in Thursday’s loss to the Celtics.
• The setback Mike Dunleavy suffered in his recovery from offseason back surgery will reportedly cost him an additional four to six weeks.
• The Pacers have reportedly made Solomon Hill available to other teams who might be interested in trading for him.

The Hornets and coach Steve Clifford agreed to an extension with guaranteed salary through the 2018/19 season, and the pact includes a team option for 2019/20. Clifford’s contract had been set to expire at season’s end. Charlotte missed the playoffs last season after the disastrous signing of Lance Stephenson in the summer of 2014, knocking the shine off the success Charlotte enjoyed in the 2013/14 season, its first with Clifford as head coach. That year, the then-Bobcats went to the postseason for just the second time in franchise history. It was a quick turnaround for a team that in 2011/12 finished 7-59, the worst winning percentage in NBA history. The Heat swept Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs in the spring of 2014, and Clifford is only 84-94 in the regular season during his time in charge of the Bobcats/Hornets, who gave him his first NBA head coaching gig. He’d previously served as an assistant for the Knicks, Rockets, Magic and Lakers.

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Signings

• The Suns signed Bryce Cotton, who was playing for the D-League affiliate of the Spurs.
• Small forward Austin Daye signed with the Italian club Victoria Libertas Pesaro.
• Doron Lamb, who was waived by the Mavericks during training camp in 2014, signed with Buducnost in Montenegro.

D-League News

• Jimmer Fredette rejoined the D-League affiliate of the Knicks after clearing waivers from the Pelicans.
• Former Nuggets point guard Erick Green signed with the NBA D-League and was claimed via the league’s waiver process by the Reno Bighorns.
• Former Kings point guard David Stockton rejoined Sacramento’s D-League affiliate. The team released Kings camp cut Marshall Henderson to make room for Stockton’s addition.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

Miscellaneous News

• Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas is expected to miss about six weeks with a fracture in his left hand.
• Former first-round pick Jordan Hamilton, who finished last season with the Clippers, left the Russian club Krasny Oktyabr, aka Volgograd.
• Knicks camp cut DaJuan Summers, who plays for the team’s D-League affiliate, suffered an injury to his left Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the season.

The Rockets fired coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday and installed J.B Bickerstaff as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. GM Daryl Morey said that he has not lost faith in the team’s ability to contend, and cited the lack of time to dally in the rugged Western Conference as reasoning for making the coaching move at this time. Team owner Leslie Alexander, who purchased the club in July of 1993, ripped the performance of the Rockets, saying the team has never played quite so poorly in his time as owner.

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International Signings

• Jordan Crawford signed with the Tianjin Steel of the Chinese Basketball Association.
• Chris Babb signed with Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm.

Waivers

• The Pelicans waived Jimmer Fredette.

D-League News

• Former Jazz big man Jack Cooley rejoined the team’s D-League affiliate.
• Nets preseason cut Justin Harper joined the D-League affiliate of the Lakers.
• Sean Kilpatrick, who was with the Timberwolves on a 10-day contract this past spring, re-signed with the D-League affiliate of the Sixers.

You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.

Miscellaneous News

• Tara Greco resigned from her role as NBPA communications director.
• Pacers lottery pick Myles Turner is expected to be out of action another six weeks  with a chip fracture in his thumb.
• A California appeals court rejected former Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s attempt to reverse the $2 billion sale of the team.
• Trail Blazers shooting guard Gerald Henderson changed agents, going from Wasserman Media Group to agent Jim Tanner of Tandem Sports and Entertainment.
• Rasheed Wallace, Al Harrington and Keyon Dooling are among the 60 players who’ve so far committed to The Champions League, an upstart minor league circuit with plans to play in the summers beginning in 2016.
• Wizards small forward Martell Webster underwent surgery on Friday on his ailing right hip and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
• Rockets first-round pick Sam Dekker had back surgery on Friday and is expected to miss three months of action.