As the 2013 part of the 2013/14 season draws to a close, 16 of the 30 NBA teams have made at least one D-League assignment, as our log shows. At this point, it’s apparent how (or if) most clubs intend to use the D-League, but there’s still plenty of time for more teams to get involved. The Celtics haven’t sent anyone to the D-League this season, but they’re reportedly considering doing so with Rajon Rondo.
All-Stars like Rondo don’t make the likeliest candidates for a D-League assignment, of course. Since he has more than two years of experience, he’d have to sign off on the move, and so would the players union. Usually, guys who are sent down are in their first, second or third years, since teams can unilaterally assign those players, and there’s more to be gained from a development standpoint.
I’ve compiled a list of each player with less than three years of experience seeing fewer than 12 minutes a game on the 14 teams that have yet to make a D-League move. No players fit those criteria for the Bobcats and Heat, but the Trail Blazers have five such players, perhaps reflecting an organizational unwillingness in Portland to use the D-League. The same may be true for the Suns and Timberwolves, who have four such players apiece. Some of the candidates here have been seeing more minutes of late, but we’ll include them nonetheless:
Celtics
- MarShon Brooks — third year, 6.8 MPG
Bobcats
- No players fit the criteria
Nuggets
- Quincy Miller — second year, 6.1 MPG
- Evan Fournier — second year, 11.5 MPG
Clippers
- Reggie Bullock — rookie, 10.3 MPG
Grizzlies
- Jamaal Franklin — rookie, 9.1 MPG
Heat
- No players fit the criteria
Bucks
- Miroslav Raduljica — rookie, 10.6 MPG
Timberwolves
- Shabazz Muhammad — rookie, 3.9 MPG
- Gorgui Dieng — rookie, 5.5 MPG
- Alexey Shved — second year, 10.6 MPG
- Robbie Hummel — rookie, 11.2 MPG
Pelicans
- Darius Miller — second year, 10.4 MPG
- Jeff Withey — rookie, 5.7 MPG
Magic
- Doron Lamb — second year, 7.7 MPG
- Kyle O’Quinn — second year, 10.1 MPG
Suns
- Viacheslav Kravtsov — second year, 3.4 MPG
- Dionte Christmas — rookie, 7.3 MPG
- Alex Len — rookie, 7.8 MPG
- Archie Goodwin — rookie, 11.1 MPG
Trail Blazers
- Victor Claver — second year, 1.3 MPG
- Allen Crabbe — rookie, 4.9 MPG
- Will Barton — second year, 5.1 MPG
- Meyers Leonard — second year, 8.2 MPG
- Thomas Robinson — second year, 11.1 MPG
Raptors
- Julyan Stone — third year, 7.3 MPG
- Dwight Buycks — rookie, 10.1 MPG
Wizards
- Otto Porter — rookie, 11.7 MPG
- Glen Rice Jr. — rookie, 9.9 MPG