2019 December | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southeast Division

December 27th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Southeast Division:

Allen Crabbe, Hawks, 27, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $74.8MM deal in 2016
Remember when the Nets thought so highly of Crabbe they signed him to a giant offer sheet? And the Trail Blazers valued him so much they matched the offer sheet? And then Brooklyn wanted him so badly it traded for Crabbe the following summer? It all seems so silly now. The Nets were willing to give up two future first-rounders to get rid of Crabbe. Now in the final year of that odious contract, he’s averaging 5.0 PPG and shooting 28.8% from 3-point range. Crabbe will probably be looking at veteran’s minimum offers next season as he attempts to reboot his career.

Bismack Biyombo, Hornets, 27, C (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $72MM deal in 2016
Like Crabbe, Biyombo got silly money in the summer of 2016 after a solid playoff performance with Toronto. Orlando quickly got a case of buyer’s remorse and he was eventually shipped to Charlotte in 2018. To his credit, Biyombo has worked his way into the rebuilding Hornets’ rotation. He’s posted double digits in points six times this month while averaging 8.0 RPG in 22.1 MPG. Traditional big men like Biyombo are being phased out of the league, so he won’t attract a lot of interest. But he’s shown he can be a rotation piece somewhere.

Meyers Leonard, Heat, 27, PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $41MM deal in 2016
Another player who cashed in during the summer of 2016, Leonard has never averaged more than 8.4 PPG or 5.1 RPG. Other than avid Heat fans, few people realize that Leonard has started 30 games for one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. He doesn’t often finish games but he’s endeared himself enough to coach Erik Spoelstra to keep his spot in the lineup. Leonard doesn’t shoot a lot of threes but he makes them (48.3%). He’s also making an impact on the boards (23 in the last two games). As a stretch four alone, Leonard will draw interest as an unrestricted free agent.

D.J. Augustin, Magic, 32, PG (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $29MM deal in 2016
Markelle Fultz is playing regularly but Augustin is still receiving steady playing time from coach Steve Clifford. Augustin threw in a two-point clunker against Chicago on Monday but in his previous four games he averaged 18.5 PPG and 5.3 APG. While Augustin’s overall shooting numbers are down, he can still be a productive rotation player. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Orlando brought back Augustin in a reserve role. If not, he still has enough left in the tank to be someone’s backup floor leader.

Davis Bertans, Wizards, 27, SF (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $14.5MM deal in 2018
Bertans was enjoying a breakout season until he was sidelined recently by a quad injury. Bertans was averaging 15.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 30.0 MPG while mostly coming off the bench for Washington. The Wizards have been feeding Bertans to ball beyond the arc and he’s consistently delivered, averaging 43.4% from deep on a whopping 8.6 attempts per game. Bertans’ prolific long range shooting is bound to get the unrestricted free agent some lucrative offers in this summer’s weak free agent class.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/27/19

December 27th, 2019 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Knicks assigned rookie forward Ignas Brazdeikis to their Westchester affiliate, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). The former Michigan standout has played in eight games with the NBA Knicks.
The Wizards assigned rookie guard Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, the team’s PR department tweets. Robinson has appeared in eight games with the Wizards, including a nine-minute stint in their 132-102 loss at Detroit on Thursday.

Injury Updates: Fox, Bagley, James, Looney, Washington, Winslow

December 27th, 2019 at 6:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings offered some good news on guard De’Aaron Fox‘s latest ailment, according to a team press release. Fox left Thursday’s game in the first quarter against Minnesota with back spasms. A precautionary MRI revealed no structural damage and he will be listed as day-to-day. Big man Marvin Bagley III, who also made an early departure on Thursday, will have his left foot evaluated by a specialist Saturday.

We have more injury-related news:

Lakers star LeBron James thought he’d miss some time after getting injured on Christmas Day but that may not be the case, according to an ESPN report. James has a groin contusion and is listed as questionable to play against Portland on Saturday.
Big man Kevon Looney will miss the Warriors’ games this weekend with abdominal soreness, Logan Murdock of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Looney has played just 10 games this season, mainly due to a hamstring issue.
Hornets rookie forward PJ Washington is listed as probable to play on Friday, the team’s PR department tweets. Washington suffered a fracture of his fifth finger on his right hand during a game against Chicago on December 13.
The injury to Justise Winslow‘s back is now listed as a bone bruise rather than a strain, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. The Heat’s point forward has not played since December 6.

Northwest Notes: Clarkson, Tucker, Gallinari

December 27th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Jordan Clarkson scored nine points in 20 minutes in his Jazz debut and Donovan Mitchell was impressed by how quickly his new teammate picked up the system, as he told Aaron Falk of the team’s website. Clarkson was acquired from Cleveland for Dante Exum and two second-round picks. “He was aggressive. I loved it,” Mitchell said. “He learned on the fly, really fast. For him to understand some of the reads and plays we were running … that’s impressive. Our system, it took me a whole year and a half to learn it. I’m really happy with the way he played. He’s going to be a big piece for us.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Clarkson brings more than just scoring to the second unit, coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Josh Newman. Utah was second-to-last in bench points prior to the trade. “You can tell he wants it, like there’s a hunger about him, and I think he plays with a level of confidence that we need,” Snyder said. “A couple times, he passed the ball and it was a swing-swing, so someone else got the shot. I think he’s unselfish, and he’s also got the ability to create for himself and other guys.”
Another Jazz addition this week, Rayjon Tucker, will receive a $340K guarantee on his $1.5MM contract for next season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Tucker has a guaranteed prorated minimum contract for this season, Marks adds. The Jazz waived veteran forward Jeff Green to create a roster spot for Tucker, a G League standout after going undrafted out of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari will be out at least through the weekend with a sore ankle, Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman reports. Gallinari is the Thunder’s third-leading scorer this season, averaging 18 PPG. The 31-year-old Gallinari is headed to unrestricted free agency in July.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Bryant, Washington, Martin

December 27th, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards may play it safe with regards to Bradley Beal‘s injury, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports writes. Beal left Thursday’s contest against the Pistons with lower right leg soreness and while it doesn’t sound like it will be a debilitating injury, it makes sense for the 9-21 Wizards to be as cautious as possible with their franchise star.

Beal is questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. the Knicks. Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Thomas Bryant said he doesn’t have an exact return date, but he is “very, very close” to returning, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets. Bryant practiced with the Wizards today and will practice with the Capital City Go-Go on Saturday.
Isaiah Thomas said he apologized to a lot of people in the Wizards organization for the incident with fans in Philadelphia, including owner Ted Leonsis, Hughes tweets. Thomas served a two-game suspension for the incident.
It sounds like PJ Washington will make his way back into the lineup for the Hornets, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The rookie has missed the past few weeks with a broken finger.
In a separate piece, Bonnell details how Cody Martin has been exceeding expectations for the Hornets. Charlotte selected the small forward with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Coach Steve Clifford said Al-Farouq Aminu had a “setback” this week in his recovery from a knee injury, John Denton of NBA.com tweets. The Magic signed Aminu to a three-year deal this offseason.

Rockets Sign William Howard To Two-Way Deal

December 27th, 2019 at 3:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

3:46pm: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

1:07pm: The Rockets will sign William Howard to a two-way deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The 6’8″ wing had been playing with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League.

Houston has an open two-way spot after giving Chris Clemons a new deal. Clemons utilized all 45 of his eligible days in the NBA and the team was forced to either offer him a big-league deal or watch him spend the rest of the season in the G League.

Howard, who is originally from France, spent part of training camp with the Jazz before the team waived him and added him to its G League affiliate. In 15 games for the Salt Lake City Stars, Howard has seen 30.4 minutes of action while making 44.3% of his three-pointers.

Charania’s Latest: Holiday, Zion, Nuggets, Knicks

December 27th, 2019 at 2:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier today, we passed along Shams Charania’s report of Dewayne Dedmon wanting out of Sacramento. The big man hasn’t played in eight of the last 10 games for the Kings and both sides believe that the situation is unsalvagable.

Charania also passed along other tidbits from around the league in his latest piece on The Athletic. Here are the highlights:

One of Jrue Holiday‘s priorities is being in a winning situation, a source tells Charania, and that’s not something the Pelicans are currently providing him. Rival teams believe that Holiday is the type of piece who would help lift a team to a new level. The Nuggets and Heat are believed to be possible destinations should David Griffin trade the point guard, Charania notes.
Zion Williamson is expected to begin contract drills and practices within the next week or two and the Pelicans want the No. 1 overall pick to continue to get leaner prior to his return. The franchise has focused on refining his eating habits as well. Charania adds the Pelicans “fully anticipate” Williamson playing this season.
The Nuggets are open to dealing Juan Hernangomez and Malik Beasley, though both players have high asking prices. Some rival executives expect the team to move both Hernangomez and Beasley, as each restricted free agent is expected to garner a lucrative deal in free agency.
The Heat have not closed the door on Dion Waiters playing for the team again. Pat Riley recently met with Waiters and James Johnson, making it clear to each that Miami would like to reintegrate both players into team activities.
Rival teams believe Dennis Smith Jr. would prefer a trade from the Knicks and several clubs have inquired about the point guard.
We’ve seen several G-League call ups this season and James Palmer Jr., who is playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers, could be next, Charania writes.

Dewayne Dedmon Wants Out Of Sacramento

December 27th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When Dewayne Dedmon signed his three-year, $41MM contract with Sacramento this offseason, the plan was for him to play a major role as a floor stretching big. However, Richaun Holmes has severely outplayed Dedmon, forcing coach Luke Walton to sour on the 30-year-old big man.

Now, Shams Charania of The Athletic hears that Dedmon wants out of Sacramento and multiple teams are speaking with the Kings about acquiring him prior to this year’s trade deadline.

The center has not played in eight of the last 10 games for the Kings. Neither the franchise nor Dedmon believes that they can work things out and move forward past the trade deadline.

Dedmon’s $41MM deal may make it a challenge for Sacramento to find a taker, but it’s not as onerous as other contracts that have been moved in recent years. His third-year salary is only partially guaranteed for $1MM, so teams aiming to open up cap room for 2021 may still kick the tires on the veteran big man.

Eric Gordon Expected To Return For Rockets

December 27th, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Eric Gordon is practicing today and the plan is for him to play in New Orleans on Sunday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Rockets have a back-to-back this weekend, taking on the Nets on Saturday before the Pelicans on Sunday and the shooting guard will return during the second contest.

Gordon has only played nine games for the Rockets this season before his knee injury forced him out of action. Coach Mike D’Antoni previously indicated that the shooting guard will come off the bench once he’s cleared to play.

The guard wasn’t particularly effective leading up to his stint away from the team. In his 265 minutes of action, he had a plus/minus of -4.2, a figure fueled by his horrible shooting numbers. He hit just 28.4% of his 8.2 three-point attempts per game earlier this season.

Rockets Convert Chris Clemons’ Contract To Three-Year Deal

December 27th, 2019 at 11:07am CST by ChrisCrouse

DECEMBER 27: The move is official, the Rockets announced in a press release. As we relayed on Thursday, the minimum-salary deal is guaranteed for 2019/20, with non-guaranteed years to follow.

DECEMBER 26: The Rockets have agreed to convert Chris Clemons‘ two-way contract to a standard deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The new contract will span across three seasons, including 2019/20.

Clemons used all 45 days of his eligibility in the NBA and would have only been permitted to play in G League contests had the Rockets not promoted him to the standard roster.

The shooting guard has appeared in 20 games for Houston this season. He’s scoring 4.8 points per contest and shooting 39.1% from behind the arc.

The Rockets have had an open roster spot on their 15-man squad since releasing Ryan Anderson earlier in the season, so no corresponding move will be required to make room for Clemons, who will be signed using the mid-level exception.

Houston will open up a two-way contract slot as a result of the deal.

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