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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/6/16

December 6th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

6:55pm

The Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League via the flexible assignment rule, the team announced via press release. “Mike has worked extremely hard to return to full health after missing training camp and the early part of the season. In discussing with Mike how he could get himself back in game shape and contributing to the team faster, we agreed that the best way would be to do an assignment with Delaware where he could play meaningful, competitive minutes,” coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said.
Sheldon McClellan is also headed to the 87ers via the flexible assignment rule, with the Wizards wanting him to get some solid playing time, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post relays (Twitter links). The guard is expected to remain in Delaware for several games, Buckner adds.

3:14pm

The Celtics have recalled rookie guard Demetrius Jackson from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Jackson hasn’t seen much action in Boston, but has been very effective for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 5.9 RPG in eight contests.
The Rockets have assigned rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the club announced today (via Twitter). Even with Donatas Motiejunas not reporting to the team, the Rockets have more than enough depth at power forward, and can afford to have Wiltjer practice and play in the D-League.
Rookie forward Georges Niang, the 50th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Thursday, but the squad’s next five games are at home, so it’ll be interesting to see how long Niang’s assignment lasts.

Al Horford Says Rockets Were His Second Choice

December 5th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics star Al Horford thought hard about joining the Rockets this summer before opting to go to Boston, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Horford listed his finalists as Boston, Houston and Washington, in that order, if he decided to leave Atlanta.

“[Houston] and Boston were probably the two teams I was really, really looking at,” he said before today’s game in Houston. “Just a lot to consider. … “At the end of the day, I just felt I was better off being here in Boston.”

The Celtics haven’t been disappointed after giving Horford a four-year, $113MM deal. He has displayed the versatility that made him a two-time All-Star with the Hawks, averaging 14.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists through 20 games.

James Harden was part of the recruiting team that nearly convinced Horford to sign with the Rockets.

“I thought we had a chance,” Harden said. “I thought we had a real good chance, but obviously it didn’t work out. Which is fine.”

After Horford turned them down, the Rockets used their cap space to sign Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon and are off to a 14-7 start.

Someone who didn’t take the news quite as well as Harden was Horford’s father Tito, a former NBA player who went to high school in Houston, tweets ESPN’s Calvin Watkins. Al Horford said his father was “heartbroken” by the decision, but has since gotten over it.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/3/16

December 3rd, 2016 at 7:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Knicks assigned forward Maurice Ndour to the Westchester Knicks and he will play against the Erie Bay Hawks tonight, the team’s PR staff tweets. The power forward has appeared in 10 NBA games this season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.1 minutes.
The Celtics assigned forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. The second-year power forward has appeared in eight games with Boston this season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes.
The Thunder recalled forward Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. In four games with the Blue this season, Huestis is averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.00 blocks in 31.8 minutes. He has yet to make his season debut with the Thunder.
The Spurs assigned Davis Bertans and Dejounte Murray to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. Both players are available tonight for Austin’s game against the Salt Lake City Stars.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/2/16

December 2nd, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Eddie Scarito

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

The Clippers recalled forward Diamond Stone from the D-League earlier today, the team announced. Stone appeared in four games for the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he was sent via the flexible assignment rule, and averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 17.0 minutes of action per outing.
The Sixers sent Nerlens Noel to their D-League affiliate in Delaware earlier today in order for the big man to participate in the 87ers’ practice, the team announced. The center was subsequently recalled this afternoon, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
The Hawks have recalled small forward DeAndre’ Bembry from the D-League, the team announced via press release. Bembry’s stint in the D-League was spent with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s affiliate, since Atlanta does not possess an affiliate of its own. The 2016 first-rounder has appeared in seven games for the Hawks this season, averaging 1.3 points on 33.3% shooting.
Chris McCullough has been assigned to the Nets‘ D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. McCullough has averaged 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 29.1 minutes per contest in six games on assignment with Long Island this season.
The Pelicans sent rookie forward Cheick Diallo to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League via to the flexible assignment system, the team announced. Diallo has appeared in six games with Austin already this campaign, averaging 14.3 points on .553 shooting from the floor, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/30/16

November 30th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:

4:55pm:

The Nets have assigned a pair of players to the D-League, sending Yogi Ferrell and Chris McCullough to the Long Island Nets, the team announced today in a press release. Long Island will host an afternoon contest against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Thursday, so the duo will likely suit up for that game.

12:54pm:

As expected, the Hawks have assigned 2016 first-rounder DeAndre’ Bembry to the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Since Atlanta doesn’t have its own D-League squad, Bembry will play for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s affiliate.
A day after being recalled by Golden State, rookie center Damian Jones has been sent back to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Santa Cruz had an early game today, which Jones participated in — he picked up two points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
In addition to confirming Nerlens Noel‘s D-League assignment (noted below), the Sixers announced today that they’ve recalled Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the Delaware 87ers after a brief D-League stint for the rookie.

9:52am:

The Sixers are sending Nerlens Noel to their D-League affiliate for injury rehab purposes, league sources tell Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. According to Spears, Noel, who has yet to make his 2016/17 debut after undergoing a knee procedure, is set to practice on Wednesday with the Delaware 87ers, Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate. Like Jerryd Bayless, who was recently assigned to the 87ers on a rehab assignment, Noel is not expected to play in any games during his time in Delaware. The big man hopes to return to the Sixers by mid-December.

Hawks Held Players-Only Meeting; Bembry D-League Stint Expected Soon

November 30th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks, who have lost three games in a row and six of seven, recently held a players-only meeting, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It was just reassuring everybody that we’ve got each other’s back,” one player said of the meeting. “Nobody is pointing fingers at each other. It’s just a matter of us figuring it out together.”
The Hawks are one of eight NBA teams without a D-League affiliate this season, so they haven’t assigned any players to the D-League yet this season. However, the team will likely send rookie DeAndre’ Bembry down to get some playing time very soon, tweets Vivlamore. Bembry has only appeared in seven regular season contests for Atlanta so far, playing sparingly in those games.

Bazemore Comfortable In Atlanta; Howard Has Something To Prove

November 26th, 2016 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kent Bazemore‘s love of Atlanta and his charity work in the city were important factors in keeping him in a Hawks uniform, relays Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Several teams pursued Bazemore in free agency over the summer, but he opted to stay in Atlanta, where he operates a foundation that promotes health for underprivileged and distressed children and young adults. “I’ve always echoed you can be the greatest person you can be if you’re comfortable and I’m super comfortable in Atlanta,” Bazemore said. “My fiancé loves it and we’re starting to plant some roots there, my network is growing there, and it’s just a city of opportunity. It’s up and coming, and it’s a place I can see myself actually growing with, more so than going to other places where they may be too far behind or way ahead of the curve. This is a place where I can see myself being for the next 10 years maybe.”
Hawks center Dwight Howard says he didn’t quite fit in during his time with the Lakers and Rockets, Scotto adds in the same story. Howard is an eight-time All-Star, but he was passed over for the game the past two seasons. After signing with Atlanta this summer, he wants to show he can get back to that level. “I know what I can do for a team and I know what kind of problems I can present for opposing teams every night,” Howard said. “It’s always about opportunities and systems. I don’t think I had the right opportunity or right system the last two places I was in and where I could be the most effective. I think with this system right here, I get an opportunity to be effective on both ends of the floor and I still have a lot left in the tank.”

Tiago Splitter To Miss Six More Weeks

November 26th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks will be without Tiago Splitter for at least six more weeks after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain in his right calf, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Injuries caused Splitter to miss 46 games last season and he has yet to suit up this year.

“There is nobody more disappointed than me,” Splitter said. “I’m tough. I’m tough. Maybe the first day I was sad but the next day I’m already positive and thinking about positive progress each day. That is the mindset you have to have when you are injured.”

The Spurs traded Splitter to the Hawks during the 2015 offseason in order to create the necessary cap space to offer LaMarcus Aldridge a max contract. Splitter has had trouble staying on the court during his career, missing at least 22 games in every season but one. He’ll make $8.5MM this year before becoming a free agent in July.

Howard Believes He Has Long Career Ahead

November 23rd, 2016 at 7:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks center Dwight Howard believes he can play for close to another decade, according to Michael Lee of The Vertical. Now in his 13th season, Howard seems to have overcome the back and knee problems that limited him in Houston. He played just 41 games two seasons ago, but has been healthy since arriving in Atlanta. “When I first came in the league, I thought I was going to play forever,” Howard said. “I still want to play until I’m 40, but I thought I was going to play basketball until I was 60. That’s what happens when you’re young. Once you get older, you realize there are lot of things that are important.” The contract Howard signed with the Hawks this summer runs through the 2018/19 season.

Hawks Getting Production From Hardaway

November 20th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Tim Hardaway Jr. has developed into a productive bench scorer in his second season in Atlanta, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Acquired in a controversial trade with the Knicks on draft day in 2015, Hardway was little used during his first few months with the Hawks. He had two stints in the D-League last December and played just 51 games with the NBA club. Hardaway has became a dangerous scorer, ranking fourth on the team at 12.8 points per night and producing four 20-point games already. “We feel good about identifying Timmy,” said Hawks GM Wes Wilcox. “We were fortunate that the opportunity came up. … You always hope trades make sense for everybody. That’s what you hope because you hope it’s good for the player and the teams that are involved. It’s hard to evaluate stuff, but I’m happy for Tim, and I’m certainly happy for the Hawks.”