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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/1/18

December 1st, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

  • The Hornets sent forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte’ Graham to the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced on its website. This is the first G League assignment of the season for Bacon, who has appeared in 13 games for Charlotte and is averaging 6.4 points per night. It’s the third time for Graham, who has gotten into eight NBA games.
  • The Spurs assigned Chimezie Metu to their Austin affiliate, according to the team website. He has appeared in 12 games with San Antonio.
  • The Pistons have recalled Luke Kennard from Auburn Hills, the team announced in an email. Kennard is recovering from an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder that has sidelined him for the past 15 games.
  • The Pelicans sent rookie Kenrich Williams to the G League, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. New Orleans doesn’t have a direct affiliate, so Williams has been assigned to the Westchester Knicks.
  • The Knicks called up center Luke Kornet from Westchester and placed him on the active list for tonight’s game, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • The Rockets recalled guard Brandon Knight from their Rio Grande affiliate, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston.
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Jeremy Lamb Could Be Playing His Way Out Of Charlotte With Impressive Play

November 29th, 2018 at 6:46pm CST by JD Shaw
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Kemba Walker “Couldn’t Care Less About Big Markets”

November 28th, 2018 at 1:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Some within the Hornets‘ organization feel that Kemba Walker may be as meaningful to the franchise as Stephen Curry is to the Warriors in terms of relative importance and cultural influence, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes in his latest piece. The 28-year-old point guard enjoys his role in elevating the franchise.

“These guys believed in me,” Walker said. “I couldn’t care less about big markets. That’s not who I am. I want to make this place big. I want to be in the playoffs every year. I want to make Charlotte pop.”

Walker is in the final year of one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts, one that pays him $12MM per season. However, the deal didn’t always seem like such as bargain, as Lowe details.

Walker was navigating his way through his rookie deal and his shooting numbers—which were a red flag of his during pre-draft workout—weren’t improving. When he was up for a rookie-scale extension, Charlotte’s offer topped out at $10MM annually, per Lowe, and Walker wanted his agent Jeff Schwartz to accept it, threatening to call the team and make the deal himself if he didn’t.

The Hornets eventually budged, going to the $12MM annual value, and over the ensuing years, Walker has made critical adjustments to his game to set him up for a much bigger payday once that deal expires.

If Walker makes an All-NBA team this year, the Hornets will be able offer him a designated veteran contract, starting at 35% of next year’s salary cap (roughly $220MM over five years). If he doesn’t, Charlotte can still offer a five-year deal worth approximately $189MM. Lowe speculates that the Hornets could find common ground on a five-year deal in the $163MM range since no rival team could offer him more than a four-year pact.

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Hornets Have Inquired On Bradley Beal

November 20th, 2018 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have contacted the Wizards to inquire about the possibility of acquiring Bradley Beal, a source confirms to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Spencer Percy of Queen City Hoops (Twitter link) first linked Charlotte to Beal.

A report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday suggested that the Wizards were giving teams the impression that they’re willing to discuss any player on their roster, including Beal and John Wall. However, multiple reports since then have downplayed Washington’s interest in making a move involving Beal or Wall. In other words, while they’re not going to hang up on teams asking about Beal, the Wizards appear unlikely to actually trade him.

Even if the Wizards are open to listening, it’s not clear what sort of package the Hornets would be willing to put on the table for Beal. Percy suggests (via Twitter) that Marvin Williams and Jeremy Lamb‘s expiring contract might be a start for salary-matching purposes, with Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, and/or future first-round picks among the assets Charlotte could include in a proposal.

Although a deal between the two division rivals seems like a long shot, the Hornets’ apparent interest in Beal reflects the team’s desire to add a second impact player to complement star point guard Kemba Walker.

Earlier today, Bonnell wrote in a piece for The Observer that Walker and Hornets owner Michael Jordan are both interested in extending the relationship beyond 2019, when Kemba becomes a free agent. However, Bonnell also noted that Charlotte will need to get Walker some help in order to maximize his prime and convince him that the Hornets can become a contender.

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Community Shootaround: Kemba Walker’s Strong Start

November 18th, 2018 at 9:29pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

At this point it seems to be a weekly occurrence. You know, when you get a notification on your phone or you’re on Twitter to see that Kemba Walker is putting his team on his back with a brilliant display of shot-making from all areas of the floor. Unfortunately for Walker and the Hornets, his efforts come up short of a win on many occasions.

As Walker approaches unrestricted free agency at age 29, he is having a career year, posting a Stephen Curry-esque stat line of 28.7 points and 6.1 assists per game. Walker has increased his 3-point attempt rate, attempting over 10 shots from beyond the arc per game. While Walker has stepped up his scoring (28.7 marks a career-high by a wide margin – 23.2 points per game was his previous high), he has also improved his rebounding to a career-high 4.5 per game. His 6.1 assists per game ties a previous career-high set back in the 2013/14 season.

For the most part, this strong start isn’t a result of unsustainable shooting from all areas of the court. Walker’s 3-point shooting has actually dipped slightly to 37.7 percent (from 38.4 percent last season) and Walker is only hitting 53.8 percent from within three feet of rim, down from 57.1 percent last season.

What has boosted Walker’s scoring (besides his increase in 3-point attempts) has been some insane shooting in the mid-range. Walker has hit 51.7 percent of shots within 10 and 16 feet of the rim, and an even more staggering 66.7 percent on shots within 16 feet of the rim and the 3-point line.

Walker has been a deadly scorer for several years now, but it looks as if he is poised to become one of the best scorers in the league this season, perhaps even vying for a scoring title. Unfortunately it seems he will have this scoring success on a middling Hornets team that will be in the running for a low playoff seed, which could certainly affect Walker’s decision in free agency as he looks to balance winning with staying loyal to the Hornets.

After Walker’s start to the season, where would you rank him in the NBA? Do you believe he is a top 15, 20, 25 player? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Bonnell: Hornets Need to Re-Sign Kemba Walker

November 18th, 2018 at 4:50pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

After Kemba Walker‘s explosive 60-point performance Saturday against the 76ers, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer argues that the Hornets shouldn’t overthink things, and should offer Walker the maximum allowable contract this summer. Walker will be an unrestricted free agent as he enters his age-29 season, and Bonnell makes a case for the importance of keeping the point guard around, despite the team’s struggles in recent years.

Walker is having a career season, averaging 28.7 points and 6.1 assists per game, and is certainly capable of taking over any game with his scoring ability. Walker would certainly be expensive — his full, five-year max projects to be worth $189MM+, unless he makes an All-NBA team this season, in which the deal could be worth up to $221MM. However, Hornets owner Michael Jordan has shown that he isn’t afraid to spend to keep players in Charlotte, and Bonnell argues that this instance should be no exception for the team’s leader.

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Jeremy Lamb Thriving In First Season As Starter

November 18th, 2018 at 3:16pm CST by JD Shaw
  • Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb has thrived in his first year of being a starter, Basketball Insiders’ Spencer Davies writes. Lamb has averaged a career-best 13.4 points per game in his fourth season with Charlotte. “Being a starting two-guard in the league is not easy,” coach James Borrego said. “You gotta guard every single night, can’t take a night off. So I give (Jeremy) a lot of credit. He’s grown up a lot this season. I’m proud of him and I think he’s growing every single game.”
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Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southeast Division

November 16th, 2018 at 9:01pm 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 turn our attention to the Southeast Division:

Dewayne Dedmon, Hawks, 29, C (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $14.1MM deal in 2017
Dedmon’s journeyman career had been on an upward path the past couple of seasons but appears to have plateaued under new coach Lloyd Pierce. Dedmon was coming off the bench before missing a few games for personal reasons after starting 46 games last season under Mike Budenholzer. His playing time has taken a hit from 24.9 MPG to 19.7. Dedmon is making $7.2MM but will likely have to settle for a veteran’s minimum deal or something close to it in unrestricted free agency next summer.

Wayne Ellington, Heat, 30, SG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $6.27MM deal in 2018
The Heat have an overload of options at the wing positions but Ellington’s shooting has made him a steady rotation presence since recovering from an ankle injury. Over the past five games, Ellington is shooting 44.7% on his 3-point attempts. That’s the main reason coach Erik Spoestra has played him an average of 28.6 MPG over that span. Ellington settled for a one-year contract in free agency this summer and his outside shooting should lead to multi-year offers in July.

Jeremy Lamb, Hornets, 26, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2016
Lamb averaged double digits in scoring for the first time in his career last season and he’s established himself as a starter this season. Lamb is averaging 12.9 PPG as Kemba Walker‘s backcourt partner while shooting a career-best 39.2% from long range. He’s also been a factor on defense (career high 1.4 SPG). Lamb is making $7.49MM and his shooting and defensive length will grant him a healthy raise when he hits the open market in July.

Terrence Ross, Magic, 27, SG/SF (Up) — Signed to a three-year, $31.5MM deal in 2016
Ross appeared in only 24 games last season due to a knee injury. He started most of the games he was able to play for Orlando after being dealt by the Raptors in February 2017 but new coach Steve Clifford has made him a second-unit contributor. Thus far, Ross has thrived in that role, averaging 13.9 PPG while making a career-high 39.3% of his threes. That kind of production will give him consideration for the Sixth Man award if he keeps it up. It would also lead to multi-year offers next summer for Ross, who is making $10.5MM.

Kelly Oubre, Wizards, 22, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $9.2MM deal in 2015
The Wizards have finally shown some signs of life, winning their last three games, but Oubre has been heading in the opposite direction. He’s scored in single digits in five of the last six games. He’s also been in a prolonged shooting slump, making 14% of his 3-point tries over the last nine games. The capped-out Wizards must extend a $4,485,665 qualifying offer to Oubre next June to make him a restricted free agent. If he has a down year, the Wizards’ decision will become even tougher.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hornets Face Interesting 2019 Free Agency Period On Jeremy Lamb

November 15th, 2018 at 5:49pm CST by JD Shaw
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/11/18

November 11th, 2018 at 8:41pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Here are Sunday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

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