- The prognosis for Mavericks guard Seth Curry remains week-to-week with a stress reaction in his left tibia, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Curry has been forced to rest since October 7 and is projected to return in mid- to late November. “I started shooting a little the past couple weeks,” Curry said. “We’re trying to let it heal and slowly ramp up what I can do. I’m trying to test it out as much as I can and make some strides each week. I just can’t do a lot of pounding on it.”
Jahlil Okafor was a bad fit for the Sixers from the beginning, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia picked Okafor third in the 2015 draft despite already having centers Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel on the roster. There was never going to be enough playing time for all three big men, so Noel was traded to Dallas in February, and now Okafor appears to be on the way out.
The Sixers front office is working with representatives for the 21-year-old center to find a trade. He has put up two disappointing years in Philadelphia, playing a combined 101 games, and now has fallen out of the rotation. He has gotten into just one game this season.
Okafor’s injury history and poor defensive reputation are limiting the trade market. Coach Brett Brown can’t give him playing time to improve, Pompey notes, because the Sixers are under pressure to start winning and can’t afford to have a glaring liability on defense. That leaves Okafor glued to the bench while he waits for a deal.
There’s more tonight out of Philadelphia:
- Brown seems committed to free agent addition Amir Johnson as the backup center, relays Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports. The 30-year-old, who signed with Philadelphia over the summer after spending the last two years in Boston, is averaging 15 minutes per night. “I think it’s going to be Amir’s spot to lose,” Brown said. “… It’s always competitive, but the competitive nature has shifted toward Amir’s performance.”
- Richaun Holmes will make his season debut Friday, cutting further into the playing time at center, Pompey tweets. The third-year big man has been sidelined since the preseason with a fractured bone in his left wrist.
- Sixers swingman Justin Anderson is making his first return to Dallas tonight since the Mavericks shipped him out in the February trade for Noel, notes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Anderson got more minutes after arriving in Philadelphia and posted career-best numbers in scoring (8.5 points per game) and rebounds (4.0) over the final two months of last season. “Coming back to the place that drafted me, that kind of took me in, coddled me like a little baby of theirs, I grew a lot here,” Anderson said of the return to Dallas. “It was tough with the trade, but I think everything worked out for a reason. I’m in a great place. We’re onto something big.”
- Nerlens Noel was displaced in Philadelphia and traded to the Mavericks last season. While his statistics are not eye-popping, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that his energy and impact while on the floor is the reason why he could be in lime for a major free agency payday.
- While Noel has been effective, foul trouble has been a concern. Other centers on the Mavericks roster have not been consistent either but Salah Mejri has vocalized his frustration due to a lack of playing time, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes.
- Dirk Nowitzki is in his 20th season with the Mavericks and he is considered one of the greatest players in team history. However, the 39-year-old may also be taking away playing time from Noel as head coach Rick Carlisle is hesitant to play both seven-footers simultaneously, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News Writes.
Chandler Parsons‘ stint with the Grizzlies has not gone according to plan. The former Rockets and Mavericks standout has been hampered by knee injuries, including three knee surgeries the last three years. Now, after playing just 15 minutes in Memphis’ first few regular season games this year, Parsons is frustrated with his limited playing time, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes.
It’s been a busy day on the Eric Bledsoe front. After the point guard posted a tweet expressing his displeasure with his situation on Sunday, the Suns indicated that Bledsoe wouldn’t play in Monday night’s game against Sacramento, and it sounds like he may not suit up at all for Phoenix going forward, as the club looks to trade him.
Bledsoe has been linked to the Bucks and Knicks, among other teams, with the Suns reportedly seeking Frank Ntilikina and Willy Hernangomez from New York. However, the Knicks aren’t eager to move either player. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are also said to have interest in Bledsoe, with Denver and Phoenix discussing a deal that would involve Emmanuel Mudiay.
While we wait to see if anything comes of any of those rumors, here’s the latest on Bledsoe:
- According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), Bledsoe actually had multiple meeting with the Suns before the season to discuss the possibility of a trade, so it’s not as if his dissatisfaction just developed within the last few days.
- Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders provides an update on the Suns‘ talks with the Nuggets, reporting that Kenneth Faried has emerged as part of a hypothetical package. That’s not a real surprise, since Faried doesn’t seem completely happy in Denver, and his contract would be useful for salary-matching purposes.
- A Faried/Mudiay package is the first idea proposed by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton in his Insider-only article examining trade possibilities. Although Pelton also puts forth trade ideas involving the Magic, Cavaliers, and a few other teams, he suggests that the Nuggets are the most logical landing spot for Bledsoe “by a wide margin.”
- Charles Curtis of USA Today makes a case for the Sixers as the best trade partner for the Suns, while Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News explains why the Mavericks aren’t a fit.
- While Nerlens Noel could end up making his mark on the Mavs franchise, finding him a significant workload on a nightly basis may be difficult, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. In three games this season, Noel has played 20, 27 and 16 minutes.
Rockets guard Demetrius Jackson can expect a lot of trips to and from Rio Grande Valley over the next few weeks, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Jackson, who is serving as the team’s backup point guard while Chris Paul is sidelined with soreness in his left knee, signed a two-way contract over the summer and is limited to 45 days in the NBA. Every day in Houston will count against that total once G League camps open tomorrow, so Jackson will be making repeated journeys to the Rockets’ affiliate.
Jackson played 17 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Mavericks, delivering four points, five rebounds and two assists. The Rockets may decide to convert his deal into a full NBA contract if Paul’s absence is prolonged and the team can’t find another point guard. “Definitely, a different confidence level after going back, reviewing the film, trying to grow from the positive and the negative,” Jackson said. “I definitely got some good looks. Just have to step up and knock those down.”
There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:
- The left knee effusion suffered by Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. may not be as bad as it sounds, cautions Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. There is concern in Dallas because an effusion, which means swelling due to fluid building up in a joint, is what sidelined Dirk Nowitzki for two months in 2013. However, Sefko notes that Nowitzki was much older, and Smith played a lot in preseason without any knee issues.
- The Mavericks are getting Gian Clavell, who also has a two-way contract, some NBA experience before G League camps begin, Sefko adds in the same piece. The rookie out of Puerto Rico got into games Friday and Saturday as the third-string point guard. Johnathan Motley, the team’s other two-way player, hasn’t appeared in a game yet.
- There are indications that Spurs star Kawhi Leonard might return to action sooner than expected, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Leonard, who has been sidelined since training camp with quadriceps tendinopathy, traveled with the team to Chicago Saturday. “He’s progressing,” said coach Gregg Popovich. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
- The Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Mavericks, has acquired Will Bynum‘s returning rights, suggesting the veteran guard could join the organization for the G League season, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
- Troy Williams (Rockets) and Dorian Finney-Smith (Mavericks) saw the guarantees on their respective contracts increase this week, as our salary guarantee calendar shows. Williams’ salary for the season is now fully guaranteed.
3:18pm: The Mavs have officially converted Clavell’s deal to a two-way contract, the team confirmed in a press release. Dallas’ regular season roster is now set.
2:36pm: The Mavericks will get down to the regular season roster limit by converting Gian Clavell‘s NBA contract to a two-way deal, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Clavell’s contract with Dallas included an Exhibit 10 clause, giving the team the flexibility to turn it into a two-way pact before the regular season begins.
Clavell, who turns 24 next month, was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year last season at Colorado State, averaging 20.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with the Rams. The 6’4″ guard also has extensive international experience with the Puerto Rican National Team.
Although Clavell didn’t receive any guaranteed money when he signed with the Mavericks this offseason, he impressed the team during the preseason. Most notably, he recorded 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a win last Thursday over Atlanta. Teams reportedly inquired about his availability recently, but the Mavs opted to hang onto their rights to Clavell.
Once they officially convert Clavell’s contract, the Mavs will have 15 players on their NBA roster, with two on two-way contracts.