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NBA G League Expanding To Mexico City

December 13th, 2019 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League will have a franchise based in Mexico City beginning in 2020/21, the league announced on Thursday night in a press release. According to the NBA’s announcement, the professional team Capitanes, which is currently part of Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP), will join the G League next season, making it the 29th NBAGL franchise.

“Bringing an NBA G League team to Mexico City is a historic milestone for the NBA which demonstrates our commitment to basketball fans in Mexico and across Latin America,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As the first G League franchise based outside of the U.S. and Canada, we look forward to welcoming Capitanes to the NBA family.”

An expansion G League franchise can take some time to establish. For instance, the Pelicans‘ new NBAGL team, announced in October 2018, won’t relocate to Birmingham, Alabama until 2022/23 and is playing in Erie in the interim. By bringing aboard a franchise like Capitanes that has an existing infrastructure – including a home arena and an ownership group – the NBA will be able to expedite the process, allowing the team to make the transition to the G League next fall.

Capitanes will continue to play its home games at Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera, an arena that holds about 5,000 fans, and will spend at least the next five years in the G League. Unlike the G League’s other 28 teams, Capitanes won’t be affiliated with a specific NBA franchise, per Eric Gomez of ESPN. It’s unclear if it will still be an option for players on assignment from the Trail Blazers or Nuggets, the two NBA teams without NBAGL affiliates.

“The assumption is Portland and Denver will be adding teams over time,” Silver said on Thursday.

The news of the G League expanding to Mexico City comes almost exactly a year after Silver indicated that he was optimistic about establishing an NBAGL team in Mexico. At the time, the NBA commissioner said he was confident that the league would be “planting its flag in Mexico” soon.

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Nuggets Recall Vanderbilt 

December 11th, 2019 at 10:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • The Nuggets have recalled Jarred Vanderbilt from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team tweets. The second year forward out of Kentucky has logged time in three games for Denver this season.
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Porter Seeking Clarity On Role

December 11th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • In Denver, Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr. is struggling to carve out a bench role for himself, and seeking clarity on his usage in coach Mike Malone‘s system.. The No. 14 draft pick in 2018, Porter got some meaningful spot minutes during the first half of last night’s 97-92 loss to the Sixers. But he was passed over in the third quarter in favor of fellow small forwards Torrey Craig and Juan Hernangomez. “Yeah, I need to talk to coach again,” Porter told The Denver Post’s Mike Singer. “When we’re more mentally prepared about when we’re coming in, what he’s thinking for certain games.”
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Northwest Notes: Porter, Murray, Wolves, Jazz

December 10th, 2019 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said he considers expanding Michael Porter Jr.‘s role “everyday”

“I really do,” Malone said (via Mike Singer of The Denver Post). “We met as a staff yesterday and today, this morning prior to shootaround, when you’re 1-4 [over the last five games] and your offense is kind of holding you back, you have to have all options on the table.”

Heading into the night, Porter was averaging just 8.6 minutes per game and has appeared in just 10 contests for Denver.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Jamal Murray left the Nuggets‘ contest tonight with a torso injury, Singer tweets. The point guard injured himself during a collision with Ben Simmons. There’s no word yet on the severity of the ailment.
  • Matt John of Basketball Insiders examines whether the Timberwolves will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Minnesota would like to add more talent, though its hard to envision the team making a substantial trade without including one of its core pieces.
  • The Jazz remain buyers and could certainly use some help after a disappointing start to the 2019/20 campaign, John writes in the same piece. Utah’s bench has struggled and adding depth could be the key to turning around the club’s season.
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Central Notes: Love, Doumbouya, Drummond

December 9th, 2019 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Suns are some of the teams that might be interested in Cavaliers forward Kevin Love but his trade value has diminished due to his health and contract, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com writes. Love is in the first year of his $120MM extension and he’s experienced back issues after missing most of last season with a toe injury, Deveney notes. He also missed significant time the previous two seasons with hand and knee injuries. Cleveland’s haul for Love would likely involve a first-round pick, salary-cap relief, and perhaps an underachieving young player, Deveney adds.

We have more from around the Central Division:

  • Love isn’t sure if he’ll be dealt but he understands why there’s so much speculation regarding his status on the rebuilding Cavaliers, Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays. “I imagine, in a rebuild, it’s easy to look at it, especially when it’s down and out at this point, and say, ‘Hey, we want to completely reset the deck and go young,'” Love said. “I understand that. But despite that, whether it’s five months or five years, I’m always going to be able to come back to Cleveland no matter what, and I’ll always love the fans, and be part of this organization, one way or another.”
  • Pistons first-rounder Sekou Doumbouya has taken a positive approach to his G League assignments, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. In 13 games with the Grand Rapids Drive, Doumbouya is averaging 17.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG while shooting 40.9% on 3-point attempts. The forward doesn’t turn 19 until December 23. “He’s coachable,” Grand Rapids coach Donnie Tyndall said. “He will look you in the eye when he’s talking to you. He doesn’t cop an attitude or have bad body language. He gets disappointed in himself a little bit, he’s pretty hard on himself.”
  • Pistons coach Dwane Casey is baffled when center Andre Drummond‘s energy level is criticized, as he told The Free Press this weekend. Drummond, who can become an unrestricted free agent if he opts out this summer, leads the league in rebounding by a wide margin and recorded his 37th career 20-20 game against Indiana on Friday. “If he makes a mistake, they say he doesn’t have energy,” Casey said. “To get to 20 rebounds, somebody show me how to get 20 rebounds with two guys trying to box you out. That’s energy. I struggle when people say that Andre’s not playing with energy. To do what he does takes a lot of energy.”
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Teams Inquiring On Malik Beasley

December 9th, 2019 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple teams have had “due diligence” conversations with the Nuggets about guard Malik Beasley, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Beasley, who will be a restricted free agent in 2020, had extension talks with Denver earlier this year, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.

As Charania explains, the Nuggets often receive trade inquiries on their wings, given their depth at that spot, but haven’t gained any traction on potential deals. Beasley had a breakout season in 2018/19, but has been in and out of Denver’s rotation so far this season. If the team isn’t confident about its chances of locking him up next summer, he could become a trade candidate as the season progresses.

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/8/19

December 8th, 2019 at 8:20pm CST by JD Shaw

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

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Nuggets' Success Depends On Players Making Sacrifices

December 8th, 2019 at 5:36pm CST by JD Shaw
  • The Nuggets’ success in recent seasons has hinged on players’ ability to sacrifice, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post writes. Denver has a roster loaded with offensive talent, making it imperative that everyone shares the ball and remains patient when it comes to scoring. “It’s definitely unique,” said Jerami Grant, who’s in his first season with the team. “We’ve definitely got a deep team. We’ve got a lot of players that would play a lot more minutes with other teams. But I think everybody who’s come here is willing to sacrifice to be one of the best teams in the league.”
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Execs View Nuggets As Potential Trade Fit For Aldridge

December 3rd, 2019 at 10:47pm CST by Luke Adams
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Nets Notes: Irving, Temple, Shumpert, Allen

November 29th, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyrie Irving is developing into the team leader in Brooklyn that the Celtics hoped he would be last year, according to Michael Scotto of Bleacher Report. Irving frequently strategizes with Nets coach Kenny Atkinson during games and has taken a proactive approach in helping his teammates improve. Although he has missed the last eight games with a shoulder impingement, Irving has made a difference on the court as well. He’s averaging a career best 28.5 points and 7.2 assists per game and is leading all NBA players in “clutch” points.

Veteran Garrett Temple knew Irving was special, which is why he chose to sign with Brooklyn when he had numerous other offers. Sources tell Scotto that the Nuggets, Wizards, Cavaliers and Pelicans all expressed interest in Temple.

“Any time you go to a different team, and you don’t get traded there and choose to go to a different team when you’re a star, you have a chance to not right wrongs but become the person that you want to be,” Temple said. “It’s kind of a clean slate. The league is kind of a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league anyway. Kyrie comes here, and if he’s the person I’ve seen the last four weeks, then all of those pundits are going to change their tune because he’s been here since Labor Day, we’ve been working out, and he’s been a great leader. He hasn’t tried to show up any young guys. He’s been a hard worker doing his thing, and when you win, it cures a lot of ills too. He said he failed as a leader. He’s going to try to change that, and he recognizes that.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • Atkinson said Irving has been able to begin “on-court work,” tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Although Irving has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, Atkinson calls it a positive step toward his eventual return.
  • Brooklyn will face a difficult roster decision when Wilson Chandler returns on December 15, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The Nets signed Iman Shumpert when they were permitted to temporarily add a 16th player after Chandler served the first five games of his 25-game ban. Shumpert has played well, which means Brooklyn may decide to unload someone else to make room for Chandler.
  • Jarrett Allen has improved nearly every part of his game in his third NBA season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Allen is averaging a double-double in points and rebounds and leading the league in field goal percentage, but free throws remain a problem. Lewis suggests that Allen can learn from free agent addition DeAndre Jordan, who has steadily improved after starting his career as a poor shooter from the line.
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