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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/1/19

February 1st, 2019 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Pistons assigned power forward Henry Ellenson to the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a team press release. In six games with the Drive, Ellenson is averaging 19.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.2 BPG. The 2016 first-round pick has only appeared in two games with Detroit this season.
The Spurs assigned rookie forward Chimezie Metu and rookie guard Lonnie Walker IV to the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. They’ll play against the Long Island Nets on Friday. In 17 games with Austin, Metu is averaging 14.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG. He’s appeared in 21 San Antonio games. Walker IV has seen action in 19 games with Austin, averaging 15.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.6 APG. He’s seen action in four Spurs games.
The Cavaliers assigned guard Kobi Simmons to the Canton Charge, the team announced in a press release. Simmons has seen action in 31 games with the Charge this season, posting averages of 16.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG. He signed a 10-day contract with Cleveland on January 27.

NBA Announces All-Star Reserves

January 31st, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA announced today the reserves for the 2019 All-Star Game, releasing the pool of players eligible to be drafted by captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the contest.

For the Eastern Conference, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Detroit’s Blake Griffin, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic were all selected.

Indiana guard Victor Oladipo was also chosen, but he’ll miss the game due to injury. The NBA could name a replacement for Oladipo, with Eric Bledsoe or D’Angelo Russell among the most likely candidates.

New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns were chosen to represent the Western Conference.

James and Antetokounmpo will draft their respective teams next Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7:00pm ET. The draft will air on TNT and commence just hours after the NBA’s trade deadline. Each captain must first finish selecting from the pool of starters — announced last week — before choosing from this list of reserves.

The All-Star Game is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The starters for the game were chosen by votes from fans, players and media, while the reserves were selected by the 30 NBA head coaches.

Pistons Notes: Trade Deadline, Brown, Bullock

January 30th, 2019 at 4:07pm CST by Austin Kent

If the asset-strapped Pistons are going to make a splash at the NBA trade deadline they’ll have to get creative. As The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III writes, Detroit would presumably need to unload some sizable contracts if they brought back a significant package and the players currently making big money on their roster – outside of Blake Griffin – aren’t particularly desirable.

Edwards writes that Pistons senior adviser Ed Stefanski isn’t eager to give up a future first-round pick simply to alleviate the cap burden of its weighty contracts (Reggie Jackson‘s $17MM, Jon Leuer‘s $10MM, for example) but those picks could be in play if a solid star comes along. Edwards includes Bradley Beal as a hypothetical possibility that might warrant such a return.

The Pistons have some players that could be considered modest assets ahead of the deadline, including sophomore Luke Kennard and fourth-year forward Stanley Johnson. Ish Smith and Reggie Bullock, similarly, could draw interest from contending teams looking to shore up their rotations with veteran depth.

There’s more from Detroit:

While there are plenty of scenarios that could hypothetically jump-start a Pistons rebuild, Keith Langlois of the team’s official website writes in a weekly mailbag that he’d wager the team stands pat at the deadline. The club may look to shore up its second-unit but lack draft assets to offer in trades.
Scrappy first-year guard Bruce Brown has struggled to showcase his elite defensive skills lately, something head coach Dwane Casey‘s believes could be attributable to a famous foe in the basketball world. “I don’t know if it’s a rookie wall or whatever, but just the concentration, the attention to detail,” Casey told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Those are mental things that young fellows usually make when they’re mentally fatigued a little bit.“
In the same blog post, Langlois writes that Reggie Bullock practiced on Wednesday. The 27-year-old sharpshooter and potential trade chip missed Tuesday’s game with a sprained ankle that has plagued him and and off throughout the season. His status is uncertain for Thursday.

Pistons Notes: Griffin, Trade Exception, Stefanski, Casey

January 29th, 2019 at 11:25am CST by Arthur Hill

The Anthony Davis situation in New Orleans is a reminder to the Pistons that they need to maximize Blake Griffin‘s time in Detroit, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought Griffin from the Clippers and set a new direction for the franchise. However, the results haven’t changed much as the Pistons are 21-27 and fighting for the final playoff spot in the East.

Griffin referred to Detroit as “home” when he spoke to reporters after Monday’s practice, but there’s no guarantee his sentiments won’t change. He also talked about the increased power of players to determine their own destiny.

“You can talk about back in the day all you want, but back in the day is not today,” Griffin said. “The NBA isn’t structured the same way, contracts aren’t structured the same way, teams aren’t structured the same way, so you can’t expect players to keep doing the same thing. It’s such an outdated view on life. I get the whole loyalty thing, but at the same time, you have to do what’s best for your family, best for you, and a lot of the times, sometimes, those things don’t align.”

There’s more today out of Detroit:

A $7MM trade exception created by sending Boban Marjanovic to the Clippers as part of the Griffin deal figures to expire today without being used, tweets Rod Beard of The Free Press. The Pistons are right on the edge of tax territory and adding another player would likely push them over.
Don’t expect a major deal from the Pistons before next week’s trade deadline, Beard relays in a full story. Although fans are clamoring for a move to increase the team’s playoff chances, senior adviser Ed Stefanski recently explained that the team is more likely to take a long-term approach to improving. “I will tell the fans I’m not going to make a deal that could hurt us going forward that could be instant relief but could be only for this season and then we could have issues going forward,” Stefanski said on the Wired Pistons podcast. “That makes no sense to me. The word people don’t want to hear is patience. Where we have (cap) restrictions, there’s nothing else but to be patient.”
Whatever the Pistons do for the rest of the season, it won’t involve tanking, Beard adds in a separate piece. The organization is committed to trying to reach the playoffs, and even if that doesn’t happen, new coach Dwane Casey will use that time to decide which players will make up the long-term core of the team.

Kings, Pistons Show Interest In Marc Gasol

January 28th, 2019 at 9:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings and Pistons have expressed interest in Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, citing multiple sources.

The Grizzlies are trying to dump Chandler Parsons‘ contract in the deal. That complicates any potential transaction involving Gasol, since he has a player option for next season worth $25.6MM, O’Connor notes.

Gasol and Parsons are making a combined $48.2MM this season, so packaging them together and making the salaries match up with a trade partner would obviously be a challenging task. Parsons has another guaranteed $25MM remaining in the final year of his contract next season.

Memphis’ willingness to deal its two big-name veterans, Gasol and point guard Mike Conley, became public last week. The Grizzlies have fallen out of the playoff picture, putting them in a seller’s mode.

The motivation for the two suitors mentioned is unclear.

The Kings have been linked to Dallas forward Harrison Barnes as well as Atlanta guard Jeremy Lin in recent weeks. They also showed interest in Knicks center Enes Kanter before talks broke down. So the Kings are seemingly itching to make a move before the February 7th deadline.

How Gasol would fit into their immediate plans is a question mark, since Sacramento has a number of young bigs. It began Monday three games out of the final Western Conference playoff spot. Sacramento’s highest-paid players, Zach Randolph ($11.1MM) and Iman Shumpert ($11.0MM) have expiring contracts, as does Kosta Koufos ($8.74MM).

The Pistons’ interest in Gasol would be centered around dumping salary, so they’d probably have to sweeten the pot with a future first-rounder and a young player. Reggie Jackson, Jon Leuer and Langston Galloway fit the category of bad contracts that run through next season. Detroit is two games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite a prolonged slide.

Alternatively, Detroit could go into full rebuild mode and put Andre Drummond in a deal involving Gasol in order to free up much-needed cap space. If the Pistons were to acquire Gasol without including Drummond in the trade, Gasol would have to come off the bench behind Drummond and Blake Griffin.

Heat Notes: Ellington, McGruder, Grizzlies, Olynyk

January 23rd, 2019 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trading Wayne Ellington would give the Heat just enough cap relief to escape the luxury tax, writes salary cap expert Albert Nahmad for HeatHoops. Miami currently projects to be $6.2698MM over the tax line and Ellington’s salary is $6.27MM, so if the Heat can find a deal in which they don’t take any money back, they would be in the clear by $159.

However, Nahmad notes that won’t be easy to accomplish. Only six teams have the ability to make such a trade with Miami, but the Hornets and Pistons would put themselves into tax territory, the Thunder and Wizards are already over the threshold and may not want to take on more salary and the Kings aren’t likely to be interested in using their cap room because they already have Buddy Hield.

Nahmad identifies the Nuggets, who are $6.9MM below the tax line and have a pair of trade exceptions worth $12.8MM and $13.8MM, as the most likely team to take on Ellington. His salary would be pro-rated at $2.2MM if he’s acquired at the February 7 deadline, and the Heat can trade up to $5.3MM in cash to help offset that.

However, it’s not certain that another shooter is Denver’s top priority. Any other club that trades for Ellington would have to send out at least $3.5MM in salary, which means a third team would have to get involved to make it work for Miami. Nahmad cites the Lakers, Rockets and possibly the Thunder as other potential contenders for Ellington.

There’s more news from Miami:

The Heat have been working on deals to ease their overcrowded roster and Rodney McGruder may be a candidate to get traded, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The source adds that McGruder would be a good fit for the Celtics, who could use an all-around role player and wouldn’t mind adding his expiring $1.5MM contract. The Heat may not get more than a second-round pick for McGruder, but won’t be in a great position to re-sign him this summer because of their cap situation.
In the same story, Jackson states that the Heat don’t seem like a good fit for the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol or Mike Conley, who are reportedly now available on the trade market. Jackson cites Conley’s $32.5MM salary for next season and $34.5MM in 2020/21 as too much for Miami to take on, while Memphis may not be interested in the collection of players — James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Dion Waiters — that would need to be included to match the salaries of Gasol and Chandler Parsons, whom the Grizzlies would like to move in a trade involving the center.
Olynyk is the latest player to fall out of the Heat’s frequently changing rotation, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The backup center didn’t play in the second half Saturday, then was held out of Monday’s game. “You look at the game saying, ‘I definitely think I can help out there. I can make an impact, make a difference,'” Olynyk said. “But Coach has to do his job and I don’t envy him, because it’s not an easy job.

Spurs Have Inquired On Wing Players

January 22nd, 2019 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

While the Spurs typically aren’t too active on the trade market during the season, they’ve inquired about possible targets on the wing over the last few months, league sources tell Jabari Young of The Athletic. According to Young, San Antonio had interest in Trevor Ariza but couldn’t put together a package that would work before he was sent from Phoenix to D.C.

Young isn’t 100% sure that the Spurs remain in the market for a wing, but identifies Pistons forward Stanley Johnson as one player who could be on the team’s radar. As Young points out, Spurs assistant GM Brian Wright was part of Detroit’s front office in 2015 when the Pistons drafted Johnson eighth overall, and is believed to still be a big fan of the 22-year-old.

The 20-26 Pistons are tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference and may not be overly interested in moving Johnson as long as they remain in the hunt for a postseason spot. However, if Detroit considers moving the RFA-to-be, the club could seek a protected first-round pick or a pair of second-rounders, says Young.

With only a few months left on Johnson’s contract and the Spurs viewed as a difficult trade partner with whom to negotiate, a trade may be a long shot, Young notes. Nonetheless, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on as February 7 approaches.

Here are a few more notes out of San Antonio:

Pau Gasol looks like one of the more obvious trade candidates on the Spurs’ roster, but a league executive tells Young, “I just don’t see him having any trade value.” Gasol has played limited minutes since returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for a good chunk of the season.
Here’s what Gasol had to say when asked if he’d prefer a change of scenery and an opportunity to play more, according to Young: “I’m trying to adjust and keep things in perspective. Everything has a positive outcome. I’m glad my foot is reacting well, and hopefully, I’ll get a chance to build on my minutes and my contribution to the team. Will I love to play more and have a bigger role? Absolutely, because that’s the kind of player and competitor that I am. But at the same time, I follow the coach’s directives, and you got to fulfill a role, whatever that role is. And that’s what you get paid to do. That’s a part of your job as a player.”
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford didn’t rule out the possibility of making an in-season trade, adding that the club will “answer the phone” in the coming weeks. However, as Young relays, Buford also didn’t sound overly eager to make any changes. “Our guys are playing well,” Buford said. “You don’t want to disrupt the chemistry.”

Bullock, Smith Garnering Trade Interest

January 21st, 2019 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guards Alec Burks and Rodney Hood are the players most likely to be moved by the Cavaliers before the trade deadline, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Burks was acquired from Utah last month because of his movable $11.5MM expiring contract. He can provide scoring off the bench, defense and ball-handling for a playoff contender. Hood is a skilled player on an expiring $3.4MM contract, though he can’t be traded without his approval since he’s playing on a qualifying offer. Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Jordan Clarkson are other Cleveland players who could be moved at the right price. GM Koby Altman is seeking draft picks, multi-year contracts of expensive players who could be traded in the future, and young players with potential, Vardon adds.

We have more from around the Central Division:

Pistons shooting guard Reggie Bullock and backup point guard Ish Smith are garnering trade interest, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Detroit would like to re-sign both players, who are on expiring contracts, Ellis continues. Bullock is making $2.5MM this season and Smith is pulling in $6MM. An offer of a first-round pick could entice Detroit to move Bullock, Ellis adds.
The steady diet of losses is weighing on the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The injury-riddled Cavs went 1-5 on their just concluded road trip. The Cavaliers don’t want to think that the rest of the season will be a slog to the finish line. “I don’t accept that,” Clarkson said. “I’m trying to compete in games. It’s tough. But we don’t even have a team. You’re playing Channing (Frye) right now and he wasn’t even getting no minutes this year. All these guys dealing with injuries and stuff like that. Sometimes coming into the game a little overmatched. But I’m not set on this is how we are.”
Bulls guard Zach LaVine took a veiled shot at coach Jim Boylen after the team’s loss to Miami over the weekend, Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago reports. LaVine expressed his frustration that the team is playing worse despite getting some key pieces back in the lineup in recent weeks. “Something is obviously wrong,” he said. “We weren’t losing by double digits earlier in the season.” Many of the team’s issues can be attributed to Boylen’s unimaginative offensive scheme, Walton adds.

Detroit A Potential Landing Spot For Carmelo?

January 21st, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While a trade remains the preferred outcome for both the Rockets and Carmelo Anthony, a buyout “isn’t off the table,” league sources tell Iko. Iko names the Lakers, Heat, and Pistons as teams that could be willing to take a chance on Anthony.

Pistons Elected Not To Pursue Carmelo Anthony

January 19th, 2019 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons had internal discussions about acquiring Carmelo Anthony, but decided not to pursue him, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. There were reports yesterday that Anthony, who remains on the Rockets’ roster although he hasn’t played in more than two months, has multiple options for his next location. Houston needs to open a roster spot before signing Kenneth Faried, so the team may have some urgency to get the Anthony situation resolved soon.