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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/11/19

March 11th, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Pacers assigned forward Alize Johnson and guard Edmond Sumner to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s transactions log. Johnson has averaged 19.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 36.9 MPG over 25 appearances with the Mad Ants. Sumner has averaged 23.8 PPG and 3.7 APG in 31.2 MPG over 20 games at the G League level.
The Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Jevon Carter and second-year guard Tyler Dorsey to the Memphis Hustle prior to their game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team’s PR department tweets. Carter has averaged 18.7 PPG, 6.1 APG and 2.8 SPG in 34.0 MPG through 18 G League contests. Dorsey will be making just his third G League appearance this season after seeing action in 34 NBA games with Atlanta and the Grizzlies.
The Clippers assigned rookie guard Jerome Robinson to the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team’s PR department tweets. Robinson, the 13th overall pick in last year’s draft, has seen action in 25 NBA games.

Mavs Expected To Make Big Push For Kemba Walker

March 11th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Hornets for unrestricted free agent Kemba Walker, longtime Hornets beat writer Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Bonnell cites two knowledgeable sources who indicate the Mavs will make the high-scoring point guard their top free agent target. Dallas could plug Walker into its backcourt to create a formidable trio alongside rookie sensation Luka Doncic and recently-acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas has ample cap space to offer the max a new team can give a free agent, a four-year deal worth approximately $140.6MM.

Walker is averaging a career-high 24.9 PPG and 5.8 APG in his walk year. Charlotte can offer him a five-year deal worth up to around $189.7MM, but the franchise’s inability to build a quality team around him may convince Walker to seek greener pastures. That five-year, maximum-salary figure could rise to $221MM if Walker is named to the All-NBA team, Bonnell notes.

The Knicks, Lakers and Pacers are some of the other teams expected to contend for Walker’s services, Bonnell adds.

NBA Execs Predict Market For D’Angelo Russell

March 7th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

As I noted on Wednesday when I singled out a few restricted free agents poised to land lucrative multiyear deals this summer, few RFAs-to-be are better positioned than D’Angelo Russell.

The Nets‘ point guard has enjoyed a breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.5), APG (6.8), FG% (.436), 3PT% (.368), and a number of other categories. He has been a driving force behind Brooklyn’s push for a playoff spot, and is expected to cash in in a big way during the 2019 offseason.

With that in mind, Michael Scotto of The Athletic spoke to a handful of executives around the NBA to get a sense of what Russell’s market might look like this July. The consensus? He should be among 2019’s highest-paid free agents.

“He has had a great year,” an Eastern Conference general manager said of Russell. “There’s no reason to believe he will not stay at this level.”

“He’s going to be in high demand and will get close to max with his overall improvement,” a Western Conference executive told Scotto.

As our early maximum salary projections for 2019/20 show, based on a $109MM salary cap, Russell could earn a contract worth up to $158.05MM over five years with the Nets. If he signs with another team, his projected max would be $117.18MM over four years. That raises another question: Will the 23-year-old re-sign with Brooklyn or ink an offer sheet with another team, forcing the Nets to make a tough decision?

While Scotto doesn’t explicitly identify any teams that will pursue Russell this offseason, he notes that the Pacers, Suns, and Magic are among the clubs expected to be in the market for a point guard. Indiana has the most cap flexibility of the three, but Phoenix and Orlando could both create the space necessary to pursue Russell, depending on their roster moves.

The Nets also have a history, under GM Sean Marks, of making aggressive offers to rival RFAs, having forced the Heat, Trail Blazers, and Wizards to match big-money deals for Tyler Johnson, Allen Crabbe, and Otto Porter, respectively. At least one of the executives who spoke to Scotto wondered if another club will turn the tables on Brooklyn this time around.

“I think D’Angelo is worth around $20MM (annually),” the longtime Eastern exec said. “Is this payback time for the Nets? Will teams offer him the way they (Nets) did for Crabbe, Porter, and Johnson? I think he turned the corner. I think he has a chip on his shoulder.”

Pacers’ Pritchard Talks Matthews, Roster, More

March 4th, 2019 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

While Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard makes the final call on the team’s personnel moves, a pair of Indiana’s former heads of basketball operations remain very much in the loop, Pritchard tells Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.

According to Pritchard, he works with advisors Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird on a “daily basis.” Calling both men “true mentors,” Pritchard notes that Walsh is on the office every day, while Bird gets “very involved” in the summer and fall.

Within his conversation with Aschburner, Pritchard touched on a number of other subjects, discussing the Pacers’ approach to free agency, the excellent job head coach Nate McMillan has done with the club, and Victor Oladipo‘s rehab, among other topics. For Pacers fans, the conversation is worth reading in full, but here are a few highlights from the team’s president of basketball operations:

On the sales pitch that allowed the Pacers to land Wesley Matthews last month:

“He saw opportunity, right? We needed a starting two. And there was continuity with just knowing Nate and how he coaches, his style [Matthews and McMillan were together in Portland for a season and a half]. And from what he’s told us, he saw us, he played against us and he liked the way we play. But it became a recruiting process, for sure. He had a lot of options.”

On what the Pacers have gotten out of 2018’s free agent signees (Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, and Kyle O’Quinn):

“They fit in nicely. They all made it clear that they wanted to come in, play a role and do it as well as they possibly could. Kyle is a great backup center, and we’ve asked him to be the third center. We’ve needed him, because Sabonis is going to be out for a little bit. McDermott, as he gets comfortable here and learns to seek out his offense, the better he’s going to be. And Tyreke, he’s had some ups and downs. But when he plays well, we’re a different team. We need that punch off the bench, and that’s something we focused on when he got him.”

On the impact of having so many free-agents-to-be on the roster:

“It’s good in that guys are pretty motivated. I’ve believed in this team. We’re going to be challenged in the playoffs and it will be fun watching them, but we’ve got to get there first. I don’t want to look too far in the future. We know we’re going to have some tough decisions this summer. But I believe 40% of the league will be free agents, so it’s not only our issue. It’s a league issue and an opportunity.”

On the Pacers’ long-standing aversion to tanking (Indiana hasn’t won fewer than 32 games in a season since 1988/89):

“You’ve got to give [team owner] Herb [Simon] a ton of credit. He’s not the kind of guy who says, ‘Let’s tank and look to the future in three years.’ We’re not about that. “

Wesley Matthews Fitting In Well With Pacers

March 1st, 2019 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Wesley Matthews, who joined the Pacers last month, has been a great fit on and off the court for the club, writes Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star. “That’s why we recruited him so hard,” head coach Nate McMillan said. “We knew what type of player he was. He’s a competitor, and when he steps out on that floor, he’s all out. He’s giving you everything he has. It starts for him, which you don’t see from a lot of players in the NBA, on the defensive end of the floor. He accepts that challenge of guarding the best (wing) player.”

Pacers Notes: Free Agency, Sabonis, Oladipo

February 27th, 2019 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Struggling would-be contenders like the Celtics and Lakers could learn a lesson from the Pacers, who have bounced back impressively after losing star guard Victor Oladipo for the season, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.

Within his examination of the Pacers’ ability to battle through adversity, Windhorst notes that the club’s leaders – head coach Nate McMillan, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard, and GM Chad Buchanan – have an “open-door policy” when it comes to discussing players’ upcoming free agency — they aren’t afraid to sit down and talk to a player about his situation if he wants to, and have attempted to be transparent in those discussions.

As Windhorst observes, the Pacers’ rotation is stacked with players in contract years. Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Tyreke Evans are among those who will be unrestricted free agents this summer. With long-term uncertainty facing so many of Indiana’s vets, the work McMillan has done to keep them all on the same page this season is impressive.

Here’s more from out of Indiana:

Chris Sikich of The Indianapolis Star provides the latest updates on a piece of legislation aimed in part at keeping the Pacers in Indiana for the next 25 years. As Sikich explains, the bill, which the Indiana Senate voted in favor of this week, would see the Pacers chip in about $63MM in new money for facility upgrades and would give the team until next April to negotiate a new long-term lease for the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and may be forced out of action for the Pacers’ next few games, as J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star details. “He’s got a lot of swelling,” McMillan said. “He’s going to be out for a couple games. He’s not walking with crutches, but he can’t put a lot of pressure on it.” In Sabonis’ absence, frontcourt players like Kyle O’Quinn and T.J. Leaf could get the opportunity to play increased roles.
Speaking of injured Pacers, while Oladipo won’t be able to return this season, he’s making progress in his rehab work. As Ameer Tyree of Sporting News passes along, Oladipo’s trainer recently posted a video of the All-Star guard working on his handle while wearing a leg brace.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/26/19

February 26th, 2019 at 10:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

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

The Jazz have recalled Grayson Allen from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The stint was Allen’s ninth assignment this season.
The Clippers have assigned Jerome Robinson to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
The Pacers have assigned Edmond Sumner to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s transaction log. Sumner recently signed a two-year contract with Indiana.
The Wizards assigned Troy Brown Jr. to the Capital City Go-Go, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
The Heat have assigned Emanuel Terry to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Terry has seen action in just one game for Miami this season, playing just three minutes.
The Grizzlies have assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, per the team’s Twitter feed.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/25/19

February 25th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Jazz assigned rookie first-round pick Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s PR department tweets. Allen has appeared in six Stars games, averaging 15.7 PPG in 30.6 MPG. The former Duke star is averaging 4.1 PPG in 9.9 MPG with Utah.
The Pacers recalled forward Alize Johnson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. Johnson is averaging 19.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 36.9 MPG through 25 games with the Mad Ants.
The Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle to get in a practice but recalled him prior to their game against the Lakers on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round pick is averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.7 APG in 14.8 MPG over 26 games with the Grizzlies.
The Nets recalled rookie forward Dzanan Musa from the Long Island Nets in time for their game against the Spurs on Monday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Musa is averaging 19.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 31.3 MPG through 25 games with the G League affiliate.
The Rockets recalled guard Chris Chiozza from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Chiozza signed a 10-day contract with the team last week.
The Hornets recalled forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte’ Graham from the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. Bacon has appeared in 14 games for the Swarm, averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 31.7 MPG. Graham has appeared in 10 games for the Swarm, averaging 23.8 PPG and 4.8 APG in 33.8 MPG.
The Warriors assigned rookie guard Jacob Evans III to Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. The first-round pick has appeared in 23 games with Golden State this season and 16 games (11 starts) with Santa Cruz. He’s averaging 11.8 PPG and 2.4 APG in 26.5 minutes per game.

G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/22/19

February 22nd, 2019 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

In a rare move by an NBA veteran, Sixers big man Amir Johnson was granted a request to play for the Delaware Blue Coats on Friday in order to get some playing time, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia will recall Johnson in time for its game against Portland on Saturday. Johnson was in the rotation earlier in the season but hasn’t seen the court since January 26.
The Magic assigned rookie guard Melvin Frazier Jr. to Lakeland, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round pick appeared in Orlando’s last four games before the All-Star break but didn’t go longer than five minutes.
The Spurs assigned first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV to the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. Walker IV has seen action in 20 games with Austin, averaging 16.2 PPG in 27.3 MPG. He’s played in six games with San Antonio.
The Hornets assigned forward Dwayne Bacon and rookie guard Devonte’ Graham to the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. Bacon has played in 25 NBA games this season and 12 more with the Swarm. He’s averaging 20.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 32.4 MPG at the G League level. Graham has seen action in 31 games with the Hornets and eight with the Swarm. He’s averaging 21.3 PPG and 5.0 APG in 33.1 MPG for Greensboro.
The Pacers assigned rookie forward Alize Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. The second-round pick has played 11 NBA games this season. He’s averaging 19.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 36.9 MPG over 25 games with Fort Wayne.
The Heat recalled forward Emanuel Terry from the Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to a team press release. Miami signed Terry, who has averaged 15.3 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 10 games with the Skyforce, to a 10-day contract on Wednesday.

Eastern Notes: Griffin, Turner, Kurucs

February 19th, 2019 at 7:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Blake Griffin, who is in year two of a five-year, $171MM deal, is enjoying a resurgence a year after he was traded to the Pistons, Noah Trister of The Associated Press writes. Griffin expanded his offense, adding the 3-pointer to his game, which is something he credits for his success this year.

“It helps a lot, especially in today’s NBA, with everybody spacing the floor a little bit more, and playing with a guy like Dre (Andre Drummond), who’s so effective inside,” Griffin said. “To be able to give him a little bit more space is a good thing. I always see guys working to expand their range, and when you do, you see them add years to their career.”

Griffin has already made a career-high 134 shots from behind the arc this season. Here’s more on the Pistons and a few other teams in the Eastern Conference:

Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes Griffin’s basketball I.Q. has helped the team stay in the playoff race, Trister relays in the same piece. “He’s thinking the game. He’s a couple steps ahead,” Casey said. “I’ve had a lot of great forwards, power forwards, and he’s right up there with the best, whether it’s [Dirk Nowitzki], [Kevin] Garnett, Detlef Schrempf — just a lot of great players that I’ve been around. He’s right in that category.”
Myles Turner, who signed a four-year, $72MM extension with the Pacers earlier this season, should be considered a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star contends. Turner is leading the league in blocks per game (2.7) and he has the league’s third-best defensive rating (99.6), giving him the credentials to be in the conversation for the award.
Michael Scotto of The Athletic examines how the Nets got a steal in the secon -round with Rodions Kurucs. Kurucs, who was the No. 40 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, has worked his way into Brooklyn’s starting lineup after beginning the season buried on the depth chart.