- Pacers guard Monta Ellis might be out another week, which will give Glenn Robinson III more time to prove he should be a starter, according to Jordan J. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star. Robinson has impressed his coaches while filling in for Ellis, who is suffering from a right groin sprain. “I think when another role guy goes down, this opportunity that I’m given, I’m really trying to keep it,” Robinson said. “That’s my job [to] come in competitive and to come in wanting to keep that spot. Like I said from the beginning of the season, I’ve been on the bench way too long [and I’m] trying to get back [in the starting lineup].”
The Thunder, Pacers, and Rockets are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for Rudy Gay, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who weighed in on Gay during a podcast with Bobby Marks.
Within a discussion on trade candidates and possibilities, Wojnarowski suggested that the Kings are “going to have to move” Gay before the 2017 deadline, comparing the situation to Ryan Anderson‘s in New Orleans a year ago. Anderson made it clear that he wouldn’t be re-signing with the Pelicans, but the team kept him anyway, and ultimately lost him for nothing — Sacramento can’t afford to do the same thing with Gay, in Wojnarowski’s view.
According to Wojnarowski, the Thunder had fairly serious talks with the Kings about Gay earlier in the year, and “maybe got pretty close to something” involving Cameron Payne. However, Payne suffered a major foot injury in early October, derailing – or at least postponing – those talks. The Pacers have also shown interest in Gay, while Wojnarowski classifies the Rockets’ interest as “periphery,” which makes it sound as if they’re monitoring the situation but perhaps haven’t actively pursued the veteran forward.
The odds of a Gay deal happening before the deadline seem good, and as of Thursday, more than 120 players around the NBA will become trade-eligible, leading to more discussions. Still, nothing is imminent at this point, and the veteran forward will have to get healthy first. He’s listed as out for tonight’s game due to a right hip flexor strain.
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Suns have sent Tyler Ulis and Alan Williams to the Northern Arizona Suns, the team announced today in a press release. It will be the first D-League assignment of the season for both players, who are likely to be recalled to the NBA following tonight’s game against Santa Cruz.
- Rookie swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is back from the D-League, with the Sixers announcing his recall today in a press release. Luwawu-Cabarrot was assigned for Tuesday night’s game, and helped the Delaware 87ers get a win, posting 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
- The Rockets have recalled rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team (Twitter link). Wiltjer has been the second-leading scorer for the Vipers so far this season, averaging 19.7 PPG in 10 games.
- Rakeem Christmas is headed back to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced today in a press release. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Friday, so it’s not clear if Christmas will stick with the team for that game, or if he’s just being sent down for practice.
As we approach NBA trade season, teams around the league are keeping an eye out for star players who could hit the market before this year’s deadline. That search has led multiple teams to check in with the Pacers about the potential availability of Paul George, but the Pacers are strongly rebuffing those clubs, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
“I know teams have been calling Indiana, and they’re going to ask about Paul George, and the answer is absolutely, positively no,” Wojnarowski said in a conversation with Bobby Marks on The Vertical’s podcast. “He is not available. There is no conversation to be had. Don’t even make offers to us, we are not moving Paul George.”
According to Wojnarowski, the Pacers’ current plan is to build their roster around George and second-year big man Myles Turner. The goal is to find complementary players who will fit in with those two core pieces and who will make George want to stay in Indiana when he becomes eligible for free agency in the summer of 2018. Woj’s report is similar to one from ESPN’s Zach Lowe last month — Lowe suggested Larry Bird would likely “take it to the end” with George, avoiding a trade at all costs.
George is eligible for a contract extension, and Indiana has expressed interest in locking him up to a max deal, but there’s little incentive for him to get something done this early, as I noted when I explored his extension candidacy. George’s contract runs through 2018/19, though that final year is a player option.
While George and Turner aren’t going anywhere, the Pacers are “open for business” on virtually anyone else on their roster, says Wojnarowski. Indiana was expected to vie for a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference this season, but has been up and down so far, and currently sit just a game above .500 (13-12). Of course, with several other Eastern teams struggling, that record puts the Pacers just a game out of a tie for the No. 3 seed, so it still makes sense for the team to explore win-now moves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- It might be time for the Pacers to look for a taker for Monta Ellis, writes Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star. The team was sharp Monday night in a lopsided win over the Hornets as Ellis was sidelined with an injury. Ellis is having his worst season since he was a rookie, but the Pacers have been reluctant to pull him from the starting lineup after signing him to a four-year, $48MM deal in 2015. But Ellis, Paul George, Jeff Teague and Myles Turner all need to control the ball to be effective, and coach Nate McMillan said Monday, “There’s only one ball.”
- Glenn Robinson III made a strong case to replace Ellis in the starting lineup, according to Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Robinson scored just three points Monday, but had six rebounds, three blocks and no turnovers. He said his goal is to earn a regular spot as a starter. “It’s sad to see Monta out, you never want to see anyone injured, but I want to take advantage of this opportunity again,” Robinson said. “I definitely want to be a starter in this league and I think I can help this team out, bringing energy and being ready to play every tonight. Energy is the biggest thing we need in the starting lineup.”
Cavaliers shooting guard DeAndre Liggins has long been heralded as a scrappy, defensive stopper, but a recent stint in Cleveland’s rotation has pushed the 28-year-old journeyman into the spotlight. After winning the D-League Defensive Player of the Year award last season, Liggins has thrived with the defending champions, especially now that he’s seeing more time with the first unit.
“The biggest difference now,” Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue tells ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “[Is that] he’s playing with the starters and now he doesn’t have to handle the ball as much. He doesn’t have to make plays. So now he can just do what he does, and that’s defend, maul people on defense.”
The wing, who models his game after fellow Chicago native Tony Allen played over 20 minutes three times last week while filling in for the injured J.R. Smith. Smith returned to the Cavaliers’ starting lineup on Saturday night, but it appears likely that Liggins will continue to see more action than he had been seeing prior to the opportunity.
You can read more of McMenamin’s in-depth discussion with Liggins – one that touches on his personal history and the domestic assault charges that nearly derailed his career – at ESPN. Here’s more from around the Central:
- Fred Hoiberg is uncertain when the Bulls will be able to welcome reserve point guard Michael Carter-Williams back to the lineup, says ESPN’s Nick Friedell. Asked if a return by the end of the month was possible, Hoiberg suggested that the team will have a better idea when the guard removes his soft cast. Out since October 31, Carter-Williams only switched into his soft cast last week.
- If the Bucks have decided to locate their recently announced D-League affiliate in nearby Racine, Wisconsin, official word hasn’t yet trickled over to the mayor of the city. As Patrick Leary reports for The Journal Times, the franchise has not made it clear whether or not it will occupy the forthcoming $46MM Racine Event Center and the delay has impacted the publication of a facility financing package. For a while now, the Bucks have been in the process of choosing a location for an affiliate, but the timetable been pushed back on multiple occasions. Other possible Wisconsin locations include Oshkosh and Sheboygan.
- Bucks veteran Jason Terry has impressed coaches and opponents around the league, says Chase Hughes of CSN. At 39 years and 85 days old, Terry is the third oldest player in the NBA. Recently Wizards head coach Scott Brooks cited the guard’s willingness to prepare every day and to maintain his body as the keys to his longevity.
- The Pacers have several options at the two down the stretch, but recently head coach Nate McMillan has shown a proclivity to role with 10-year veteran Rodney Stuckey instead of starter Monta Ellis. As Nate Taylor writes at the Indy Star, McMillan has played Stuckey with the rest of the starting unit in the final minutes of each of Indiana’s past three games. Taylor reports that it’s Stuckey’s ability to contribute on both ends of the floor that has earned him the extra playing time.
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
8:20pm:
- The Jazz have recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced via press release. The second-round pick posted a team-leading 23 points and 12 rebounds with the D-League affiliate on Sunday night. Bolomboy has seen action in seven NBA games so far this season, most recently on November 25.
- The Kings have recalled rookie Georgios Papagiannis from the Reno Bighorns, but he isn’t expected to play tonight, reports James Ham via Twitter. The 13th overall pick has averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game across six contests with the Sacramento affiliate but has seen just one game of NBA action on the year.
- In addition to recalling Bembry (noted below), the Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, marking his second D-League stint since returning from a knee injury, Vivlamore writes for the AJC.
1:46pm:
- The Hawks have recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars on Saturday, Bembry scored 19 points for Utah’s affiliate on Sunday.
- The Pacers have recalled Georges Niang from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Niang, a 2016 second-round pick, played in three games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during his NBADL assignment. His most impressive game came on Saturday, when he recorded 22 points, six boards, and six assists in a win over the Texas Legends.
Austin Kent contributed to this post.
Monta Ellis won’t play in tonight’s game against the Hornets due to a strained groin, and Pacers head coach Nate McMillan confirmed that the veteran guard also won’t travel on the team’s upcoming road trip to Miami, New Orleans, and Detroit (Twitter links via Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com). That puts Ellis on track to miss Indiana’s next four games, and at least a week of action.
Ellis, 31, is averaging single digits in points this year for the first time since his rookie season. Although he’s still playing over 31 minutes per game, Ellis is only getting up 8.5 shots per contest, well below his career average of 15.8. Overall, he has recorded 9.7 PPG to go along with 3.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, and a .433/.300/.840 shooting line.
Ellis’ up-and-down play in Indiana, combined with his $10.77MM salary, has resulted in some trade speculation, but there’s no indication at this point that the Pacers are looking into moving him. Indiana almost certainly won’t need to make a roster move to account for his absence either, even if his recovery extends beyond a single week, since the team has been fairly healthy overall.
With Ellis sidelined, players like C.J. Miles, Glenn Robinson III, and Rodney Stuckey could see an uptick in their playing time. Meanwhile, Ellis, who had appeared in at least 80 games for four straight seasons, will see that streak snapped this year.
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
6:55pm
- The Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League via the flexible assignment rule, the team announced via press release. “Mike has worked extremely hard to return to full health after missing training camp and the early part of the season. In discussing with Mike how he could get himself back in game shape and contributing to the team faster, we agreed that the best way would be to do an assignment with Delaware where he could play meaningful, competitive minutes,” coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said.
- Sheldon McClellan is also headed to the 87ers via the flexible assignment rule, with the Wizards wanting him to get some solid playing time, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post relays (Twitter links). The guard is expected to remain in Delaware for several games, Buckner adds.
3:14pm
- The Celtics have recalled rookie guard Demetrius Jackson from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Jackson hasn’t seen much action in Boston, but has been very effective for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 5.9 RPG in eight contests.
- The Rockets have assigned rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the club announced today (via Twitter). Even with Donatas Motiejunas not reporting to the team, the Rockets have more than enough depth at power forward, and can afford to have Wiltjer practice and play in the D-League.
- Rookie forward Georges Niang, the 50th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Thursday, but the squad’s next five games are at home, so it’ll be interesting to see how long Niang’s assignment lasts.
- The Pacers thought they needed to unload George Hill to switch to an up-tempo style, and the Jazz were happy to take him, writes Nate Taylor of The USA Today Network. Hill has brought stability to the point guard position in Utah, while providing the Jazz with an upgrade in ballhandling and defense. “I knew he was a good defensive player, a team player, an unselfish guy,” said teammate Rudy Gobert. “I thought that was great for our team. A guy that’s tough and unselfish and can shoot the ball and create. He can do a lot of things. I knew he was a very good player.”