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Atlantic Notes: Kawhi, Harris, Dolan, Stevens

March 14th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Many of the players on the current Raptors roster weren’t a part of the team during its repeated playoff failures in recent years and won’t have that weight on their shoulders this spring. Plus, the fact that LeBron James is no longer in the Eastern Conference bodes well for a deeper postseason run for Toronto in 2019.

Still, as Sporting News’ Sean Deveney outlines, the Raptors will face a different sort of pressure this year, since their success in the playoffs figures to go a long way toward determining whether Kawhi Leonard sticks with the franchise beyond this season.

“I think the Lakers are out, but the Clippers are the ones who think they have a shot at him if they decide to go that route,” one front office executive told Deveney when asked to handicap Kawhi’s future. “You hear a lot, he still wants to be on the West Coast. But give that group in Toronto all the credit in the world. They’re making it a tough decision for him. It might come down to just, ‘All right, how did the playoffs go, and how far are we from a championship?'”

In an effort to make Leonard more comfortable in Toronto this season, the Raptors have carefully managed his workload, holding him out of the lineup once every week or two to make sure he’ll be at 100% by the time the postseason rolls around. So far, it’s working — the Raptors hold the No. 2 seed in the East, Leonard is fully healthy after missing all but nine games a year ago, and the star forward sounds pleased with how the plan has played out.

“We’ve been doing a great job of making sure that nothing flares up or gets out of control,” Leonard said this week, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). “It’s just been great. I’m just happy that I’m able to play… It’s amazing. I feel good and we have something to look forward to.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Within his look at several contenders for the 2019 NBA championship, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes that a source close to Tobias Harris has “raved” about Sixers general manager Elton Brand. While that doesn’t guarantee that Harris will re-sign with Philadelphia in free agency, it’s certainly a positive sign, Amick notes.
  • During a Tuesday radio appearance, Knicks owner James Dolan strongly hinted that the club has heard from certain players and/or agents, and suggested that he believes the Knicks will have a “very successful offseason when it comes to free agents.” While those comments raised some eyebrows, a lawyer familiar with the NBA’s tampering policy tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that Dolan worded them carefully enough to avoid running afoul of the league’s policy. “If an agent walks up to [president] Steve Mills and says, ‘Clear cap space, player X wants to come,’ and Steve doesn’t engage, then it’s not tampering,” the lawyer said. “It appeared Dolan was pretty careful to make it seem like that was the deal.”
  • Count former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers among those who isn’t ready to place the blame on Brad Stevens for Boston’s struggles this season. In fact, Rivers still has full confidence in the C’s despite their up-and-down year. “They’re going to be fine,” the Clippers’ coach said, per Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “They are as good as anybody in the East and as talented as anybody in the NBA. And when the playoffs start, I think everybody will see that.”
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Justin Bibbs Signs 10-Day Deal With Clippers

March 13th, 2019 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:50pm: The Clippers have officially signed Bibbs to a 10-day contract and assigned him to their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the club announced tonight (Twitter link).

8:56am: The Clippers will sign Justin Bibbs to a 10-day contract today, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

The rookie guard has averaged 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while playing with the Maine Red Claws of the G League. He went undrafted out of Virginia Tech last year and was in training camp with the Celtics before being waived prior to the start of the season.

The Clippers have been carrying a roster opening for more than a month, so they won’t have to make another move before adding Bibbs. His signing will give them a full 15-man roster, with 14 guaranteed contracts.

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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.
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Tobias Harris Talks Sixers, Trade, Future

March 11th, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are in a much better position to sign Tobias Harris to a long-term contract than they would have been if he had remained in Los Angeles this season, since they now hold his Bird rights. But even before he was sent to Philadelphia in a pre-deadline deal last month, Harris had the 76ers on his list of potential free agent landing spots, he told Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Speaking to Charania, Harris touched on a handful of other topics, including his ability to play alongside and communicate with Sixers stars Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons, the trade that sent him from L.A. to Philadelphia, and his future beyond 2018/19.

Here are a few of Harris’ notable comments from the discussion:

On the process of meshing with three other star players in Philadelphia:

“I’m motivated by the challenge. With my game, I can play with anybody. I can be productive with whoever is around me and let my game shine the way it should. I play for the love of the game. I was excited by the challenge of coming into a group where we had work to do.”

On whether he was surprised by the Clippers’ decision to trade him:

“I was a little surprised, but it’s the business. They were going in another direction, obviously, so I wish them the best in that direction. At the end of the day, I can only control where I’m at. I want to grow with everybody here. I came here with an open mind about this group, and just excel in any role. I know the kind of player I am, what I bring to any team.

“Of course a part of me is like, ‘Damn, I did my thing, and still…’ But that just goes to show the game and the business aspect of it. I feel people around the league see my game and know my game. They have respect for my game. The 76ers viewed me that way.”

On whether he’s focused on remaining in Philadelphia beyond this season:

“It would be selfish of me to not come into this situation with an open mind to make this work for the long-term. That’s where my mindset is at. I’m a loyal guy to where I am, and if I feel that loyalty back, that is how I operate. For me, it’s just making it work here and figuring out how it will go. So far, it’s been really good. Gotta show that loyalty.”

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/10/19

March 10th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

  • The Clippers recalled guards Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell from the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team’s PR department tweets. In 18 games with Agua Caliente, Robinson has averaged 19.7 PPG and 3.5 APG in 31.3 MPG. The 13th overall pick of the 2018 draft has appeared in 25 games with the Clippers. Thornwell has played six games with the G League club this season, averaging 14.7 PPG in 30.6 MPG but has shot just 18.5% from deep.
  • The Spurs recalled forward Chimezie Metu and rookie guard Lonnie Walker IV from the Austin Spurs in time for Sunday’s game against Milwaukee, according to a team press release. In 22 games with Austin, Metu has averages of 14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 27.8 MPG. Walker IV has posted averages of 16.2 PPG and 1.8 APG over 27.2 MPG in 26 games with Austin.
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Kawhi Not Interested In Playing Alongside LeBron?

March 8th, 2019 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Appearing on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright reiterated a point he’s made before, suggesting that he doesn’t believe Kawhi Leonard is interested in heading to the Lakers to play alongside LeBron James this offseason. “I do not,” Wright said, per RealGM.com. “That’s just what I’ve been told. It’s what I’ve been told going back to last summer. I don’t see that as something that’s happening. … I think he goes to the Clippers.”
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/8/19

March 8th, 2019 at 7:21pm CST by Luke Adams

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

  • The Suns have assigned rookie guard Elie Okobo to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Okobo, who has appeared in 43 games and started 11 for Phoenix this season, has fallen out of the club’s rotation since the All-Star break, so he’ll get some reps for the Northern Arizona Suns.
  • The Clippers have recalled guards Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell from the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, a day after sending them down (Twitter link). Robinson and Thornwell combined for 33 points on 9-of-26 shooting for L.A.’s NBAGL affiliate on Thursday.
  • The Pistons have sent a pair of 2018 second-rounders, Khyri Thomas and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, to the G League, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The duo will get an opportunity to suit up for the Grand Rapids Drive on Friday night against the Erie BayHawks.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/7/19

March 7th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by JD Shaw

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

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls 3/6/19

March 6th, 2019 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

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Playoff Teams With Open Roster Spots

March 6th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors became the latest NBA team to fill their final open roster spot today, signing Andrew Bogut to a rest-of-season deal. The move made Golden State the ninth club currently holding a postseason spot to fill its 15-man roster.

Between now and April 10, more teams figure to join that list. During the regular season, there are benefits to carrying 14 – or even 13 – players for long stretches, particularly for healthy teams with luxury-tax concerns. But when the postseason rolls around, there’s little downside to filling the entire roster, even if it just means adding a 15th man during the final week (or day) of the season.

With that in mind, here are the teams in the top eight in each conference that still have at least one open spot on their 15-man rosters and could make a move or two in the coming weeks:

Playoff teams with multiple open roster spots:

  • Toronto Raptors (2)
  • Houston Rockets (2)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (2)

The Raptors, Rockets, and Thunder will all be required to sign at least one more player in the coming weeks to ensure that they get back up to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players. Houston may actually need to make multiple moves, since a third open spot would open on the Rockets’ roster once Terrence Jones‘ latest 10-day contract expires.

Playoff teams with one open roster spot:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Brooklyn Nets *

While the Celtics, Clippers, and Spurs each have one open roster spot, the Nets actually have a full 15-man squad for now. That could change as soon as Friday though, as Tahjere McCall‘s 10-day deal with Brooklyn is set to expire overnight on Thursday.

Playoff contenders with at least one open roster spot:

  • Miami Heat (2)
  • Sacramento Kings (1)
  • Washington Wizards (1)

Of the teams within three games of a playoff spot, these are the ones with roster openings. While the Kings and Wizards may opt not to add reinforcements as they push for a postseason berth, the Heat – like the other teams with two openings – will be required to add a 14th man soon.

For a full breakdown of the current NBA roster counts, be sure to check out our tracker.

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