- The Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter and big man Ivan Rabb from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, per a tweet from the team’s communications department. Carter, 23, has yet to play for the Grizzlies this season, while Rabb has averaged 6.3 minutes per game in nine contests.
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Jazz have recalled Grayson Allen and Georges Niang from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed. It was each player’s only G League assignment of the season.
- Jevon Carter and Ivan Rabb had an eventful day. The Grizzlies assigned the pair to their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle for morning shootaround, per the team’s Twitter feed. The two were then recalled for the Grizzlies’ mid-day practice before being re-assigned to the Hustle to play in their night game.
- The Pelicans have assigned Frank Jackson to the G League, according to a team press release. New Orleans doesn’t yet have its own affiliate, so Jackson will play for the Texas Legends, pursuant to the flexible assignment system.
- The Pacers have recalled Alize Johnson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, per the team’s website. Johnson has been with the G League affiliate since November 7.
- The Nets have assigned Dzanan Musa to their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
12:41pm: As expected, the Grizzlies have officially signed Noah, the club announced in a press release.
11:58am: Free agent center Joakim Noah has now undergone a physical with the Grizzlies and is set to officially sign his new contract with the club today, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). A report last Friday first indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement on a deal.
Noah’s contract will be a one-year, minimum-salary pact. It will pay him a prorated salary of $1,731,173 and will count against Memphis’ cap for $1,093,858. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies won’t need to waive anyone to open up a roster spot for their newly-added center — the team has had an opening on its 15-man squad since releasing Andrew Harrison earlier in the season.
Noah, who spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016, appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York. He was sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek, then was waived before this fall’s regular season opener with two years left on his contract.
Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role.
That’s the Grizzlies’ hope, as they’ll add the former Defensive Player of the Year to a frontcourt that has already features plenty of defensive talent, with veteran Marc Gasol and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. manning the middle.
The Grizzlies have been one of the surprise teams to start the season, as they sit firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture at 13-8. As the season continues to unfold, it looks more and more clear that the Grizzlies hit on nearly all of their offseason moves as they’ve built a team that thrives on playing tough, physical defense at a slow pace.
Mark Giannotto of The Commercial Appeal is now asking another question related to the Grizzlies’ season, focusing on how the team can improve its roster during the year to capitalize on this fast start. While the Grizzlies do have some expiring contracts on the roster in the form of Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green, those two are key cogs in the team’s rotation, especially defensively.
The Grizzlies could use another go-to perimeter player to help Mike Conley, but it may be tough to find an ideal trade that doesn’t see the Grizzlies sacrifice too much on the defensive end. Regardless, Memphis may become an active buyer at the trade deadline should their strong play continue.
- In a recent mailbag for The Daily Memphian, Chris Herrington addresses potential trade targets for the Grizzlies as they look to address their needs on the perimeter.
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Southwest Division:
Wesley Matthews, Mavericks, 32, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $70MM deal in 2015
Matthews got off to a strong start, reaching the 20-point mark in six of the first 10 games. An injury set him back as a mild hamstring strain kept him out of four games. He’s shot 33% from 3-point range in the last two games since returning to action. There’s always a market for players who can make the long ball but at his age, Matthews is probably looking at a short-term deal in his next contract and might have to settle for a second-unit role.
Marquese Chriss, Rockets, 21, PF, (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $9.2MM deal in 2016
Chriss received a fresh start when the Suns traded him to a contender. So far, Chriss has failed to take advantage of the situation, even after the club decided to part ways with Carmelo Anthony. Chriss has only appeared in seven games and hasn’t played more than eight minutes in any of them. It’s hard to believe he was chosen with the No. 8 overall pick in 2016. Chriss is still younger than many college players, so he’ll get another chance somewhere else, but he’ll have to settle for a modest contract.
Shelvin Mack, Grizzlies, 28, PG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2018
The Grizzlies brought in Mack on a veteran’s minimum deal to back up Mike Conley. Mack has been a steady presence in the rotation, averaging 9.9 PPG and 3.6 APG while keeping his turnovers down (1.3 per game). He’s also shot it well from long range (41.8%). Mack isn’t flashy but he’s a competent second-unit floor leader and he might get more than one year on the open market next summer.
Nikola Mirotic, Pelicans, 27, PF (Up) — Signed to a two-year, $15MM deal in 2017
Mirotic made national headlines last season when Bulls teammate Bobby Portis slugged him during a practice dispute. Far removed from that incident, Mirotic is enjoying a career year with the Pelicans. He’s averaging 19.2 PPG and 10.5 RPG in 31.6 MPG. His 3-point percentage is down from last season but is still a solid 37%. Mirotic should receive plenty of attention on the open market as a stretch four who can also pound the glass.
Rudy Gay, Spurs, 32 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $10MM deal in 2018
Gay had an ugly outing against Minnesota on Wednesday (three points in 19 minutes) but otherwise he’s been quite efficient this season. He’s shooting 49.2% from the field and 46.7% outside the arc and has also been a factor on the boards (7.1 per game). Gay has been thrust into a starting role with the injury-riddled Spurs but he’ll probably be looked upon as a second-unit contributor when he returns to the open market. He’s showing he still has something left in the tank.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Grizzlies have reached an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Noah will ink a one-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum — that was all Memphis could offer, since the team had used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions.
Noah will travel to Memphis on Sunday and sign his new contract with the Grizzlies sometime early next week, according to Charania, who adds that the club has targeted the 33-year-old for its backup center role all season.
Noah spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. However, he appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York, being sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek. The Knicks ultimately decided to waive Noah before this season’s regular season opener with two years left on his contract, stretching his $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.
Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role. He certainly won’t be relied upon as the lone defensive anchor in Memphis, where Marc Gasol and Jaren Jackson Jr. already roam the frontcourt.
As Charania alludes to, the Grizzlies and Noah had been circling one another for a while. The veteran big man was first linked to Memphis about a month ago, when a report suggested the two sides had been in contact. Those discussions reportedly intensified later in the month, with a report last week indicating that Noah and the Grizzlies were expected to finalize a deal in the not-too-distant future.
The Grizzlies waived Andrew Harrison earlier in the season to open up a spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Noah. The precise cap hit for Noah will depend on what day he signs his contract — if it’s finalized on Monday, he’d be in line for a salary of about $1.74MM and would count for approximately $1.1MM against Memphis’ cap.
Although the Grizzlies don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, Noah’s modest cap charge won’t put them past that threshold.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
10:30am: The Grizzlies have also inquired on Ntilikina, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies, of course, have Mike Conley at the point, so they’d likely envision Ntilikina in a different role than a team like the Suns or Magic would.
9:40am: The Suns are among the teams to have reached out to the Knicks to express interest in second-year guard Frank Ntilikina, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier this week that the Magic have also shown some interest in Ntilikina.
According to Begley, when the Suns inquired on Ntilikina earlier in the year, the Knicks said they weren’t open to moving the 20-year-old. It’s not clear if the club has wavered on that stance at all a month and a half into the regular season, with Ntilikina playing a somewhat reduced role as of late — he has averaged just 14.1 minutes per game in New York’s last four contests, compared to 25.0 MPG in the club’s first 19 games.
Like Orlando, Phoenix has a handful promising core building blocks on its roster, but hasn’t settled on a long-term answer at point guard. It’s not clear if Ntilikina, who has struggled as an offensive player since being drafted eighth overall in 2017, could be that answer.
However, according to Begley, some members of the Suns’ organization are intrigued by the idea of pairing Ntilikina and Devin Booker in their backcourt. It would be an interesting combination, given Booker’s elite scoring ability and Ntilikina’s defensive prowess.
[RELATED: Suns among teams with interest in Markelle Fultz]
Still, as I noted when we discussed the Magic’s interest on Thursday, there are no indications at this point that Ntilikina is on the trade block in New York, though it’s possible that will change by February’s deadline. Fellow point guards Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay will be free agents in 2019, so the Knicks will have to make some decisions this season on which of those three players – if any – they intend to prioritize over the long term.
Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Pistons assigned guard Luke Kennard to the Grand Rapids Drive as he continues his rehab from a shoulder injury, announcing the news in an email. Kennard will play with the Drive in the team’s game on Friday.
- The Grizzlies recalled then later assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, according to a tweet from the team. The move was made so Carter could practice with the Grizzlies Thursday morning.
- The Suns have recalled guard De’Anthony Melton from Northern Arizona, the team announced. Melton is averaging 17 points, 6.6 assists and seven rebounds in five G League games this season.
- The Timberwolves have assigned Keita Bates-Diop to the Iowa Wolves, the team’s G League affiliate, announcing the news on Twitter. Bates-Diop has seen action in two games with the Timberwolves this season.
- The Celtics assigned guard Brad Wanamaker to their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, according to a tweet from the team. Wanamaker has scored 16 points in five games with Boston on the season.
- The Knicks recalled Luke Kornet from the Westchester Knicks, the team announced. Kornet has played in four games with the Knicks.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at how the Grit ‘n’ Grind 2.0 philosophy is working out for the Grizzlies, who are managing to pile up wins despite ranking dead-last in the NBA in points per game.
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Wizards assigned rookie forward Troy Brown Jr. to their G League affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
- As Lonnie Walker continues his recovery from a right meniscus tear, the Spurs have assigned him to their G League affiliate in Austin, according to a press release from the team.
- The Timberwolves have recalled rookie forward Keita Bates-Diop from the Iowa Wolves, according to a tweet from the team’s PR department.
- The Jazz PR team announced (via Twitter) that the team recalled Tony Bradley from their Salt Lake City affiliate.
- According to a tweet from the Grizzlies PR department, the team recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter from the Memphis Hustle.
- The Pistons announced in an email that they have recalled rookie Khyri Thomas from the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s G League affiliate.