- Marc Gasol is dealing with neck soreness and is considered day-to-day, the Grizzlies said (Twitter link). Gasol suffered the injury on Wednesday against the Kings, with fears that he could miss extended time.
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pacers assigned center Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. Anigbogu, a 2017 second-round pick, played three minutes in one of the Pacers’ first three games this season after seeing action in 11 games as a rookie.
- The Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle’s training camp, the team announced on its website. Carter has yet to make his regular-season debut but the No. 32 overall pick appeared in five preseason games, averaging 2.6 PPG in 11.8 MPG.
- The Lakers assigned forward Isaac Bonga to the South Bay Lakers, the G league team tweets. Bonga, the No. 39 selection this June, was acquired from the Sixers in a draft-night deal. The 18-year-old Bonga averaged 3.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 10.8 MPG during five preseason games but has yet to make his regular-season debut.
Grizzlies power forward JaMychal Green is recovering from a broken jaw he suffered in Friday’s game, the team announced on Twitter. Green had a surgical stabilization procedure today, and a full recovery is expected.
The injury occurred when Green took an elbow to the face in the third quarter, the team added. No timetable was given for a possible return for Green, who was listed as day-to-day with a knee issue coming into Friday.
For comparison, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian notes that former Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic had his jaw broken by Bobby Portis on October 17 of last year and returned to action on December 8 (Twitter link). A source tells Herrington the team is hoping Green can resume basketball activities in four weeks (Twitter link).
Green started both of the Grizzlies’ games this season and is averaging 7.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG. His absence will provide a greater opportunity for first-round pick Jaren Jackson Jr.
Several NBA teams secured returning rights for players who were in camp with them but failed to make the 15-man roster. Raptors 905 acquired center Eric Moreland from the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s affiliate, for forward Kyle Wiltjer, according to a G League release. The Raptors waived Moreland a week ago. Raptors 905 pulled off a similar deal with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ affiliate, to acquire guard Kyle Collinsworth, who was waived at the same time as Moreland. Texas acquired the returning player rights to forwards C.J. Leslie and Kennedy Meeks, according to a G League release. The Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers’ affiliate, gained the returning player rights of forward Cory Jefferson in a three-team swap with the Agua Caliente Clippers and the Legends, according to another G League post. The Sixers waived Jefferson on October 13th.
We have more from the G League:
- The league is putting together a “working group” that will determine which players are eligible for select contracts, G League president Malcolm Turner said in a Q&A session posting on the league’s website. “That group will be charged with identifying appropriate, eligible, elite talent, not only in terms of on-court performance and potential, but also in terms overall readiness for the G League. In addition to identification, that working group will really help us monitor the rollout and execution of this professional path … that working group will be charged with developing its own framework and lens for eligible players.” Beginning next year, the G League will offer “select contracts” worth $125K to top prospects who are at least 18 years old but aren’t yet eligible for the NBA draft.
- Numerous NBA and G league executives, coaches, agents and players feel the select contract concept is intriguing, but there is widespread skepticism how much appeal the program will have to top-level prospects and how it will be implemented. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the topic in a lengthy analysis piece.
- The Arizona Suns traded away the returning player rights of Shaquille Harrison to the Memphis Hustle in a deal involving four players and a draft pick, according to another G League release. Harrison was the odd man out in the Suns’ point guard competition, as he was waived early this week. It was still somewhat surprising they traded away his rights. The Grizzlies gave themselves a little extra depth at the G League level as protection against another Mike Conley injury.
- NBA veterans such as Willie Reed, Hakim Warrick, DeJuan Blair, and Arnett Moultrie could be among the higher selections in the annual G League draft, which takes place on Saturday, Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com reports. The Salt Lake City Stars own the top pick.
- The Grizzlies‘ signing of Shelvin Mack was something of an afterthought in an offseason that also included the acquisitions of Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, and Garrett Temple, However, Mack opens the season as Mike Conley‘s primary backup at point guard, as Jason Munz of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details.
The Grizzlies have finalized their roster for the start of the 2018/19 season, the club announced today in a press release. In order to reach the regular season roster limit, the club waived guard Markel Crawford, guard Brandon Goodwin, and center Doral Moore.
The moves don’t come as a surprise, as the Grizzlies had four players on non-guaranteed salaries and needed to cut at least three of them in order to reduce their roster to 15 standard contracts. The fourth player with a non-guaranteed deal, Andrew Harrison, wasn’t in any real danger of being waived — he remains on Memphis’ roster.
Crawford, Goodwin, and Moore all signed with the Grizzlies earlier this year as undrafted rookies. If they decide to sign G League contracts for the 2018/19 season, Memphis can make them affiliate players, assigning them to the Memphis Hustle.
The Grizzlies are now carrying 17 players, including a pair on two-way contracts.
The 2018/19 NBA regular season will get underway in just seven days, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from Bovada and the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, to have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
Having kicked things off with the Atlantic on Monday, we’re moving onto the Southwest today…
Houston Rockets
- 2017/18 record: 65-17
- Over/under for 2018/19: 56.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Rockets poll)
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2017/18 record: 48-34
- Over/under for 2018/19: 45.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pelicans poll)
San Antonio Spurs
- 2017/18 record: 47-35
- Over/under for 2018/19: 44.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Spurs poll)
Dallas Mavericks
- 2017/18 record: 24-58
- Over/under for 2018/19: 34.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Mavericks poll)
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2017/18 record: 22-60
- Over/under for 2018/19: 34.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
(Trade Rumors app users, click here for Grizzlies poll)
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (59.5 wins): Over (53.63%)
- Toronto Raptors (55.5 wins): Over (56.95%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Under (51.19%)
- Brooklyn Nets (31.5 wins): Under (56.04%)
- New York Knicks (28.5 wins): Under (54.13%)
The Grizzlies have waived forward Ismaila Kane, according to a team press release.
The 6’9” Kane made one preseason appearance, logging two minutes. The Senegal native went undrafted after playing 13 games last season for Atlanta Metropolitan of the National Junior College Athletic Association. He could wind up with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League team, once he clears waivers.
Memphis needed to make a roster move after signing swingman D.J. Stephens to a two-way contract.
7:27pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
9:36 am: Former Bucks swingman D.J. Stephens is returning to the NBA, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies are signing Stephens to a two-way contract.
The Grizzlies currently only have one of their two-way slots filled, but they’re carrying a full 20-man preseason roster, so a corresponding move will be required to finalize the signing. Memphis will likely cut one of its players on non-guaranteed contracts, clearing the way for Stephens to join Japanese wing Yuta Watanabe as the two-way players on the roster.
Stephens, who played his college ball at the University of Memphis, went undrafted in 2013. After spending most of his rookie season in Greece, the 6’5″ guard/forward joined the Bucks briefly, appearing in three games with the team over the course of a 10-day contract.
Although Stephens later signed training camp deals with the Pelicans, Cavaliers, and Grizzlies, he hasn’t played in another NBA regular season game since that short stint with Milwaukee in 2014. His résumé since then includes stops in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Puerto Rico, France, and the G League. The 27-year-old won a championship in France last season playing for Le Mans.
- Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons received PRP injections in both knees a week before training camp, Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Parsons flew to Germany for the second time this year for a five-day injection process in the hopes of regaining his previous form. Knee injuries have marred his first two seasons with Memphis after he signed a four-year, $94MM contract. “At this point in my career, I’ll try anything,” Parsons told Giannotto. “After the last two years, sign me up to do anything just to have some relief and not feel the way I have.”