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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/27/17

January 27th, 2017 at 10:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s NBA D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

  • Three Pistons players were assigned to the D-League today, with Henry Ellenson, Darrun Hilliard, and Michael Gbinije all joining the Grand Rapids Drive, per a team release. Detroit has a fully healthy roster for the time being, meaning there aren’t enough minutes to go around for the club’s young players. The plan is for them to remain in the D-League for two games, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
  • The Knicks assigned Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee to the D-League earlier today, according to the team (Twitter link). Ndour led the Westchester Knicks with 22 points tonight, while Plumlee grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds.
  • Rookie forward Joel Bolomboy was sent back to the Salt Lake City Stars by the Jazz, per a team press release. Bolomboy had 17 points and 15 boards for Utah’s NBADL affiliate tonight.
  • The Mavericks assigned A.J. Hammons and Nicolas Brussino to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Both players were in the starting lineup tonight for the Texas Legends, scoring a club-high 19 points apiece.
  • After being assigned to Long Island on Thursday, Chris McCullough was recalled by the Nets today, according to a press release. McCullough saw five minutes of action in Brooklyn’s loss against Cleveland tonight.
  • Semaj Christon and Josh Huestis were also recalled to the NBA after a one-day D-League assignment, the Thunder announced in a press release. The duo contributed to the Oklahoma City Blue’s home win over Iowa on Thursday.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/26/17

January 26th, 2017 at 7:49pm CST by Luke Adams

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

7:49 PM

  • The Grizzlies assigned rookie forward Troy Williams to the Iowa Energy, the team posted on its website. Williams has appeared in nine games over two previous assignments with the Energy, averaging 15.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 1.3 APG in 21.5 minutes. He has appeared in 24 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 5.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 17.4 minutes.
  • The Jazz recalled rookie forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars after assigning him to the D-League earlier in the day, the club announced in a press release. Although he has barely played for Utah this season, Bolomboy has been a double-double machine during his time in the D-League, averaging 15.2 PPG and 12.8 RPG in 13 games.

1:15 PM

  • The Thunder have assigned guard Semaj Christon and forward Josh Huestis to the D-League, the club announced today in a press release. Although Christon had a rotation role for Oklahoma City earlier this season, he has seen his NBA role reduced since Cameron Payne returned to the lineup.
  • The Mavericks have recalled A.J. Hammons from the D-League, according to a press release from the team. Hammons had eight points, five boards, and four blocks for the Texas Legends on Wednesday.
  • The Nets have sent Chris McCullough back to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. McCullough has spent a good chunk of the season with the Long Island Nets, averaging 19.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 25 contests for the club.
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Atlantic Notes: Holmes, Celtics, Nader, Knicks

January 26th, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Richaun Holmes was removed from the Sixers‘ rotation last month after Nerlens Noel returned to the court, but Holmes has been back in the lineup this week and has looked good — he scored 18 points on Tuesday, then grabbed eight boards to go along with nine points on Wednesday. As John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News writes, Holmes is making a case that he might be an ideal backup for Joel Embiid.

While he isn’t necessarily as talented as Noel or Jahlil Okafor, Holmes also wasn’t a top draft pick, and didn’t come with the same expectations as the Sixers’ other bigs, making him a better fit as a backup. In the view of Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers (Twitter links), Holmes’ trade value is also very much on the rise, given his extremely favorable contract. As Fischer notes, that doesn’t necessarily mean Holmes will be moved, but teams will likely inquire on the big man, who is under contract through 2018/19 on a minimum salary deal.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • In the wake of a report suggesting the Knicks have reached out to the Celtics to gauge their interest in Carmelo Anthony, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe argues that the Knicks forward isn’t the right fit for the C’s. Acquiring Anthony wouldn’t help shore up Boston’s defense, and would significantly limit the team’s flexibility to pursue free agents going forward, Himmelsbach writes.
  • The Celtics are taking a unique approach with the development of 2016 second-round pick Abdel Nader, writes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Nader appears to be the top candidate for the NBA D-League’s Rookie of the Year honors, and may get an opportunity to crack Boston’s NBA roster in 2017/18.
  • Brett Koremenos of RealGM.com takes a closer look at the Knicks in an attempt to determine why the team’s current roster has disappointed, and what steps the club should take going forward.
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NBA D-League Assignment/Recalls 1/25/17

January 25th, 2017 at 9:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Wednesday’s D-League transactions:

  • The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright to their D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Coboclo has played in 16 D-League contests this season and he’s averaging 8.8 points per game. Wright has only played in one game and he scored 10 points.
  • The Clippers have recalled Diamond Stone from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. Stone appeared in six games during his latest assignment and he scored 15.5 points and 10.8 rebound per game.
  • The Grizzlies have recalled Troy Williams from the Iowa Energy, per the team’s website. Memphis currently doesn’t have its own D-League affiliate, but that won’t be the case starting next season.
  • The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from their affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to a team press release. McCullough has played in 25 games for Long Island and he’s averaging 19.0 points per contest.
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And-Ones: D-League, BIG3, Greg Oden

January 25th, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of former NBA players have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back, who reports (via Twitter) that Duje Dukan and Stephane Lasme are joining the league. Dukan played a single game last season for the Kings before returning to Croatia, while Lasme last saw NBA action way back in 2007/08 for the Warriors and Heat. Lasme has spent the last several years in Europe, though he received a suspension in 2016 for a failed doping test.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The new BIG3 league, which will debut this summer, has secured coaching commitments from Rick Barry, Clyde Drexler, and Rick Mahorn, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). Previous reports have indicated that George Gervin and Gary Payton will also serve as coaches in the eight-team, three-on-three league.
  • While former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden has referred to himself in the past as the biggest bust in NBA history, he walked those comments back a little in a conversation with Dana O’Neil of Outside The Lines. “If you’re out there and you can’t do it, that makes you a bust,” Oden said. “Well, I was never really out there. I was never Greg Oden in the NBA.” Check out O’Neil’s piece for more from Oden, who hasn’t ruled out the possibility of pursuing a coaching or personnel job in the future.
  • In a piece for The Step Back, Reichert identifies several D-League players who made unexpectedly strong impressions as last week’s NBA D-League Showcase. It remains to be seen whether the players singled out by Reichert will be able to land 10-day contracts with NBA teams this season, but they could at least be in line for larger roles on their respective D-League clubs.
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Lakers Notes: Russell, Randle, D-Fenders

January 25th, 2017 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After a promising start to the season, the Lakers are now in a tie for the second-worst record in the NBA, as our 2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings show. While there was some optimism in Los Angeles in the fall that the team could compete for a playoff spot this season, the Lakers have lost 22 of 28 games since the start of December, effectively taking them out of the running.

As Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) details, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle have slowed down after hot starts, and it’s not clear whether either of those players – or Brandon Ingram – is a future star. If there’s no future star currently on the roster, the Lakers may have to hope they can keep their 2017 first-round pick (top-three protected) and land a player that fits that bill in the lottery. As Pelton observes, the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will make it less likely that a top player will change teams in free agency, so the draft looks like L.A.’s best bet to land an impact player.

Let’s round up a few more Lakers notes…

  • With Kobe Bryant no longer on the roster, the Lakers are lacking a definitive leader, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Times. “We don’t have a guy who’s naturally that person for us, so it needs to come from multiple people,” said head coach Luke Walton.
  • In the post-Kobe era, David Aldridge of NBA.com takes an interesting and in-depth look at the Lakers’ current situation, including Jeanie Buss‘ views on the franchise.
  • The Los Angeles D-Fenders are being rebranded as the South Bay Lakers at the conclusion of the 2016/17 D-League season, the team announced this week in a press release. “This is an opportunity to leverage the iconic Lakers brand, celebrate our amazing community and emphasize our franchise’s accomplishments over the last 10 years while we continue to compete for an NBA D-League championship,” said Joey Buss, the president and CEO of the Lakers’ D-League affiliate.
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Central Notes: Cavaliers, Pistons, Bucks

January 25th, 2017 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James‘ call this week for the Cavaliers to add a playmaker to their roster represented the latest development in his full-court press on the club’s front office, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Although he clarified that he doesn’t intend to criticize GM David Griffin or the job the club’s front office has done, James’ comments are meant to apply pressure to Cleveland’s decision-makers, as Windhorst details.

Cavaliers executives aren’t the only ones who took notice of James’ comments. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando notes, multiple veteran free agents made an appeal to LeBron and the Cavs after the Finals MVP asked for another playmaker. Nate Robinson posted a message on Instagram imploring James to call him, while Jordan Crawford posted a similar message on Twitter. While Robinson and Crawford may be available, they probably won’t be the first players the Cavs pursue as the team looks to fortify its roster.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

  • The Cavaliers aren’t the only Central team whose point guard situation has been in the news. Reggie Jackson‘s name surfaced in a a trade rumor last week, but Rod Beard of The Detroit News makes the case that there just aren’t many point guards on the trade block that would be an upgrade over Jackson if the Pistons wanted to make a move.
  • With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back in the lineup, the Pistons have a healthy roster for the first time in a while, creating some interesting decisions for Stan Van Gundy, Beard writes in a separate piece for The Detroit News.
  • The Oshkosh Common Council has approved plans for an arena that could serve as a home for the Bucks‘ D-League affiliate, according to a report from Fox 11 News. However, the Bucks have yet to commit to a specific city for a new D-League affiliate, and organizers say they won’t move forward and start building the $15MM arena until Milwaukee makes a decision. In addition to Oshkosh, the cities of Racine and Sheboygan are also believed to be in play for a D-League franchise.
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Hollis Thompson To Join Spurs’ D-League Affiliate

January 25th, 2017 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

After being cut by the Sixers before this month’s salary guarantee deadline, swingman Hollis Thompson is headed to the D-League. According to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (via Twitter), the Windy City Bulls have claimed Thompson, but will send him to the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s affiliate, in exchange for Jarell Eddie. The deal will be finalized once both players pass physicals, tweets Johnson.

Thompson, 25, had been one of the longest-tenured players on the Sixers, having signed with the team back in September of 2013. In 256 games with the franchise, he averaged 7.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG, with a .417/.389/.709 shooting line. Although he has been a solid three-point shooter throughout his career, Thompson’s 36.6% mark this season was the worst of his career, and he also averaged just 18.1 minutes per game this year, another career low that led to his release.

Having signed a D-League contract, Thompson will remain an NBA free agent, meaning the NBA’s Spurs won’t hold his rights. However, San Antonio controls and operates the Austin Spurs, so the club will get a first-hand look at the Georgetown product during his time in the D-League.

Assuming Thompson plays well in the NBADL, he’ll be a strong candidate for at least a 10-day contract or two from an NBA team down the stretch this season, if not a rest-of-season commitment.

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NBA D-League Recalls/Assignments: 1/24/17

January 24th, 2017 at 6:32pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions from the day:

  • The Raptors have recalled point guard Delon Wright and forward Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate, says the team’s media relations department over Twitter. In 15 games Caboclo has averaged 9.1 points for the Raptors 905 while Wright has missed the entire season thus far on account of a shoulder injury.
  • The Kings have assigned rookie big man Georgios Papagiannis to their D-League affiliate tweets James Ham of Comcast SportsNet. In 13 games with the Reno Bighorns, Papagiannis has averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.
  • The Nets have assigned forward Chris McCullough to their D-League affiliate, the team has announced in a press release. In 24 games with the Long Island Nets, McCullough has averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
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And-Ones: Bynum, Thabeet, NBA Draft

January 24th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Austin Kent

With NBA teams like the Cavaliers and Bulls looking for point guard help, one name that ESPN’s Chris Haynes has heard thrown around is Will Bynum. At 34 years of age, Bynum has plugged away in the D-League since he was waived by the Hawks during training camp. Though he was used sparingly by the Wizards in 2014/15, he had established himself as a key rotation player for the Pistons over the half decade leading up to it.

Now eligible to hop on with a team for either a 10-day deal or for the rest of the season, Bynum will look to show that he can contribute right away. During the recent D-League Showcase, the veteran guard set out to demonstrate that he’s still in shape and capable of playing the right way. The message was sent loud and clear in the form of a 43-point showing when his Windy City Bulls tipped off against the Delaware 87ers last Wednesday.

There’s more general news from around the league:

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