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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:

Former NBA player Hasheem Thabeet has signed on to play with the Philippines-Mighty Sports of the Dubai International Basketball Championship, says international basketball reporter Charles Tiu. Thabeet, out of NBA action since 2013/14, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
The depth of this year’s draft class could have teams reconsidering the moves they make ahead of the February 23 trade deadline, write Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider), especially with regard to the point guard position. This year’s class, anchored by Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, is particularly rife with playmakers.
Several NBA prospects have seen their value fluctuate of late and three of them have been profiled by Jonathan Givony of The Vertical. Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen is starting to establish a case for a Top 10 selection, Givony says.
The season of 10-day contracts if upon us, the most recent player to sign a deal being Johnny O’Bryant earlier today. Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated spoke with Sean Kilpatrick and Tim Frazier to discuss the call-up process.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/23/17

January 23rd, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

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

Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright have been sent to the Raptors‘ D-League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo figures to be in action for the Raptors 905 tonight against the Texas Legends.
The Pacers have recalled Rakeem Christmas and Joseph Young from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a press release issued by the club. Both players have played sparingly for Indiana this season.
Rookie forward Joel Bolomboy has been recalled to the NBA by the Jazz, per a press release. Bolomboy put up 19 points and nine rebounds for the Salt Lake City Stars on Sunday.
The Trail Blazers are sending 2016 second-rounder Jake Layman on an assignment with the Windy City Bulls, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Portland doesn’t have a D-League affiliate of its own, so Layman will play for Chicago’s team via the flexible assignment rule.
The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from Long Island in advance of Brooklyn’s game against San Antonio tonight, the team announced in a press release.

Grizzlies, Wolves To Control New D-League Affiliates

January 23rd, 2017 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Two NBA teams have made major announcements this afternoon regarding their partnerships going forward with D-League affiliate. The Grizzlies, who are affiliated with the Iowa Energy this season, have acquired an expansion NBADL franchise which will be owned and operated by the Grizz. According to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, Memphis’ new D-League franchise doesn’t yet have a name, but the team will play its home games at the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi.

“It’s a complete game-changer,” said Grizzlies EVP of basketball operations John Hollinger. “Our affiliation with Iowa has been very effective for several years, both in terms of player development and basketball ops to both cities. To operate our own D-League team in your backyard – the direct access to the development process of our player talent – makes the process so much more efficient.

Meanwhile, with the Grizzlies set to end their partnership with the Energy, the Iowa franchise will be bought and controlled by the Timberwolves, who had been without a D-League affiliate up until now. While the acquisition isn’t officially finalized, an agreement is in place between the two sides, as the Wolves announced today in a press release.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Iowa Energy into the Timberwolves family,” said Wolves owner Glen Taylor. “It’s great knowing that we can develop our young players so close to home and enjoy all the other benefits that come with owning a D-League team. We look forward to growing our relationship with the greater Des Moines area, the state of Iowa and basketball fans across the Upper Midwest.”

The D-League continues to grow each year as the majority of the NBA’s 30 teams move toward controlling and operating their own affiliates. In addition to expanding the number of NBADL teams, NBA clubs have increasingly been focused on making their affiliates more geographically accessible — NBA teams whose affiliates play nearby – like the Nets and Lakers – have been able to make certain players active for both NBA and D-League games in the same day at times this season.

Unlike some of those teams, the Grizzlies haven’t used their D-League affiliate to frequently assign and recall players this season, since the Energy’s Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines is located more than 600 miles from the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Memphis’ new NBADL affiliate will be located about 20 miles away, while the Wolves will be located less than 250 miles from their new affiliate in Iowa — still a trek, but not nearly as significant as the distance between Des Moines and Memphis.

Today’s announcement ensures that there will be at least 23 teams in the D-League next season, and a recent report from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com suggested that the league expects at least one more new franchise for the 2017/18 season.

The Hawks, Nuggets, Clippers, Bucks, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Wizards are the remaining seven teams without an affiliate lined up for ’17/18, though Atlanta will control and operate its own team by the 2019/20 season and the others are reportedly exploring their options.

NBADL teams figure to be more important than ever beginning next season, since the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will permit teams to sign two players apiece to two-way contracts. NBA teams will be able to freely shuttle players on those two-way deals back and forth between the NBA and D-League, paying them at one rate in the NBA and at a lesser rate in the NBADL.

NBADL Expects To Add Multiple Teams In 2017/18

January 23rd, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA D-League is close to finalizing the addition of multiple teams for the 2017/18 season, league president Malcolm Turner tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The NBADL is expected to make an announcement on expansion within the next few weeks, perhaps before this year’s NBA All-Star Game, with the league likely to add at least two new teams.

For now, there has been no definitive word on which cities or NBA teams may be involved in the latest round of D-League expansion, but as of this season, there are only eight NBA clubs without an affiliate, so the possibilities are limited.

The Magic have an agreement in place to buy their current affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, and move the team to Lakeland, Florida. According to Howard-Cooper, there’s speculation that Erie could retain a D-League team, with the Hawks replacing the Magic as the club’s NBA affiliate. Atlanta has an affiliate of its own lined up, but that team isn’t expected to begin play until the 2019/20 season.

According to Howard-Cooper, the Wizards and Bucks are among the other NBA teams currently without affiliates that could have an NBADL team in 2017/18. The Clippers have also explored some Southern California venues, but aren’t expected to be ready to launch a D-League team by next season, Howard-Cooper writes.

Meanwhile, the D-League may also change how it runs its annual showcase event, which took place in Mississauga, Ontario last week. The D-League’s showcase serves as an opportunity for NBA and international scouts to assess the league’s talent in one place without having to travel to scout individual teams and games. Per Howard-Cooper, the league would like to either hold the showcase in the same place every year, or establish a rotation of three or four locations for the event.

“I couldn’t tell you specifically where, but I do think we would like to explore, A, whether or not there is such a thing as a permanent home for Showcase or, B, are there two or three venues that we can have in a rotation to different parts of the country, different parks of North America,” Turner said. “Those are a couple scenarios that we would like to spend a little bit of time understanding.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/22/17

January 22nd, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions from the day:

The Grizzlies have assigned forward Jarell Martin to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team has announced on their website. In 40 game, including three starts, with Memphis so far this season, Martin has averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Magic Sign Anthony Brown To 10-Day Deal

January 22nd, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Milo Taibi

JANUARY 22: The signing is official, according to a tweet from the team.

JANUARY 20: The Orlando Magic are lining up a 10-day contract for Anthony Brown, reports Marc Stein of ESPN (Twitter link). Currently playing for the Erie BayHawks at the D-League showcase in Ontario, Brown would be the first player to receive a call-up from the four-day scouting event.

Brown, 24, has played in parts of two NBA seasons with the Lakers and Pelicans. The former Stanford Cardinal appeared in nine games with New Orleans earlier this season, totaling 34 points and 26 rebounds. Brown has excelled in the D-League, averaging 21.7 points through 15 games with the BayHawks.

Brown is a logical fit with the Magic, whose struggles on offense this season have been well-documented. Brown would provide depth at the two and three, where Orlando is missing Evan Fournier and Jodie Meeks due to injury. The team also has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move would be required.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/21/17

January 21st, 2017 at 1:22pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions for the day:

The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via Twitter. Jones Jr. has averaged 14.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 18 games in the D-League.
The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis and Semaj Christon from their affiliate in the D-League, according to a press release issued by the team. The pair have averaged 18.7 points and 14.2 points respectively during their stints in the D-League.
The Sixers have recalled big man Richaun Holmes, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Holmes hasn’t played in an NBA game since suffering a concussion on December 14.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/20/17

January 20th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Milo Taibi

Here are today’s D-League assignments and recalls:

The Hornets recalled Christian Wood from the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced through its website. Wood has appeared in only one game for the Hornets this season, but averaged 19.6 points with 10.1 rebounds through 18 games with Greensboro this season. Wood, who declared for the 2015 draft but went undrafted, scored 61 points over 17 games with the Sixers in 2015/16.
The Celtics recalled Demetrius Jackson from the Maine Red Claws, the team announced via Twitter. With point guard Avery Bradley still recovering from an Achilles injury, Jackson stands a chance to play in Saturday’s game against the Trail Blazers. Jackson, who has scored 10 points in four games with Boston this season, averaged 17.9 point through 17 games with Maine. A second round draft pick in 2016, Jackson has now been recalled from the D-League seven times this season.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/19/17

January 19th, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are today’s D-League assignments and recalls:

The Blazers recalled guard Tim Quarterman from the Windy City Bulls, according to The Oregonian. Quarterman played three games with them under the flexible assignment rule, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. Quarterman has played limited minutes in 12 appearances with the Blazers in his rookie season.

Ben Gordon To Join D-League

January 18th, 2017 at 4:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Ben Gordon has signed a D-League contract, according to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link). Gordon will be placed on waivers, per D-League rules, and the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, currently own the top waiver order spot.

The Bulls selected Gordon with the No. 3 overall pick in 2004 and he played five seasons with the franchise before signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Pistons during the summer of 2009. He was traded to Charlotte halfway through that deal, and the team waived him before he was able to finish the contract.

The 33-year-old Gordon last played in the NBA for the Magic during the 2014/15 season. He’s a career 40.1% shooter from behind the arc and he could look use the D-League as a path toward returning to the NBA, as Gary Neal just did.