NBA G League

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/20/16

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

3:21pm:

11:53am:

  • With Clint Capela sidelined due to a fibula fracture, the Rockets have recalled 2016 second-rounder Chinanu Onuaku from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced today (Twitter link). Onuaku, who had been on his latest D-League assignment for nearly a month, has averaged 10.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 16 games for the Vipers this season.
  • Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee have been assigned to the D-League by the Knicks, according to the team (Twitter link). The duo will join the Westchester Knicks in time for New York’s NBADL affiliate to take on the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight.
  • The Thunder have sent Josh Huestis back to the D-League, according to a press release issued today by the team. Huestis, who has been shuttled back and forth frequently between the NBA and NBADL, has appeared in nine games for the Oklahoma City Blue, but has yet to play this season for the Thunder.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/19/16

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

9:51pm:

  • The Warriors have recalled Damian Jones from their D-League affiliate, says the team in a press release. The center posted 17 points and nine rebounds in his lone game with the Santa Cruz Warriors Sunday night.

3:20pm:

  • The Raptors have sent Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet back the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Neither player has seen much action this season for Toronto, but with Cory Joseph and Delon Wright on the shelf, VanVleet was Kyle Lowry‘s backup on Sunday and played a career-high 23 minutes.
  • The Jazz have recalled rookie forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a team release. During his most recent game with Utah’s D-League affiliate over the weekend, Bolomboy helped lead the team to a win with 28 points and 19 rebounds.
  • The Magic have recalled C.J. Wilcox and Stephen Zimmerman from their D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Both players were sent down on December 15.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Early, P. Jackson, Sager

Players and the media will help fans choose the starters for this year’s All-Star Game in a new arrangement announced today by the NBA. Fan voting will count for 50% of the final tally, while all current players will be given 25% and a select group of media members will get 25%. All-Star voting will begin on Christmas and run through January 16th, and players will be permitted to vote for themselves and their teammates, relays John Reid of The Times Picayune. Players and media will pick two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference. Fans can vote up to once per day and can choose from all NBA players. The game is scheduled for February 19th in New Orleans.

There’s more basketball-related news to pass on:

  • Former Knick Cleanthony Early was involved in a D-League trade today, tweets Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. New York’s affiliate in Westchester sent Early to Golden State’s affiliate in Santa Cruz as part of a three-team deal. Because he is not under an NBA contract, Early remains eligible to be signed by any NBA team. He spent two years in New York after being taken 34th in the 2014 draft and played 17 games there last season.
  • Former Baylor star Pierre Jackson is making an impact in the D-League, Johnson notes in his weekly rankings. Jackson, who signed a deal with the Sixers in 2015 but never played for the team, is leading the league in scoring at 29.3 points per game. He has moved up to second on this week’s list, trailing only Briante Weber, who has topped the rankings for three straight weeks.
  • Tuesday’s memorial service for longtime NBA reporter Craig Sager will be televised on NBA TV and streamed on NBA.com, according to a statement from the league. Sager, who died Tuesday, was part of NBA coverage on TNT for 26 years.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/18/16

Here are the D-League assignments and recalls for Sunday:

  • The Spurs assigned guard Bryn Forbes to the Austin Spurs, the team announced on its website. Forbes scored 23 points against the Westchester Knicks on Sunday afternoon.
  • The Thunder recalled forward Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. In nine games with the Blue this season, Huestis is averaging 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.11 blocks in 31.7 minutes. Huestis has appeared in five games with the Thunder, averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.0 minutes.

And-Ones: Motiejunas, Neal, Jerrett, 2017 FAs

Now an unrestricted free agent, Donatas Motiejunas has more freedom than ever to decide the next step in his basketball career, even if he can no longer sign with the Nets. As he looks for a new NBA home, Motiejunas released a statement today on Twitter, announcing that he has “a lot more to give to the game of basketball, and can’t wait to get back on the court.”

“I invest so much into my craft and have worked extremely hard to stay healthy and prove myself on the basketball court, which was evident last season,” Motiejunas said. “I look forward to immediately contributing to a new team and ultimately winning championships.

“I want to thank the great fans in Houston for all of their support. I really enjoyed my time in the community. The city and people will always hold a special place in my heart as the place where my NBA career began.”

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

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/17/16

Here are the D-League assignments and recalls for Saturday:

10:01pm:

  • The Bulls recalled Paul Zipser from Windy City after sending him down earlier in the day, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
  • The Pistons recalled forward Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from their Grand Rapids affiliate, the team announced in an email. Both have appeared in six games for Detroit this season with limited playing time.
  • The Wizards recalled guard Sheldon McClellan from the Delaware 87ers, tweets J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. McClellan averaged 10.7 points in six games with the D-League team.

3:17pm:

  • The Hawks have recalled Mike Scott from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Scott helped lead the Long Island Nets to a pair of victories during his assignment this week, contributing 20.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in a pair of starts for the club.
  • After being assigned to Santa Cruz for Friday night’s game, Warriors center Damian Jones has been recalled to the NBA, according to an official announcement (Twitter link). Jones nearly posted a double-double for Golden State’s D-League affiliate last night, putting up 17 points, nine boards, and two blocks.

12:09pm:

  • The Nuggets have recalled shooting guard Malik Beasley from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The 20-year-old was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s D-League affiliate, on December 9 and averaged 18.5 points per game in his two contests with the team.
  • The Bulls have assigned forward Paul Zipser to the D-League, according to an announcement from the club. Zipser has seen action in just seven NBA games this season, most recently playing nine minutes Friday night.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Rose, Randle, O’Quinn

Phil Jackson almost certainly would have opted out of his contract as president of the Knicks if a lockout had taken place, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday, who states that the possibility of a work stoppage was the reason the opt-out clause was included in his contract. The writer adds that Jackson now faces the choice of either returning to Los Angeles and saying he left the team in better shape than when he arrived or staying in New York and trying to make the Knicks a perennial contender.

There’s more news out of New York:

  • Knicks point guard Derrick Rose is sitting out games now to protect his long-term health, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Rose was inactive for tonight’s game in Denver, making it the third time in the past five contests that he has been sidelined with back pain. “I hate missing, but I have to be smart about it,” Rose said. “I want to play consistent games instead of playing one game, aggravating something and missing two games. I want to play consistent games.”
  • The Knicks may be forced to make a decision soon about summer league star Chasson Randle, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle was sent to New York’s Westchester affiliate in the D-League after getting hurt in training camp. He had a 38-point game Friday night and has reportedly attracted interest from the Mavericks and 76ers. However, either team would have to clear a roster spot in order to sign Randle. Berman speculates that the Knicks would part with Maurice Ndour if they decide to add Randle to their roster.
  • Backup center Kyle O’Quinn has expanded his role this month, often playing more minutes than starter Joakim Noah, Bondy notes in a separate story. In his first seven games of December, O’Quinn has averaged 11.6 points and 9.9 rebound per night while shooting 64% from the field. He credits weight loss and new coach Jeff Hornacek’s offense for his improved numbers. “You look at some of the bigs he had [at his last job in Phoenix], and that’s where they found a home at – dunker spots, little midrange jumpshots,” O’Quinn said. “And he encourages those so we got guys like Brandon [Jennings] and Derrick Rose and they know where to find me in those spots.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/16/16

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

  • The Warriors have announced that they’ve assigned Damian Jones to the D-League, giving him a chance to suit up for Santa Cruz tonight, tweets Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group. Jones, Golden State’s 2016 first-round pick, made his NBA debut with the Warriors last week, but continues to be brought along slowly after a pectoral injury sidelined him to start the season.
  • Rookie guard Demetrius Jackson has been sent back to the D-League by the Celtics, the club announced today (via Twitter). Jackson has played very sparingly in Boston so far this year, but has looked good for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 5.9 RPG in eight contests.
  • The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet from the D-League after the duo played in Thursday night’s Raptors 905 game. The team announced the move via Twitter.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/15/16

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

  • The Raptors assigned point guard Fred VanVleet and forward Bruno Caboclo to their affiliate, Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed (Twitter links). They both played against the Oklahoma City Blue on Thursday, with VanVleet scoring nine points and dishing out 12 assists, while Caboclo had 13 points. VanVleet has seen action in six games with Toronto this season, while Caboclo has appeared in three games.
  • The Magic assigned guard C.J. Wilcox and center Stephen Zimmerman to the Erie BayHawks, the team announced on its website. Wilcox has played in 10 games this season with the Magic. Zimmerman has appeared in four games this season with the Magic. He was previously assigned to Erie on November 28th.
  • The Suns recalled point guard Tyler Ulis and big man Alan Williams from the Northern Arizona Suns, the team tweets. Ulis, an early second-rounder, has played in 14 games with Phoenix this season. Williams has played nine games with the NBA club.
  • The Jazz assigned forward Joel Bolomboy to their affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced. This marks the fifth assignment this season for Bolomboy, who has played eight games this season with the Jazz.
  • The Grizzlies assigned guard Wade Baldwin IV to their affiliate, the Iowa Energy. Baldwin, who has appeared in 20 games with Memphis, played two games for the Energy last month.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Wilcox, Williams, Heat

Earlier this month, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel reported that the Magic were in the market for scoring help, and were expected to explore potential deals that could help them add a player with that skill set. Robbins didn’t specify any players or positions the Magic were eyeing, but in an ESPN TrueHoops podcast this week, Brian Windhorst reports that Orlando is “calling around looking for point guard help.”

Although Windhorst adds that the Magic are seeking scoring help in general, the focus on the point guard position is interesting. Elfrid Payton, now 22 years old, hasn’t taken significant steps forward, having averaged a modest 10.9 PPG and a career-low 5.7 APG this season. His backups, D.J. Augustin and C.J. Watson, provide decent depth, but neither player is the type that will fill up the score sheet on a given night.

While we wait to see if Orlando can find a trade that will upgrade their offense, let’s check in on a few more Southeast notes…