NBA G League

Central Notes: Bynum, Pistons, Henson, Cavs

Veteran guard Will Bynum recently signed a contract with the D-League, and now he has a new NBADL team. According to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (via Twitter), the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s D-League affiliate, acquired Bynum off waivers.

Bynum, who will turn 34 in May, spent last season in China, and was waived by the Hawks prior to the start of the 2016/17 campaign, so he hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since April 2015. The fact that the Bulls’ D-League affiliate picked him up also doesn’t necessarily mean that Chicago’s NBA club will have interest in adding the veteran point guard this season. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on Bynum, who could be a candidate for a call-up by an NBA team in 2017 if he plays well in the D-League.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Although Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy believes his team should be better than it is, he doesn’t think that making a trade is the way to fix things, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
  • The Pistons‘ slide has coincided with Reggie Jackson‘s return from an early-season injury, so Brett Koremenos of RealGM.com takes a deep dive to try to determine how Jackson’s presence may be contributing to the club taking a step back.
  • The Bucks have a crowded frontcourt, with Greg Monroe, Miles Plumlee, and John Henson all making big bucks to play no more than about 20 MPG apiece this season. However, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times details, it’s Henson who has emerged as the starting center, a decision that is paying off in Milwaukee.
  • Within his latest mailbag, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com discusses the timing of Mo Williams‘ retirement decision and addresses whether or not Tyson Chandler might be a trade target for the Cavaliers — Vardon is skeptical.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/22/16

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

10:55pm:

  • The Nets recalled forward Chris McCullough from the Long Island Nets, the team tweets. McCullough was assigned to the D-League Nets on December 9 and started the team’s last five games. He had 20 points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes against the Grand Rapids Drive on Thursday.

3:50pm:

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/21/16

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

10:51pm:

  • The Thunder have recalled forward Josh Huestis from OKC Blue, the team announced in an email. Huestis is averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 D-League games this season.
  • The Hawks have assigned DeAndre’ Bembry to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a tweet from the team. Atlanta doesn’t have a direct D-League affiliate.

1:26pm:

  • A day after sending them down, the Knicks have recalled Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Ndour scored 22 points for the Westchester Knicks in Tuesday night’s loss, while Plumlee chipped in with nine points and 10 rebounds.
  • Rakeem Christmas has been recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced today in a press release. In five games for Indiana’s D-League affiliate this season, Christmas has averaged 13.0 PPG to go along with 6.8 RPG and 1.6 BPG.

And-Ones: CBA, Roster Spots, Bynum, Senegal

Negotiators for the league were determined to make it more difficult to assemble “super teams” under the new collective bargaining agreement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical. In a brief video, Wojnarowski recounts a meeting this summer in which Commissioner Adam Silver told team owners that he was troubled by Kevin Durant‘s move to Golden State, fearing it would impact competitive balance. Warriors owner Joe Lacob defended his organization, saying it managed its salary cap in a way to enable the signing of a max player. In negotiations, the league tried to give small-market stars more incentive to re-sign with their current teams. Wojnarowski says the new system creates a “far more punitive financial choice” for players who want to leave for larger cities or more competitive teams. However, he adds that some small-market owners are concerned that the league didn’t go far enough with its rules changes.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

  • The new CBA will add two roster spots for each team, which will be two-way contracts for players who shuffle back and forth from the D-League, notes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. In a transcript from an interview with onthenbabeat.com, Reichert notes that the salary range for those players will be $50K to $75K, which is more than typical D-League players receive. The rise in NBA minimum salaries will also benefit D-League players because the 10-day contracts that teams can offer starting in January are based off minimum salaries adjusted for a player’s years of experience.
  • Veteran guard Will Bynum has signed a contract with the D-League, according to a tweet from D-League Digest. The 33-year-old was among the last players cut by the Hawks in training camp. He spent the majority of his 360-game NBA career with the Pistons, but also played for the Warriors and Wizards. He played most of the past two seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China.
  • The NBA plans to open an academy in Senegal next year, writes Gerald Imray of The Associated Press. This will be the sixth international academy for the league, which already has three in China and one in Australia, with another in India set to begin in April.

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.