- The Thunder recalled Dakari Johnson from Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in an email.
Derrick Rose is officially a member of the Timberwolves and made his first comments since the signing was made official. Injuries have diminished Rose’s skill set and playing time in recent seasons and there are questions about how much he can realistically help Minnesota down the stretch.
Rose told reporters, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, that he does not need validation from anybody about his playing level.
“I mean, this is how I feel about it, the whole perspective on it,” Rose said. “You can have your perspective on me, as far as I’m a bum, I can’t play, I can’t shoot, this and that. All right, cool. I have no hard feeling with that. I’m cool with that. If that’s how you feel, that’s how you feel. But at the same time, I don’t need your validation. Like, I know who I am. I know the type of player I am. You respect that and I respect that and we should be good.”
The 29-year-old never got on track with the Cavaliers this season, averaging 9.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG in just 16 games. However, he did appear in 64 games with the Knicks last year, averaging 18.0 PPG and 4.4 APG. Rose did not play on Thursday against the Celtics but is expected to play against the Warriors on Sunday.
Check out other Northwest Division notes below:
- Thunder big man Nick Collison has been with the organization since the 2004/05 season when the organization was still known as the Supersonics. As the current team prepares for the postseason, Collison said to former teammate and NBA Soundsystem host, Brent Barry, that consistency is Oklahoma City’s biggest issue, per Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. “Like you know, the playoffs, every possession counts,” Collison said. “Consistency’s been an issue with us this year. But we do have a veteran group and we’ve played well against the best teams. So for us, just finding that consistency and being able to play possession by possession and being able to grind out some good solid basketball for a long time. If you want to make a run, you gotta play for two months. I think consistency’s huge for us.”
- Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is enjoying another strong season and feels he should be in the conversation for Most Valuable Player, Sean Meagher of OregonLive.com writes. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t be mentioned,” Lillard said. “But obviously James Harden is having a special season and they’re the No. 1 team in the league right now. He’s been runner-up for a few years where I feel like he could have easily won it. What he’s doing individually, and what their team is doing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the winner.”
- The Thunder assigned big man Dakari Johnson to their affiliate, the team announced in a press release. The 22-year-old big man has averaged 24.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in eight stars for the OKC Blue.
- The Thunder may have found a suitable replacement for the injured Andre Roberson in recently bought out veteran Corey Brewer. “I’m not comparing him and Andre in any way personality-wise or player-wise,” head coach Billy Donovan told ESPN’s Royce Young, “But the one thing I will compare them, they both have a pop and a bounce to them where they play the game where they find the ball. They find it and are able to make plays.”
- The Thunder announced today in a press release that rookie Terrance Ferguson suffered a concussion on Thursday night and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.
- Thunder guard Andre Roberson is facing “the slow grind” of rehabbing from a torn patellar tendon, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Although he has gotten past “the pain stages” of the injury, Roberson’s left knee is still mostly immobile and he can barely bend it. “It’s definitely the mental part,” Roberson said when asked about the toughest part of the injury. “Staying positive. Just tell yourself, ‘Day by day, get through it.’ And just grind it out.” Without Roberson, the Thunder have fallen from sixth to 21st in defensive rating.
- Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni is happy to see Thunder swingman Corey Brewer get another shot with a contender, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Brewer, who played in Houston before being traded last season, signed with Oklahoma City over the weekend after agreeing to a buyout with the Lakers. “You can’t go wrong signing a guy like that,” D’Antoni said. “Guys wanted to re-sign him just for being on the airplane laughing with him. He’s terrific.”
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Thunder have recalled rookie center Dakari Johnson from their Oklahoma City Blue affiliate, the team announced in an email. Johnson has appeared in 26 games for the Thunder this season, averaging 1.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 5.6 minutes of playing time per night.
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors recalled rookie forward Jordan Bell from their Santa Cruz affiliate, according to a team press release. Bell posted 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and a block in Santa Cruz’s victory over the Memphis Hustle Sunday. The second-round pick has appeared in 41 games, averaging 4.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG. Bell has appeared in Golden State’s last three games after recovering from an ankle sprain.
- The Thunder assigned center Dakari Johnson to the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. The NBA team recalled him later in the day, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman tweets. The 2015 second-round pick has appeared in seven games with the Blue, averaging 15.2 PPG and 10.1 RPG. The 7-footer has also played 26 games with the Thunder this season, averaging 2.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 5.8 MPG.
- Playing time, and the possibility of a starting role, led to Corey Brewer‘s decision to join the Thunder, Eric Horne of the The Oklahoman reports. “I didn’t feel like I could really pass that up,” Brewer told Horne. Brewer played 12 scoreless minutes in his Oklahoma City debut on Saturday after being bought out by the Lakers and agreeing to terms with the Thunder. He reportedly also drew interest from the Wizards, Cavaliers and Bucks. The Thunder have sought help at shooting guard since Andre Roberson went down with a season-ending knee injury in late January.
MARCH 3: Brewer’s signing with the Thunder is official, per the NBA’s official transactions log.
MARCH 1, 10:39am: Brewer has committed to sign with the Thunder once he clears waivers, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Brewer talked to Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan and GM Sam Presti and considered three Eastern Conference teams before deciding.
FEBRUARY 28, 6:50pm: Brewer is likely to sign with the Thunder after all, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers officially waived Brewer earlier today, meaning the veteran swingman will be free to sign a contract with Oklahoma City as early as Friday.
3:03pm: One source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link) that while the Thunder are definitely in the mix for Brewer, the veteran is more likely to land with an Eastern Conference team.
10:44am: Amick (via Twitter) adds the Jazz and Pelicans to the list of teams that could also be in the mix for Brewer, noting that several of the teams he has mentioned are also keeping an eye on the Trevor Booker situation in Philadelphia.
10:28am: The Lakers and veteran swingman Corey Brewer have reportedly reached an agreement on a buyout, which means he could become a free agent as soon as Friday. When Brewer does hit the open market, a deal with the Thunder is a “serious possibility,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
As Wojnarowski notes, the ex-Gator is likely to be drawn to Oklahoma City by the presence of his former coach at Florida, Billy Donovan, who is now the Thunder’s head coach. Even aside from the Donovan connection, Brewer would be a logical fit for OKC, since the team has been on the lookout for one more option on the wing since Andre Roberson‘s injury, tweets ESPN’s Royce Young.
While the Thunder may be the frontrunners for Brewer, he’ll talk to other teams too, per Wojnarowski. The 31-year-old is unlikely to rush his decision, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who tweets that the Cavaliers, Wizards, Trail Blazers, and Bucks have also shown interest. Amick adds that Brewer – averaging a career-low 12.9 minutes per game this season – will be seeking a “legit role,” which figures to impact his decision.
Although several playoff teams have already been linked to Brewer, his mediocre outside shot (.280 career 3PT%) will limit his appeal to some contenders. For instance, he’s not likely to be a fit for the Raptors, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that Minnesota has “kicked the tires” on the former Timberwolf, but says not to count on a reunion.