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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/10/18

February 10th, 2018 at 8:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.

10:26pm:

The Warriors recalled Patrick McCaw from their Santa Cruz affiliate, the team announced in an email. The second-year guard has played 49 NBA games this season and averages 3.7 points and 1.4 assists per night.

8:12pm:

The Thunder have assigned Terrance Ferguson and Dakari Johnson to OKC Blue, tweets Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The G League squad plays tonight, and both are expected to be recalled for Sunday’s game against the Grizzlies.
The Bucks recalled rookie power forward D.J. Wilson from the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced on its website. The first-round pick is averaging 14.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG in nine G League games.

Thunder, Rockets Emerge As Suitors For Tony Allen

February 9th, 2018 at 4:33pm CST by Austin Kent

A week after having been shipped out of New Orleans, veteran wing Tony Allen has been waived by the Bulls. If the 36-year-old shooting guard clears waivers on Sunday, TNT’s David Aldridge says the Thunder and Rockets will be among the teams bidding for his services.

While Allen had been used marginally for the Pelicans through the first half of the season, he’s a famously effective perimeter defender, perfect for a Houston team in need of defensive depth on their second unit or a Thunder squad desperate to fill the vacancy left by Andre Roberson.

In 12.4 minutes of action for the Pelicans this season, Allen averaged 4.7 points per game. In 27.0 minutes per game during the 2016/17 campaign with the Grizzlies, however, The Grindfather put forth a respectable 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per.

Allen figures to be one of several big name players on the buyout market this season, so committing a roster spot now isn’t without its drawbacks, but Allen’s skill set will be an indisputably enticing one for team’s looking for depth on their bench.

Kings Willing To Buy Out Johnson, Prefer To Keep Carter

February 9th, 2018 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Joe Johnson, acquired from the Jazz by the Kings in one of Thursday’s three-team trades, will “definitely” get a buyout if he wants one from Sacramento, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. However, according to Stein, the Kings would love to hang onto another veteran – Vince Carter – for the rest of the season.

There’s a sense that the Kings would be open to working with Carter on a buyout if an intriguing landing spot surfaces for him in the weeks leading up to March 1, Stein reports (via Twitter). Still, Sacramento is hoping that he elects to stick around and act as a veteran mentor to the team’s young core.

Carter is on a one-year, $8MM deal with the Kings, and has played a limited role for the club this season. In 34 games, the 41-year-old has averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.1 RPG with a shooting line of .385/.367/.667 in 16.6 minutes per contest. His locker room presence has been important though, as the Kings’ in-season goals have transitioned — the club initially hoped to compete for a playoff spot, but now is focused on developing young players.

If the Kings were to grant Carter a buyout, one scenario could involve a return to his old team in Toronto. Multiple sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that the Raptors front office has internally discussed the possibility of signing Carter if he reaches free agency, though he’s just one of several possible targets Toronto is keeping an eye on, Grange notes.

As for Johnson, we heard shortly after Thursday’s trade that he was expected to seek a buyout from the Kings, and that Sacramento was expected to be amenable to one. The Warriors and Celtics were mentioned as a pair of early frontrunners for the veteran forward, with the Thunder cited as a potential suitor too, per Kelly Iko of ESPN 97.5 Houston (Twitter link). The Rockets would also have interest in Johnson, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link).

There’s no deadline for teams to finalize buyouts with players, but they have to happen by March 1 in order for those players to retain their postseason eligibility. Players waived after March 1 can’t participate in the playoffs if they sign with a new team.

Thunder May Have Interest In Noah If He's Waived

February 8th, 2018 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks aren’t expected to find a trade partner willing to take Joakim Noah. However, opposing executives believe the Thunder and Timberwolves will be among the teams with interest in Noah if he’s waived or bought out, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN (Twitter link).

O’Connor’s Latest: Thunder, Bradley, Simmons

February 7th, 2018 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

When we relayed the latest rumors on the Thunder‘s search for wing help on Tuesday, Avery Bradley was one player we mentioned, with a report suggesting Oklahoma City has done its due diligence on the Clippers guard. It wasn’t the first time Bradley’s name has surfaced as a potential OKC target, and multiple league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that Bradley’s name “keeps popping up” as a player of major interest to the Thunder.

As O’Connor observes, one deal that would make sense on paper and would work financially is Bradley for Alex Abrines and Terrance Ferguson. However, the Thunder are reportedly very reluctant to part with Ferguson, recognizing that they’ll need inexpensive role players for the next few years if they hope to keep their current core together.

Still, some sort of deal involving Abrines could be possible. O’Connor hears from a league executive that Clippers director of pro player personnel Johnny Rogers – who played and broadcasted in Spain – “loves” Abrines, a former Barcelona standout.

O’Connor shares a few more items of interest in his latest piece for The Ringer, so let’s round them up…

Although the Thunder have kicked the tires on Magic swingman Jonathon Simmons, multiple sources tell O’Connor that Simmons isn’t expected to be available — at least not for what Oklahoma City would offer.
Two front office sources have informed O’Connor that the Thunder would be among the frontrunners to sign Joe Johnson if he’s bought out by the Jazz this month.
The Hawks have had some trouble gaining traction on deals for some of their veterans, according to O’Connor, who says that the Thunder and Pacers are among Atlanta’s potential trade partners for players like Marco Belinelli, Dewayne Dedmon, or Ersan Ilyasova. O’Connor notes that the Hawks had interest in T.J. Leaf prior to last year’s draft, but he’s skeptical that the Pacers would surrender the rookie forward for a veteran rental.

Trade Rumors: Chriss, Knicks, Belinelli, Hood

February 7th, 2018 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Over at USA Today, Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt broke down trade deadline goals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams. While the duo’s round-up mentioned several players already known to be trade candidates, Amick and Zillgitt also identified a few new names.

Kings center Georgios Papagiannis, Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford, and Nuggets big man Darrell Arthur are among the players who could be available this week, per Amick and Zillgitt. The duo also suggested that a handful of teams are open for business on nearly all of their players. The Hawks are willing to discuss anyone except John Collins; the Mavericks would talk about anyone besides Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Smith Jr., and Harrison Barnes; and the only players off the table for the Thunder are Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Steven Adams.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Suns appear to be exploring deals involving second-year big man Marquese Chriss, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that the Lakers are one of a few teams involved. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who is well-connected in Phoenix, tweets that those rumors are “totally false,” suggesting that the club hasn’t discussed deals involving Chriss. Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic also gets involved, tweeting that the Suns would only consider parting with Chriss in a deal for an established player like Kemba Walker.
Having sending Willy Hernangomez to Charlotte, the Knicks continue to take calls about Kyle O’Quinn and Courtney Lee, and are still trying to trade Joakim Noah, says ESPN’s Ian Begley.
The Jazz aren’t one of the teams in the mix for veteran guard Marco Belinelli, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), Belinelli isn’t making the trip to Orlando with the Hawks, as the team continues to mull its trade options.
As many as 15 teams have called the Jazz to inquire about trade candidate Rodney Hood, tweets Tony Jones.
In an in-depth look at where things stand for the Kings, James Ham of NBC Sports California says the club doesn’t want to take on a bad contract that runs past 2018/19 or impact its young core led by De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Forbes Releases 2018 NBA Franchise Valuations

February 7th, 2018 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are still reeling from Tuesday’s news that Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a torn ACL and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. While Porzingis’ injury essentially eliminates the Knicks from the playoff race in the East, team ownership can at least find some solace in the fact that the organization remains the highest-valued franchise in the NBA, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.

For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1 billion or more, per Forbes’ annual report. In 2017, 18 teams had a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which was up from 13 teams in 2016 and just three teams in 2015.

The league-wide average of $1.65 billion per team is also a record, with franchise valuations up 22% in total over last year’s figures. NBA franchise values have tripled over the last five years, according to Badenhausen.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $3.6 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3.3 billion
Golden State Warriors: $3.1 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.6 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.5 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $2.3 billion
Houston Rockets: $2.2 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $2.15 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $1.9 billion
Miami Heat: $1.7 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.55 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.4 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.375 billion
Washington Wizards: $1.35 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.325 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.3 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.28 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.25 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.225 billion
Utah Jazz: $1.2 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $1.18 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.175 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.15 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.125 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.1 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $1.075 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.06 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.05 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.025 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1 billion

For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2017 valuations can be found right here.

Thunder Turning Away Inquiries On Ferguson

February 7th, 2018 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

Several teams have expressed interest in Thunder rookie Terrance Ferguson, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. However, those teams came away with the impression that Oklahoma City has no desire to move Ferguson, as we heard earlier this week.

Latest On Thunder’s Search For Wing Help

February 6th, 2018 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

With Andre Roberson sidelined for the rest of the season, the Thunder are on the lookout for help on the wing. With less than 48 hours left until the arrival of this year’s trade deadline, let’s check in on the latest reports on OKC’s options…

There’s a “growing expectation” that the Thunder will make a move in advance of the trade deadline, since there’s a lot riding on this season, says ESPN’s Royce Young. Oklahoma City would prefer not to give up rookie Terrance Ferguson in a deal for a veteran rental though, Young adds.
TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link) identifies Maurice Harkless and Tony Allen as two potential targets to watch for the Thunder. Harkless would be an interesting fit, though it may be difficult for the Trail Blazers and Thunder to figure out a deal, since both teams are projected taxpayers and will be reluctant to add salary. As for Allen, Aldridge tweets that the veteran swingman has been cleared to play after recovering from his broken leg, but will need some time to get back to full speed.
The Thunder have done “due diligence” on Clippers guard Avery Bradley and Magic swingman Jonathon Simmons, per Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. Mannix suggests that the Thunder might wait until closer to the deadline in the hopes that teams’ asking prices come down, noting that they could also wait until after the deadline and take their chances on what’s expected to be a “robust” buyout market.
Within his trade deadline preview, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes that the Thunder have shown interest in Clippers guard Lou Williams and expressed “serious” interest in Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans.
Oklahoma City has also been linked to Rodney Hood.

Sixers, Thunder Interested in Dewayne Dedmon

February 5th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks, Sixers and Thunder are among the teams who have expressed interest in Dewayne Dedmon, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports. However, Milwaukee is no longer looking for a big man after acquiring Tyler Zeller from the Nets on Monday night, as Deveney points out (Twitter link).

The Sixers and Thunder are also searching for wing help but could trade for Dedmon to fortify their frontcourts.

Atlanta’s front office would like to move numerous players but Dedmon has attracted the most attention, Deveney adds. Dedmon, who played for the Spurs last season, missed over a month of action with a left leg injury but when healthy the 7-footer has been a rotation player. He’s started 21 of 34 games, averaging a career highs in scoring (10.0 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG).

Dedmon has expanded his offensive game beyond the 3-point line this season and has made a healthy 38.3% of his attempts. He’s likely to re-enter the free agent market after the season. Dedmon, who is making $6MM this season, has a $6.3MM player option for next season and will likely exercise it, according to Deveney.

Since Dedmon would likely only be a rental, the Hawks won’t find a suitor willing to give up a first-round pick for him.

In terms of the teams reportedly interested in Dedmon, he’d serve as backup in Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid or Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams.