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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/22/19

March 22nd, 2019 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Sixers assigned big man Jonah Bolden to the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s PR department tweets. Bolden is averaging 16 PPG and 12 RPG in 33.3 MPG over six appearances with the Blue Coats, who play a back-to-back this weekend.
The Spurs recalled rookie guard and first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. In 28 games with Austin, Walker IV is averaging 16.7 PPG in 27.5 MPG.
The Magic assigned guard Melvin Frazier Jr. to Lakeland ahead of the G League’s team back-to-back games this weekend, the team’s PR department tweets. Frazier is averaging 12.1 PPG in 29.8 MPG over 16 games with Lakeland.
The Knicks recalled center Luke Kornet from Westchester, the team’s PR department tweets. Kornet is averaging 18.8 PPG and 8.8 RPG in 32.5 MPG over 11 games with Westchester.
The Jazz assigned first-round pick and guard Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s PR department tweets. Allen is averaging 17.5 PPG in 31.8 MPG while starting 11 games for the Stars.
The Warriors assigned rookie guard and first-round pick Jacob Evans III to Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. In 20 games with Santa Cruz, he’s averaging 11.5 PPG and 2.5 APG in 26.4 MPG.

Marcus Smart Fined $50K For Shoving Joel Embiid

March 21st, 2019 at 5:21pm CST by JD Shaw

Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $50K for forcefully shoving Joel Embiid in the team’s game against the Sixers on Wednesday, the NBA announced today.

The incident occurred at the 7:06 mark in the third quarter, with Smart colliding into a hard screen from Embiid and crashing to the floor. Smart retaliated by pushing Embiid onto the hardwood, receiving a Flagrant 2 foul which resulted in an ejection from the contest.

Smart’s fine was also based on his repeated acts of unsportsmanlike conduct during past games, the NBA said in its release. He was fined $25K for an altercation with Cavs guard J.R. Smith in October and $35K for charging at Hawks guard DeAndre’ Bembry in January.

Smart finished with three points and four assists in 19 minutes of action on Wednesday, with his early exit hurting Boston’s chances of pulling out the victory and clinching a playoff berth. Philadelphia ultimately came away with the victory, led by Embiid’s 37 points and career-high 22 rebounds.

The Celtics have games lined up against the Hornets (31-39), Spurs (42-30), Cavaliers (19-53), Pacers (44-28) and Nets (37-36) to close out the month of March.

Goodwill: Sixers Have NBA's Best Young Core

March 21st, 2019 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Which NBA teams appear to have the brightest futures based on their young talent? Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports tackles that question, identifying which clubs have the most promising young cores. The Sixers lead the way, while the Hawks, Bulls, and Suns fall outside of Goodwill’s top five.

Mike Scott Has Been Important Acquisition For Sixers

March 21st, 2019 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ ability to make a deep playoff run this spring figures to hinge on their starting five, given their lack of reliable depth. However, Mike Scott – acquired along with Tobias Harris from the Clippers last month – has been the club’s “most consistent and most versatile” reserve since arriving in Philadelphia, contends Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Scott, a free agent at season’s end, has averaged a career-high 23.2 minutes per contest, posting a .386 3PT% and handling a variety of defensive assignments for the 76ers.

Amick: Source Close To Harris Raves About Brand

March 14th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his look at several contenders for the 2019 NBA championship, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes that a source close to Tobias Harris has “raved” about Sixers general manager Elton Brand. While that doesn’t guarantee that Harris will re-sign with Philadelphia in free agency, it’s certainly a positive sign, Amick notes.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/13/19

March 13th, 2019 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Sixers have re-assigned Zhaire Smith and Justin Patton to their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, the club announced (via Twitter). Smith was available to play for Philadelphia on Tuesday night, but didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut.
After scoring a game-high 28 points to help lead the Capital City Go-Go to a Tuesday win, Chasson Randle was recalled from the G League today by the Wizards, per the team (via Twitter). Randle is part of Washington’s rotation tonight vs. Orlando.
The Suns recalled rookie guard Elie Okobo from the G League in advance of their game tonight vs. Utah, the team announced in a press release. Okobo had 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds for the Northern Arizona Suns on Tuesday.
Rookie forward Chimezie Metu was assigned to the G League today by the Spurs, according to a team release. Metu is active for Austin’s game tonight vs. Iowa.
The Thunder recalled dunk contest champion Hamidou Diallo from the G Leauge today, tweets Brett Dawson of The Athletic. Diallo, who is active tonight for the Thunder, recorded 18 points and nine rebounds for the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/12/19

March 12th, 2019 at 8:14pm CST by marksuleymanov

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

The Grizzlies recalled Tyler Dorsey from the G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the team announced (Twitter link).
The Celtics assigned Robert Williams to their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team announced (Twitter link).
The Wizards assigned Chasson Randle to their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, per a press release. Randle has averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.0 APG in 15.2 minutes per game with Washington.
The Jazz assigned Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced today in a press release. Allen, on his 11th assignment of the season, will suit up for Utah’s G League affiliate tonight.
The Sixers recalled rookie Zhaire Smith, who was available for Philadelphia’s game tonight, according to the team (via Twitter). Smith, who has yet to make his NBA debut, didn’t see any action vs. Cleveland.

Poll: Will Sixers Re-Sign Butler, Harris?

March 12th, 2019 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

After failing to land a marquee free agent with their maximum-salary cap room last offseason, the Sixers instead turned to the trade market to secure an impact player, acquiring Jimmy Butler from Minnesota. Then they did it again a few months later, completing a trade with the Clippers for Tobias Harris.

The idea of putting together a “Big Three” has been popular in the NBA over the last decade or so, but with their acquisitions of Butler and Harris, the 76ers pulled off a rare feat, compiling a “Big Four.” Butler and Harris joined Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in a starting lineup that now features four players with All-NBA potential.

Neither Butler nor Harris is on a long-term contract, however, as both players are expected to reach unrestricted free agency this summer. The Sixers will hold Bird rights on each player, allowing the team to go over the cap to re-sign them, and Philadelphia will have the flexibility to do so. Even with Embiid’s $27.5MM cap hit on the books for next season, the 76ers’ cap sheet is relatively clean — they’re only carrying approximately $41MM in guaranteed money, per Basketball Insiders.

Of course, Butler and Harris are each expected to be eligible for salaries worth up to about $32.7MM, so if the Sixers re-sign both players, and perhaps veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick, it will be tricky to add many additional reinforcements to complement them. Adding extra help would get even more difficult in future seasons, since Simmons’ rookie contract expires in 2020 and he figures to be in line for a huge new deal of his own.

With major personnel decisions looming, the next couple months will be huge for the Sixers, who need to assess the potential long-term fit of an Embiid/Simmons/Butler/Harris core. Does retaining all four players create diminishing returns for those third or fourth options whose talents might not be maximized? Are Butler and Harris – neither of whom was an All-Star this season – worthy of long-term, maximum-salary (or near-max) investments?

Philadelphia’s performance in the postseason figures to play an important part in that equation — a first-round exit would raise serious questions about whether it makes sense to invest in both Butler and Harris, whereas an NBA Finals run would incentivize re-signing both players.

What do you think? Will the Sixers re-sign both Butler and Harris this offseason? Will they choose one or the other? Or will they go in a completely different direction, opening up cap room to pursue other players?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Tobias Harris Talks Sixers, Trade, Future

March 11th, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are in a much better position to sign Tobias Harris to a long-term contract than they would have been if he had remained in Los Angeles this season, since they now hold his Bird rights. But even before he was sent to Philadelphia in a pre-deadline deal last month, Harris had the 76ers on his list of potential free agent landing spots, he told Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Speaking to Charania, Harris touched on a handful of other topics, including his ability to play alongside and communicate with Sixers stars Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons, the trade that sent him from L.A. to Philadelphia, and his future beyond 2018/19.

Here are a few of Harris’ notable comments from the discussion:

On the process of meshing with three other star players in Philadelphia:

“I’m motivated by the challenge. With my game, I can play with anybody. I can be productive with whoever is around me and let my game shine the way it should. I play for the love of the game. I was excited by the challenge of coming into a group where we had work to do.”

On whether he was surprised by the Clippers’ decision to trade him:

“I was a little surprised, but it’s the business. They were going in another direction, obviously, so I wish them the best in that direction. At the end of the day, I can only control where I’m at. I want to grow with everybody here. I came here with an open mind about this group, and just excel in any role. I know the kind of player I am, what I bring to any team.

“Of course a part of me is like, ‘Damn, I did my thing, and still…’ But that just goes to show the game and the business aspect of it. I feel people around the league see my game and know my game. They have respect for my game. The 76ers viewed me that way.”

On whether he’s focused on remaining in Philadelphia beyond this season:

“It would be selfish of me to not come into this situation with an open mind to make this work for the long-term. That’s where my mindset is at. I’m a loyal guy to where I am, and if I feel that loyalty back, that is how I operate. For me, it’s just making it work here and figuring out how it will go. So far, it’s been really good. Gotta show that loyalty.”

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Embiid, Kurucs, Ntilikina

March 10th, 2019 at 10:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Higher expectations may put Sixers coach Brett Brown’s job in jeopardy if the team suffers an early playoff exit, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Brown has amassed a 168-308 record in his six years on Philadelphia’s bench, but much of that came as the franchise was trying to rebuild through the draft. With a pair of stars in place in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and two more acquired in trade in Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, the pressure to win right away has become intense.

Brown refused to comment on the situation after Friday’s loss, which was the Sixers’ third in their last four games. However, the mini-slump is understandable, given the 76ers’ tough schedule and the absence of their top two centers, Embiid, who has tendinitis in his left knee, and Boban Marjanovic, who’s dealing with a right knee bone bruise and a mild sprain.

Still, Brown has to be feeling the heat, especially in light of a recent quote from co-managing partner Josh Harris, who indicated a first-round loss wouldn’t be acceptable. “We’re going to work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Harris told ESPN. “We have enough talent on our roster that if we play the way we’re capable of playing, we can beat any team in the East.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After missing eight games, Embiid is expected to return for this afternoon’s showdown with the Pacers, according to an ESPN report. Embiid, who hasn’t played since the All-Star break, approached the team about taking a few games off to make sure he’s rested and healthy for the playoffs.
Rodions Kurucs may have solved the Nets‘ search for a stretch four, suggests Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The rookie has started the past three games, helping Brooklyn to wins in all of them. He posted 16 points and six rebounds in Saturday’s victory at Atlanta. “I don’t know what neighborhood he grew up in in Latvia, but that’s a tough neighborhood. That’s a tough dude,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He might not look the part, looks like a good-looking choirboy; but him and [John] Collins were going at it the whole game, and he doesn’t back down from anybody. That’s Rodi from Day 1: No fear.”
Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina was re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff yesterday, but it still isn’t clear when he might return from a groin injury, relays Peter Botte of The New York Post. Ntilikina, who has missed 18 straight games, said he hopes to receive clearance “to do more” this week.

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