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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/4/20

March 4th, 2020 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

The Bucks assigned D.J. Wilson to their Wisconsin affiliate, according to a release from the team. He’s posting an 18.3/7.8/4.0 line in four games with the Herd and has appeared in 30 NBA games.
The Thunder shipped Isaiah Roby to Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. He is averaging 8.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 13 G League games.
The Suns assigned Ty Jerome to Northern Arizona, tweets Gina Mizell of The Athletic. Phoenix wanted him to get some playing time after he was pulled from the rotation last week.
The Warriors recalled Alen Smailagic from Santa Cruz (Twitter link).

Suns Concerned About Deandre Ayton’s Ankle Injury

March 4th, 2020 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Deandre Ayton underwent an MRI today on his injured left ankle, and there are concerns that he might be sidelined for a while, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Ayton is in a walking boot and he’s not expected to play Friday, although no official ruling has been made.

The injury happened on a collision with Toronto’s OG Anunoby in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game. Ayton grabbed his ankle and immediately dropped to the court.

“When I looked at the injury, it looked like it got jammed and that’s a tough one cause you don’t know how it’s going to respond,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Usually when you roll it, you can see, but when you get it jammed like with that much pressure, I think we just got to wait and see. He had some swelling last night.”

Ankles have been an issue this season for Ayton, who missed five games in December with a sprained right ankle and two in February with soreness in his left ankle. That’s on top of the 25-game suspension he received early in the season for a violation of the league’s anti-drug policy. Ayton has been dominant in the 30 games he has played, averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per night and looking like one of the league’s best young centers.

“Ankle (injury) feels the same like all the other ones,” said Ayton, who was walking with a crutch after the game. “It’s the same. I’m just used to it now.”

Phoenix is six and a half games out of a playoff spot with 20 games left, so there’s no reason to rush back the franchise center. Veteran Aron Baynes, who has already started 25 games this year, is expected to take Ayton’s spot in the starting lineup, and Dario Saric will be used in the middle in smaller sets.

Pistons Claim Jordan McRae Off Waivers

March 4th, 2020 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

4:15pm: The waiver process is complete and McRae belongs to the Pistons, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

3:07pm: The Pistons intend to claim guard Jordan McRae off waivers this afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

After reaching a buyout agreement with Denver on Sunday, McRae was officially released and appeared to be headed to Phoenix, with the Suns planning to place a waiver claim of their own. However, with Derrick Rose on the shelf due to an ankle injury, the Pistons were said to be eyeing McRae for backcourt depth.

Because the waiver priority order is determined by the NBA’s reverse standings, Detroit (20-42) will be awarded McRae over Phoenix (24-38) if both teams submit claims. Technically, one of the five teams with a worse record than the Pistons could swoop in and steal McRae, but there has been no indication that will happen.

A fourth-year shooting guard, McRae was putting up the best numbers of his career in D.C. this season, recording 12.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG on .420/.377/.371 shooting for the Wizards, though injuries limited him to just 29 games. He was sent to Denver in a deadline deal for Shabazz Napier and averaged just 8.0 MPG in four games for the Nuggets, who have an overcrowded rotation.

The two sides reached a deal on Sunday that allowed McRae to get a new opportunity, with the Nuggets opening up a roster spot and saving some money. Although the 28-year-old agreed to surrender $390,424 of his minimum salary, that agreement will be negated by the Pistons’ waiver claim. Detroit will simply take on McRae’s $1,645,357 expiring contract, which will come off Denver’s books. The Pistons will be on the hook for paying the prorated salary remaining on the deal, while the Nuggets’ financial obligation will be extinguished.

By claiming McRae off waivers, the Pistons will get his Early Bird rights, which will give them added flexibility to re-sign him this summer. No corresponding roster move will be necessary for Detroit, since the team has an open spot after letting Derrick Walton‘s 10-day contract expire earlier this week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oubre To Be Re-Evaluated In Four Weeks Following Meniscus Surgery

March 3rd, 2020 at 10:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Suns forward Kelly Oubre underwent surgery on his torn meniscus in his right knee earlier today, as expected. In addition to confirming that report, the club issued an updated timeline for Oubre’s recovery, announcing he’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks, as ESPN relays.

Oubre, who was acquired mid-season last year in a trade with the Wizards, was having a career year with the Suns this season. He’s averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

The timing of Oubre’s re-evaluation would leave about two weeks left in the season, so it’s possible we won’t see him return to the court this spring, especially if the Suns have fallen entirely out of the race for the eighth seed by that point.

McRae Could Help Suns In Present, Future

March 3rd, 2020 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic examines how Jordan McRae could fit with the Suns this season and potentially beyond. Phoenix reportedly intends to place a waiver claim on McRae, but there’s a possibility Detroit will do so as well, and the Pistons would have the higher priority.

Oubre To Undergo Surgery On Torn Meniscus

March 3rd, 2020 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kelly Oubre will undergo surgery on his torn right meniscus, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Oubre’s recovery timetable remains unclear — an update is expected to be provided on Wednesday, per Arizona Sports 98.7.

Derrick Rose Out At Least Two Weeks; Pistons Eyeing Jordan McRae

March 3rd, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

11:59am: The Pistons have issued a press release confirming that Rose has been diagnosed with a grade two right ankle sprain. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to the team.

11:07am: An MRI on Derrick Rose‘s sprained right ankle came back negative, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. However, sources tell Haynes that the Pistons will be cautious with Rose’s injury and that he’ll be reassessed in “a few weeks.”

Rose, who received interest from contenders at the trade deadline, has a second year on his contract with Detroit, so the Pistons will want to make sure he’s as healthy as possible heading into the offseason — the former MVP will either play a key role on next year’s team or be a valuable trade chip this summer. Rose is expected to make a full recovery from his ankle injury, Haynes notes.

As the Pistons consider handing the reins to their young players for the rest of the season, they’re also keeping an eye on Jordan McRae, according to Haynes. Released by the Nuggets on Sunday night, McRae is expected to be claimed off waivers by the Suns on Wednesday.

However, based on Haynes’ report, it sounds like Detroit is mulling a waiver claim of its own. Because they trail Phoenix in the NBA standings, the Pistons would have the higher priority and would be awarded McRae if both teams submit a claim.

If the Pistons were to place a claim on McRae, no corresponding roster move would be necessary, since they have room on their 15-man roster.

Pacific Notes: Bender, Kings, Lakers, Ayton

March 2nd, 2020 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After failing to become long-term building blocks in Phoenix, former Suns lottery picks Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender have reunited in Golden State. Bender is only on a 10-day contract for now, but Chriss thinks his former and current frontcourt mate is fitting in nicely with the Warriors, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.

“I think it’s a good fit for him, especially being around people who believe in you and help you grow,” Chriss said. “I think that’s all he needs.”

Bender’s 10-day contract with the Warriors will expire on Tuesday night, at which time Golden State will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on a rest-of-season commitment. Bender, who is simply looking to prove he still belongs in the NBA, hopes he’s making a good impression.

“I take it day-by-day,” Bender recently said, per Rankin. “I think there’s always options, but with this team, take it day-by-day and see what happens. Obviously, a great place to be, like I said. Great organization. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, but like I said, take it day-by-day and see what happens.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Although the Kings have missed Richaun Holmes over the last two months, they could actually have a logjam at center soon, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California. Holmes is reportedly nearing a return, but Harry Giles and Alex Len have played well up front for Sacramento as of late, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team divvies up playing time down the stretch.
Despite the fact that Anthony Tolliver was waived by the Kings over the weekend, he and Kent Bazemore helped get the team out of its lowest point of the season in January, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The two recently-acquired veterans told their new teammates in a team meeting that they were better than their record showed. “We were very vocal about the potential here,” Tolliver said. “Coming from Portland and seeing how we played there, and seeing how these guys played here, even though they were losing a lot of games at that point, we were like, ‘You guys are not that far away from winning.'” Sacramento is 11-5 since that motivational pep talk.
With a comfortable hold on the top seed in the West, the Lakers are using the final stretch of the season to experiment a little with lineups, says Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. That included starting Alex Caruso when Danny Green missed Saturday’s game with a minor hip injury.
Even though he’s not the All-Star and borderline MVP candidate that Luka Doncic is, Deandre Ayton is on an impressive run for the Suns, averaging 20.9 PPG and 12.4 RPG in his last 19 games. Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic makes the case that it wasn’t a mistake for Phoenix to select Ayton first overall in 2018, two spots ahead of Doncic.

Suns Intend To Claim Jordan McRae

March 1st, 2020 at 9:21pm CST by JD Shaw

The Suns intend to put a waiver claim on guard Jordan McRae, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

McRae and the Nuggets reached a buyout agreement on Sunday, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reporting that Phoenix would likely be his destination.

McRae, 28, started the season with Washington and was traded to Denver last month. He averaged 12.8 points in 29 games with the Wizards, shooting 42% from the floor and 38% from 3-point range.

The Suns have lost three straight games and currently own the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 24-37. McRae previously spent time with Phoenix back in 2016, signing two 10-day contracts with the organization.

Because McRae is on a minimum-salary contract, the Suns can use the minimum salary exception to place a claim on him. Doing so will give the team his Early Bird rights at season’s end, and won’t cost any extra money, since Phoenix will only have to pay the prorated salary left on his deal. The Nuggets, meanwhile, will get to remove McRae’s cap hit from their books entirely, giving them some extra flexibility below the tax line.

Jordan McRae Agrees To Buyout With Nuggets, Expected To Join Suns

March 1st, 2020 at 1:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan McRae has reached a buyout agreement with the Nuggets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who adds that the Suns are his “likely destination.”

McRae has barely played in Denver since being acquired from the Wizards at the trade deadline. He appeared in four games, averaging 2.3 points and 8.0 minutes of playing time. He put up a career-best 12.8 PPG in 29 games with Washington before the deal.

Mike Singer of The Denver Post speculates (via Twitter) that the Nuggets are releasing McRae more as a favor to him than for any other reason. The team already had an open spot on its roster, so it didn’t need to create another one. McRae simply didn’t have a role in Denver.

Phoenix also has an opening on its roster after waiving Tyler Johnson and electing not to sign Jonah Bolden to a second 10-day contract, notes Gina Mizell of The Athletic (Twitter link). If the Suns are planning to sign McRae, they have the option of claiming him off waivers to obtain his Early Bird rights, adds ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

If the Suns do decide to claim McRae, his cap hit would no longer be included on Denver’s books and a buyout agreement wouldn’t be necessary — Phoenix would simply absorb his minimum-salary contract.

Today marks the final day that players can be waived and still be eligible for the postseason with their new team.