DeAndre’ Bembry

Southeast Notes: Waiters, Birch, Bembry

After months of lingering ankle issues, Heat guard Dion Waiters underwent successful surgery to repair instability in the area, including a pre-existing fracture, Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel writes.

The recovery process for the shooting guard is expected to take six to nine months, a timeline that could encroach upon Heat training camp next season. The ankle issues have bothered Waiters since the tail end of the 2016/17 campaign in which he earned his four-year, $52MM deal.

In 30 compromised games for the Heat this season, Waiters averaged 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

  • The Magic have experimented with undrafted rookie Khem Birch in their rotation and the results have been positive, John Denton of Orlando’s official team site writes. “He’s remarkably quick off the floor and he does surprise guys [with his shot-blocking abilities],” said coach Frank Vogel, “He continues to prove himself and we’ll continue to use him.
  • An adductor strain revealed in an MRI will sideline second-year Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry for one-to-three more weeks, the team announced in a press release. Bembry hasn’t seen action since December 22.
  • Despite his name coming up in trade rumors, Kent Bazemore is content playing through adversity with the Hawks, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “I came here four years ago. We had some success right off the bat. I love what this organization has done, what this city has done for me and my family,” he said.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/21/18

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

8:30pm:

3:56pm:

  • The Celtics have recalled Guerschon Yabusele and Abdel Nader from the G League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Yabusele and Nader were sent down yesterday for the Maine Red Claw’s tilt against the Westchester Knicks.
  • The Hawks have recalled DeAndre’ BembryTyler Cavanaugh and Isaiah Taylor to their G League affiliate in Erie, the team announced in a press release. Additionally, Josh Magettewho has appeared in nine games with Atlanta, was sent down to Erie.
  • The Thunder have assigned Dakari Johnson to the team’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Johnson has appeared in one game for the Blue, posting a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He has played in 21 games for OKC.
  • The Suns have recalled guard Davon Reed to their Northern Arizona affiliate, per Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports (via Twitter).

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/5/2018

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

7:08pm:

12:52pm:

  • Bulls power forward Cristiano Felicio signed a four-year, $32MM deal in July, but he has been seeing more action in the G League than the NBA as of late. The club announced today (via Twitter) that Felicio has been assigned to the Windy City Bulls for the fifth time in the last month. The 25-year-old figures to suit up for Chicago’s affiliate in tonight’s game against Fort Wayne before being recalled to the NBA.
  • The Magic have re-assigned Khem Birch and Wesley Iwundu to the G League, the team announced today (Twitter link). The duo will get a chance to play for the Lakeland Magic tonight as they host Santa Cruz.
  • Justin Jackson and Georgios Papagiannis have been sent to the Reno Bighorns by the Kings, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. Sacramento’s affiliate hosts Northern Arizona tonight.

Hawks’ Bembry Out 4-6 Weeks With Wrist Fracture

OCTOBER 24: Bembry has undergone surgery on his fractured wrist and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks, the Hawks announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 21: Hawks small forward DeAndre’ Bembry suffered a fracture in his right wrist during the team’s opener and will be out indefinitely, according to Michael Cunningham of The Journal-Constitution.

The injury was confirmed by an MRI conducted Friday. Team doctors will further evaluate Bembry on Monday to get an idea of how long he will be sidelined.

Bembry recently recovered from a strained right triceps he suffered during training camp. He was out of action for about three weeks before returning for Atlanta’s final three preseason games.

The wrist injury happened when Bembry was bracing a fall during Wednesday’s game in Dallas. He played through the pain, but the wrist continued to bother him Thursday and Friday.

“I knew it was something, but I didn’t think it would be that serious,” he said. “I would definitely say I’m somewhat of a tough guy. I probably tried to act like it wasn’t nothing even though it was something. I just tried to push through it.”

Bembry, who played 18 minutes against the Mavericks, is expected to have an expanded role after getting into just 38 games as a rookie last season.

Hawks Exercise Options On DeAndre’ Bembry, Taurean Prince

The Hawks have exercised third-year (2018/19) options on both DeAndre’ Bembry and Taurean Prince, the team announced in a press release. Atlanta faced an October 31 deadline for picking up their options beyond this coming season, and Bembry ($1,634,640) and Price ($2,526,840) will return at team-friendly prices.

Bembry, 23, averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.6 RPG in just under 10 minutes per game last season. The Hawks’ first-round pick (21st overall) was effective during the NBA Summer League where he posted 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.3 APG in 26.3 minutes per contest.

Prince, 23, a former 12th overall pick by the Jazz, was acquired by Atlanta from Utah in a three-team trade that sent Jeff Teague to the Pacers. In his rookie campaign, he posted in 5.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 16.6 minutes. Prince’s season concluded with six starts in Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against the Wizards.  He averaged 11.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.3 APG during the postseason.

For all of this year’s decisions on 2018/19 rookie scale options, be sure to check out our tracker.

Hawks’ DeAndre’ Bembry To Miss 4-6 Weeks

Second-year Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry may not be healthy to start the regular season. Bembry suffered a strained right tricep and is expected to be sidelined from basketball activity for four to six weeks, the team announced today in a press release.

Bembry, the 21st overall pick in the 2016 draft, didn’t play a whole lot for the Hawks in his rookie season, averaging just 9.8 minutes per game in 38 contests. However, he had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this July, recording 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.8 SPG, and a .565 FG% in just 26.3 MPG (four games).

As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Bembry figures to be in line for an increased role in 2017/18 with the rebuilding Hawks. The club lost a little wing depth this offseason as veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha signed with new teams, opening the door for Bembry and other young players, such as fellow 2016 first-rounder Taurean Prince.

Before he can battle for minutes though, Bembry will have to be medically cleared, and that may not happen until after the regular season gets underway. The Hawks will kick off their schedule on October 18 in Dallas, and a six-week recovery for Bembry would mean an October 25 return.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hawks, Robbins, Bembry

While the Wizards had an expensive offseason which mostly centered around maintaining the current core intact, it was also a successful offseason, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writesJohn Wall signed a designated veteran player extension, the Wizards matched Otto Porter‘s offer sheet to retain him, and Bradley Beal is already signed to a long term contract.

Washington is coming off a season in which the team made waves in the playoffs, defeating the Hawks in the first round before falling to the Celtics in a thrilling seven game series. As team majority owner Ted Leonsis explained to Bucker last week, this is the opportune time to lock up the team’s foundational pieces.

“They’re entering their prime while some other players are getting older,” Leonsis said. “I think we feel really good about keeping this core together.”

As Bucker adds, the Wizards have committed over $404MM in salary to Wall, Porter, and Beal. However, those deals are calculated ones as ownership has made it clear it intends to compete and keeping talented fixtures who have shown improvement each season are the type of players worth the investment. After finishing as the fourth seed in the East last season, the Wizards are in a position to make more strides in a weakened conference.

Below are additional notes around the Southeast Division:

Hawks Notes: Howard, Millsap, Bazemore, Workout

Dwight Howard expressed anger today after his exit interview about his deteriorating role with the Hawks, relays Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Howard saw less playing as the season wore on, then averaged just 26.2 minutes per game during the playoff series with Washington. Coach/executive Mike Budenholzer believed the offense worked better without Howard and frequently opted for a smaller lineup with Paul Millsap at center. This comes just months after the Hawks gave Howard $70.5MM over three years to return to his hometown. “It was very difficult,” Howard told reporters. “I want to play. I want to be out on the floor. I want to make a difference. I want to make an impact, and I can’t do that on the bench.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:
  • Earlier today, we told you that Millsap intends to opt out of his nearly $21.5MM deal for next year. Even though he’s hitting the open market, the 32-year-old power forward says his first choice is to remain in Atlanta, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Eventually I probably will opt out, yes,” Millsap said. “But I want to be here. I think talks have been pretty good, so we’ll see what happens.” Millsap led the Hawks in scoring this season at 18.1 points per game, and was second in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Vivlamore expects him to get maximum offers this summer, but Atlanta has the advantage of Bird rights. The Hawks can offer five years at up to $205MM, while other teams will be limited to four years at $158.4MM.
  • The Hawks’ efforts to keep Millsap will stretch from the front office to the locker room. Owner Tony Ressler has said the organization will make “every effort imaginable” to re-sign Millsap, and Charles Odum of The Associated Press writes that teammates will be involved as well. “I’m definitely recruiting Millsap to come back,” said Kent Bazemore.
  • Utah’s Kyle Kuzma was among the players at the Hawks’ pre-draft workout this morning, Vivlamore tweets. The junior power forward is ranked 59th in the latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress.
  • Rookies Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry are definites for summer league, according to Budenholzer, and they may be joined by Isaia Cordinier, a second-round pick in 2016 who spent this season in France (Twitter link).

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/19/17

Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:

  • The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Through 28 games with the Blue, Huestis has averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds over 32.1 MPG.
  • The Hawks recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced in a press release. Bembry, 22, has appeared in just one NBA game since February 27, predominantly getting experience in the D-League in his rookie season. With Kent Bazemore out at least one week with a bone bruise, Bembry may receive playing opportunities.