DeAndre Liggins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Claim DeAndre Liggins Off Waivers

April 11th, 2017 at 4:10pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavs have claimed DeAndre Liggins off waivers, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). Liggins was waived by the Cavaliers on Sunday.

In Liggins the Mavs get a journeyman two-guard most known for his defense. He played in 59 contest for the reigning champion Cavaliers this season, starting 19 of them at one point while filling in for an injured J.R. Smith.

On the season, Liggins has averaged 2.4 points in 12.3 minutes per game. His deal, Charania notes, isn’t guaranteed for the 2017/18 campaign. Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News adds that there’s a team option on Liggins’ deal, so the Mavs will get the opportunity to choose whether they’d like to keep him on board.

By claiming Liggins, the Mavericks will save the Cavs $2.5MM in luxury tax, Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets. That means, as we relayed at the time of Liggins’ release, the 28 other teams that are below the luxury tax will receive roughly $44K less in tax distribution.

The Mavs were the only team with a roster spot open at this point in the season.

Worth noting is that Dallas claiming Liggins precludes them from signing recently retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to a one-day deal, as had been speculated.

Though the Pro Bowler will still be honored during the Mavs’ final home game, he’ll be ineligible to see any official court time. Sure, the Mavs had previously said that Romo wouldn’t actually play, but now it’s outright forbidden.

Cavaliers Waive DeAndre Liggins

April 9th, 2017 at 1:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Cleveland has waived DeAndre Liggins, according to the team’s website. The Cavs’ roster now sits at 14 players.

If another team claims Liggins off waivers, it would save the Cavs approximately $2.5MM in luxury tax payments, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter links). If that happens, each of the 28 teams below the tax line would receive roughly $44K less from the tax distribution than they would if Liggins went unclaimed. Marks notes that each of the 28 franchises is currently slated to receive $552K from the distribution.

The team plans on adding another player, though it hasn’t made a decision on who it will be, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic tweets. They must sign someone by Wednesday for the player to be playoff-eligible.

Liggins played in 61 games this season, starting 19 of them. He saw 12.3 minutes per contest and averaged 2.4 points per game.

Cavaliers Notes: Sanders, James, Liggins, Williams

March 12th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James would endorse the signing of free agent center Larry Sanders to improve the Cavaliers’ bench, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal. A story broke Friday that Cleveland was in “serious discussions” with the former Buck, who hasn’t played in the league since the 2014/15 season. The Cavs need a rim protector after losing Andrew Bogut to a broken leg in his first game with the team. Sanders is only 28 and had talks about joining the organization before Bogut became available. “An athletic big guy, incredible shot-blocking skills, anticipation around the rim, can finish around the rim and block shots and being able to guard perimeter guys as well,” James said. “… It looks like he wants another opportunity and hopefully if we’re the team, hopefully we give him an opportunity. Why not? Everyone deserves a second chance and it looks like he wants to get back to playing the game he loves and hopefully this is his destination.”

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

The Cavs chose defense over offense when they decided to keep DeAndre Liggins instead of Jordan McRae, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. McRae, a second-year guard, was waived March 1 to create a roster spot for Bogut. Cleveland believes Liggins is more useful because he can match up with Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Kyle Lowry or Stephen Curry in a playoff series. In addition, Vardon says some people in the organization questioned McRae’s work ethic.
Kyle Korver will be out of action for about a week with a recurring foot injury, Vardon writes in a separate story. Tests this week showed inflammation of a tendon, which is an injury that has affected Korver before. Coach Tyronn Lue said Korver will be re-evaluated “in a few days.”
Deron Williams continues to look like he will play a major role in the postseason, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The backup point guard, who signed with the Cavaliers after agreeing to a buyout with Dallas, posted 10 points and four assists in 25 minutes Saturday in a win over Orlando. “That’s perfect for our team, and he’s able to learn the sets on the fly,” James said. “He’s putting us in position, and every game he’s getting an opportunity to get his legs back up underneath him because he didn’t play much before the All-Star break. And then you have the break, which is another week, and then I think he took like another week after that. So he’s using these games to get back into game mode and game shape, and it’s helping him every time out.”

Cavaliers Notes: Korver, Osman, Shumpert, Brown

January 15th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers were interested in Kyle Korver long before last week’s trade was completed, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. GM David Griffin had been asking the Hawks about Korver for the past 12 months, and former GM Chris Grant tried to sign him in 2013, offering more than the four-year, $24MM deal he accepted from the Hawks. The Cavaliers believed they needed to acquire a shooter as quickly as possible after J.R. Smith had surgery on a broken thumb and Mike Dunleavy Jr. was unable to fit into the offense. Korver, 35, is headed for free agency in the offseason and didn’t fit into Atlanta’s long-term plans.

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

The Cavaliers refused to part with draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman in the trade, Pluto adds in the same piece. The 21-year-old wing plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey and has developed into one of the best prospects in Europe. He wants to join the NBA next season and the Cavs told the Hawks he wasn’t available.
The addition of Korver allowed coach Tyronn Lue to insert Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Shumpert is an improvement over DeAndre Liggins, but Lloyd says Lue was hesitant to start him because he feared the second unit would be too thin. Smith may ultimately reclaim the starting spot, but he isn’t expected back until April. The Cavs started installing plays for Korver at Friday’s walkthrough, and Lue likes the idea of teaming him with LeBron James when the reserves are in the game.
Former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown talks in depth about his two stints in Cleveland in an interview with Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Now the lead assistant in Golden State, Brown reportedly had trouble connecting with Kyrie Irving and was fired for a second time in 2014 when Irving was eligible for a contract extension.

Central Notes: Ellenson, KCP, Rondo, Shumpert

January 13th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Austin Kent

While the absence of Jon Leuer has hurt a Pistons team desperate to regain its footing in the East, it has opened an opportunity for first-round pick Henry Ellenson to play meaningful minutes for once. This week Ellenson checked into a game in the first half for the first time this season writes Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois.

“It felt different, for sure,” the 20-year-old Pistons big man told Langlois of the matchup against the Kings. “It felt good to be out there, to be a part of the rotation. […] For me, personally, it was nice to get some of that action.”

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy reiterated how important it will be to have Ellenson available as the team returns to health in the coming days. Leuer is expected to be sidelined for at least two more games.

“We need all hands on deck,” Van Gundy said, before clarifying that while the rookie may be relied upon more than he has been thus far, it’s unlikely he’ll see “great big minutes” for the Pistons.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

The Pistons haven’t played up to a standard that Van Gundy is happy with, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News, but the head coach believes that his team is capable of it. “I thought the early part of the year — probably the second 10 games or so — we got to where we were playing at a high level and we haven’t been able to gain a rhythm since then,” Van Gundy said. “This last 20 games, I haven’t done a good enough job of getting us to play at the level we’re capable of playing at“.
The results of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s Friday MRI are in and the shooting guard suffered a Grade 2 left rotator cuff strain. The team’s official press release states that he’ll be doubtful for the Pistons through the weekend, with his status continually reevaluated and updated.
Point guard Rajon Rondo called his punitive benching by Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg a “slap in the face,” writes Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, but the veteran also says that the decision wasn’t unexpected.
The Cavaliers will insert Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup in place of DeAndre Liggins, says Sam Amico of NEO Sports Insiders. Liggins and Shumpert have shared time at the position since starter J.R. Smith broke his thumb.

Cavs Notes: Korver, Liggins, McRae

January 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Will Joseph

The Cavs figure to make at least one or two more transactions before the playoffs begin in April after acquiring Kyle Korver Saturday in a trade, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. It was a shrewd deal for the Cavs because the game has evolved into focusing more on small-ball and relying on three-pointers, Lloyd surmises. Trading a future first-round pick for a veteran comes with risk, especially since LeBron James could bolt in the 2018 summer, Lloyd cautions.

Here is more out of Cleveland:

Korver is with the Cavs in Phoenix for the game against the Suns, but cannot play or be on the bench because Mike Dunleavy Jr.‘s physical hasn’t been completed yet, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports (ESPN NOW link). The Cavs hope the medicals will be completed by Monday so that Korver can go through his first practice with the team, McMenamin adds.
There was virtually no chance DeAndre Liggins would have been waived prior to his salary becoming fully guaranteed Saturday, but Jordan McRae‘s situation wasn’t as predictable, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. The Cavs kept both players; they’re salaries are approximately $1MM each. While Liggins is a starter as a top-notch defender, McRae was a fringe rotation player and the latter’s chances of staying on the Cavs grew when Mo Williams was traded, as Vardon explains. Cleveland could’ve waived McRae to avoid paying his full salary (along with the tax penalty on his salary) and freed up a roster spot, as Vardon notes.

Cavaliers Notes: Korver, Liggins, Dunleavy, Holmes

January 7th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers plan to use Kyle Korver primarily off the bench, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland’s trade for the veteran guard was finalized today, and coach Tyronn Lue calls him one of the NBA’s best shooters off screens, along with Warriors guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. “Especially a guy who can move without the ball the way he moves coming off screens and things like that, there’s no better guy,” Lue said. “You put him on the floor with Channing [Frye], RJ [Richard Jefferson], LeBron [James] and the floor will open wide, so now you got to pick your poison when you try to help off Kyrie and LeBron.” However, Lue prefers to keep DeAndre Liggins in the starting lineup because of defense against opposing point guards.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Mike Dunleavy Jr.‘s disappointing season played a huge role in the deal, Lloyd writes in the same piece. The Cavs picked up Dunleavy for virtually nothing over the summer when the Bulls were clearing cap space to sign Dwyane Wade, but he put up some of the worst numbers of his career in Cleveland. He averaged just 4.6 points in 23 games and shot 35% from 3-point range, his worst figure since 2009/10. Dunleavy dropped out of the rotation early, but Lue says it wasn’t entirely his fault. “We really didn’t run the same movement stuff for him that Chicago ran for him and he didn’t really get a chance to really fit and blend in,” the coach said. “And that was on me, on us, but that’s just how our team is constructed. And it wasn’t fair to him but he’s a great professional. … I just thought he never really got a great rhythm on our team.”
Jonathan Holmes, who was cut by the Cavaliers in training camp, has joined the team’s D-League affiliate in Canton, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 24-year-old forward signed a two-month contract with Barcelona in November with an option for the rest of the season, but the team decided not to extend the deal. Pick calls him a “legit call-up candidate.”

Central Notes: Felder, Antetokounmpo, Pistons

January 4th, 2017 at 6:00pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers are showing more faith in rookie point guard Kay Felder, especially recently while starter Kyrie Irving has missed time with hamstring tightness. Four times in the last six games Felder has played a substantial role in Cleveland’s rotation and his ability to initiate offense off the bench hasn’t gone unnoticed.

According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has told the 21-year-old to play his game and not fret about his decisions. The result lends credence to the notion that the solution to Cleveland’s backup point guard dilemma may already be on the roster.

In the five games that Felder has played 15 or more minutes for the reigning champions – all since mid-December – he’s responded with an average of 12.2 points per game in 20.0 minutes. That ability to produce could impact the role he plays for the Cavaliers for the rest of the season.

Also coming out of the Central Division:

An injury to J.R. Smith has opened a door for DeAndre Liggins to salvage his NBA career and the 28-year-old has made the most of his opportunity with the Cavaliers. TNT Analyst David Aldridge writes about the lockdown defender’s journey back. “Sometimes you need to go backwards to realize what you had,” he tells Aldridge. “I wake up and think about that.”
Once a raw, goofy prospect, Giannis Antetokounmpo has evolved into an NBA superstar. “I’ve become more serious,” he tells Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated. “I have a franchise on my shoulders.” Jenkins profiled the 22-year-old in the magazine’s January 9 cover story (the first Bucks player to grace the cover of the publication since 1982).
Sidelined with a torn meniscus since November 23, Reggie Bullock has returned to practice for the Pistons, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
The ankle injury sustained by Aron Baynes isn’t as bad as it appeared, writes Beard in an article for The Detroit News. Though Baynes exited the game in a walking boot, he isn’t expected to miss significant time for the Pistons.

Central Notes: Smith, Liggins, Leuer, Robinson

December 21st, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith may not have thumb surgery until after Christmas, reports Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The team is still deciding which doctor will perform the operation, and no timetable for a return will be set until the procedure is complete. The Cavs are taking a patient approach to Smith’s status and about finding a replacement, as coach Tyronn Lue instructed GM David Griffin to “take his time” in adjusting the roster. “We want to make sure that we have the right piece that we bring in here that could help us win a championship,” Lue said. “That’s our goal. I mean, with Griff at the helm I know he’ll get something done. He always pulls out something magical, so let him to his thing and I just gotta to continue to coach the team with what I’ve got.” Even with the injury to Smith, the team’s first priority is finding an experienced point guard to back up Kyrie Irving.

There’s more tonight from the Central Division:

Smith’s injury will mean more playing time for DeAndre Liggins, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Iman Shumpert will probably remain in a reserve role because he has been handling the backup point guard duties, so that creates an opportunity for Liggins to start. He has played in 18 games this season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 13.9 minutes per night.
Stan Van Gundy’s promised lineup changes would have begun tonight with forward Jon Leuer getting a start, but a traffic accident this morning caused him to miss the team’s shootaround, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Leuer was able to play tonight, but he requested to be used off the bench after meeting with doctors. Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris remained the starting forwards, and Van Gundy didn’t say which player he had planned to bench for Leuer. “He would’ve started tonight but he got in a car wreck at about 45 mph and the airbags deployed and everything,” the coach said. “He was pretty banged up.”
Pacers guard Monta Ellis might be out another week, which will give Glenn Robinson III more time to prove he should be a starter, according to Jordan J. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star. Robinson has impressed his coaches while filling in for Ellis, who is suffering from a right groin sprain. “I think when another role guy goes down, this opportunity that I’m given, I’m really trying to keep it,” Robinson said. “That’s my job [to] come in competitive and to come in wanting to keep that spot. Like I said from the beginning of the season, I’ve been on the bench way too long [and I’m] trying to get back [in the starting lineup].”

Central Notes: Liggins, MCW, Bucks, Stuckey

December 12th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Austin Kent

Cavaliers shooting guard DeAndre Liggins has long been heralded as a scrappy, defensive stopper, but a recent stint in Cleveland’s rotation has pushed the 28-year-old journeyman into the spotlight. After winning the D-League Defensive Player of the Year award last season, Liggins has thrived with the defending champions, especially now that he’s seeing more time with the first unit.

“The biggest difference now,” Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue tells ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “[Is that] he’s playing with the starters and now he doesn’t have to handle the ball as much. He doesn’t have to make plays. So now he can just do what he does, and that’s defend, maul people on defense.”

The wing, who models his game after fellow Chicago native Tony Allen played over 20 minutes three times last week while filling in for the injured J.R. Smith. Smith returned to the Cavaliers’ starting lineup on Saturday night, but it appears likely that Liggins will continue to see more action than he had been seeing prior to the opportunity.

You can read more of McMenamin’s in-depth discussion with Liggins – one that touches on his personal history and the domestic assault charges that nearly derailed his career – at ESPN. Here’s more from around the Central:

Fred Hoiberg is uncertain when the Bulls will be able to welcome reserve point guard Michael Carter-Williams back to the lineup, says ESPN’s Nick Friedell. Asked if a return by the end of the month was possible, Hoiberg suggested that the team will have a better idea when the guard removes his soft cast. Out since October 31, Carter-Williams only switched into his soft cast last week.
If the Bucks have decided to locate their recently announced D-League affiliate in nearby Racine, Wisconsin, official word hasn’t yet trickled over to the mayor of the city. As Patrick Leary reports for The Journal Times, the franchise has not made it clear whether or not it will occupy the forthcoming $46MM Racine Event Center and the delay has impacted the publication of a facility financing package. For a while now, the Bucks have been in the process of choosing a location for an affiliate, but the timetable been pushed back on multiple occasions. Other possible Wisconsin locations include Oshkosh and Sheboygan.
Bucks veteran Jason Terry has impressed coaches and opponents around the league, says Chase Hughes of CSN. At 39 years and 85 days old, Terry is the third oldest player in the NBA. Recently Wizards head coach Scott Brooks cited the guard’s willingness to prepare every day and to maintain his body as the keys to his longevity.
The Pacers have several options at the two down the stretch, but recently head coach Nate McMillan has shown a proclivity to role with 10-year veteran Rodney Stuckey instead of starter Monta Ellis. As Nate Taylor writes at the Indy Star, McMillan has played Stuckey with the rest of the starting unit in the final minutes of each of Indiana’s past three games. Taylor reports that it’s Stuckey’s ability to contribute on both ends of the floor that has earned him the extra playing time.